Holy Bible - 21st Century King James

1In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

²And the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

³And God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.

⁴And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided the light from the darkness.

⁵And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

⁶And God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters."

⁷And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.

⁸And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

⁹And God said, "Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear"; and it was so.

¹⁰And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called He Seas; and God saw that it was good.

¹¹And God said, "Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth"; and it was so.

¹²And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind; and God saw that it was good.

¹³And the evening and the morning were the third day.

¹⁴And God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years;

¹⁵and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth"; and it was so.

¹⁶And God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the stars also.

¹⁷And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

¹⁸and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.

¹⁹And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

²⁰And God said, "Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven."

²¹And God created great whales and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind; and God saw that it was good.

²²And God blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth."

²³And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

²⁴And God said, "Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth after his kind"; and it was so.

²⁵And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind; and God saw that it was good.

²⁶And God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, after Our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."

²⁷So God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

²⁸And God blessed them, and God said unto them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth."

²⁹And God said, "Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

³⁰And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat"; and it was so.

³¹And God saw every thing that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

2Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

²And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.

³And God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.

⁴These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens,

⁵and before every plant of the field was in the earth, and before every herb of the field grew; for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground.

⁶But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground.

⁷And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

⁸And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.

⁹And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

¹⁰And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and became four heads.

¹¹The name of the first is Pishon; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.

¹²And the gold of that land is good, and there is bdellium and the onyx stone.

¹³And the name of the second river is Gihon; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush.

¹⁴And the name of the third river is Hiddekel; that is it which goeth toward the east of Assyria. And the fourth river is Euphrates.

¹⁵And the LORD God took the man and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

¹⁶And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat;

¹⁷but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it. For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt surely die."

¹⁸And the LORD God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper meet for him."

¹⁹And out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them; and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof.

²⁰And Adam gave names to all cattle, and to the fowl of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for Adam there was not found a helper meet for him.

²¹And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.

²²And the rib which the LORD God had taken from man, made He a woman and brought her unto the man.

²³And Adam said, "This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.

²⁵And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

3Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, 'Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?"

²And the woman said unto the serpent, "We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden,

³but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, 'Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it,lest ye die.'"

⁴And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die;

⁵for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

⁶And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof and ate, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he ate.

⁷And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves things to gird about.

⁸And they heard the voice of the LORD God, walking in the garden in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

⁹And the LORD God called unto Adam and said unto him, "Where art thou?"

¹⁰And he said, "I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself."

¹¹And He said, "Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"

¹²And the man said, "The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate."

¹³And the LORD God said unto the woman, "What is this that thou hast done?" And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled me, and I ate."

¹⁴And the LORD God said unto the serpent, "Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field. Upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.

¹⁵And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel."

¹⁶Unto the woman He said, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception. In sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee."

¹⁷And unto Adam He said, "Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, 'Thou shalt not eat of it,' cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.

¹⁸Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.

¹⁹In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread till thou return unto the ground, for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return."

²⁰And Adam called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.

²¹Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

²²And the LORD God said, "Behold, the man has become as one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put forth his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat and live for ever"--

²³therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden to till the ground from whence he was taken.

²⁴So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the Garden of Eden cherubims and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

4And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man from the LORD."

²And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

³And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

⁴And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering;

⁵but unto Cain and to his offering He had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

⁶And the LORD said unto Cain, "Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?

⁷If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him."

⁸And Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him.

⁹And the LORD said unto Cain, "Where is Abel thy brother?" And he said, "I know not. Am I my brother's keeper?"

¹⁰And He said, "What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto Me from the ground.

¹¹And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand.

¹²When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength. A fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be on the earth."

¹³And Cain said unto the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.

¹⁴Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth. And it shall come to pass that every one who findeth me shall slay me."

¹⁵And the LORD said unto him, "Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

¹⁶And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod to the east of Eden.

¹⁷And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

¹⁸And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methushael, and Methushael begot Lamech.

¹⁹And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

²⁰And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents, and of those who have cattle.

²¹And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who handle the harp and organ.

²²And Zillah, she also bore Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

²³And Lamech said unto his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech! For I have slain a man for my wounding, and a young man for my hurt.

²⁴If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold."

²⁵And Adam knew his wife again; and she bore a son and called his name Seth. "For God," said she, "hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew."

²⁶And to Seth also there was born a son, and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

5This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him.

²Male and female created He them, and blessed them and called their name Adam in the day when they were created.

³And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his own likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth.

⁴And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years; and he begot sons and daughters.

⁵And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.

⁶And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begot Enosh.

⁷And Seth lived after he begot Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

⁸And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.

⁹And Enosh lived ninety years, and begot Cainan.

¹⁰And Enosh lived after he begot Cainan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

¹¹And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.

¹²And Cainan lived seventy years, and begot Mahalaleel.

¹³And Cainan lived after he begot Mahalaleel eight hundred and forty years, and begot sons and daughters.

¹⁴And all the days of Cainan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.

¹⁵And Mahalaleel lived sixty and five years, and begot Jared.

¹⁶And Mahalaleel lived after he begot Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.

¹⁷And all the days of Mahalaleel were eight hundred ninety and five years; and he died.

¹⁸And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and he begot Enoch.

¹⁹And Jared lived after he begot Enoch eight hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

²⁰And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years; and he died.

²¹And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begot Methuselah.

²²And Enoch walked with God after he begot Methuselah three hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

²³And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years.

²⁴And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.

²⁵And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begot Lamech.

²⁶And Methuselah lived after he begot Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begot sons and daughters.

²⁷And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years; and he died.

²⁸And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begot a son.

²⁹And he called his name Noah, saying, "This same shall comfort us concerning our work and toil of our hands, because of the ground which the LORD hath cursed."

³⁰And Lamech lived after he begot Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begot sons and daughters.

³¹And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years; and he died.

³²And Noah was five hundred years old; and Noah begot Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

6And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth and daughters were born unto them,

²that the sons of God saw the daughters of men, that they were fair; and they took for themselves wives of all whom they chose.

³And the LORD said, "My Spirit shall not always strive with man, for he also is flesh; yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years."

⁴There were giants on the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men and they bore children to them, the same became mighty men who were of old, men of renown.

⁵And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagining of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.

⁶And the LORD repented that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him in His heart.

⁷And the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping thing and the fowls of the air, for I repent that I have made them."

⁸But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

⁹These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.

¹⁰And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

¹¹The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.

¹²And God looked upon the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.

¹³And God said unto Noah, "The end of all flesh has come before Me, for the earth is filled with violence through them; and behold, I will destroy them with the earth.

¹⁴Make thee an ark of gopherwood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt cover it within and without with pitch.

¹⁵And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: the length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits.

¹⁶A window shalt thou make for the ark, and to a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.

¹⁷And behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life from under heaven; and every thing that is on the earth shall die.

¹⁸But with thee will I establish My covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou and thy sons, and thy wife and thy sons' wives with thee.

¹⁹And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.

²⁰Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee to keep them alive.

²¹And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be food for thee and for them."

²²Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.

7And the LORD said unto Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark, for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation.

²Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female; and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.

³Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female, to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

⁴For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights, and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth."

⁵And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

⁶And Noah was six hundred years old when the flood of waters was upon the earth.

⁷And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him into the ark, because of the waters of the flood.

⁸Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

⁹there went in two by two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female as God had commanded Noah.

¹⁰And it came to pass after seven days that the waters of the flood were upon the earth.

¹¹In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, that same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

¹²And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

¹³In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem and Ham and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah's wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark--

¹⁴they, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort.

¹⁵And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two by two of all flesh wherein is the breath of life.

¹⁶And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him; and the LORD shut him in.

¹⁷And the flood was forty days upon the earth, and the waters increased and bore up the ark, and it was lifted up above the earth.

¹⁸And the waters prevailed and were increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark went upon the face of the waters.

¹⁹And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth, and all the high hills that were under the whole heaven were covered.

²⁰Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail, and the mountains were covered.

²¹And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl and of cattle and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man:

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

²³And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man and cattle, and the creeping things and the fowl of the heaven, and they were destroyed from the earth. And Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.

²⁴And the waters prevailed upon the earth a hundred and fifty days.

8And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that were with him in the ark; and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters were assuaged.

²The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained.

³And the waters returned from off the earth continually, and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.

⁴And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat.

⁵And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month. In the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen.

⁶And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made.

⁷And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.

⁸Also he sent forth a dove from him to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

⁹but the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth. Then he put forth his hand and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark.

¹⁰And he stayed yet another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.

¹¹And the dove came in to him in the evening, and lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off; so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth.

¹²And he stayed yet another seven days and sent forth the dove, which returned not again unto him any more.

¹³And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry.

¹⁴And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried.

¹⁵And God spoke unto Noah, saying,

¹⁶"Go forth from the ark, thou and thy wife, and thy sons and thy sons' wives with thee.

¹⁷Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee of all flesh, both of fowl and of cattle and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, that they may breed abundantly on the earth, and be fruitful and multiply upon the earth."

¹⁸And Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons' wives with him.

¹⁹Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark.

²⁰And Noah built an altar unto the LORD, and took of every clean beast and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

²¹And the LORD smelled a sweet savor; and the LORD said in His heart, "I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

²²While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

9And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, "Be fruitful and multiply, and replenish the earth.

²And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered.

³Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.

⁴"But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.

⁵And surely your blood of your lives will I require. At the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

⁶Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man.

⁷And you, be ye fruitful and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein."

⁸And God spoke unto Noah and to his sons with him, saying,

⁹"And I, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with your seed after you,

¹⁰and with every living creature that is with you -- of the fowl, of the cattle, and of every beast of the earth with you, from all that go out of the ark to every beast of the earth.

¹¹And I will establish My covenant with you: Neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth."

¹²And God said, "This is the token of the covenant which I make between Me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:

¹³I do set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between Me and the earth.

¹⁴And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud.

¹⁵And I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every living creature of all flesh, and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

¹⁶And the rainbow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth."

¹⁷And God said unto Noah, "This is the token of the covenant which I have established between Me and all flesh that is upon the earth."

¹⁸And the sons of Noah who went forth from the ark were Shem and Ham and Japheth; and Ham is the father of Canaan.

¹⁹These are the three sons of Noah, and from them was the whole earth overspread.

²⁰And Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.

²¹And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

²²And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brethren outside.

²³And Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were turned away, and they saw not their father's nakedness.

²⁴And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him.

²⁵And he said, "Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren."

²⁶And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

²⁷God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."

²⁸And Noah lived after the flood three hundred and fifty years.

²⁹And all the days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty years, and he died.

10Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth; and unto them were sons born after the flood.

²The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

³And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz and Riphath and Togarmah.

⁴And the sons of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.

⁵By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided into their lands, every one after his own tongue, according to their families, into their nations.

⁶And the sons of Ham: Cush and Mizraim, and Put and Canaan.

⁷And the sons of Cush: Seba and Havilah, and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabtechah; and the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan.

⁸And Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be a mighty one on the earth.

⁹He was a mighty hunter before the LORD; therefore it is said, "Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD."

¹⁰And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

¹¹Out of that land he went forth to Assyria, and built Nineveh and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,

¹²and Resen between Nineveh and Calah; the same is a great city.

¹³And Mizraim begot Ludim and Anamim and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim

¹⁴and Pathrusim and Casluhim (out of whom came the Philistines) and Caphtorim.

¹⁵And Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth;

¹⁶and the Jebusite and the Amorite, and the Girgashite

¹⁷and the Hivite, and the Arkite and the Sinite,

¹⁸and the Arvadite and the Zemarite and the Hamathite; and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.

¹⁹And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; and as thou goest unto Sodom and Gomorrah, and Admah and Zeboiim, even unto Lasha.

²⁰These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their countries and in their nations.

²¹Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.

²²The children of Shem: Elam and Asshur, and Arphaxad and Lud and Aram.

²³And the children of Aram: Uz and Hul, and Gether and Mash.

²⁴And Arphaxad begot Salah, and Salah begot Eber.

²⁵And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg, for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

²⁶And Joktan begot Almodad and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth and Jerah,

²⁷and Hadoram and Uzal and Diklah,

²⁸and Obal and Abimael and Sheba,

²⁹and Ophir and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan.

³⁰And their dwelling was from Mesha as thou goest unto Sephar, a mount of the east.

³¹These are the sons of Shem, according to their families, according to their tongues, in their lands, according to their nations.

³²These are the families of the sons of Noah, according to their generations, in their nations; and by these were the nations divided on the earth after the flood.

11And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech.

²And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar, and they dwelt there.

³And they said one to another, "Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly." And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for mortar.

⁴And they said, "Come, let us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

⁵And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the children of men built.

⁶And the LORD said, "Behold, the people are one and they have all one language, and this they begin to do; and now nothing will be withheld from them which they have imagined to do.

⁷Come, let Us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another's speech."

⁸So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth; and they left off building the city.

⁹Therefore is the name of it called Babel [that is, Confusion], because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth; and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

¹⁰These are the generations of Shem: Shem was a hundred years old and begot Arphaxad two years after the flood;

¹¹and Shem lived after he begot Arphaxad five hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

¹²And Arphaxad lived five and thirty years and begot Salah;

¹³and Arphaxad lived after he begot Salah four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

¹⁴And Salah lived thirty years and begot Eber;

¹⁵and Salah lived after he begot Eber four hundred and three years, and begot sons and daughters.

¹⁶And Eber lived four and thirty years and begot Peleg;

¹⁷and Eber lived after he begot Peleg four hundred and thirty years, and begot sons and daughters.

¹⁸And Peleg lived thirty years and begot Reu;

¹⁹and Peleg lived after he begot Reu two hundred and nine years, and begot sons and daughters.

²⁰And Reu lived two and thirty years and begot Serug;

²¹and Reu lived after he begot Serug two hundred and seven years, and begot sons and daughters.

²²And Serug lived thirty years and begot Nahor;

²³and Serug lived after he begot Nahor two hundred years, and begot sons and daughters.

²⁴And Nahor lived nine and twenty years and begot Terah;

²⁵and Nahor lived after he begot Terah one hundred and nineteen years, and begot sons and daughters.

²⁶And Terah lived seventy years and begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

²⁷Now these are the generations of Terah: Terah begot Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran begot Lot.

²⁸And Haran died before his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldeans.

²⁹And Abram and Nahor took for themselves wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.

³⁰But Sarai was barren; she had no child.

³¹And Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran his son's son, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went forth with them from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; and they came unto Haran and dwelt there.

³²And the days of Terah were two hundred and five years, and Terah died in Haran.

12Now the LORD had said unto Abram, "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will show thee.

²And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing.

³And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee; and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed."

⁴So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken unto him, and Lot went with him; and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

⁵And Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls whom they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan, and into the land of Canaan they came.

⁶And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Shechem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanites were then in the land.

⁷And the LORD appeared unto Abram and said, "Unto thy seed will I give this land." And there built he an altar unto the LORD, who appeared unto him.

⁸And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, having Bethel on the west and Ai on the east; and there he built an altar unto the LORD, and called upon the name of the LORD.

⁹And Abram journeyed, going on still toward the south.

¹⁰And there was a famine in the land; and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was grievous in the land.

¹¹And it came to pass, when he had come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, "Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon.

¹²Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, 'This is his wife'; and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.

¹³Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister, that it may be well with me for thy sake, and my soul shall live because of thee."

¹⁴And it came to pass, when Abram had come into Egypt, that the Egyptians beheld the woman, that she was very fair.

¹⁵The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh; and the woman was taken into Pharaoh's house.

¹⁶And he treated Abram well for her sake; and he had sheep and oxen and heasses, and menservants and maidservants, and sheasses and camels.

¹⁷And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai, Abram's wife.

¹⁸And Pharaoh called Abram and said, "What is this that thou hast done unto me? Why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife?

¹⁹Why saidst thou, 'She is my sister,' so I might have taken her to me for a wife? Now therefore behold thy wife; take her and go thy way."

²⁰And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him; and they sent him away with his wife and all that he had.

13And Abram went up out of Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south.

²And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold.

³And he went on his journeys from the south even to Bethel, unto the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai,

⁴unto the place of the altar which he had made there at the first; and there Abram called on the name of the LORD.

⁵And Lot also, who went with Abram, had flocks and herds and tents.

⁶And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together; for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.

⁷And there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram's cattle and the herdsmen of Lot's cattle; and the Canaanites and the Perizzites dwelled then in the land.

⁸And Abram said unto Lot, "Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee and between my herdsmen and thy herdsmen; for we are brethren.

⁹Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me. If thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left."

¹⁰And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere (before the LORD destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah), even as the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt as thou comest unto Zoar.

¹¹Then Lot chose for himself all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east, and they separated themselves the one from the other.

¹²Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom.

¹³But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

¹⁴And the LORD said unto Abram after Lot was separated from him, "Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward;

¹⁵for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed for ever.

¹⁶And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered.

¹⁷Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee."

¹⁸Then Abram removed his tent and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the LORD.

14And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of nations,

²that these made war with Bera king of Sodom, and with Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, and Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela, which is Zoar.

³All these were joined together in the Vale of Siddim, which is the Salt Sea.

⁴Twelve years they served Chedorlaomer, and in the thirteenth year they rebelled.

⁵And in the fourteenth year came Chedorlaomer and the kings that were with him, and smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth Karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh Kiriathaim,

⁶and the Horites in their Mount Seir, unto Elparan, which is by the wilderness.

⁷And they returned and came to Enmishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote all the country of the Amalekites and also the Amorites, who dwelt in Hazezontamar.

⁸And there went out the king of Sodom, and the king of Gomorrah, and the king of Admah, and the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (the same is Zoar), and they joined battle with them in the Vale of Siddim,

⁹against Chedorlaomer the king of Elam, and against Tidal king of nations, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar -- four kings against five.

¹⁰And the Vale of Siddim was full of slime pits; and the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled and fell there, and those who remained fled to the mountain.

¹¹And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah and all their victuals, and went their way.

¹²And they took Lot, Abram's brother's son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods and departed.

¹³And there came one who had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew, for he dwelt on the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram.

¹⁴And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house (three hundred and eighteen), and pursued them unto Dan.

¹⁵And he divided himself against them, he and his servants by night, and smote them and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus.

¹⁶And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot and his goods, and the women also and the people.

¹⁷And the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (which is the King's Dale) after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer and of the kings who were with him.

¹⁸And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine; and he was the priest of the Most High God.

¹⁹And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth;

²⁰and blessed be the Most High God, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand." And he gave him tithes of all.

²¹And the king of Sodom said unto Abram, "Give me the persons, and take the goods for thyself."

²²And Abram said to the king of Sodom, "I have lifted up mine hand unto the LORD, the Most High God, the possessor of heaven and earth,

²³that I will not take from a thread even to a shoe strap, and that I will not take any thing that is thine, lest thou shouldest say,'I have made Abram rich'"

²⁴except only that which the young men have eaten and the portion of the men who went with me: Aner, Eshcol, and Mamre; let them take their portion."

15After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, "Fear not, Abram. I am thy shield and thy exceeding great reward."

²And Abram said, "Lord GOD, what wilt Thou give me, seeing I go childless and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?"

³And Abram said, "Behold, to me Thou hast given no seed; and lo, one born in my house is mine heir."

⁴And behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, "This shall not be thine heir, but he that shall come forth out of thine own loins shall be thine heir."

⁵And He brought him forth outdoors and said, "Look now toward heaven and count the stars, if thou be able to number them." And He said unto him, "So shall thy seed be."

⁶And he believed in the LORD; and He accounted it to him for righteousness.

⁷And He said unto him, "I am the LORD who brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldeans, to give thee this land to inherit it."

⁸And he said, "Lord GOD, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it?"

⁹And He said unto him, "Take Me a heifer of three years old, and a shegoat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon."

¹⁰And he took unto Him all these, and divided them in the midst and laid each piece one against another; but the birds divided he not.

¹¹And when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, Abram drove them away.

¹²And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him.

¹³And He said unto Abram, "Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years.

¹⁴And also that nation whom they shall serve will I judge, and afterward shall they come out with great substance.

¹⁵And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried at a good old age.

¹⁶But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full."

¹⁷And it came to pass that when the sun went down and it was dark, behold, a smoking furnace and a burning lamp passed between those pieces.

¹⁸On the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, "Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the River Euphrates:

¹⁹the Kenites and the Kenizzites and the Kadmonites,

²⁰and the Hittites and the Perizzites and the Rephaim,

²¹and the Amorites and the Canaanites and the Girgashites and the Jebusites."

16Now Sarai, Abram's wife, bore him no children; and she had a handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar.

²And Sarai said unto Abram, "Behold now, the LORD hath restrained me from bearing. I pray thee, go in unto my maid. It may be that I may obtain children by her." And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai.

³And Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar her maid, the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife.

⁴And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes.

⁵And Sarai said unto Abram, "My wrong be upon thee. I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes. The LORD judge between me and thee."

⁶But Abram said unto Sarai, "Behold, thy maid is in thy hand. Do to her as it pleaseth thee." And when Sarai dealt harshly with her, she fled from her face.

⁷And the angel of the LORD found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain on the way to Shur.

⁸And he said, "Hagar, Sarai's maid, whence camest thou? And whither wilt thou go?" And she said, "I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai."

⁹And the angel of the LORD said unto her, "Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands."

¹⁰And the angel of the LORD said unto her, "I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude."

¹¹And the angel of the LORD said unto her, "Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son and shalt call his name Ishmael [that is, God shall hear], because the LORD hath heard thy affliction.

¹²And he will be a wild man. His hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren."

¹³And she called the name of the LORD who spoke unto her: "Thou God seest me." For she said, "Have I also here looked upon Him that seeth me?"

¹⁴Therefore the well was called Beerlahairoi [that is, The well of Him that liveth and seeth me]. Behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered.

¹⁵And Hagar bore Abram a son; and Abram called his son's name, whom Hagar bore, Ishmael.

¹⁶And Abram was fourscore and six years old when Hagar bore Ishmael to Abram.

17And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the LORD appeared to Abram and said unto him, "I am the Almighty God. Walk before Me, and be thou perfect.

²And I will make My covenant between Me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly."

³And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him, saying,

⁴"As for Me, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.

⁵Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.

⁶And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.

⁷And I will establish My covenant between Me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee.

⁸And I will give unto thee and to thy seed after thee the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God."

⁹And God said unto Abraham, "Thou shalt keep My covenant, therefore, thou and thy seed after thee in their generations.

¹⁰This is My covenant which ye shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee: every manchild among you shall be circumcised.

¹¹And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant between Me and you.

¹²And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every manchild in your generations, he that is born in the house or bought with money from any stranger who is not of thy seed.

¹³He that is born in thy house and he that is bought with thy money must be circumcised; and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.

¹⁴And the uncircumcised manchild whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken My covenant."

¹⁵And God said unto Abraham, "As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.

¹⁶And I will bless her and give thee a son also by her. Yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her."

¹⁷Then Abraham fell upon his face and laughed, and said in his heart, "Shall a child be born unto him that is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear?"

¹⁸And Abraham said unto God, "O that Ishmael might live before Thee!"

¹⁹And God said, "Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac; and I will establish My covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.

²⁰And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee. Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful and will multiply him exceedingly. Twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation.

²¹But My covenant will I establish with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year."

²²And He left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham.

²³And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham's house, and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him.

²⁴And Abraham was ninety years old and nine when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

²⁵And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin.

²⁶In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son.

²⁷And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money from the stranger, were circumcised with him.

18And the LORD appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre, as he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day.

²And he lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him. And when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground

³and said, "My lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant.

⁴Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet and rest yourselves under the tree;

⁵and I will fetch a morsel of bread and comfort ye your hearts. After that ye shall pass on, for therefor are ye come to your servant." And they said, "So do, as thou hast said."

⁶And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, "Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth."

⁷And Abraham ran unto the herd and fetched a calf, tender and good, and gave it unto a young man, and he hastened to dress it.

⁸And he took butter and milk and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they ate.

⁹And they said unto him, "Where is Sarah thy wife?" And he said, "Behold, in the tent."

¹⁰And he said, "I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son." And Sarah heard it from the tent door, which was behind him.

¹¹Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age, and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women.

¹²Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, "After I have waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?"

¹³And the LORD said unto Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I of a surety bear a child, who am old?'

¹⁴Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."

¹⁵Then Sarah denied, saying, "I laughed not," for she was afraid. And He said, "Nay, but thou didst laugh."

¹⁶And the men rose up from thence, and looked toward Sodom; and Abraham went with them to bring them on the way.

¹⁷And the LORD said, "Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do,

¹⁸seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?

¹⁹For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD to do justice and judgment, that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He hath spoken of him."

²⁰And the LORD said, "Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous,

²¹I will go down now and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which has come unto Me; and if not, I will know."

²²And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom; but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.

²³And Abraham drew near and said, "Wilt Thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

²⁴Perhaps there be fifty righteous within the city; wilt Thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?

²⁵That be far from Thee to do in this manner -- to slay the righteous with the wicked; and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?"

²⁶And the LORD said, "If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes."

²⁷And Abraham answered and said, "Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, I, who am but dust and ashes.

²⁸Perhaps there shall lack five of the fifty righteous; wilt Thou destroy all the city for lack of five?" And He said, "If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it."

²⁹And he spoke unto Him yet again and said, "Perhaps there shall be forty found there?" And He said, "I will not do it for forty's sake."

³⁰And he said unto Him, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Perhaps there shall thirty be found there." And He said, "I will not do it if I find thirty there."

³¹And he said, "Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Perhaps there shall be twenty found there." And He said, "I will not destroy it for twenty's sake."

³²And he said, "Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Perhaps ten shall be found there." And He said, "I will not destroy it for ten's sake."

³³And the LORD went His way, as soon as He had finished communing with Abraham; and Abraham returned unto his place.

19And there came two angels to Sodom at evening, and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. And Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them, and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground;

²and he said, "Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early and go on your ways." And they said, "Nay, but we will remain in the street all night."

³And he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him and entered into his house; and he made them a feast and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.

⁴But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom -- both young and old, all the people from every quarter --compassed the house around.

⁵And they called unto Lot and said unto him, "Where are the men who came in to thee this night? Bring them out unto us, that we may know them."

⁶And Lot went out at the door unto them, and shut the door after him

⁷and said, "I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

⁸Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man. Let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes. Only unto these men do nothing, for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof."

⁹And they said, "Stand back." And they said again, "This one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will become a judge! Now will we deal worse with thee than with them." And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.

¹⁰But the men put forth their hands, and pulled Lot into the house to them, and shut the door.

¹¹And they smote the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

¹²And the men said unto Lot, "Hast thou here any besides? Soninlaw, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whomsoever thou hast in the city -- bring them out of this place.

¹³For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them has waxed great before the face of the LORD, and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it."

¹⁴And Lot went out and spoke unto his sons-in-law, who married his daughters, and said, "Up, get ye out of this place; for the LORD will destroy this city!" But he seemed as one who mocked unto his sons-in-law.

¹⁵And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, "Arise, take thy wife and thy two daughters who are here, lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city."

¹⁶And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife and upon the hand of his two daughters, the LORD being merciful unto him; and they brought him forth and set him outside the city.

¹⁷And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth outside, that he said, "Escape for thy life! Look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain. Escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed!"

¹⁸And Lot said unto them, "Oh, not so, my lord.

¹⁹Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shown unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die.

²⁰Behold now, this city is near enough to flee unto, and it is a little one. Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live."

²¹And he said unto him, "See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city for which thou hast spoken.

²²Hasten thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou hast come thither." Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar.

²³The sun had risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.

²⁴Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the LORD out of heaven;

²⁵and He overthrew those cities, and all the plain and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

²⁶But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.

²⁷And Abraham got up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD;

²⁸and he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld. And lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

²⁹And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow when He overthrew the cities in which Lot dwelt.

³⁰And Lot went up out of Zoar and dwelt on the mountain, and his two daughters with him, for he feared to dwell in Zoar; and he dwelt in a cave, he and his two daughters.

³¹And the firstborn said unto the younger, "Our father is old, and there is not a man on the earth to come in unto us after the manner of all the earth.

³²Come, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father."

³³And they made their father drink wine that night, and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

³⁴And it came to pass on the morrow that the firstborn said unto the younger, "Behold, I lay yesternight with my father. Let us make him drink wine this night also, and go thou in and lie with him, that we may preserve seed of our father."

³⁵And they made their father drink wine that night also. And the younger arose and lay with him; and he perceived not when she lay down, nor when she arose.

³⁶Thus were both the daughters of Lot with child by their father.

³⁷And the firstborn bore a son and called his name Moab; the same is the father of the Moabites unto this day.

³⁸And the younger, she also bore a son and called his name Benammi; the same is the father of the children of Ammon unto this day.

20And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelt between Kadesh and Shur and sojourned in Gerar.

²And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, "She is my sister." And Abimelech king of Gerar sent and took Sarah.

³But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, "Behold, thou art but a dead man, because of the woman whom thou hast taken; for she is a man's wife."

⁴But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, wilt Thou slay also a righteous nation?

⁵Said he not unto me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this."

⁶And God said unto him in a dream, "Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart, for I also withheld thee from sinning against Me. Therefore I suffered thee not to touch her.

⁷Now therefore restore the man his wife; for he is a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live. And if thou restore her not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou and all that are thine."

⁸Therefore Abimelech rose early in the morning, and called all his servants, and told all these things in their hearing; and the men were sore afraid.

⁹Then Abimelech called Abraham and said unto him, "What hast thou done unto us? And how have I offended thee, that thou hast brought on me and on my kingdom a great sin? Thou hast done deeds unto me that ought not to be done."

¹⁰And Abimelech said unto Abraham, "What sawest thou, that thou hast done this thing?"

¹¹And Abraham said, "Because I thought surely the fear of God is not in this place, and they will slay me for my wife's sake.

¹²And yet indeed she is my sister: she is the daughter of my father, but not the daughter of my mother, and she became my wife.

¹³And it came to pass, when God caused me to wander from my father's house, that I said unto her, 'This is thy kindness which thou shalt show unto me: at every place whither we shall come, say of me, "He is my brother."'"

¹⁴And Abimelech took sheep and oxen, and menservants and womenservants, and gave them unto Abraham, and restored to him Sarah his wife.

¹⁵And Abimelech said, "Behold, my land is before thee. Dwell where it pleaseth thee."

¹⁶And unto Sarah he said, "Behold, I have given thy brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes unto all who are with thee and with all other." Thus she was reproved.

¹⁷So Abraham prayed unto God. And God healed Abimelech, and his wife and his maidservants; and they bore children,

¹⁸for the LORD had closed up fast all the wombs of the house of Abimelech because of Sarah, Abraham's wife.

21And the LORD visited Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken.

²For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.

³And Abraham called the name of his son who was born unto him, whom Sarah bore to him, Isaac.

⁴And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old, as God had commanded him.

⁵And Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born unto him.

⁶And Sarah said, "God hath made me laugh, so that all who hear will laugh with me."

⁷And she said, "Who would have said unto Abraham that Sarah should have given children suck? For I have borne him a son in his old age."

⁸And the child grew, and was weaned; and Abraham made a great feast the same day that Isaac was weaned.

⁹And Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, mocking.

¹⁰Therefore she said unto Abraham, "Cast out this bondwoman and her son; for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my son, even with Isaac."

¹¹And the thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight because of his son.

¹²And God said unto Abraham, "Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman. In all that Sarah hath said unto thee, hearken unto her voice; for in Isaac shall thy seed be called.

¹³And also of the son of the bondwoman will I make a nation, because he is thy seed."

¹⁴And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of water; and he gave it unto Hagar, putting it on her shoulder, and the child, and sent her away. And she departed and wandered in the wilderness of Beersheba.

¹⁵And the water in the bottle was spent, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.

¹⁶And she went and sat down apart from him a good way off, as it were, a bowshot; for she said, "Let me not see the death of the child." And she sat opposite him, and lifted up her voice and wept.

¹⁷And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven and said unto her, "What aileth thee, Hagar? Fear not, for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.

¹⁸Arise; lift up the lad and hold him in thine hand, for I will make him a great nation."

¹⁹And God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.

²⁰And God was with the lad; and he grew, and dwelt in the wilderness, and became an archer.

²¹And he dwelt in the Wilderness of Paran, and his mother took him a wife out of the land of Egypt.

²²And it came to pass at that time that Abimelech and Phichol, the chief captain of his host, spoke unto Abraham, saying, "God is with thee in all that thou doest.

²³Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son; but according to the kindness that I have done unto thee, thou shalt do unto me and to the land wherein thou hast sojourned."

²⁴And Abraham said, "I will swear."

²⁵And Abraham reproved Abimelech because of a well of water which Abimelech's servants had violently taken away.

²⁶And Abimelech said, "I know not who hath done this thing; neither didst thou tell me, neither yet heard I of it until today."

²⁷And Abraham took sheep and oxen and gave them unto Abimelech, and both of them made a covenant.

²⁸And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves.

²⁹And Abimelech said unto Abraham, "What mean these seven ewe lambs, which thou hast set by themselves?"

³⁰And he said, "These seven ewe lambs shalt thou take from my hand, that they may be a witness unto me that I have dug this well."

³¹Therefore he called that place Beersheba [that is, The well of the oath], because there they swore, both of them.

³²Thus they made a covenant at Beersheba. Then Abimelech rose up, and Phichol the chief captain of his host, and they returned into the land of the Philistines.

³³And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of the LORD, the Everlasting God.

³⁴And Abraham sojourned in the Philistines' land many days.

22And it came to pass after these things, that God tested Abraham and said unto him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Behold, here I am."

²And He said, "Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."

³And Abraham rose up early in the morning and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him and Isaac his son; and he cleaved the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up and went unto the place of which God had told him.

⁴Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

⁵And Abraham said unto his young men, "Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you."

⁶And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand and a knife, and they went both of them together.

⁷And Isaac spoke unto Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here am I, my son." And he said, "Behold the fire and the wood; but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?"

⁸And Abraham said, "My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering." So they went both of them together.

⁹And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar upon the wood.

¹⁰And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

¹¹And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I."

¹²And He said, "Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son, from Me."

¹³And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked; and behold, behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.

¹⁴And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovahjireh [that is, The LORD will provide]; as it is said to this day, "In the mount of the LORD it shall be seen."

¹⁵And the angel of the LORD called unto Abraham out of heaven the second time

¹⁶and said, "By Myself have I sworn, saith the LORD, for because thou hast done this thing and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son,

¹⁷in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is upon the seashore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.

¹⁸And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because thou hast obeyed My voice."

¹⁹So Abraham returned unto his young men, and they rose up and went together to Beersheba; and Abraham dwelt at Beersheba.

²⁰And it came to pass after these things, that it was told Abraham, saying, "Behold Milcah, she hath also borne children unto thy brother Nahor:

²¹Huz his firstborn, and Buz his brother, and Kemuel the father of Aram,

²²and Chesed and Hazo, and Pildash and Jidlaph and Bethuel."

²³And Bethuel begot Rebekah. These eight Milcah bore to Nahor, Abraham's brother.

²⁴And his concubine, whose name was Reumah, she bore also Tebah and Gaham, and Thahash and Maachah.

23And Sarah was a hundred and seven and twenty years old; these were the years of the life of Sarah.

²And Sarah died in Kirjatharba (the same is Hebron) in the land of Canaan; and Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her.

³And Abraham stood up from before his dead, and spoke unto the sons of Heth, saying,

⁴"I am a stranger and a sojourner with you. Give me a possession for a burying place with you, that I may bury my dead out of my sight."

⁵And the children of Heth answered Abraham, saying unto him,

⁶"Hear us, my lord: Thou art a mighty prince among us; in the choicest of our sepulchers bury thy dead. None of us shall withhold from thee his sepulcher, that thou mayest bury thy dead."

⁷And Abraham stood up and bowed himself to the people of the land, even to the children of Heth.

⁸And he communed with them, saying, "If it be in your mind that I should bury my dead out of my sight, hear me, and entreat for me Ephron the son of Zohar,

⁹that he may give me the cave of Machpelah which he hath, which is in the end of his field. For as much money as it is worth he shall give it to me as a possession for a burying place amongst you."

¹⁰And Ephron dwelt among the children of Heth; and Ephron the Hittite answered Abraham in the audience of the children of Heth, even of all who went in at the gate of his city, saying,

¹¹"Nay, my lord, hear me: The field give I thee; and the cave that is therein, I give it to thee. In the presence of the sons of my people give I it to thee; bury thy dead."

¹²And Abraham bowed himself down before the people of the land.

¹³And he spoke unto Ephron in the audience of the people of the land, saying, "But if thou wilt give it, I pray thee, hear me. I will give thee money for the field. Take it from me, and I will bury my dead there."

¹⁴And Ephron answered Abraham, saying unto him,

¹⁵"My lord, hearken unto me: The land is worth four hundred shekels of silver. What is that between me and thee? Bury therefore thy dead."

¹⁶And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron; and Abraham weighed the silver for Ephron which he had named in the audience of the sons of Heth: four hundred shekels of silver, current money with the merchant.

¹⁷And the field of Ephron which was in Machpelah, which was before Mamre, the field and the cave which was therein, and all the trees that were in the field that were in all the borders round about, were secured

¹⁸unto Abraham as a possession in the presence of the children of Heth, before all who went in at the gate of his city.

¹⁹And after this, Abraham buried Sarah his wife in the cave of the field of Machpelah, before Mamre (the same is Hebron) in the land of Canaan.

²⁰And the field and the cave that is therein were secured unto Abraham as a possession for a burying place by the sons of Heth.

24And Abraham was old and well stricken in age; and the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things.

²And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh;

³and I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell.

⁴But thou shalt go unto my country and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son Isaac."

⁵And the servant said unto him, "Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me unto this land. Must I bring thy son again unto the land from whence thou camest?"

⁶And Abraham said unto him, "Beware thou that thou bring not my son thither again.

⁷The LORD God of heaven, who took me from my father's house and from the land of my kindred, and who spoke unto me and who swore unto me, saying, 'Unto thy seed will I give this land,' He shall send His angel before thee, and thou shalt take a wife for my son from thence.

⁸And if the woman will not be willing to follow thee, then thou shalt be clear from this my oath; only bring not my son thither again."

⁹And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning that matter.

¹⁰And the servant took ten camels from the camels of his master and departed, for all the goods of his master were in his hand. And he arose and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor.

¹¹And he made his camels to kneel down outside the city by a well of water at the time of the evening, even the time that women go out to draw water.

¹²And he said, "O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray Thee, send me good speed this day, and show kindness unto my master Abraham.

¹³Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water.

¹⁴And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, 'Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink,' and she shall say, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also' -- let the same be she whom Thou hast appointed for Thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that Thou hast shown kindness unto my master."

¹⁵And it came to pass, before he had done speaking, that behold, Rebekah came out, who was born to Bethuel son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder.

¹⁶And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her; and she went down to the well and filled her pitcher and came up.

¹⁷And the servant ran to meet her and said, "Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water from thy pitcher."

¹⁸And she said, "Drink, my lord"; and she hastened and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.

¹⁹And when she had done giving him drink, she said, "I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking."

²⁰And she hastened and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

²¹And the man, wondering at her, held his peace to learn whether the LORD had made his journey prosperous or not.

²²And it came to pass, as the camels were done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold,

²³and said, "Whose daughter art thou? Tell me, I pray thee, is there room in thy father's house for us to lodge in?"

²⁴And she said unto him, "I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore unto Nahor."

²⁵She said moreover unto him, "We have both straw and provender enough, and room to lodge in."

²⁶And the man bowed down his head, and worshiped the LORD.

²⁷And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of my master Abraham, who hath not left destitute my master from His mercy and His truth. I, being on the way, the LORD led me to the house of my master's brethren."

²⁸And the damsel ran and told those of her mother's house these things.

²⁹And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban; and Laban ran out unto the man by the well.

³⁰And it came to pass, when he saw the earring, and bracelets upon his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, "Thus spoke the man unto me," that he came unto the man; and behold, he stood by the camels at the well.

³¹And he said, "Come in, thou blessed of the LORD. Why standest thou outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels."

³²And the man came into the house; and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender to the camels, and water to wash his feet and the feet of the men who were with him.

³³And there was meat set before him to eat; but he said, "I will not eat until I have told mine errand." And he said, "Speak on."

³⁴And he said, "I am Abraham's servant.

³⁵And the LORD hath blessed my master greatly, and he is become great; and He hath given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and menservants and maidservants, and camels and asses.

³⁶And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and unto him hath he given all that he hath.

³⁷And my master made me swear, saying, 'Thou shalt not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell;

³⁸but thou shalt go unto my father's house and to my kindred, and take a wife for my son.'

³⁹And I said unto my master, 'Perhaps the woman will not follow me.'

⁴⁰And he said unto me, 'The LORD, before whom I walk, will send His angel with thee and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son from my kindred and from my father's house.

⁴¹Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.'

⁴²And I came this day unto the well and said, 'O LORD God of my master Abraham, if now Thou do prosper my way which I go,

⁴³behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, "Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink,"

⁴⁴and she say to me, "Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels," let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master's son.'

⁴⁵And before I was done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well and drew water. And I said unto her, 'Let me drink, I pray thee.'

⁴⁶And she made haste and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, 'Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also'; so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.

⁴⁷And I asked her and said, 'Whose daughter art thou?' And she said, 'The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore unto him'; and I put the earring upon her face and the bracelets upon her hands.

⁴⁸And I bowed down my head and worshiped the LORD, and blessed the LORD God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter for his son.

⁴⁹And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me; and if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left."

⁵⁰Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, "The thing proceedeth from the LORD; we cannot speak unto thee bad or good.

⁵¹Behold, Rebekah is before thee; take her and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the LORD hath spoken."

⁵²And it came to pass, when Abraham's servant heard their words, that he worshiped the LORD, bowing himself to the earth.

⁵³And the servant brought forth jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; he gave also to her brother and to her mother precious things.

⁵⁴And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and tarried all night; and they arose up in the morning, and he said, "Send me away unto my master."

⁵⁵And her brother and her mother said, "Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten. After that she shall go."

⁵⁶And he said unto them, "Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way. Send me away, that I may go to my master."

⁵⁷And they said, "We will call the damsel, and inquire from her mouth."

⁵⁸And they called Rebekah and said unto her, "Wilt thou go with this man?" And she said, "I will go."

⁵⁹And they sent away Rebekah their sister and her nurse, and Abraham's servant and his men.

⁶⁰And they blessed Rebekah and said unto her, "Thou art our sister; be thou the mother of thousands of millions; and let thy seed possess the gate of those who hate them."

⁶¹And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels and followed the man; and the servant took Rebekah and went his way.

⁶²And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahairoi; for he dwelt in the south country.

⁶³And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide; and he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, the camels were coming.

⁶⁴And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac she alighted from the camel.

⁶⁵For she had said unto the servant, "What man is this who walketh in the field to meet us?" And the servant had said, "It is my master"; therefore she took a veil and covered herself.

⁶⁶And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.

⁶⁷And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent; and he took Rebekah and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

25Then again Abraham took a wife, and her name was Keturah.

²And she bore him Zimran and Jokshan and Medan, and Midian and Ishbak and Shuah.

³And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim and Letushim and Leummim.

⁴And the sons of Midian: Ephah and Epher, and Hanoch and Abidah and Eldaah. All these were the children of Keturah.

⁵And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac.

⁶But unto the sons of the concubines whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts; and while he yet lived he sent them away from Isaac his son, eastward unto the east country.

⁷And these are the days of the years of Abraham's life which he lived, a hundred threescore and fifteen years.

⁸Then Abraham gave up the ghost and died in a good old age, an old man and full of years, and was gathered to his people.

⁹And his sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah, in the field of Ephron the son of Zohar the Hittite, which is before Mamre,

¹⁰the field which Abraham purchased from the sons of Heth. There was Abraham buried, and Sarah his wife.

¹¹And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac; and Isaac dwelt by the well Lahairoi.

¹²Now these are the generations of Ishmael, Abraham's son, whom Hagar the Egyptian, Sarah's handmaid, bore unto Abraham.

¹³And these are the names of the sons of Ishmael, by their names, according to their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebajoth; and Kedar and Adbeel and Mibsam,

¹⁴and Mishma and Dumah and Massa,

¹⁵Hadar and Tema, Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah.

¹⁶These are the sons of Ishmael, and these are their names, by their towns and by their castles, twelve princes according to their nations.

¹⁷And these are the years of the life of Ishmael, a hundred and thirty and seven years; and he gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people.

¹⁸And they dwelt from Havilah unto Shur, that is before Egypt as thou goest toward Assyria; and he died in the presence of all his brethren.

¹⁹And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham's son. Abraham begot Isaac.

²⁰And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah for a wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padanaram, the sister of Laban the Syrian.

²¹And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren; and the LORD was entreated by him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.

²²And the children struggled together within her; and she said, "If it be so, why am I thus?" And she went to inquire of the LORD.

²³And the LORD said unto her, "Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy body; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people, and the elder shall serve the younger."

²⁴And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.

²⁵And the first came out red, all over like a hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.

²⁶And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold of Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob. And Isaac was threescore years old when she bore them.

²⁷And the boys grew. And Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.

²⁸And Isaac loved Esau, because he ate of his venison; but Rebekah loved Jacob.

²⁹And Jacob boiled pottage; and Esau came from the field, and he was faint.

³⁰And Esau said to Jacob, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage, for I am faint"; therefore was his name called Edom.

³¹And Jacob said, "Sell me this day thy birthright."

³²And Esau said, "Behold, I am at the point of dying. And what profit shall this birthright be to me?"

³³And Jacob said, "Swear to me this day." And he swore unto him, and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.

³⁴Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentils; and he ate and drank, and rose up and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

26And there was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines, unto Gerar.

²And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, "Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of.

³Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and will bless thee. For unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I swore unto Abraham thy father.

⁴And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed,

⁵because Abraham obeyed My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

⁶And Isaac dwelt in Gerar.

⁷And the men of the place asked him concerning his wife. And he said, "She is my sister"; for he feared to say, "She is my wife," lest, said he, "the men of the place should kill me for Rebekah, because she was fair to look upon."

⁸And it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked out a window and saw, and behold, Isaac was frolicking with Rebekah his wife.

⁹And Abimelech called Isaac and said, "Behold, of a surety she is thy wife; and how saidst thou, 'She is my sister'?" And Isaac said unto him, "Because I said, 'Lest I die for her.'"

¹⁰And Abimelech said, "What is this thou hast done unto us? One of the people might lightly have lain with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us."

¹¹And Abimelech charged all his people, saying, "He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death."

¹²Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him.

¹³And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great.

¹⁴For he had possession of flocks and possession of herds, and great store of servants; and the Philistines envied him.

¹⁵For all the wells which his father's servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, the Philistines had stopped them and filled them with earth.

¹⁶And Abimelech said unto Isaac, "Go from us, for thou art much mightier than we."

¹⁷And Isaac departed from thence, and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar and dwelt there.

¹⁸And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them after the death of Abraham; and he called their names after the names by which his father had called them.

¹⁹And Isaac's servants dug in the valley, and found there a well of springing water.

²⁰And the herdsmen of Gerar strove with Isaac's herdsmen, saying, "The water is ours." And he called the name of the well Esek [that is, Contention], because they strove with him.

²¹And they dug another well, and strove for that also; and he called the name of it Sitnah [that is, Hatred].

²²And he removed from thence, and dug another well, and for that they strove not; and he called the name of it Rehoboth [that is, Room]. And he said, "For now the LORD hath made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land."

²³And he went up from thence to Beersheba.

²⁴And the LORD appeared unto him the same night and said, "I am the God of Abraham thy father. Fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for My servant Abraham's sake."

²⁵And he built an altar there, and called upon the name of the LORD, and pitched his tent there; and there Isaac's servants dug a well.

²⁶Then Abimelech went to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath one of his friends and Phichol the chief captain of his army.

²⁷And Isaac said unto them, "Why come ye to me, seeing ye hate me and have sent me away from you?"

²⁸And they said, "We saw certainly that the LORD was with thee; and we said, 'Let there be now an oath between us, even between us and thee, and let us make a covenant with thee,

²⁹that thou wilt do us no hurt, as we have not touched thee, and as we have done unto thee nothing but good, and have sent thee away in peace. Thou art now the blessed of the LORD.'"

³⁰And he made them a feast, and they ate and drank.

³¹And they rose up early in the morning and swore one to another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.

³²And it came to pass the same day, that Isaac's servants came and told him concerning the well which they had dug, and said unto him, "We have found water."

³³And he called it Shebah [that is, An oath]; therefore the name of the city is Beersheba [that is, The well of the oath] unto this day.

³⁴And Esau was forty years old when he took for a wife Judith the daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite,

³⁵who were a grief of mind unto Isaac and to Rebekah.

27And it came to pass that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son and said unto him, "My son." And he said unto him, "Behold, here am I."

²And he said, "Behold now, I am old; I know not the day of my death.

³Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field and take me some venison.

⁴And make me savory meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, that my soul may bless thee before I die."

⁵And Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.

⁶And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying,

⁷'Bring me venison, and make me savory meat, that I may eat and bless thee before the LORD before my death.'

⁸Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee.

⁹Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats, and I will make them savory meat for thy father, such as he loveth;

¹⁰and thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat and that he may bless thee before his death."

¹¹And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.

¹²My father perhaps will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing."

¹³And his mother said unto him, "Upon me be thy curse, my son; only obey my voice, and go, fetch me them."

¹⁴And he went, and fetched and brought them to his mother; and his mother made savory meat, such as his father loved.

¹⁵And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son;

¹⁶and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands and upon the smooth of his neck.

¹⁷And she gave the savory meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.

¹⁸And he came unto his father, and said, "My father." And he said, "Here am I. Who art thou, my son?"

¹⁹And Jacob said unto his father, "I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me. Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me."

²⁰And Isaac said unto his son, "How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son?" And he said, "Because the LORD thy God brought it to me."

²¹And Isaac said unto Jacob, "Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not."

²²And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."

²³And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands; so he blessed him.

²⁴And he said, "Art thou my very son Esau?" And he said, "I am."

²⁵And he said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee." And he brought it near to him, and he ate; and he brought him wine, and he drank.

²⁶And his father Isaac said unto him, "Come near now, and kiss me, my son."

²⁷And he came near, and kissed him; and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him and said, "See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the LORD hath blessed.

²⁸Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine.

²⁹Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee; be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee. Cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee!"

³⁰And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarcely gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.

³¹And he also had made savory meat, and brought it unto his father and said unto his father, "Let my father arise and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me."

³²And Isaac his father said unto him, "Who art thou?" And he said, "I am thy son, thy firstborn, Esau."

³³And Isaac trembled exceedingly and said, "Who? Where is he that hath taken venison and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? Yea, and he shall be blessed."

³⁴And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, "Bless me, even me also, O my father!"

³⁵And he said, "Thy brother came with subtlety, and hath taken away thy blessing."

³⁶And he said, "Is not he rightly named Jacob [that is, A supplanter]? For he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and behold, now he hath taken away my blessing." And he said, "Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?"

³⁷And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, "Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him. And what shall I do now unto thee, my son?"

³⁸And Esau said unto his father, "Hast thou but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, O my father!" And Esau lifted up his voice and wept.

³⁹And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, "Behold, thy dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above.

⁴⁰And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck."

⁴¹And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then will I slay my brother Jacob."

⁴²And these words of Esau her elder son were told to Rebekah; and she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said unto him, "Behold, thy brother Esau doth comfort himself concerning thee, purposing to kill thee.

⁴³Now therefore my son, obey my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother in Haran,

⁴⁴and tarry with him a few days until thy brother's fury turn away--

⁴⁵until thy brother's anger turn away from thee, and he forget that which thou hast done to him. Then I will send and fetch thee from thence. Why should I be deprived also of you both in one day?"

⁴⁶And Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob take a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these who are of the daughters of the land, what good shall my life do me?"

28And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him and said unto him, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan.

²Arise, go to Padanaram to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father, and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

³And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people;

⁴and give thee the blessing of Abraham to thee and to thy seed with thee, that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham."

⁵And Isaac sent away Jacob; and he went to Padanaram unto Laban, son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, Jacob's and Esau's mother.

⁶When Esau saw that Isaac had blessed Jacob, and sent him away to Padanaram to take him a wife from thence, and that as he blessed him he gave him a charge, saying, "Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan,"

⁷and that Jacob obeyed his father and his mother and had gone to Padanaram,

⁸and Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father--

⁹then went Esau unto Ishmael, and added unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

¹⁰And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.

¹¹And he alighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.

¹²And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder was set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it.

¹³And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father and the God of Isaac: The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed.

¹⁴And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west and to the east, and to the north and to the south; and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

¹⁵And behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of."

¹⁶And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I knew it not."

¹⁷And he was afraid and said, "How fearsome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven."

¹⁸And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar and poured oil upon the top of it.

¹⁹And he called the name of that place Bethel [that is, The house of God]; but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.

²⁰And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, "If God will be with me and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to put on,

²¹so that I come again to my father's house in peace, then shall the LORD be my God.

²²And this stone which I have set for a pillar shall be God's house; and of all that Thou shalt give me I will surely give a tenth unto Thee."

29Then Jacob went on his journey, and came into the land of the people of the east.

²And he looked, and behold, a well in the field, and lo, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for out of that well they watered the flocks; and a great stone was upon the well's mouth.

³And thither were all the flocks gathered; and they rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the sheep, and put the stone again upon the well's mouth in his place.

⁴And Jacob said unto them, "My brethren, from whence be ye?" And they said, "Of Haran are we."

⁵And he said unto them, "Know ye Laban the son of Nahor?" And they said, "We know him."

⁶And he said unto them, "Is he well?" And they said, "He is well; and behold, Rachel his daughter cometh with the sheep."

⁷And he said, "Lo, it is yet high day, neither is it time that the cattle should be gathered together. Water ye the sheep, and go and feed them."

⁸And they said, "We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and until they roll the stone from the well's mouth. Then we water the sheep."

⁹And while he yet spoke with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she kept them.

¹⁰And it came to pass, when Jacob saw Rachel the daughter of Laban, his mother's brother, and the sheep of Laban, his mother's brother, that Jacob went near and rolled the stone from the well's mouth and watered the flock of Laban, his mother's brother.

¹¹And Jacob kissed Rachel, and lifted up his voice and wept.

¹²And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's brother, and that he was Rebekah's son; and she ran and told her father.

¹³And it came to pass, when Laban heard the tidings of Jacob his sister's son, that he ran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

¹⁴And Laban said to him, "Surely thou art my bone and my flesh." And he abode with him the space of a month.

¹⁵And Laban said unto Jacob, "Because thou art my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought? Tell me, what shall thy wages be?"

¹⁶And Laban had two daughters: the name of the elder was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel.

¹⁷Leah was tendereyed, but Rachel was beautiful and wellfavored.

¹⁸And Jacob loved Rachel, and said, "I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy younger daughter."

¹⁹And Laban said, "It is better that I give her to thee, than that I should give her to another man. Abide with me."

²⁰And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had for her.

²¹And Jacob said unto Laban, "Give me my wife, for my days are fulfilled, that I may go in unto her."

²²And Laban gathered together all the men of the place and made a feast.

²³And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter and brought her to him; and he went in unto her.

²⁴And Laban gave unto his daughter Leah, Zilpah his maid for a handmaid.

²⁵And it came to pass that in the morning, behold, it was Leah; and he said to Laban, "What is this thou hast done unto me? Did not I serve with thee for Rachel? Why then hast thou beguiled me?"

²⁶And Laban said, "It must not be so done in our country, to give the younger before the firstborn.

²⁷Fulfill her week, and we will give thee this other also, for which service thou shalt serve with me yet seven other years."

²⁸And Jacob did so, and fulfilled her week; and he gave him Rachel his daughter for a wife also.

²⁹And Laban gave to Rachel his daughter Bilhah his handmaid to be her maid.

³⁰And he went in also unto Rachel, and he loved also Rachel more than Leah, and served with him yet seven other years.

³¹And when the LORD saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.

³²And Leah conceived and bore a son, and she called his name Reuben [that is, See a son]; for she said, "Surely the LORD hath looked upon my affliction. Now therefore my husband will love me."

³³And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Because the LORD hath heard that I was hated, He hath therefore given me this son also." And she called his name Simeon [that is, Hearing].

³⁴And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, "Now this time will my husband be joined unto me, because I have borne him three sons." Therefore was his name called Levi [that is, Joined].

³⁵And she conceived again and bore a son; and she said, "Now will I praise the LORD." Therefore she called his name Judah [that is, Praise], and ceased bearing.

30And when Rachel saw that she bore Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister, and said unto Jacob, "Give me children, or else I die."

²And Jacob's anger was kindled against Rachel; and he said, "Am I in God's stead, who hath withheld from thee the fruit of the womb?"

³And she said, "Behold my maid Bilhah. Go in unto her, and she shall bear upon my knees, that I may also have children by her."

⁴And she gave him Bilhah her handmaid for a wife; and Jacob went in unto her.

⁵And Bilhah conceived and bore Jacob a son.

⁶And Rachel said, "God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice and hath given me a son." Therefore she called his name Dan [that is, Judging].

⁷And Bilhah, Rachel's maid, conceived again and bore Jacob a second son.

⁸And Rachel said, "With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and I have prevailed." And she called his name Naphtali [that is, My wrestling].

⁹When Leah saw that she had ceased bearing, she took Zilpah her maid and gave her to Jacob for a wife;

¹⁰and Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob a son.

¹¹And Leah said, "A troop cometh." And she called his name Gad [that is, A troop or company].

¹²And Zilpah, Leah's maid, bore Jacob a second son.

¹³And Leah said, "Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed." And she called his name Asher [that is, Happy].

¹⁴And Reuben went in the days of wheat harvest and found mandrakes in the field, and brought them unto his mother Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, "Give me, I pray thee, of thy son's mandrakes."

¹⁵But she said unto her, "Is it a small matter that thou hast taken my husband? And wouldest thou take away my son's mandrakes also?" And Rachel said, "Therefore he shall lie with thee tonight, for thy son's mandrakes."

¹⁶And Jacob came out of the field in the evening, and Leah went out to meet him and said, "Thou must come in unto me, for surely I have hired thee with my son's mandrakes." And he lay with her that night.

¹⁷And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived and bore Jacob the fifth son.

¹⁸And Leah said, "God hath given me my hire, because I have given my maiden to my husband." And she called his name Issachar [that is, A hire].

¹⁹And Leah conceived again and bore Jacob the sixth son.

²⁰And Leah said, "God hath endued me with a good dowry. Now will my husband dwell with me, because I have borne him six sons." And she called his name Zebulun [that is, Dwelling].

²¹And afterwards she bore a daughter, and called her name Dinah [that is, Judgment].

²²And God remembered Rachel, and God hearkened to her and opened her womb.

²³And she conceived and bore a son, and said, "God hath taken away my reproach."

²⁴And she called his name Joseph [that is, Adding], and said, "The LORD shall add to me another son."

²⁵And it came to pass, when Rachel had borne Joseph, that Jacob said unto Laban, "Send me away, that I may go unto mine own place and to my country.

²⁶Give me my wives and my children for whom I have served thee, and let me go; for thou knowest my service which I have done thee."

²⁷And Laban said unto him, "I pray thee, if I have found favor in thine eyes, tarry; for I have learned by experience that the LORD hath blessed me for thy sake."

²⁸And he said, "Appoint me thy wages, and I will give it."

²⁹And he said unto him, "Thou knowest how I have served thee and how thy flocks have been with me.

³⁰For it was little which thou had before I came, and it is now increased unto a multitude; and the LORD hath blessed thee since my coming. And now, when shall I provide for mine own house also?"

³¹And he said, "What shall I give thee?" And Jacob said, "Thou shalt not give me any thing. If thou wilt do this thing for me, I will again feed and keep thy flock:

³²I will pass through all thy flock today, removing from thence all the speckled and spotted animals, and all the brown animals among the sheep, and the spotted and speckled among the goats; and of such shall be my hire.

³³So shall my righteousness answer for me in time to come, when it shall come for my hire before thy face: every one that is not speckled and spotted among the goats, and brown among the sheep, that shall be counted stolen with me."

³⁴And Laban said, "Behold, I would it might be according to thy word."

³⁵And he removed that day the hegoats that were ringstreaked and spotted, and all the shegoats that were speckled and spotted, and every one that had some white in it, and all the brown among the sheep, and gave them into the hand of his sons.

³⁶And he set three days' journey between himself and Jacob; and Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks.

³⁷And Jacob took rods of green poplar and of the hazel and chestnut tree, and peeled white strips in them and made the white appear which was in the rods.

³⁸And he set the rods which he had peeled before the flocks in the gutters, in the watering troughs when the flocks came to drink, that they should conceive when they came to drink.

³⁹And the flocks conceived before the rods, and brought forth animals ringstreaked, speckled and spotted.

⁴⁰And Jacob separated the lambs, and set the faces of the flocks toward the ringstreaked and all the brown in the flock of Laban; and he put his own flocks by themselves, and put them not with Laban's flocks.

⁴¹And it came to pass, whensoever the stronger animals conceived, that Jacob laid the rods before the eyes of the animals in the gutters, that they might conceive among the rods.

⁴²But when the animals were feeble, he put them not in; so the feebler were Laban's, and the stronger Jacob's.

⁴³And the man increased exceedingly and had large flocks, and maidservants and menservants, and camels and asses.

31And he heard the words of Laban's sons, saying, "Jacob hath taken away all that was our father's; and from that which was our father's hath he gotten all this glory."

²And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not toward him as before.

³And the LORD said unto Jacob, "Return unto the land of thy fathers and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee."

⁴And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock,

⁵and said unto them, "I see your father's countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.

⁶And ye know that with all my power I have served your father.

⁷And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times, but God did not suffer him to hurt me.

⁸If he said thus: 'The speckled shall be thy wages,' then all the animals bore speckled; and if he said thus: 'The ringstreaked shall be thy hire,' then all the animals bore ringstreaked.

⁹Thus God hath taken away the flocks of your father, and given them to me.

¹⁰And it came to pass at the time that the animals conceived, that I lifted up mine eyes and saw in a dream, and behold, the rams which leaped upon the animals were ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled.

¹¹And the angel of God spoke unto me in a dream, saying, 'Jacob!' And I said, 'Here am I.'

¹²And he said, 'Lift up now thine eyes and see: all the rams which leap upon the animals are ringstreaked, speckled, and grizzled; for I have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee.

¹³I am the God of Bethel, where thou anointed the pillar, and where thou vowed a vow unto Me. Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy kindred.'"

¹⁴And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, "Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?

¹⁵Are we not counted by him strangers? For he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.

¹⁶For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours and our children's. Now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do."

¹⁷Then Jacob rose up, and set his sons and his wives upon camels.

¹⁸And he carried away all his flocks and all his goods which he had gotten, the flocks of his getting which he had gotten in Padanaram, to go to Isaac his father in the land of Canaan.

¹⁹And Laban went to shear his sheep; and Rachel had stolen the images that were her father's.

²⁰And Jacob stole away unawares to Laban the Syrian, in that he told him not that he fled.

²¹So he fled with all that he had; and he rose up and passed over the river, and set his face toward the mount of Gilead.

²²And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled.

²³And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him seven days' journey; and they overtook him on the mount of Gilead.

²⁴And God came to Laban the Syrian in a dream by night, and said unto him, "Take heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad."

²⁵Then Laban overtook Jacob. Now Jacob had pitched his tent on the mount; and Laban with his brethren pitched on the mount of Gilead.

²⁶And Laban said to Jacob, "What hast thou done, that thou hast stolen away unawares to me, and carried away my daughters as captives taken with the sword?

²⁷Why didst thou flee away secretly, and steal away from me and didst not tell me, that I might have sent thee away with mirth and with songs, with taboret and with harp,

²⁸and hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? Thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.

²⁹It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt; but the God of your father spoke unto me yesternight, saying, 'Take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad.'

³⁰And now, though thou wouldest be gone, because thou sorely longed after thy father's house, yet why hast thou stolen my gods?"

³¹And Jacob answered and said to Laban, "Because I was afraid; for I said, 'Perhaps thou wouldest take by force thy daughters from me.'

³²With whomsoever thou findest thy gods, let him not live. Before our brethren, discern thou what is thine with me, and take it with thee." For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.

³³And Laban went into Jacob's tent, and into Leah's tent, and into the two maidservants' tents, but he found them not. Then went he out of Leah's tent, and entered into Rachel's tent.

³⁴Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the camel's saddle and sat upon them. And Laban searched all the tent, but found them not.

³⁵And she said to her father, "Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee, for the custom of women is upon me." And he searched, but found not the images.

³⁶And Jacob was wroth, and chided Laban; and Jacob answered and said to Laban, "What is my trespass? What is my sin, that thou hast so hotly pursued after me?

³⁷Whereas thou hast searched all my goods, what hast thou found of all thy household things? Set it here before my brethren and thy brethren, that they may judge between us both.

³⁸These twenty years have I been with thee; thy ewes and thy shegoats have not cast their young, and the rams of thy flock have I not eaten.

³⁹That which was torn by beasts I brought not unto thee; I bore the loss of it. From my hand didst thou require it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night.

⁴⁰Thus I was: in the day the drought consumed me, and the frost by night, and my sleep departed from mine eyes.

⁴¹Thus have I been twenty years in thy house. I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy flocks; and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

⁴²Unless the God of my father, the God of Abraham and the fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely thou would have sent me away now empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight."

⁴³And Laban answered and said unto Jacob, "These daughters are my daughters, and these children are my children, and these flocks are my flocks, and all that thou seest is mine. And what can I do this day unto these my daughters, or unto their children whom they have borne?

⁴⁴Now therefore come thou, let us make a covenant, I and thou; and let it be a witness between me and thee."

⁴⁵And Jacob took a stone and set it up as a pillar.

⁴⁶And Jacob said unto his brethren, "Gather stones"; and they took stones and made a heap, and they ate there upon the heap.

⁴⁷And Laban called it Jegarsahadutha [that is, The heap of witness], but Jacob called it Galeed.

⁴⁸And Laban said, "This heap is a witness between me and thee this day." Therefore was the name of it called Galeed,

⁴⁹and Mizpah [that is, A beacon or watchtower]; for he said, "The LORD watch between me and thee when we are absent one from another.

⁵⁰If thou shalt afflict my daughters, or if thou shalt take other wives besides my daughters, no man is with us--see, God is witness between me and thee!"

⁵¹And Laban said to Jacob, "Behold this heap and behold this pillar, which I have cast between me and thee.

⁵²This heap is a witness, and this pillar is a witness, that I will not pass beyond this heap to thee, and that thou shalt not pass beyond this heap and this pillar unto me, for harm.

⁵³The God of Abraham, and the God of Nahor, the God of their father, judge between us." And Jacob swore by the fear of his father Isaac.

⁵⁴Then Jacob offered sacrifice upon the mount, and called his brethren to eat bread; and they ate bread, and tarried all night on the mount.

⁵⁵And early in the morning Laban rose up, and kissed his sons and his daughters and blessed them. And Laban departed, and returned unto his place.

32And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.

²And when Jacob saw them, he said, "This is God's host." And he called the name of that place Mahanaim [that is, Two hosts or camps].

³And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.

⁴And he commanded them, saying, "Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau, 'Thy servant Jacob saith thus: I have sojourned with Laban and stayed there until now,

⁵and I have oxen and asses, flocks and menservants and womenservants; and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight.'"

⁶And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, "We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him."

⁷Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed; and he divided the people who were with him, and the flocks and herds and the camels into two bands.

⁸And he said, "If Esau come to the one company and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape."

⁹And Jacob said, "O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, the LORD who saidst unto me, 'Return unto thy country and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee'--

¹⁰I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which Thou hast shown unto Thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I have become two bands.

¹¹Deliver me, I pray Thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau; for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me and the mother with the children.

¹²And Thou saidst, 'I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.'"

¹³And he lodged there that same night, and took from that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother:

¹⁴two hundred shegoats and twenty hegoats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams,

¹⁵thirty milk camels with their colts, forty cows and ten bulls, twenty sheasses and ten foals.

¹⁶And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by itself, and said unto his servants, "Pass over before me, and put a space between drove and drove."

¹⁷And he commanded the foremost, saying, "When Esau my brother meeteth thee and asketh thee, saying, 'Whose art thou? And whither goest thou? And whose are these before thee?'

¹⁸then thou shalt say, 'They are thy servant Jacob's. It is a present sent unto my lord Esau; and behold also, he is behind us.'"

¹⁹And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all who followed the droves, saying, "In this manner shall ye speak unto Esau when ye find him.

²⁰And say ye moreover, 'Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us.'" For he said, "I will appease him with the presents that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me."

²¹So went the presents over before him, and he himself lodged that night in the company.

²²And he rose up that night, and took his two wives and his two womenservants and his eleven sons, and passed over the ford Jabbok.

²³And he took them and sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had.

²⁴And Jacob was left alone, and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

²⁵And when the man saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint as he wrestled with him.

²⁶And the man said, "Let me go, for the day breaketh." And he said, "I will not let thee go, unless thou bless me."

²⁷And he said unto him, "What is thy name?" And he said, "Jacob."

²⁸And he said, "Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel; for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed."

²⁹And Jacob asked him, and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, thy name." And he said, "Why is it that thou dost ask after my name?" And he blessed him there.

³⁰And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [that is, The face of God]: "For I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

³¹And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he limped upon his thigh.

³²Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day, because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

33And Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau came and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children among Leah and Rachel and the two handmaids.

²And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindmost.

³And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times until he came near to his brother.

⁴And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him; and they wept.

⁵And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children, and said, "Who are those with thee?" And he said, "The children which God hath graciously given thy servant."

⁶Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.

⁷And Leah also with her children came near and bowed themselves; and after these came Joseph and Rachel near, and they bowed themselves.

⁸And he said, "What meanest thou by all this drove which I met?" And he said, "These are to find grace in the sight of my lord."

⁹And Esau said, "I have enough, my brother. Keep what thou hast unto thyself."

¹⁰And Jacob said, "Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand; for therefore I have seen thy face as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me.

¹¹Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee, because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough." And he urged him, and he took it.

¹²And he said, "Let us take our journey; and let us go, and I will go before thee."

¹³And he said unto him, "My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me; and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.

¹⁴Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant; and I will lead on gently, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children are able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir."

¹⁵And Esau said, "Let me now leave with thee some of the folk who are with me." And he said, "What need is there? Let me find grace in the sight of my lord."

¹⁶So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.

¹⁷And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him a house, and made booths for his cattle. Therefore the name of the place is called Succoth [that is, Booths].

¹⁸And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram, and pitched his tent before the city.

¹⁹And he bought a parcel of a field where he had spread his tent, at the hand of the children of Hamor, Shechem's father, for a hundred pieces of money.

²⁰And he erected there an altar, and called it El-elohe-Israel [that is, God, the God of Israel].

34And Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she bore unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

²And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her and lay with her, and defiled her.

³And his soul cleaved unto Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the damsel and spoke kindly unto the damsel.

⁴And Shechem spoke unto his father Hamor, saying, "Get me this damsel for a wife."

⁵And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter. Now his sons were with his cattle in the field, and Jacob held his peace until they had come.

⁶And Hamor the father of Shechem went out unto Jacob to commune with him.

⁷And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel by lying with Jacob's daughter, which thing ought not to be done.

⁸And Hamor communed with them, saying, "The soul of my son Shechem longeth for your daughter. I pray you give her to him for a wife;

⁹and make ye marriages with us, and give your daughters unto us, and take our daughters unto you.

¹⁰And ye shall dwell with us, and the land shall be before you. Dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein."

¹¹And Shechem said unto her father and unto her brethren, "Let me find grace in your eyes, and what ye shall say unto me, I will give.

¹²Ask me ever so much dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say unto me; but give me the damsel for a wife."

¹³And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said -- because he had defiled Dinah their sister"

¹⁴and they said unto them, "We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach unto us.

¹⁵But in this will we consent unto you: If ye will be as we are, that every male of you be circumcised,

¹⁶then will we give our daughters unto you; and we will take your daughters to us, and we will dwell with you, and we will become one people.

¹⁷But if ye will not hearken unto us to be circumcised, then will we take our daughter and we will be gone."

¹⁸And their words pleased Hamor, and Shechem, Hamor's son.

¹⁹And the young man deferred not to do the thing, because he had delight in Jacob's daughter; and he was more honorable than all the house of his father.

²⁰And Hamor and Shechem his son came unto the gate of their city, and communed with the men of their city, saying,

²¹"These men are peaceable with us. Therefore let them dwell in the land and trade therein; for the land, behold, it is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters to us for wives, and let us give them our daughters.

²²Only herein will the men consent unto us to dwell with us, to be one people: if every male among us be circumcised, as they are circumcised.

²³Shall not their cattle and their substance and every beast of theirs be ours? Only let us consent unto them, and they will dwell with us."

²⁴And unto Hamor and unto Shechem his son hearkened all who went out of the gate of his city; and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

²⁵And it came to pass on the third day, when they were sore, that two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly and slew all the males.

²⁶And they slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, and took Dinah out of Shechem's house, and went out.

²⁷The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and despoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

²⁸They took their sheep and their oxen and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field;

²⁹and all their wealth, and all their little ones and their wives took they captive, and despoiled even all that was in the house.

³⁰And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "Ye have troubled me to make me a stench among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites. And I being few in number, they shall gather themselves together against me and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house."

³¹And they said, "Should he deal with our sister as with a harlot?"

35And God said unto Jacob, "Arise, go up to Bethel and dwell there; and make there an altar unto God, who appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother."

²Then Jacob said unto his household and to all that were with him, "Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean and change your garments.

³And let us arise and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."

⁴And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.

⁵And they journeyed; and the terror of God was upon the cities that were round about them, and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob.

⁶So Jacob came to Luz (that is, Bethel), which is in the land of Canaan, he and all the people that were with him.

⁷And he built there an altar and called the place Elbethel [that is, The God of Bethel], because there God appeared unto him when he fled from the face of his brother.

⁸But Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died, and she was buried below Bethel under an oak; and the name of it was called Allonbachuth [that is, The oak of weeping].

⁹And God appeared unto Jacob again when he came out of Padanaram, and blessed him.

¹⁰And God said unto him, "Thy name is Jacob; thy name shall not be called Jacob any more, but Israel shall be thy name"; and He called his name Israel.

¹¹And God said unto him, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins.

¹²And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land."

¹³And God went up from him in the place where He talked with him.

¹⁴And Jacob set up a pillar in the place where He talked with him, even a pillar of stone; and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon.

¹⁵And Jacob called the name of the place where God spoke with him Bethel.

¹⁶And they journeyed from Bethel. And there was but a little way to come to Ephrath; and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor.

¹⁷And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, "Fear not. Thou shalt have this son also."

¹⁸And it came to pass as her soul was in departing (for she died), that she called his name Benoni [that is, The son of my sorrow], but his father called him Benjamin [that is, The son of the right hand].

¹⁹And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem.

²⁰And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel's grave unto this day.

²¹And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Eder.

²²And it came to pass, when Israel dwelt in that land, that Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's concubine; and Israel heard it. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve.

²³The sons of Leah: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, and Simeon and Levi, and Judah and Issachar and Zebulun;

²⁴the sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin;

²⁵and the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid: Dan and Naphtali;

²⁶and the sons of Zilpah, Leah's handmaid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob, who were born to him in Padanaram.

²⁷And Jacob came unto Isaac his father at Mamre, unto the city of Arbah (which is Hebron) where Abraham and Isaac sojourned.

²⁸And the days of Isaac were a hundred and fourscore years.

²⁹And Isaac gave up the ghost and died, and was gathered unto his people, being old and full of days; and his sons Esau and Jacob buried him.

36Now these are the generations of Esau, who is Edom.

²Esau took his wives from the daughters of Canaan: Adah the daughter of Elon the Hittite; and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon the Hivite;

³and Basemath, Ishmael's daughter, sister of Nebajoth.

⁴And Adah bore to Esau, Eliphaz; and Basemath bore Reuel;

⁵and Aholibamah bore Jeush and Jaalam and Korah. These are the sons of Esau, who were born unto him in the land of Canaan.

⁶And Esau took his wives, and his sons and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle and all his beasts, and all his substance which he had gotten in the land of Canaan, and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob.

⁷For their riches were more than that they might dwell together, and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.

⁸Thus dwelt Esau in Mount Seir. Esau is Edom.

⁹And these are the generations of Esau, the father of the Edomites in Mount Seir.

¹⁰These are the names of Esau's sons: Eliphaz the son of Adah the wife of Esau, Reuel the son of Basemath the wife of Esau.

¹¹And the sons of Eliphaz were Teman, Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz.

¹²And Timna was concubine to Eliphaz, Esau's son, and she bore to Eliphaz, Amalek: these were the sons of Adah, Esau's wife.

¹³And these are the sons of Reuel: Nahath and Zerah, Shammah and Mizzah: these were the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.

¹⁴And these were the sons of Aholibamah, the daughter of Anah the daughter of Zibeon, Esau's wife; and she bore to Esau: Jeush and Jaalam and Korah.

¹⁵These were chiefs of the sons of Esau. The sons of Eliphaz the firstborn son of Esau: Chief Teman, Chief Omar, Chief Zepho, Chief Kenaz,

¹⁶Chief Korah, Chief Gatam, and Chief Amalek: these are the chiefs who came of Eliphaz in the land of Edom; these were the sons of Adah.

¹⁷And these are the sons of Reuel, Esau's son: Chief Nahath, Chief Zerah, Chief Shammah, Chief Mizzah: these are the chiefs who came of Reuel in the land of Edom; these are the sons of Basemath, Esau's wife.

¹⁸And these are the sons of Aholibamah, Esau's wife: Chief Jeush, Chief Jaalam, Chief Korah: these were the chiefs who came of Aholibamah the daughter of Anah, Esau's wife.

¹⁹These are the sons of Esau, who is Edom, and these are their chiefs.

²⁰These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who inhabited the land: Lotan and Shobal, and Zibeon and Anah,

²¹and Dishon and Ezer and Dishan: these are the chiefs of the Horites, the children of Seir in the land of Edom.

²²And the children of Lotan were Hori and Hemam; and Lotan's sister was Timna.

²³And the children of Shobal were these: Alvan and Manahath and Ebal, Shepho and Onam.

²⁴And these are the children of Zibeon: both Ajah and Anah; this was that Anah that found the mules in the wilderness as he fed the asses of Zibeon his father.

²⁵And the children of Anah were these: Dishon, and Aholibamah the daughter of Anah.

²⁶And these are the children of Dishon: Hemdan and Eshban, and Ithran and Cheran.

²⁷The children of Ezer are these: Bilhan and Zaavan and Akan.

²⁸The children of Dishan are these: Uz and Aran.

²⁹These are the chiefs who came of the Horites: Chief Lotan, Chief Shobal, Chief Zibeon, Chief Anah,

³⁰Chief Dishon, Chief Ezer, Chief Dishan: these are the chiefs who came of the Horites, among their chiefs in the land of Seir.

³¹And these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom, before there reigned any king over the children of Israel.

³²And Bela the son of Beor reigned in Edom; and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

³³And Bela died, and Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

³⁴And Jobab died, and Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.

³⁵And Husham died, and Hadad the son of Bedad (who smote Midian in the field of Moab) reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Avith.

³⁶And Hadad died, and Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.

³⁷And Samlah died, and Saul of Rehoboth by the river reigned in his stead.

³⁸And Saul died, and Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

³⁹And Baalhanan the son of Achbor died, and Hadar reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Pau; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

⁴⁰And these are the names of the chiefs who came of Esau, according to their families, after their places, by their names: Chief Timnah, Chief Alvah, Chief Jetheth,

⁴¹Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,

⁴²Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,

⁴³Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram: these are the chiefs of Edom, according to their habitations in the land of their possession; he is Esau, the father of the Edomites.

37And Jacob dwelt in the land wherein his father was a stranger, in the land of Canaan.

²These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his brethren; and the lad was with the sons of Bilhah, and with the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives. And Joseph brought unto his father an evil report about them.

³Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age; and he made him a coat of many colors.

⁴And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him and could not speak peaceably unto him.

⁵And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it to his brethren; and they hated him yet the more.

⁶And he said unto them, "Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:

⁷For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and lo, my sheaf arose and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf."

⁸And his brethren said to him, "Shalt thou indeed reign over us? Or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us?" And they hated him yet the more for his dreams and for his words.

⁹And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brethren and said, "Behold, I have dreamed one dream more; and behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me."

¹⁰And he told it to his father and to his brethren; and his father rebuked him and said unto him, "What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth?"

¹¹And his brethren envied him, but his father observed the saying.

¹²And his brethren went to feed their father's flock in Shechem.

¹³And Israel said unto Joseph, "Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem? Come, and I will send thee unto them." And he said to him, "Here am I."

¹⁴And he said to him, "Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren and well with the flocks, and bring me word again." So he sent him out of the Vale of Hebron, and he came to Shechem.

¹⁵And a certain man found him, and behold, he was wandering in the field; and the man asked him, saying, "What seekest thou?"

¹⁶And he said, "I seek my brethren. Tell me, I pray thee, where they feed their flocks."

¹⁷And the man said, "They have departed hence, for I heard them say, 'Let us go to Dothan.'" And Joseph went after his brethren, and found them in Dothan.

¹⁸And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they conspired against him to slay him.

¹⁹And they said one to another, "Behold, this dreamer cometh.

²⁰Come now therefore and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, 'Some evil beast hath devoured him'; and we shall see what will become of his dreams."

²¹And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands and said, "Let us not kill him."

²²And Reuben said unto them, "Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him" -- that he might rid him out of their hands to deliver him to his father again.

²³And it came to pass, when Joseph had come unto his brethren, that they stripped Joseph of his coat, his coat of many colors that was on him;

²⁴and they took him and cast him into a pit. And the pit was empty; there was no water in it.

²⁵And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and behold, a company of Ishmaelites came from Gilead with their camels, bearing spices and balm and myrrh, going to carry them down to Egypt.

²⁶And Judah said unto his brethren, "What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?

²⁷Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh." And his brethren were content.

²⁸Then there passed by Midianite merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And they brought Joseph into Egypt.

²⁹And Reuben returned unto the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; and he rent his clothes.

³⁰And he returned unto his brethren and said, "The child is no more; and I, whither shall I go?"

³¹And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid from the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood.

³²And they sent the coat of many colors, and they brought it to their father and said, "This have we found. Know now whether it be thy son's coat or not?"

³³And he knew it, and said, "It is my son's coat. An evil beast hath devoured him. Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces."

³⁴And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days.

³⁵And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted, and he said, "For I will go down into the grave unto my son, mourning." Thus his father wept for him.

³⁶And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's and captain of the guard.

38And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down from his brethren, and turned unto a certain Adullamite, whose name was Hirah.

²And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose name was Shua; and he took her, and went in unto her.

³And she conceived and bore a son, and he called his name Er.

⁴And she conceived again and bore a son, and she called his name Onan.

⁵And she yet again conceived and bore a son, and called his name Shelah. And he was at Chezib when she bore him.

⁶And Judah took a wife for Er his firstborn, whose name was Tamar.

⁷And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him.

⁸And Judah said unto Onan, "Go in unto thy brother's wife and marry her, and raise up seed to thy brother."

⁹And Onan knew that the seed should not be his; and it came to pass, when he went in unto his brother's wife, that he spilled it on the ground, lest he should give seed to his brother.

¹⁰And the thing which he did displeased the LORD; therefore He slew him also.

¹¹Then said Judah to Tamar his daughter-in-law, "Remain a widow at thy father's house, until Shelah my son is grown"; for he said, "Lest perhaps he die also, as his brethren did." And Tamar went and dwelt in her father's house.

¹²And in process of time, the daughter of Shua, Judah's wife, died; and Judah was comforted, and went up unto his sheepshearers to Timnah, he and his friend Hirah the Adullamite.

¹³And it was told Tamar, saying, "Behold, thy father-in-law goeth up to Timnah to shear his sheep."

¹⁴And she put her widow's garments off from her and covered herself with a veil, and wrapped herself, and sat in an open place which is on the way to Timnah; for she saw that Shelah was grown, and she was not given unto him as wife.

¹⁵When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot, because she had covered her face.

¹⁶And he turned unto her on the wayside and said, "Come, I pray thee, let me come in unto thee" (for he knew not that she was his daughter-in-law). And she said, "What wilt thou give me, that thou mayest come in unto me?"

¹⁷And he said, "I will send thee a kid from the flock." And she said, "Wilt thou give me a pledge until thou send it?"

¹⁸And he said, "What pledge shall I give thee?" And she said, "Thy signet and thy bracelets and thy staff that is in thine hand." And he gave it to her and came in unto her, and she conceived by him.

¹⁹And she arose and went away, and laid aside her veil from her, and put on the garments of her widowhood.

²⁰And Judah sent the kid by the hand of his friend the Adullamite to receive his pledge from the woman's hand, but he found her not.

²¹Then he asked the men of that place, saying, "Where is the harlot who was openly by the wayside?" And they said, "There was no harlot in this place."

²²And he returned to Judah and said, "I cannot find her, and also the men of the place said that there was no harlot in this place."

²³And Judah said, "Let her take them for herself, lest we be shamed; behold, I sent this kid, and thou hast not found her."

²⁴And it came to pass about three months after that it was told Judah, saying, "Tamar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom." And Judah said, "Bring her forth, and let her be burned."

²⁵When she was brought forth, she sent to her father-in-law, saying, "By the man whose these are, am I with child." And she said, "Discern, I pray thee, whose are these -- the signet, and bracelets, and staff."

²⁶And Judah acknowledged them and said, "She hath been more righteous than I, because I gave her not to Shelah my son." And he knew her again no more.

²⁷And it came to pass in the time of her travail that, behold, twins were in her womb.

²⁸And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand; and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, "This came out first."

²⁹And it came to pass as he drew back his hand that, behold, his brother came out; and she said, "How hast thou broken forth? This breach be upon thee." Therefore his name was called Perez [that is, A breach].

³⁰And afterward came out his brother who had the scarlet thread upon his hand, and his name was called Zerah.

39And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him from the hands of the Ishmaelites, who had brought him down thither.

²And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.

³And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.

⁴And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him. And he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.

⁵And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian's house for Joseph's sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.

⁶And he left all that he had in Joseph's hand; and he knew not anything he had, save the bread which he ate. And Joseph was a goodly person, and wellfavored.

⁷And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, "Lie with me."

⁸But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, "Behold, my master knoweth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand.

⁹There is none greater in this house than I, neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?"

¹⁰And it came to pass, as she spoke to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her to lie by her or to be with her.

¹¹And it came to pass about this time that Joseph went into the house to do his business, and there were none of the men of the house there within.

¹²And she caught him by his garment, saying, "Lie with me." And he left his garment in her hand and fled, and got himself out.

¹³And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand and had fled forth,

¹⁴that she called unto the men of her house and spoke unto them, saying, "See, he hath brought in a Hebrew unto us to mock us. He came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice.

¹⁵And it came to pass when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled, and got himself out."

¹⁶And she laid aside his garment by her until his lord came home.

¹⁷And she spoke unto him according to these words, saying, "The Hebrew servant whom thou hast brought unto us came in unto me to mock me.

¹⁸And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me and fled out."

¹⁹And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife which she spoke unto him, saying, "After this manner did thy servant to me," that his wrath was kindled.

²⁰And Joseph's master took him and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound; and he was there in the prison.

²¹But the LORD was with Joseph and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison.

²²And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners who were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it.

²³The keeper of the prison looked not into any thing that was under his hand, because the LORD was with him; and that which he did, the LORD made it to prosper.

40And it came to pass after these things, that the butler of the king of Egypt and his baker had offended their lord the king of Egypt.

²And Pharaoh was wroth against two of his officers--against the chief of the butlers and against the chief of the bakers.

³And he put them under guard in the house of the captain of the guard, into the prison, the place where Joseph was bound.

⁴And the captain of the guard charged Joseph with them, and he served them; and they continued a season under guard.

⁵And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the butler and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were bound in the prison.

⁶And Joseph came in unto them in the morning and looked upon them, and behold, they were sad.

⁷And he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the guard of his lord's house, saying, "Why look ye so sadly today?"

⁸And they said unto him, "We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it." And Joseph said unto them, "Do not interpretations belong to God? Tell me them, I pray you."

⁹And the chief butler told his dream to Joseph, and said to him, "In my dream, behold, a vine was before me.

¹⁰And in the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded and her blossoms shot forth, and the clusters thereof brought forth ripe grapes.

¹¹And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand."

¹²And Joseph said unto him, "This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days.

¹³Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thine head and restore thee unto thy place; and thou shalt deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when thou wast his butler.

¹⁴But think on me when it shall be well with thee, and show kindness, I pray thee, unto me; and make mention of me unto Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house.

¹⁵For indeed I was stolen away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the dungeon."

¹⁶When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said unto Joseph, "I also was in my dream, and behold, I had three white baskets on my head.

¹⁷And in the uppermost basket there were all manner of baked meats for Pharaoh, and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head."

¹⁸And Joseph answered and said, "This is the interpretation thereof: The three baskets are three days.

¹⁹Yet within three days shall Pharaoh lift up thy head from off thee, and shall hang thee on a tree; and the birds shall eat thy flesh from off thee."

²⁰And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, that he made a feast unto all his servants. And he lifted up the head of the chief butler and of the chief baker among his servants.

²¹And he restored the chief butler unto his butlership again, and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand;

²²but he hanged the chief baker, as Joseph had interpreted to them.

²³Yet did not the chief butler remember Joseph, but forgot him.

41And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Pharaoh dreamed; and behold, he stood by the river.

²And behold, there came up out of the river seven wellfavored cows, and fatfleshed; and they fed in a meadow.

³And behold, seven other cows came up after them out of the river, illfavored and leanfleshed, and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the river.

⁴And the illfavored and leanfleshed cows ate up the seven wellfavored and fat cows. So Pharaoh awoke.

⁵And he slept and dreamed the second time; and behold, seven ears of corn came up upon one stalk, rank and good.

⁶And behold, seven thin ears, blasted with the east wind sprang up after them.

⁷And the seven thin ears devoured the seven rank and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was a dream.

⁸And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all the wise men thereof. And Pharaoh told them his dream, but there was none that could interpret them unto Pharaoh.

⁹Then spoke the chief butler unto Pharaoh, saying, "I do remember my faults this day.

¹⁰Pharaoh was wroth with his servants, and put me under guard in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker.

¹¹And we dreamed a dream one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream.

¹²And there was there with us a young man, a Hebrew, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams. To each man according to his dream he did interpret.

¹³And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was: me he restored unto mine office, and him he hanged."

¹⁴Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon; and he shaved himself and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh.

¹⁵And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it; and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it."

¹⁶And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, "It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace."

¹⁷And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river.

¹⁸And behold, there came up out of the river seven cows, fatfleshed and wellfavored, and they fed in a meadow.

¹⁹And behold, seven other cows came up after them, poor and very illfavored and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness.

²⁰And the lean and the illfavored cows ate up the first seven fat cows;

²¹and when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them, but they were still illfavored, as at the beginning. So I awoke.

²²And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good;

²³and behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind sprang up after them.

²⁴And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears. And I told this unto the magicians, but there was none that could declare it to me."

²⁵And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, "The dreams of Pharaoh are one. God hath shown Pharaoh what He is about to do.

²⁶The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are seven years: the dreams are one.

²⁷And the seven thin and illfavored cows that came up after them are seven years, and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine.

²⁸This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: what God is about to do He showeth unto Pharaoh.

²⁹Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt.

³⁰And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt, and the famine shall consume the land.

³¹And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following, for it shall be very grievous.

³²And for that the dream was repeated unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.

³³Now therefore let Pharaoh seek out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt.

³⁴Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up a fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years.

³⁵And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities.

³⁶And that food shall be for store for the land against the seven years of famine which shall be in the land of Egypt, that the land perish not through the famine."

³⁷And the counsel was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all his servants.

³⁸And Pharaoh said unto his servants, "Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is?"

³⁹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "Inasmuch as God hath shown thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art.

⁴⁰Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled. Only in the throne will I be greater than thou."

⁴¹And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt."

⁴²And Pharaoh took off his ring from his hand and put it upon Joseph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck.

⁴³And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him, "Bow the knee!" And he made him ruler over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁴And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, and without thee shall no man lift up his hand or foot in all the land of Egypt."

⁴⁵And Pharaoh called Joseph's name Zaphnathpaaneah; and he gave him for a wife Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On. And Joseph went out over all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁶And Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt.

⁴⁷And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls.

⁴⁸And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.

⁴⁹And Joseph gathered corn as the sand of the sea -- very much, until he left off numbering; for it was without number.

⁵⁰And unto Joseph were born two sons before the years of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, bore unto him.

⁵¹And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh [that is, Forgetting], "For God," said he, "hath made me forget all my toil and all my father's house."

⁵²And the name of the second called he Ephraim [that is, Fruitful], "For God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction."

⁵³And the seven years of plenteousness, which were in the land of Egypt, were ended.

⁵⁴And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said; and the dearth was in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread.

⁵⁵And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, "Go unto Joseph. What he saith to you, do."

⁵⁶And the famine was over all the face of the earth; and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold unto the Egyptians. And the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt.

⁵⁷And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn, because the famine was so sore in all lands.

42Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, "Why do ye look one upon another?"

²And he said, "Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Go down thither and buy for us from thence, that we may live and not die."

³And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt.

⁴But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren, for he said, "Lest perhaps mischief befall him."

⁵And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those who came, for the famine was in the land of Canaan.

⁶And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was who sold to all the people of the land; and Joseph's brethren came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth.

⁷And Joseph saw his brethren, and he recognized them, but made himself as a stranger unto them and spoke roughly unto them; and he said unto them, "From whence come ye?" And they said, "From the land of Canaan to buy food."

⁸And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him.

⁹And Joseph remembered the dreams which he dreamed about them, and said unto them, "Ye are spies! To see the nakedness of the land ye have come!"

¹⁰And they said unto him, "Nay, my lord, but to buy food have thy servants come.

¹¹We are all one man's sons; we are true men, thy servants are no spies."

¹²And he said unto them, "Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye have come."

¹³And they said, "Thy servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Canaan; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is no more."

¹⁴And Joseph said unto them, "That is it that I spoke unto you, saying, 'Ye are spies!'

¹⁵Hereby ye shall be tested: by the life of Pharaoh ye shall not go forth hence, unless your youngest brother come hither.

¹⁶Send one of you and let him fetch your brother; and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be tested, whether there be any truth in you; or else by the life of Pharaoh surely ye are spies!"

¹⁷And he put them all together into custody three days.

¹⁸And Joseph said unto them the third day, "This do, and live, for I fear God:

¹⁹If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the prison house. Go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses.

²⁰But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die." And they did so.

²¹And they said one to another, "We are verily guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us, and we would not hear. Therefore has this distress come upon us."

²²And Reuben answered them, saying, "Spoke I not unto you, saying, 'Do not sin against the child'; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required."

²³And they knew not that Joseph understood them, for he spoke unto them by an interpreter.

²⁴And he turned himself away from them and wept; and returned to them again and communed with them, and took from them Simeon and bound him before their eyes.

²⁵Then Joseph commanded to fill their sacks with corn and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way; and thus did he unto them.

²⁶And they laded their asses with the corn and departed thence.

²⁷And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender at the inn, he espied his money; for behold, it was in the mouth of his sack.

²⁸And he said unto his brethren, "My money is restored; and lo, it is even in my sack." And their heart failed them and they were afraid, saying one to another, "What is this that God hath done unto us?"

²⁹And they came unto Jacob their father, unto the land of Canaan, and told him all that befell them, saying,

³⁰"The man who is the lord of the land spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country.

³¹And we said unto him, 'We are true men; we are no spies.

³²We are twelve brethren, sons of our father. One is no more, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Canaan.'

³³And the man, the lord of the country, said unto us, 'Hereby shall I know that ye are true men: Leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone;

³⁴and bring your youngest brother unto me. Then shall I know that ye are not spies, but that ye are true men; so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.'"

³⁵And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack; and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid.

³⁶And Jacob their father said unto them, "Me have ye bereaved of my children: Joseph is no more, and Simeon is no more, and ye will take Benjamin away. All these things are against me."

³⁷And Reuben spoke unto his father, saying, "Slay my two sons if I bring him not to thee. Deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to thee again."

³⁸And he said, "My son shall not go down with you, for his brother is dead, and he is left alone. If mischief befall him by the way in which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave."

43And the famine was sore in the land.

²And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the corn which they had brought out of Egypt, their father said unto them, "Go again, buy us a little food."

³And Judah spoke unto him, saying, "The man did solemnly declare unto us, saying, 'Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.'

⁴If thou wilt send our brother with us, we will go down and buy thee food.

⁵But if thou wilt not send him, we will not go down, for the man said unto us, 'Ye shall not see my face, unless your brother be with you.'"

⁶And Israel said, "Why dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother?"

⁷And they said, "The man asked us strictly about our state, and about our kindred, saying, 'Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother?' And we told him according to the tenor of these words. Could we certainly know that he would say, 'Bring your brother down'?"

⁸And Judah said unto Israel his father, "Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, that we may live and not die, both we and thou, and also our little ones.

⁹I will be surety for him; from my hand shalt thou require him. If I bring him not unto thee and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever;

¹⁰for had we not lingered, surely now we would have returned this second time."

¹¹And their father Israel said unto them, "If it must be so now, do this: Take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, nuts and almonds.

¹²And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand. Perhaps it was an oversight.

¹³Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man;

¹⁴and God Almighty give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother and Benjamin. If I am bereaved of my children, I am bereaved!"

¹⁵And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and they rose up, and went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.

¹⁶And when Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the ruler of his house, "Bring these men home, and slay a beast and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon."

¹⁷And the man did as Joseph bade, and the man brought the men into Joseph's house.

¹⁸And the men were afraid because they were brought into Joseph's house; and they said, "Because of the money that was returned in our sacks the first time are we brought in, that he may seek occasion against us and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and also our asses."

¹⁹And they came near to the steward of Joseph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house

²⁰and said, "O sir, we came indeed down the first time to buy food.

²¹And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight; and we have brought it again in our hand.

²²And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food. We cannot tell who put our money in our sacks."

²³And he said, "Peace be to you, fear not; your God and the God of your father hath given you treasure in your sacks. I had your money." And he brought Simeon out unto them.

²⁴And the man brought the men into Joseph's house, and gave them water and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender.

²⁵And they made ready the present for Joseph's coming at noon, for they heard that they should eat bread there.

²⁶And when Joseph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house, and bowed themselves before him to the earth.

²⁷And he asked them of their welfare and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?"

²⁸And they answered, "Thy servant our father is in good health; he is yet alive." And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance.

²⁹And he lifted up his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your younger brother of whom ye spoke unto me?" And he said, "God be gracious unto thee, my son."

³⁰And Joseph made haste, for his heart yearned for his brother, and he sought somewhere to weep; and he entered into his chamber and wept there.

³¹And he washed his face and went out, and restrained himself, and said, "Set on the bread."

³²And they served him by himself, and them by themselves, and the Egyptians who ate with him by themselves, because the Egyptians might not eat bread with the Hebrews, for that is an abomination unto the Egyptians.

³³And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth; and the men marveled one at another.

³⁴And he took and sent portions unto them from before him, but Benjamin's portion was five times as much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

44And he commanded the steward of his house, saying, "Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in the mouth of his sack.

²And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and his corn money." And he did according to the word that Joseph had spoken.

³As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses.

⁴And when they had gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Joseph said unto his steward, "Up, follow after the men; and when thou dost overtake them, say unto them, 'Why have ye rewarded evil for good?

⁵Is not this that from which my lord drinketh, and whereby indeed he divineth? Ye have done evil in so doing.'"

⁶And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these same words.

⁷And they said unto him, "Why saith my lord these words? God forbid that thy servants should do according to this thing!

⁸Behold, the money which we found in the mouths of our sacks we brought again unto thee out of the land of Canaan. How then would we steal out of thy lord's house silver or gold?

⁹With whomsoever of thy servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my lord's bondmen."

¹⁰And he said, "Now also let it be according unto your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant, and ye shall be blameless."

¹¹Then every man speedily took down his sack to the ground, and opened every man his sack.

¹²And he searched, and began with the eldest and ended with the youngest; and the cup was found in Benjamin's sack.

¹³Then they rent their clothes; and every man loaded his ass, and returned to the city.

¹⁴And Judah and his brethren came to Joseph's house (for he was yet there), and they fell before him on the ground.

¹⁵And Joseph said unto them, "What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine?"

¹⁶And Judah said, "What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants; behold, we are my lord's servants, both we and he also with whom the cup was found."

¹⁷And he said, "God forbid that I should do so; but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, go up in peace unto your father."

¹⁸Then Judah came near unto him and said, "Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not thine anger burn against thy servant; for thou art even as Pharaoh.

¹⁹My lord asked his servants, saying, 'Have ye a father or a brother?'

²⁰And we said unto my lord, 'We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, a little one; and his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother, and his father loveth him.'

²¹And thou saidst unto thy servants, 'Bring him down unto me, that I may set mine eyes upon him.'

²²And we said unto my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father; for if he should leave his father, his father would die.'

²³And thou saidst unto thy servants, 'Unless your youngest brother come down with you, ye shall see my face no more.'

²⁴And it came to pass, when we came up unto thy servant, my father, we told him the words of my lord.

²⁵And our father said, 'Go again, and buy us a little food.'

²⁶And we said, 'We cannot go down. If our youngest brother be with us, then will we go down, for we may not see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.'

²⁷And thy servant, my father, said unto us, 'Ye know that my wife bore me two sons;

²⁸and the one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he is torn in pieces"; and I saw him not since.

²⁹And if ye take this also from me, and harm befall him, ye shall bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to the grave.'

³⁰Now therefore when I come to thy servant my father and the lad be not with us, seeing that his life is bound up in the lad's life,

³¹it shall come to pass, when he seeth that the lad is not with us, that he will die; and thy servants shall bring down the gray hairs of thy servant our father with sorrow to the grave.

³²For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying, 'If I bring him not unto thee, then I shall bear the blame to my father for ever.'

³³Now therefore, I pray thee, let thy servant remain instead of the lad as a bondman to my lord, and let the lad go up with his brethren.

³⁴For how shall I go up to my father and the lad be not with me, lest perhaps I see the evil that shall come upon my father?"

45Then Joseph could not restrain himself before all those who stood by him; and he cried, "Cause every man to go out from me!" And there stood no man with him while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren.

²And he wept aloud, and the Egyptians and the house of Pharaoh heard.

³And Joseph said unto his brethren, "I am Joseph. Doth my father yet live?" And his brethren could not answer him, for they were troubled at his presence.

⁴And Joseph said unto his brethren, "Come near to me, I pray you." And they came near; and he said, "I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt.

⁵Now therefore be not grieved nor angry with yourselves that ye sold me hither, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

⁶For these two years hath the famine been in the land, and yet there are five years in which there shall neither be planting nor harvest.

⁷And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

⁸So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God; and He hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.

⁹Hasten ye, and go up to my father and say unto him, 'Thus saith thy son Joseph: God hath made me lord of all Egypt. Come down unto me, tarry not;

¹⁰and thou shalt dwell in the land of Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me -- thou, and thy children, and thy children's children, and thy flocks and thy herds and all that thou hast.

¹¹And there will I nourish thee (for yet there are five years of famine), lest thou and thy household and all that thou hast come to poverty.'

¹²And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth that speaketh unto you.

¹³And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt, and of all that ye have seen; and ye shall make haste and bring down my father hither."

¹⁴And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck.

¹⁵Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them; and after that his brethren talked with him.

¹⁶And the fame thereof was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, "Joseph's brethren have come"; and it pleased Pharaoh well, and his servants.

¹⁷And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, "Say unto thy brethren, 'This do ye: Load your beasts and go, get you unto the land of Canaan.

¹⁸And take your father and your households, and come unto me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and ye shall eat the fat of the land.'

¹⁹Now thou art commanded, this do ye: 'Take with you wagons out of the land of Egypt for your little ones and for your wives, and bring your father, and come.

²⁰Also, regard not your possessions, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.'"

²¹And the children of Israel did so; and Joseph gave them wagons, according to the commandment of Pharaoh, and gave them provision for the way.

²²To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and five changes of raiment.

²³And to his father he sent in this manner: ten asses laden with the good things of Egypt, and ten sheasses laden with corn and bread and meat for his father on the way.

²⁴So he sent his brethren away, and they departed; and he said unto them, "See that ye fall not out on the way."

²⁵And they went up out of Egypt, and came into the land of Canaan unto Jacob their father,

²⁶and told him, saying, "Joseph is yet alive, and he is governor over all the land of Egypt." And Jacob's heart fainted, for he believed them not.

²⁷And they told him all the words of Joseph which he had said unto them; and when he saw the wagons which Joseph had sent to carry him, the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

²⁸And Israel said, "It is enough; Joseph my son is yet alive! I will go and see him before I die."

46And Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices unto the God of his father Isaac.

²And God spoke unto Israel in the visions of the night and said, "Jacob, Jacob." And he said, "Here am I."

³And He said, "I am God, the God of thy father. Fear not to go down into Egypt, for I will there make of thee a great nation.

⁴I will go down with thee into Egypt, and I will also surely bring thee up again; and Joseph shall put his hand upon thine eyes."

⁵And Jacob rose up from Beersheba; and the sons of Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones and their wives, in the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

⁶And they took their cattle and their goods which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him:

⁷his sons and his sons' sons with him, his daughters and his sons' daughters; and all his seed brought he with him into Egypt.

⁸And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons: Reuben, Jacob's firstborn.

⁹And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch and Pallu, and Hezron and Carmi.

¹⁰And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman.

¹¹And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

¹²And the sons of Judah: Er and Onan, and Shelah and Perez and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan). And the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul.

¹³And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puvah and Job, and Shimron.

¹⁴And the sons of Zebulun: Sered and Elon and Jahleel.

¹⁵These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore unto Jacob in Padanaram, with his daughter Dinah. All the souls of his sons and his daughters were thirty and three.

¹⁶And the sons of Gad: Ziphion and Haggi, Shuni, and Ezbon, Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

¹⁷And the sons of Asher: Jimnah and Ishuah, and Isui and Beriah, and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel.

¹⁸These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter, and these she bore unto Jacob, even sixteen souls.

¹⁹The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

²⁰And unto Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, bore unto him.

²¹And the sons of Benjamin were Belah and Becher and Ashbel, Gera and Naaman, Ehi and Rosh, Muppim and Huppim and Ard.

²²These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob; all the souls were fourteen.

²³And the son of Dan: Hushim.

²⁴And the sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel and Guni, and Jezer and Shillem.

²⁵These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave unto Rachel his daughter, and she bore these unto Jacob; all the souls were seven.

²⁶All the souls who came with Jacob into Egypt, who came out of his loins, besides Jacob's sons' wives, all the souls were threescore and six.

²⁷And the sons of Joseph who were born to him in Egypt were two souls; all the souls of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt, were threescore and ten.

²⁸And he sent Judah before him unto Joseph to direct his face unto Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen.

²⁹And Joseph made ready his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen, and presented himself unto him; and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while.

³⁰And Israel said unto Joseph, "Now let me die, since I have seen thy face, because thou art yet alive."

³¹And Joseph said unto his brethren and unto his father's house, "I will go up and show Pharaoh, and say unto him, 'My brethren and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come unto me.

³²And the men are shepherds, for their trade hath been to feed cattle; and they have brought their flocks and their herds, and all that they have.'

³³And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you and shall say, 'What is your occupation?'

³⁴that ye shall say, 'Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we and also our fathers,' that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians."

47Then Joseph came and told Pharaoh, and said, "My father and my brethren, and their flocks and their herds and all that they have, have come out of the land of Canaan; and behold, they are in the land of Goshen."

²And he took some of his brethren, even five men, and presented them unto Pharaoh.

³And Pharaoh said unto his brethren, "What is your occupation?" And they said unto Pharaoh, "Thy servants are shepherds, both we and also our fathers."

⁴They said moreover unto Pharaoh, "To sojourn in the land have we come, for thy servants have no pasture for their flocks; for the famine is sore in the land of Canaan. Now therefore, we pray thee, let thy servants dwell in the land of Goshen."

⁵And Pharaoh spoke unto Joseph, saying, "Thy father and thy brethren have come unto thee.

⁶The land of Egypt is before thee. In the best of the land make thy father and brethren to dwell; in the land of Goshen let them dwell; and if thou knowest any industrious men among them, then make them rulers over my cattle."

⁷And Joseph brought in Jacob his father, and set him before Pharaoh; and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.

⁸And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, "How old art thou?"

⁹And Jacob said unto Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my pilgrimage are a hundred and thirty years. Few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage."

¹⁰And Jacob blessed Pharaoh, and went out from before Pharaoh.

¹¹And Joseph placed his father and his brethren, and gave them a possession in the land of Egypt, in the best of the land, in the land of Rameses, as Pharaoh had commanded.

¹²And Joseph nourished his father and his brethren and all his father's household with bread, according to their families.

¹³And there was no bread in all the land; for the famine was very sore, so that the land of Egypt and all the land of Canaan fainted by reason of the famine.

¹⁴And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the corn which they bought; and Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh's house.

¹⁵And when money failed in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came unto Joseph and said, "Give us bread; for why should we die in thy presence? For the money faileth."

¹⁶And Joseph said, "Give your cattle; and I will give to you for your cattle, if money fail."

¹⁷And they brought their cattle unto Joseph; and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses and for the flocks, and for the cattle of the herds and for the asses; and he fed them with bread for all their cattle for that year.

¹⁸When that year was ended, they came unto him the second year, and said unto him, "We will not hide it from my lord that our money is spent; my lord also hath our herds of cattle. There is not anything left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our lands.

¹⁹Why shall we die before thine eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be servants unto Pharaoh; and give us seed, that we may live and not die, that the land be not desolate."

²⁰And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them; so the land became Pharaoh's.

²¹And as for the people, he removed them to cities, from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

²²Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them by Pharaoh, and ate their portion which Pharaoh gave them. Therefore they sold not their lands.

²³Then Joseph said unto the people, "Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh. Lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.

²⁴And it shall come to pass in the harvest, that ye shall give a fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own for seed of the field and for your food, and for those of your households and for food for your little ones."

²⁵And they said, "Thou hast saved our lives. Let us find grace in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's servants."

²⁶And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have a fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

²⁷And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew and multiplied exceedingly.

²⁸And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the whole age of Jacob was a hundred forty and seven years.

²⁹And the time drew nigh that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph and said unto him, "If now I have found grace in thy sight, put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me: bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.

³⁰But I will lie with my fathers, and thou shalt carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place." And he said, "I will do as thou hast said."

³¹And he said, "Swear unto me." And he swore unto him. And Israel bowed himself upon the bed's head.

48And it came to pass after these things that one told Joseph, "Behold, thy father is sick"; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.

²And one told Jacob and said, "Behold, thy son Joseph cometh unto thee"; and Israel strengthened himself and sat upon the bed.

³And Jacob said unto Joseph, "God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me

⁴and said unto me, 'Behold, I will make thee fruitful and multiply thee; and I will make of thee a multitude of people, and will give this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession.'

⁵And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born unto thee in the land of Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine.

⁶And thy issue whom thou begettest after them shall be thine, and shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance.

⁷And as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when yet there was but a little way to come unto Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath" (the same is Bethlehem).

⁸And Israel beheld Joseph's sons, and said, "Who are these?"

⁹And Joseph said unto his father, "They are my sons, whom God hath given me in this place." And he said, "Bring them, I pray thee, unto me, and I will bless them."

¹⁰(Now the eyes of Israel were dim with age, so that he could not see.) And he brought them near unto him; and he kissed them and embraced them.

¹¹And Israel said unto Joseph, "I had not thought to see thy face; and lo, God hath shown me also thy seed."

¹²And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

¹³And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

¹⁴And Israel stretched out his right hand and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head, guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn.

¹⁵And he blessed Joseph and said, "God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who fed me all my life long unto this day,

¹⁶the Angel who redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth."

¹⁷And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he held up his father's hand to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

¹⁸And Joseph said unto his father, "Not so, my father, for this is the firstborn. Put thy right hand upon his head."

¹⁹And his father refused and said, "I know it, my son, I know it. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great; but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations."

²⁰And he blessed them that day, saying, "In thee shall Israel bless, saying, 'God make thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh.'" And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

²¹And Israel said unto Joseph, "Behold, I die; but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

²²Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow."

49And Jacob called unto his sons and said, "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.

²"Gather yourselves together and hear, ye sons of Jacob, and hearken unto Israel your father:

³"Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power.

⁴Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it; he went up to my couch.

⁵"Simeon and Levi are brethren; instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

⁶O my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honor, be not thou united; for in their anger they slew a man, and in their selfwill they dug down a wall.

⁷Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel! I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

⁸"Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

⁹Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up. He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

¹⁰The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come; and unto Him shall the gathering of the people be.

¹¹Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine, he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.

¹²His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

¹³"Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea; and he shall be for a haven of ships, and his border shall be unto Sidon.

¹⁴"Issachar is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens.

¹⁵And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant, and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant to tribute.

¹⁶"Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel.

¹⁷Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

¹⁸I have waited for Thy salvation, O LORD!

¹⁹"Gad, a troop shall overcome him; but he shall overcome at the last.

²⁰"Out of Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

²¹"Naphtali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words.

²²"Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well, whose branches run over the wall.

²³The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him.

²⁴But his bow abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob, from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel,

²⁵even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that lieth under, blessings of the breasts and of the womb.

²⁶The blessings of thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him that was separate from his brethren.

²⁷"Benjamin shall raven as a wolf; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil."

²⁸All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them.

²⁹And he charged them and said unto them, "I am to be gathered unto my people. Bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

³⁰in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession as a burying place.

³¹There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah.

³²The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth."

³³And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.

50And Joseph fell upon his father's face, and wept upon him, and kissed him.

²And Joseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.

³And forty days were fulfilled for him (for so are fulfilled the days of those who are embalmed), and the Egyptians mourned for him threescore and ten days.

⁴And when the days of his mourning were past, Joseph spoke unto the house of Pharaoh, saying, "If now I have found grace in your eyes, speak, I pray you, in the ears of Pharaoh, saying,

⁵'My father made me swear, saying, "Lo, I die; in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me." Now therefore let me go up, I pray thee, and bury my father, and I will come again.'"

⁶And Pharaoh said, "Go up, and bury thy father, according as he made thee swear."

⁷And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

⁸and all the house of Joseph, and his brethren, and his father's house. Only their little ones, and their flocks and their herds, they left in the land of Goshen.

⁹And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company.

¹⁰And they came to the threshing floor of Atad, which is beyond the Jordan, and there they mourned with a great and very sore lamentation; and he made a mourning for his father seven days.

¹¹And when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the floor of Atad, they said, "This is a grievous mourning of the Egyptians." Therefore the name of it was called Abelmizraim [that is, The mourning of the Egyptians], which is beyond the Jordan.

¹²And his sons did unto him according as he commanded them.

¹³For his sons carried him into the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, which Abraham bought with the field for a possession as a burying place from Ephron the Hittite, before Mamre.

¹⁴And Joseph returned into Egypt, he and his brethren and all who went up with him to bury his father, after he had buried his father.

¹⁵And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said, "Joseph will perhaps hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which we did unto him."

¹⁶And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, "Thy father did command before he died, saying,

¹⁷'So shall ye say unto Joseph, "Forgive, I pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren and their sin, for they did unto thee evil."' And now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants of the God of thy father." And Joseph wept when they spoke unto him.

¹⁸And his brethren also went and fell down before his face, and they said, "Behold, we are thy servants."

¹⁹And Joseph said unto them, "Fear not; for am I in the place of God?

²⁰But as for you, ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day, to save many people alive.

²¹Now therefore fear ye not; I will nourish you and your little ones." And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.

²²And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he and his father's house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

²³And Joseph saw Ephraim's children of the third generation. The children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were brought up upon Joseph's knees.

²⁴And Joseph said unto his brethren, "I die; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land unto the land which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob."

²⁵And Joseph took an oath from the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence."

²⁶So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

1Now these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt; every man and his household came with Jacob:

²Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah,

³Issachar, Zebulun and Benjamin,

⁴Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

⁵And all the souls who came out of the loins of Jacob were seventy souls, for Joseph was in Egypt already.

⁶And Joseph died, and all his brethren, and all that generation.

⁷And the children of Israel were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land was filled with them.

⁸Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.

⁹And he said unto his people, "Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we.

¹⁰Come on, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply and it come to pass, when there befalleth any war, that they join also unto our enemies and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land."

¹¹Therefore they set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

¹²But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew; and they were grieved because of the children of Israel.

¹³And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigor.

¹⁴And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in mortar and in brick and in all manner of service in the field; all their service wherein they made them serve was with rigor.

¹⁵And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah.

¹⁶And he said, "When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women and see them upon the birthstools, if it be a son then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter then she shall live."

¹⁷But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

¹⁸And the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said unto them, "Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?"

¹⁹And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them."

²⁰Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and waxed very mighty.

²¹And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that He made them houses.

²²And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, "Every son who is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive."

2And there went a man of the house of Levi, and took for a wife a daughter of Levi.

²And the woman conceived and bore a son; and when she saw that he was a goodly child, she hid him three months.

³And when she could no longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child therein; and she laid it in the reeds by the river's brink.

⁴And his sister stood afar off to learn what would be done to him.

⁵And the daughter of Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river, and her maidens walked along by the riverside; and when she saw the ark among the reeds, she sent her maid to fetch it.

⁶And when she had opened it, she saw the child; and behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him and said, "This is one of the Hebrews' children."

⁷Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, "Shall I go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the child for thee?"

⁸And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, "Go." And the maid went and called the child's mother.

⁹And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, "Take this child away and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages." And the woman took the child, and nursed it.

¹⁰And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses [that is, Drawn out], and she said, "Because I drew him out of the water."

¹¹And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren and looked on their burdens; and he spied an Egyptian smiting a Hebrew, one of his brethren.

¹²And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.

¹³And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together; and he said to him that did the wrong, "Why smitest thou thy fellow?"

¹⁴And he said, "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? Intendest thou to kill me as thou killed the Egyptian?" And Moses feared and said, "Surely this thing is known."

¹⁵Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.

¹⁶Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters; and they came and drew water, and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.

¹⁷And the shepherds came and drove them away; but Moses stood up and helped them, and watered their flock.

¹⁸And when they came to Reuel their father, he said, "How is it that ye have come so soon today?"

¹⁹And they said, "An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us and watered the flock."

²⁰And he said unto his daughters, "And where is he? Why is it that ye have left the man? Call him, that he may eat bread."

²¹And Moses was content to dwell with the man; and he gave Moses Zipporah his daughter.

²²And she bore him a son, and he called his name Gershom [that is, A stranger there]; for he said, "I have been a stranger in a strange land."

²³And it came to pass in process of time that the king of Egypt died. And the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried; and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.

²⁴And God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.

²⁵And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God took heed of them.

3Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the back side of the desert and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

²And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.

³And Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt."

⁴And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said, "Moses, Moses." And he said, "Here am I."

⁵And He said, "Draw not nigh hither. Put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground."

⁶Moreover He said, "I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob." And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God.

⁷And the LORD said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.

⁸And I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey, unto the place of the Canaanites and the Hittites, and the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Hivites and the Jebusites.

⁹Now therefore behold, the cry of the children of Israel hath come unto Me, and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them.

¹⁰Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt."

¹¹And Moses said unto God, "Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?"

¹²And He said, "Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee that I have sent thee: when thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain."

¹³And Moses said unto God, "Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and shall say unto them, 'The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you,' and they shall say to me, 'What is His name?' what shall I say unto them?"

¹⁴And God said unto Moses, "I AM THAT I AM." And He said, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, 'I AM hath sent me unto you.'"

¹⁵And God said moreover unto Moses, "Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel: 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath sent me unto you.' This is My name for ever, and this is My memorial unto all generations.

¹⁶Go, and gather the elders of Israel together, and say unto them, 'The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob appeared unto me, saying, "I have surely visited you and seen that which is done to you in Egypt;

¹⁷and I have said I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt unto the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites, and the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Hivites and the Jebusites, unto a land flowing with milk and honey."'

¹⁸And they shall hearken to thy voice; and thou shalt come, thou and the elders of Israel, unto the king of Egypt, and ye shall say unto him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews hath met with us; and now let us go, we beseech thee, three days' journey into the wilderness, that we may sacrifice to the LORD our God.'

¹⁹And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand.

²⁰And I will stretch out My hand and smite Egypt with all My wonders which I will do in the midst thereof; and after that he will let you go.

²¹And I will give this people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. And it shall come to pass that, when ye go, ye shall not go empty,

²²but every woman shall borrow of her neighbor and of her that sojourneth in her house jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment; and ye shall put them upon your sons and upon your daughters, and ye shall despoil the Egyptians."

4And Moses answered and said, "But, behold, they will not believe me, nor hearken unto my voice; for they will say, 'The LORD hath not appeared unto thee.'"

²And the LORD said unto him, "What is that in thine hand?" And he said, "A rod."

³And He said, "Cast it on the ground." And he cast it on the ground, and it became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it.

⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "Put forth thine hand and take it by the tail." And he put forth his hand and caught it, and it became a rod in his hand--

⁵"that they may believe that the LORD God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob hath appeared unto thee."

⁶And the LORD said furthermore unto him, "Put now thine hand into thy bosom." And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow.

⁷And He said, "Put thine hand into thy bosom again." And he put his hand into his bosom again and plucked it out of his bosom, and behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.

⁸"And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of the latter sign.

⁹And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the water of the river and pour it upon the dry land; and the water which thou takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land."

¹⁰And Moses said unto the LORD, "O my Lord, I am not eloquent, neither heretofore nor since Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant; but I am slow of speech and of a slow tongue."

¹¹And the LORD said unto him, "Who hath made man's mouth? Or who maketh the dumb or deaf, or the seeing or the blind? Have notI, the LORD?

¹²Now therefore go, and I will be with thy mouth and teach thee what thou shalt say."

¹³And he said, "O my Lord, send, I pray Thee, by the hand of him whom Thou wilt send."

¹⁴And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses, and He said, "Is not Aaron the Levite thy brother? I know that he can speak well. And also, behold, he cometh forth to meet thee; and when he seeth thee, he will be glad in his heart.

¹⁵And thou shalt speak unto him and put words in his mouth; and I will be with thy mouth and with his mouth, and will teach you what ye shall do.

¹⁶And he shall be thy spokesman unto the people; and he shall be, even he shall be to thee instead of a mouth, and thou shalt be to him instead of God.

¹⁷And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs."

¹⁸And Moses went and returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and said unto him, "Let me go, I pray thee, and return unto my brethren who are in Egypt and see whether they are yet alive." And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

¹⁹And the LORD said unto Moses in Midian, "Go, return into Egypt; for all the men are dead who sought thy life."

²⁰And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon an ass, and he returned to the land of Egypt. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand.

²¹And the LORD said unto Moses, "When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh which I have put in thine hand; but I will harden his heart, that he shall not let the people go.

²²And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, 'Thus saith the LORD: Israel is My son, even My firstborn.

²³And I say unto thee, "Let My son go, that he may serve Me." And if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.'"

²⁴And it came to pass, on the way at the inn, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him.

²⁵Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet and said, "Surely a bloody husband art thou to me."

²⁶So He let him go; then she said, "A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision."

²⁷And the LORD said to Aaron, "Go into the wilderness to meet Moses." And he went and met him on the mount of God, and kissed him.

²⁸And Moses told Aaron all the words of the LORD who had sent him, and all the signs which He had commanded him.

²⁹And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel.

³⁰And Aaron spoke all the words which the LORD had spoken unto Moses, and did the signs in the sight of the people.

³¹And the people believed; and when they heard that the LORD had visited the children of Israel, and that He had looked upon their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

5And afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'Let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.'"

²And Pharaoh said, "Who is the LORD, that I should obey his voice to let Israel go? I know not the LORD, neither will I let Israel go."

³And they said, "The God of the Hebrews hath met with us. Let us go, we pray thee, three days' journey into the desert and sacrifice unto the LORD our God, lest He fall upon us with pestilence or with the sword."

⁴And the king of Egypt said unto them, "Why do ye, Moses and Aaron, delay the people from their work? Get you unto your burdens!"

⁵And Pharaoh said, "Behold, the people of the land now are many, and ye make them rest from their burdens!"

⁶And Pharaoh commanded the same day the taskmasters of the people and their officers, saying,

⁷"Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

⁸And the tally of bricks which they made heretofore, ye shall lay upon them; ye shall not diminish any thereof. For they are idle; therefore they cry, saying, 'Let us go and sacrifice to our God.'

⁹Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labor therein, and let them not regard vain words."

¹⁰And the taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying, "Thus saith Pharaoh: 'I will not give you straw.

¹¹Go ye, get you straw where ye can find it; yet not any of your work shall be diminished.'"

¹²So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.

¹³And the taskmasters hastened them, saying, "Fulfill your works, your daily tasks, as when there was straw."

¹⁴And the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh's taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were demanded, "Why have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as heretofore?"

¹⁵Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried unto Pharaoh, saying, "Why dealest thou thus with thy servants?

¹⁶There is no straw given unto thy servants, and they say to us, 'Make brick!' And behold, thy servants are beaten, but the fault is in thine own people."

¹⁷But he said, "Ye are idle, ye are idle! Therefore ye say, 'Let us go and do sacrifice to the LORD.'

¹⁸Go therefore now and work; for there shall no straw be given you, yet shall ye deliver the tally of bricks."

¹⁹And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in evil straits after it was said, "Ye shall not diminish any from your bricks of your daily task."

²⁰And they met Moses and Aaron, who stood in the way as they came forth from Pharaoh.

²¹And they said unto them, "The LORD look upon you and judge, because ye have made our savor to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to slay us."

²²And Moses returned unto the LORD and said, "Lord, why hast Thou so evilly treated this people? Why is it that Thou hast sent me?

²³For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath done evil to this people; neither hast Thou delivered Thy people at all."

6Then the LORD said unto Moses, "Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand shall he let them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his land."

²And God spoke unto Moses and said unto him, "I am the LORD.

³And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, but by My name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.

⁴And I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, wherein they were strangers.

⁵And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel, whom the Egyptians keep in bondage; and I have remembered My covenant.

⁶Therefore say unto the children of Israel: 'I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.

⁷And I will take you to Me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

⁸And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you for a heritage: I am the LORD.'"

⁹And Moses spoke so unto the children of Israel, but they hearkened not unto Moses from anguish of spirit and from cruel bondage.

¹⁰And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹¹"Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land."

¹²And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, "Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me. How then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?"

¹³And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, and gave them a charge unto the children of Israel and unto Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁴These are the heads of their fathers' houses. The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch and Pallu, Hezron and Carmi; these are the families of Reuben.

¹⁵And the sons of Simeon: Jemuel and Jamin, and Ohad and Jachin and Zohar, and Shaul the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the families of Simeon.

¹⁶And these are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon and Kohath and Merari; and the years of the life of Levi were a hundred thirty and seven years.

¹⁷The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimi, according to their families.

¹⁸And the sons of Kohath: Amram and Izhar, and Hebron and Uzziel; and the years of the life of Kohath were a hundred thirty and three years.

¹⁹And the sons of Merari: Mahali and Mushi; these are the families of Levi according to their generations.

²⁰And Amram took Jochebed, his father's sister, for a wife; and she bore him Aaron and Moses; and the years of the life of Amram were a hundred and thirty and seven years.

²¹And the sons of Izhar: Korah and Nepheg and Zichri.

²²And the sons of Uzziel: Mishael and Elzaphan and Zithri.

²³And Aaron took Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, sister of Nahshon, for a wife; and she bore him Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.

²⁴And the sons of Korah: Assir and Elkanah and Abiasaph; these are the families of the Korahites.

²⁵And Eleazar, Aaron's son, took one of the daughters of Putiel for a wife; and she bore him Phinehas; these are the heads of the fathers of the Levites according to their families.

²⁶These are that Aaron and Moses to whom the LORD said, "Bring out the children of Israel from the land of Egypt according to their armies."

²⁷These are they who spoke to Pharaoh king of Egypt to bring out the children of Israel from Egypt. These are that Moses and Aaron.

²⁸And it came to pass on the day when the LORD spoke unto Moses in the land of Egypt,

²⁹that the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, "I am the LORD. Speak thou unto Pharaoh king of Egypt all that I say unto thee."

³⁰And Moses said before the LORD, "Behold, I am of uncircumcised lips, and how shall Pharaoh hearken unto me?"

7And the LORD said unto Moses, "See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet.

²Thou shalt speak all that I command thee; and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh, that he send the children of Israel out of his land.

³And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt.

⁴But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay My hand upon Egypt and bring forth Mine armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.

⁵And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth Mine hand upon Egypt and bring out the children of Israel from among them."

⁶And Moses and Aaron did as the LORD commanded them; so did they.

⁷And Moses was fourscore years old, and Aaron fourscore and three years old when they spoke unto Pharaoh.

⁸And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

⁹"When Pharaoh shall speak unto you, saying, 'Show a miracle for yourselves,' then thou shalt say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod and cast it before Pharaoh, and it shall become a serpent.'"

¹⁰And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did so as the LORD had commanded; and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.

¹¹Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers. Now the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments.

¹²For they cast down every man his rod, and they became serpents; but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.

¹³And He hardened Pharaoh's heart, that he hearkened not unto them, as the LORD had said.

¹⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is hardened; he refuseth to let the people go.

¹⁵Get thee unto Pharaoh in the morning. Lo, he goeth out unto the water, and thou shalt stand by the river's brink until he come; and the rod which was turned to a serpent shalt thou take in thine hand.

¹⁶And thou shalt say unto him, 'The LORD God of the Hebrews hath sent me unto thee, saying, "Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness"; and behold, hitherto thou wouldest not hear.

¹⁷Thus saith the LORD: "In this thou shalt know that I am the LORD: Behold, I will smite with the rod that is in mine hand upon the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.

¹⁸And the fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall stink; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink of the water of the river."'"

¹⁹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, "Say unto Aaron, 'Take thy rod and stretch out thine hand upon the waters of Egypt, upon their streams, upon their rivers, and upon their ponds, and upon all their pools of water, that they may become blood; and that there may be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"

²⁰And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.

²¹And the fish that were in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt.

²²And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them, as the LORD had said.

²³And Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he set his heart to this also.

²⁴And all the Egyptians dug round about the river for water to drink, for they could not drink of the water of the river.

²⁵And seven days were fulfilled after the LORD had smitten the river.

8And the LORD spoke unto Moses, "Go unto Pharaoh and say unto him, 'Thus saith the LORD: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

²And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs.

³And the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants and upon thy people, and into thine ovens and into thy kneading troughs.

⁴And the frogs shall come up both on thee and upon thy people and upon all thy servants.'"

⁵And the LORD spoke unto Moses, "Say unto Aaron, 'Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt.'"

⁶And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt, and the frogs came up and covered the land of Egypt.

⁷And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt.

⁸Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron and said, "Entreat the LORD, that he may take away the frogs from me and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the LORD."

⁹And Moses said unto Pharaoh, "Glory over me: When shall I entreat for thee and for thy servants and for thy people to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only?"

¹⁰And he said, "Tomorrow." And Moses said, "Be it according to thy word, that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the LORD our God.

¹¹And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses and from thy servants and from thy people. They shall remain in the river only."

¹²And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh; and Moses cried unto the LORD because of the frogs which He had brought against Pharaoh.

¹³And the LORD did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields.

¹⁴And they gathered them together upon heaps, and the land stank.

¹⁵But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart and hearkened not unto them, as the LORD had said.

¹⁶And the LORD said unto Moses, "Say unto Aaron, 'Stretch out thy rod and smite the dust of the land, that it may become lice throughout all the land of Egypt.'"

¹⁷And they did so; for Aaron stretched out his hand with his rod and smote the dust of the earth, and it became lice on man and on beast. All the dust of the land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt.

¹⁸And the magicians so did with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but they could not; so there were lice upon man and upon beast.

¹⁹Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, "This is the finger of God." And Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them, as the LORD had said.

²⁰And the LORD said unto Moses, "Rise up early in the morning and stand before Pharaoh. Lo, he cometh forth to the water, and say unto him, 'Thus saith the LORD: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

²¹Else, if thou wilt not let My people go, behold, I will send swarms of flies upon thee, and upon thy servants and upon thy people and into thy houses; and the houses of the Egyptians shall be full of swarms of flies, and also the ground whereon they are.

²²And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen in which My people dwell, that no swarms of flies shall be there, to the end thou mayest know that I am the LORD in the midst of the earth.

²³And I will put a division between My people and thy people. Tomorrow shall this sign be.'"

²⁴And the LORD did so; and there came a grievous swarm of flies into the house of Pharaoh, and into his servants' houses and into all the land of Egypt. The land was corrupted by reason of the swarm of flies.

²⁵And Pharaoh called for Moses and for Aaron and said, "Go ye, sacrifice to your God in the land."

²⁶And Moses said, "It is not meet so to do; for we shall sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians to the LORD our God. Lo, shall we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, and will they not stone us?

²⁷We will go three days' journey into the wilderness and sacrifice to the LORD our God, as He shall command us."

²⁸And Pharaoh said, "I will let you go, that ye may sacrifice to the LORD your God in the wilderness; only ye shall not go very far away. Entreat for me."

²⁹And Moses said, "Behold, I go out from thee, and I will entreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants and from his people tomorrow; but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD."

³⁰And Moses went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD.

³¹And the LORD did according to the word of Moses, and He removed the swarms of flies from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people; there remained not one.

³²And Pharaoh hardened his heart at this time also, neither would he let the people go.

9Then the LORD said unto Moses, "Go in unto Pharaoh and tell him, 'Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

²For if thou refuse to let them go and wilt hold them still,

³behold, the hand of the LORD is upon thy cattle which are in the field, upon the horses, upon the asses, upon the camels, upon the oxen, and upon the sheep. There shall be a very grievous pestilence.

⁴And the LORD shall distinguish between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that belong to the children of Israel.'"

⁵And the LORD appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow the LORD shall do this thing in the land."

⁶And the LORD did that thing on the morrow; and all the cattle of Egypt died, but of the cattle of the children of Israel died not one.

⁷And Pharaoh sent, and behold, there was not one of the cattle of the Israelites dead. And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he did not let the people go.

⁸And the LORD said unto Moses and unto Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes from the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the heaven in the sight of Pharaoh.

⁹And it shall become small dust in all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with blains, upon man and upon beast throughout all the land of Egypt."

¹⁰And they took ashes from the furnace and stood before Pharaoh, and Moses sprinkled it up toward heaven; and it became boils breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast.

¹¹And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils, for the boils were upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians.

¹²And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he hearkened not unto them, as the LORD had spoken unto Moses.

¹³And the LORD said unto Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh and say unto him, 'Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews: Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

¹⁴For I will at this time send all My plagues upon thine heart, and upon thy servants and upon thy people, that thou mayest know that there is none like Me in all the earth.

¹⁵For now I will stretch out My hand, that I may smite thee and thy people with pestilence, and thou shalt be cut off from the earth.

¹⁶And in very deed, for this cause have I raised thee up: to show in thee My power, and that My name may be declared throughout all the earth.

¹⁷As yet exaltest thou thyself against My people, that thou wilt not let them go?

¹⁸Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as hath not been in Egypt since the foundation thereof even until now.

¹⁹Send therefore now, and gather thy cattle and all that thou hast in the field, for upon every man and beast which shall be found in the field and shall not be brought home, the hail shallcome down upon them, and they shall die.'"

²⁰He that feared the word of the LORD among the servants of Pharaoh made his servants and his cattle flee into the houses,

²¹and he that regarded not the word of the LORD left his servants and his cattle in the field.

²²And the LORD said unto Moses, "Stretch forth thine hand toward heaven, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, upon man and upon beast and upon every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."

²³And Moses stretched forth his rod toward heaven; and the LORD sent thunder and hail, and the fire ran along upon the ground; and the LORD rained hail upon the land of Egypt.

²⁴So there was hail and fire mingled with the hail, very grievous, such as there was none like it in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.

²⁵And the hail smote throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and beast; and the hail smote every herb of the field and broke every tree of the field.

²⁶Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, was there no hail.

²⁷And Pharaoh sent and called for Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, "I have sinned this time. The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.

²⁸Entreat the LORD (for it is enough), that there be no more mighty thunderings and hail; and I will let you go, and ye shall stay no longer."

²⁹And Moses said unto him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands unto the LORD; and the thunder shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail, that thou mayest know that the earth is the LORD'S.

³⁰But as for thee and thy servants, I know that ye will not yet fear the LORD God."

³¹And the flax and the barley were smitten; for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bolls.

³²But the wheat and the rye were not smitten, for they were not grown up.

³³And Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands unto the LORD; and the thunder and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured upon the earth.

³⁴And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunder had ceased, he sinned yet more and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

³⁵And the heart of Pharaoh was hardened, neither would he let the children of Israel go, as the LORD had spoken by Moses.

10And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go in unto Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the heart of his servants, that I might show these My signs before him;

²and that thou mayest tell in the ears of thy son and of thy son's son what things I have wrought in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that ye may know that I am the LORD."

³And Moses and Aaron came in unto Pharaoh and said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long wilt thou refuse to humble thyself before Me? Let My people go, that they may serve Me.

⁴Else, if thou refuse to let My people go, behold, tomorrow will I bring the locusts into thy border.

⁵And they shall cover the face of the earth, that one shall not be able to see the earth; and they shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remaineth unto you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which groweth for you out of the field.

⁶And they shall fill thy houses and the houses of all thy servants and the houses of all the Egyptians -- which neither thy fathers nor thy fathers' fathers have seen since the day that they were upon the earth unto this day.'" And he turned himself, and went out from Pharaoh.

⁷And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, "How long shall this man be a snare unto us? Let the men go, that they may serve the LORD their God. Knowest thou not yet that Egypt is destroyed?"

⁸And Moses and Aaron were brought again unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, "Go, serve the LORD your God. But who are they that shall go?"

⁹And Moses said, "We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go, for we must hold a feast unto the LORD."

¹⁰And he said unto them, "Let the LORD be so with you, as I will let you go, and your little ones. Look to it, for evil is before you.

¹¹Not so! Go now ye that are men, and serve the LORD, for that ye did desire." And they were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.

¹²And the LORD said unto Moses, "Stretch out thine hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up upon the land of Egypt and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left."

¹³And Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and the LORD brought an east wind upon the land all that day and all that night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.

¹⁴And the locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. Very grievous were they; before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.

¹⁵For they covered the face of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened; and they ate every herb of the land and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left, and there remained not any green thing in the trees or in the herbs of the field through all the land of Egypt.

¹⁶Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, "I have sinned against the LORD your God, and against you.

¹⁷Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat the LORD your God, that he may take away from me this death only."

¹⁸And he went out from Pharaoh and entreated the LORD.

¹⁹And the LORD turned a mighty, strong west wind, which took away the locusts and cast them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.

²⁰But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go.

²¹And the LORD said unto Moses, "Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt."

²²And Moses stretched forth his hand toward heaven, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.

²³They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.

²⁴And Pharaoh called unto Moses and said, "Go ye, serve the LORD; only let your flocks and your herds be stayed. Let your little ones also go with you."

²⁵And Moses said, "Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God.

²⁶Our cattle also shall go with us. There shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof must we take to serve the LORD our God, and we know not with what we must serve the LORD until we come thither."

²⁷But the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go.

²⁸And Pharaoh said unto him, "Get thee from me! Take heed to thyself! See my face no more, for in that day thou seest my face thou shalt die!"

²⁹And Moses said, "Thou hast spoken well. I will see thy face again no more."

11And the LORD said unto Moses, "Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt. Afterwards he will let you go hence. When he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

²Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow from his neighbor, and every woman from her neighbor, jewels of silver and jewels of gold."

³And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt in the sight of Pharaoh's servants and in the sight of the people.

⁴And Moses said, "Thus saith the LORD: 'About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt;

⁵and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sitteth upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of beasts.

⁶And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there was none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

⁷But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast, that ye may know how the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.'

⁸And all these thy servants shall come down unto me and bowdown themselves unto me, saying, 'Get thee out, and all the people who follow thee!' And after that I will go out." And he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

⁹And the LORD said unto Moses, "Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt."

¹⁰And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel go out of his land.

12And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,

²"This month shall be unto you the beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.

³Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth day of this month they shall take for themselves every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house.

⁴And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb.

⁵Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year; ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.

⁶And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.

⁷And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses wherein they shall eat it.

⁸And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire; and with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

⁹Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire -- his head with his legs and with the viscera thereof.

¹⁰And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.

¹¹And thus shall ye eat it: with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; it is the LORD'S Passover.

¹²For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.

¹³And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt.

¹⁴"'And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

¹⁵Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread. Even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses; for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

¹⁶And in the first day there shall be a holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation to you. No manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.

¹⁷And ye shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt. Therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

¹⁸In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, ye shall eat unleavened bread until the one and twentieth day of the month at evening.

¹⁹Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses; for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land.

²⁰Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.'"

²¹Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said unto them, "Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the Passover.

²²And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out from the door of his house until the morning.

²³For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He seeth the blood upon the lintel and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

²⁴And ye shall observe this thing as an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever.

²⁵And it shall come to pass, when ye come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.

²⁶And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, 'What mean ye by this service?'

²⁷that ye shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians and delivered our houses.'" And the people bowed their heads and worshiped.

²⁸And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron; so did they.

²⁹And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne, unto the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle.

³⁰And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.

³¹And he called for Moses and Aaron by night and said, "Rise up, and get you forth from among my people, both ye and the children of Israel! And go, serve the LORD, as ye have said.

³²Also take your flocks and your herds, as ye have said; and be gone, and bless me also."

³³And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, "We are all dead men."

³⁴And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.

³⁵And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they borrowed from the Egyptians jewels of silver and jewels of gold and raiment.

³⁶And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they despoiled the Egyptians.

³⁷And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot who were men, besides children.

³⁸And a mixed multitude went up also with them, and flocks and herds, even very much cattle.

³⁹And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt; for it was not leavened because they were thrust out of Egypt and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

⁴⁰Now the sojourning of the children of Israel who dwelt in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years.

⁴¹And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years, even on the selfsame day it came to pass, that all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

⁴²It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of the LORD to be observed by all the children of Israel in their generations.

⁴³And the LORD said unto Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof;

⁴⁴but every man's servant who is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.

⁴⁵A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat thereof.

⁴⁶In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth any of the flesh abroad out of the house, neither shall ye break a bone thereof.

⁴⁷All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.

⁴⁸And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee and will keep the Passover to the LORD, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land, for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.

⁴⁹One law shall be for him that is homeborn and for the stranger who sojourneth among you."

⁵⁰Thus did all the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.

⁵¹And it came to pass the selfsame day that the LORD brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.

13And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Sanctify unto Me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast; it is Mine."

³And Moses said unto the people, "Remember this day in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out from this place. There shall no leavened bread be eaten.

⁴This day came ye out, in the month Abib.

⁵"And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee, a land flowing with milk and honey, that thou shalt keep this service in this month.

⁶Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh day shall be a feast to the LORD.

⁷Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all thy quarters.

⁸And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, 'This is done because of that which the LORD did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.'

⁹And it shall be as a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that the LORD'S law may be in thy mouth; for with a strong hand hath the LORD brought thee out of Egypt.

¹⁰Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.

¹¹"And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as He swore unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it to thee,

¹²that thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the womb, and every firstling that cometh from a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD'S.

¹³And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck; and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.

¹⁴And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, 'What is this?' that thou shalt say unto him, 'By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage.

¹⁵And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man and the firstborn of beast; therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.'

¹⁶And it shall be as a token upon thine hand, and as frontlets between thine eyes; for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt."

¹⁷And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, "Lest perhaps the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt."

¹⁸But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red Sea; and the children of Israel went up by five in a rank out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁹And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had strictly sworn the children of Israel, saying, "God will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you."

²⁰And they took their journey from Succoth, and encamped in Etham on the edge of the wilderness.

²¹And the LORD went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud to lead them the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, to go by day and night.

²²He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night from before the people.

14And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, that they turn and encamp before Pihahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baalzephon; before it shall ye encamp by the sea.

³For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, 'They are entangled in the land, the wilderness hath shut them in.'

⁴And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honored above Pharaoh, and above all his host, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD." And they did so.

⁵And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled; and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, "Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?"

⁶And he made ready his chariot and took his people with him,

⁷and he took six hundred chosen chariots and all the chariots of Egypt and captains over every one of them.

⁸And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with a high hand.

⁹But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon.

¹⁰And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid; and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.

¹¹And they said unto Moses, "Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?

¹²Is not this the word that we told thee in Egypt, saying, 'Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness."

¹³And Moses said unto the people, "Fear ye not. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will show to you today; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever.

¹⁴The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace."

¹⁵And the LORD said unto Moses, "Why criest thou unto Me? Speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.

¹⁶But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea and divide it; and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.

¹⁷And I, behold, I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them; and I will get Myself honor above Pharaoh and above all his host, above his chariots and above his horsemen.

¹⁸And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD when I have gotten Myself honor above Pharaoh, above his chariots, and above his horsemen."

¹⁹And the angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face and stood behind them.

²⁰And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these, so that the one came not near the other all the night.

²¹And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.

²²And the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea upon the dry ground, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.

²³And the Egyptians pursued, and went in after them to the midst of the sea, even all Pharaoh's horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

²⁴And it came to pass that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians.

²⁵And He took off their chariot wheels, that they drove them heavily, so that the Egyptians said, "Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians."

²⁶And the LORD said unto Moses, "Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen."

²⁷And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared. And the Egyptians fled against it, and the LORD overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.

²⁸And the waters returned, and covered the chariots and the horsemen and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. There remained not so much as one of them.

²⁹But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand and on their left.

³⁰Thus the LORD saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the seashore.

³¹And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians; and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant Moses.

15Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spoke, saying, "I will sing unto the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea.

²The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will prepare Him a habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him.

³The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name.

⁴Pharaoh's chariots and his host hath He cast into the sea; his chosen captains also are drowned in the Red Sea.

⁵The depths have covered them; they sank into the bottom as a stone.

⁶Thy right hand, O LORD, has become glorious in power; Thy right hand, O LORD, hath dashed in pieces the enemy.

⁷And in the greatness of Thine excellency Thou hast overthrown them that rose up against Thee; Thou sentest forth Thy wrath, which consumed them as stubble.

⁸And with the blast of Thy nostrils the waters were gathered together, the floods stood upright as a heap, and the depths were congealed in the heart of the sea.

⁹The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my lust shall be satisfied upon them. I will draw my sword; my hand shall destroy them.'

¹⁰Thou didst blow with Thy wind, the sea covered them; they sank as lead in the mighty waters.

¹¹"Who is like unto Thee, O LORD, among the gods? Who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?

¹²Thou stretchedst out Thy right hand; the earth swallowed them.

¹³Thou in Thy mercy hast led forth the people whom Thou hast redeemed; Thou hast guided them in Thy strength unto Thy holy habitation.

¹⁴"The people shall hear and be afraid; sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestina.

¹⁵Then the chiefs of Edom shall be amazed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling shall take hold upon them; all the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

¹⁶Fear and dread shall fall upon them. By the greatness of Thine arm they shall be as still as a stone, till Thy people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over, whom Thou hast purchased.

¹⁷Thou shalt bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, in the place, O LORD, which Thou hast made for Thee to dwell in, in the sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established.

¹⁸The LORD shall reign for ever and ever."

¹⁹For the horse of Pharaoh went in with his chariots and with his horsemen into the sea, and the LORD brought again the waters of the sea upon them; but the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.

²⁰And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.

²¹And Miriam answered them: "Sing ye to the LORD, for He hath triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider hath He thrown into the sea!"

²²So Moses brought Israel from the Red Sea, and they went out into the Wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.

²³And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter. Therefore the name of it was called Marah [that is, Bitterness].

²⁴And the people murmured against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"

²⁵And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD showed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet. There He made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there He put them to the proof,

²⁶and said, "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee which I have brought upon the Egyptians; for I am the LORD that healeth thee."

²⁷And they came to Elim, where were twelve wells of water and threescore and ten palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters.

16And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the Wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

²And the whole congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron in the wilderness.

³And the children of Israel said unto them, "Would to God we had died by the hand of the LORD in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the fleshpots and when we ate bread to the full! For ye have brought us forth into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger."

⁴Then said the LORD unto Moses, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may put them to the proof, whether they will walk in My law, or no.

⁵And it shall come to pass that on the sixth day they shall prepare that which they bring in, and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily."

⁶And Moses and Aaron said unto all the children of Israel, "At evening, then ye shall know that the LORD hath brought you out from the land of Egypt;

⁷and in the morning, then ye shall see the glory of the LORD, for He heareth your murmurings against the LORD. And what are we, that ye murmur against us?"

⁸And Moses said, "This shall be when the LORD shall give you in the evening flesh to eat and in the morning bread to the full, for the LORD heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against Him. And what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the LORD."

⁹And Moses spoke unto Aaron, "Say unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, 'Come near before the LORD, for He hath heard your murmurings.'"

¹⁰And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke unto the whole congregation of the children of Israel, that they looked toward the wilderness, and behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud.

¹¹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹²"I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak unto them, saying, 'At evening ye shall eat flesh, and in the morning ye shall be filled with bread; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God.'"

¹³And it came to pass that at evening the quails came up and covered the camp, and in the morning the dew lay round about the host.

¹⁴And when the dew that lay had gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoarfrost on the ground.

¹⁵And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, "What is this?" For they knew not what it was. And Moses said unto them, "This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.

¹⁶This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded: 'Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons. Take ye every man for those who are in his tents.'"

¹⁷And the children of Israel did so and gathered, some more, some less.

¹⁸And when they measured it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating.

¹⁹And Moses said, "Let no man leave any of it until the morning."

²⁰Notwithstanding, they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left part of it until the morning, and it bred worms and stank. And Moses was wroth with them.

²¹And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating; and when the sun waxed hot, it melted.

²²And it came to pass that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man; and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

²³And he said unto them, "This is that which the LORD hath said: 'Tomorrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the LORD. Bake that which ye will bake today, and boil what ye will boil; and that which remaineth over lay up for yourselves to be kept until the morning.'"

²⁴And they laid it up until the morning, as Moses bade; and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein.

²⁵And Moses said, "Eat that today, for today is a Sabbath unto the LORD. Today ye shall not find it in the field.

²⁶Six days ye shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, in it there shall be none."

²⁷And it came to pass that there went out some of the people on the seventh day to gather, and they found none.

²⁸And the LORD said unto Moses, "How long refuse ye to keep My commandments and My laws?

²⁹See, for the LORD hath given you the Sabbath; therefore He giveth you on the sixth day the bread for two days. Abide ye every man in his place. Let no man go out of his place on the seventh day."

³⁰So the people rested on the seventh day.

³¹And the house of Israel called the name thereof manna; and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey.

³²And Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD commandeth: 'Fill an omer with it to be kept for your generations, that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt.'"

³³And Moses said unto Aaron, "Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD to be kept for your generations."

³⁴As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the testimony, to be kept.

³⁵And the children of Israel ate manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited. They ate manna until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.

³⁶Now an omer is a tenth part of an ephah.

17And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the Wilderness of Sin after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched camp in Rephidim; and there was no water for the people to drink.

²Therefore the people chided Moses and said, "Give us water that we may drink." And Moses said unto them, "Why chide ye me? Why do ye tempt the LORD?"

³And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses and said, "Why is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?"

⁴And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, "What shall I do unto this people? They are almost ready to stone me!"

⁵And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod with which thou smotest the river, take in thine hand and go.

⁶Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink." And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel.

⁷And he called the name of the place Massah [that is, Temptation], and Meribah [that is, Chiding], because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the LORD, saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"

⁸Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim.

⁹And Moses said unto Joshua, "Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand."

¹⁰So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.

¹¹And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.

¹²But Moses' hands were heavy; and they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat thereon. And Aaron and Hur held up his hands, the one on the one side and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.

¹³And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.

¹⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "Write this for a memorial in a book, and recount it in the ears of Joshua; for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven."

¹⁵And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi [that is, The LORD my banner];

¹⁶for he said, "Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

18When Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, heard of all that God had done for Moses and for Israel His people, and that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt,

²then Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took Zipporah, Moses' wife, after Moses had sent her back

³and her two sons (of whom the name of the one was Gershom [that is, A stranger there], for he said, "I have been an alien in a strange land";

⁴and the name of the other was Eliezer [that is, My God is a help], "For the God of my father," said he, "was my help and delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh");

⁵and Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, came with his sons and his wife unto Moses into the wilderness, where he encamped at the mount of God.

⁶And he said unto Moses, "I, thy father-in-law Jethro, have come unto thee and thy wife and her two sons with her."

⁷And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and did obeisance and kissed him; and they asked each other of their welfare, and they came into the tent.

⁸And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done unto Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, and all the travail that had come upon them by the way, and how the LORD delivered them.

⁹And Jethro rejoiced for all the goodness which the LORD had done to Israel, whom He had delivered out of the hand of the Egyptians.

¹⁰And Jethro said, "Blessed be the LORD, who hath delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of Pharaoh, who hath delivered the people from under the hand of the Egyptians.

¹¹Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods; for in the thing wherein they dealt proudly, He was above them."

¹²And Jethro, Moses' father-in-law, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God; and Aaron came, and all the elders of Israel, to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before God.

¹³And it came to pass on the morrow that Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening.

¹⁴And when Moses' father-in-law saw all that he did for the people, he said, "What is this thing that thou doest for the people? Why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto evening?"

¹⁵And Moses said unto his father-in-law, "Because the people come unto me to inquire of God.

¹⁶When they have a matter, they come unto me, and I judge between one and another, and I make them know the statutes of God and His laws."

¹⁷And Moses' father-in-law said unto him, "The thing that thou doest is not good.

¹⁸Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people who are with thee. For this thing is too heavy for thee. Thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.

¹⁹Hearken now unto my voice! I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.

²⁰And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt show them the way wherein they must walk and the work that they must do.

²¹Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God -- men of truth, hating covetousness -- and place such over them to be rulers of thousands and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties and rulers of tens.

²²And let them judge the people at all seasons; and it shall be that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge. So shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.

²³If thou shalt do this thing and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace."

²⁴So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said.

²⁵And Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them heads over the people: rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.

²⁶And they judged the people at all seasons. The hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves.

²⁷And Moses let his father-in-law depart, and he went his way into his own land.

19In the third month after the children of Israel had gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the Wilderness of Sinai.

²For they had departed from Rephidim, and had come to the desert of Sinai and had pitched camp in the wilderness; and there Israel camped before the mount.

³And Moses went up unto God, and the LORD called unto him out of the mountain, saying, "Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel:

⁴'Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you unto Myself.

⁵Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine.

⁶And ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel."

⁷And Moses came and called for the elders of the people, and laid before their faces all these words which the LORD commanded him.

⁸And all the people answered together and said, "All that the LORD hath spoken we will do." And Moses returned the words of the people unto the LORD.

⁹And the LORD said unto Moses, "Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever." And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.

¹⁰And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go unto the people and sanctify them today and tomorrow, and let them wash their clothes

¹¹and be ready against the third day; for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon Mount Sinai.

¹²And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, 'Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount or touch the border of it. Whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death.

¹³There shall not a hand touch it, but he shall surely be stoned or shot through; whether it be beast or man, it shall not live.' When the trumpet soundeth long, they shall come up to the mount."

¹⁴And Moses went down from the mount unto the people, and sanctified the people; and they washed their clothes.

¹⁵And he said unto the people, "Be ready against the third day. Come not at your wives."

¹⁶And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled.

¹⁷And Moses brought forth the people out of the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the nether part of the mount.

¹⁸And Mount Sinai was altogether in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly.

¹⁹And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long and waxed louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by a voice.

²⁰And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai, on the top of the mount; and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount, and Moses went up.

²¹And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go down. Charge the people, lest they break through to gaze unto the LORD, and many of them perish.

²²And let the priests also, who come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them."

²³And Moses said unto the LORD, "The people cannot come up to Mount Sinai; for Thou charged us, saying, 'Set bounds about the mount and sanctify it.'"

²⁴And the LORD said unto him, "Away! Get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou and Aaron with thee; but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest He break forth upon them."

²⁵So Moses went down unto the people and spoke unto them.

20And God spoke all these words, saying:

²"I am the LORD thy God, who have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

³"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

⁴"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

⁵Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I, the LORD thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me,

⁶and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

⁷"Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

⁸"Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

⁹Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work;

¹⁰but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God. In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.

¹¹For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.

¹²"Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

¹³"Thou shalt not kill.

¹⁴"Thou shalt not commit adultery.

¹⁵"Thou shalt not steal.

¹⁶"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

¹⁷"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house; thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's."

¹⁸And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they removed and stood afar off.

¹⁹And they said unto Moses, "Speak thou with us and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die."

²⁰And Moses said unto the people, "Fear not; for God has come to test you, and that His fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not."

²¹And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

²²And the LORD said unto Moses, "Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel: 'Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

²³Ye shall not make with Me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

²⁴An altar of earth thou shalt make unto Me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings and thy peace offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen. In all places where I record My name I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee.

²⁵And if thou wilt make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.

²⁶Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto Mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon.'

21"Now these are the judgments which thou shalt set before them:

²If thou buy a Hebrew servant, six years he shall serve; and in the seventh he shall go out free for nothing.

³If he came in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he was married, then his wife shall go out with him.

⁴If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master's, and he shall go out by himself.

⁵And if the servant shall plainly say, 'I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,'

⁶then his master shall bring him unto the judges. He shall also bring him to the door or unto the doorpost, and his master shall bore his ear through with an awl, and he shall serve him for ever.

⁷"And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

⁸If she please not her master who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed. To sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

⁹And if he has betrothed her unto his son, he shall deal with her after the manner of daughters.

¹⁰If he take for himself another wife, her food, her raiment, and her duty of marriage shall he not diminish.

¹¹And if he does not do these three unto her, then shall she go out free, without money.

¹²"He that smiteth a man so that he die shall be surely put to death.

¹³And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand, then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.

¹⁴But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor to slay him with guile, thou shalt take him from Mine altar, that he may die.

¹⁵"And he that smiteth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death.

¹⁶"And he that stealeth a man and selleth him, or if he shall be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷"And he that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸"And if men strive together and one smite another with a stone or with his fist, and he die not but keepeth to his bed,

¹⁹if he rise again and walk abroad upon his staff, then shall he that smote him be acquitted; he shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall cause him to be thoroughly healed.

²⁰"And if a man smite his servant or his maid with a rod, and he die under his hand, he shall be surely punished.

²¹Notwithstanding, if he continue a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his money.

²²"If men strive and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no misfortune follow, he shall be surely punished according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.

²³And if any misfortune follow, then thou shalt give life for life,

²⁴eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

²⁵burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

²⁶"And if a man smite the eye of his servant or the eye of his maid, that it perish, he shall let him go free for his eye's sake.

²⁷And if he smite out his manservant's tooth or his maidservant's tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth's sake.

²⁸"If an ox gore a man or a woman, so that they die, then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.

²⁹But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in times past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in so that he hath killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and his owner also shall be put to death.

³⁰If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

³¹Whether he hath gored a son or hath gored a daughter, according to this judgment shall it be done unto him.

³²If the ox shall push a manservant or a maidservant, he shall give unto their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned.

³³"And if a man shall open a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or an ass fall therein,

³⁴the owner of the pit shall make it good and give money unto the owner of them, and the dead beast shall be his.

³⁵And if one man's ox hurt another's, so that he die, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it, and the dead ox also they shall divide.

³⁶Or if it be known that the ox used to push in times past and his owner hath not kept him in, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead shall be his own.

22"If a man shall steal an ox or a sheep, and kill it or sell it, he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.

²"If a thief be found breaking in and be smitten so that he die, there shall no blood be shed for him.

³If the sun be risen upon him, there shall be blood shed for him, for he should make full restitution. If he have nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.

⁴If the theft be certainly found in his hand alive, whether it be ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double.

⁵"If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall put in his beast and shall feed in another man's field, of the best of his own field and of the best of his own vineyard shall he make restitution.

⁶"If fire break out and catch in thorns, so that the stacks of corn or the standing corn or the field be consumed therewith, he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution.

⁷"If a man shall deliver unto his neighbor money or stuff to keep, and it be stolen out of the man's house, if the thief be found, let him pay double.

⁸If the thief be not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges to see whether he has put his hand unto his neighbor's goods.

⁹"For all manner of trespass, whether it be for ox, for ass, for sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing which another challengeth to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbor.

¹⁰"If a man deliver unto his neighbor an ass, or an ox, or a sheep, or any beast to keep, and it die or be hurt or driven away, no man seeing it,

¹¹then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbor's goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.

¹²And if it be stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto the owner thereof.

¹³If it be torn in pieces, then let him bring it for witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn.

¹⁴"And if a man borrow aught from his neighbor, and it become hurt or die, the owner thereof being not with it, he shall surely make it good.

¹⁵But if the owner thereof be with it, he shall not make it good; if it be a hired thing, it came for his hire.

¹⁶"And if a man entice a maid who is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife.

¹⁷If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins.

¹⁸"Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.

¹⁹"Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death.

²⁰"He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

²¹"Thou shalt neither vex a stranger nor oppress him, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

²²Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.

²³If thou afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto Me, I will surely hear their cry;

²⁴and My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

²⁵"If thou lend money to any of My people who are poor among thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

²⁶If thou at all take thy neighbor's raiment in pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by the time the sun goeth down,

²⁷for that is his only covering. It is his raiment for his skin. Wherein shall he sleep? And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto Me, that I will hear, for I am gracious.

²⁸"Thou shalt not revile the judges, nor curse the ruler of thy people.

²⁹"Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits and of thy liquors. The firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto Me.

³⁰Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and with thy sheep: seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it to Me.

³¹"And ye shall be holy men unto Me; neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn by beasts in the field: ye shall cast it to the dogs.

23"Thou shalt not raise a false report. Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

²Thou shalt not follow the multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause, following many, to divert judgment.

³Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

⁴"If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

⁵If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.

⁶"Thou shalt not divert the judgment from thy poor in his cause.

⁷Keep thee far from a false matter, and the innocent and righteous slay thou not; for I will not justify the wicked.

⁸And thou shalt take no bribe, for the bribe blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous.

⁹"Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger; for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

¹⁰"And six years thou shalt sow thy land and shalt gather in the fruits thereof,

¹¹but the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still, that the poor of thy people may eat; and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard and with thy olive trees.

¹²"Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest, that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid and the stranger may be refreshed.

¹³And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect; and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

¹⁴"Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto Me in the year.

¹⁵Thou shalt keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it thou camest out from Egypt; and none shall appear before Me empty),

¹⁶and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of thy labors which thou hast sown in the field, and the Feast of Ingathering, which is at the end of the year when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field.

¹⁷Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

¹⁸"Thou shalt not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of My sacrifice remain until the morning.

¹⁹"The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. "Thou shalt not boil a kid in his mother's milk.

²⁰"Behold, I send an angel before thee to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

²¹Have regard for him, and obey his voice. Provoke him not, for he will not pardon your transgressions, for My name is in him.

²²But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

²³For Mine angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites and the Hittites, and the Perizzites and the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will cut them off.

²⁴Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but thou shalt utterly overthrow them and quite break down their images.

²⁵And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and He shall bless thy bread and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

²⁶None shall cast their young nor be barren in thy land; the number of thy days I will fulfill.

²⁷"I will send My fear before thee and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

²⁸And I will send hornets before thee which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before thee.

²⁹I will not drive them out from before thee in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

³⁰Little by little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased and inherit the land.

³¹And I will set thy bounds from the Red Sea even unto the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

³²Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

³³They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against Me; for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee."

24And He said unto Moses, "Come up unto the LORD, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship ye afar off.

²And Moses alone shall come near the LORD; but they shall not come nigh, neither shall the people go up with him."

³And Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments; and all the people answered with one voice and said, "All the words which the LORD hath said will we do."

⁴And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning and built an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars according to the twelve tribes of Israel.

⁵And he sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen unto the LORD.

⁶And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.

⁷And he took the Book of the Covenant and read in the audience of the people; and they said, "All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient."

⁸And Moses took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Behold the blood of the covenant which the LORD hath made with you concerning all these words."

⁹Then went up Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel;

¹⁰and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness.

¹¹And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand. Also they saw God, and ate and drank.

¹²And the LORD said unto Moses, "Come up to Me onto the mount, and be there; and I will give thee tablets of stone, and a law and commandments which I have written, that thou mayest teach them."

¹³And Moses rose up with his minister Joshua, and Moses went up onto the mount of God.

¹⁴And he said unto the elders, "Tarry ye here for us until we come again unto you; and behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. If any man have any matters to arbitrate, let him come unto them."

¹⁵And Moses went up onto the mount, and a cloud covered the mount.

¹⁶And the glory of the LORD abode upon Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days; and the seventh day He called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud.

¹⁷And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

¹⁸And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and got himself up onto the mount; and Moses was on the mount forty days and forty nights.

25And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering. From every man who giveth it willingly with his heart ye shall take My offering.

³And this is the offering which ye shall take from them: gold and silver and brass;

⁴and blue and purple and scarlet, and fine linen and goats' hair;

⁵and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood;

⁶oil for the light, spices for anointing oil and for sweet incense;

⁷onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate.

⁸And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.

⁹According to all that I show thee, after the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all the instruments thereof, even so shall ye make it.

¹⁰"And they shall make an ark of shittim wood: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

¹¹And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold; within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about.

¹²And thou shalt cast four rings of gold for it, and put them in the four corners thereof; and two rings shall be on the one side of it, and two rings on the other side of it.

¹³And thou shalt make staves of shittim wood and overlay them with gold.

¹⁴And thou shalt put the staves into the rings by the sides of the ark, that the ark may be borne with them.

¹⁵The staves shall be in the rings of the ark; they shall not be taken from it.

¹⁶And thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee.

¹⁷"And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

¹⁸And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold; of beaten work shalt thou make them at the two ends of the mercy seat.

¹⁹And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end; even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

²⁰And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another. Toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be.

²¹And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee.

²²And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the Testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.

²³"Thou shalt also make a table of shittim wood: two cubits shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

²⁴And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, and make thereto a crown of gold round about.

²⁵And thou shalt make unto it a border of a handbreadth round about, and thou shalt make a golden crown for the border thereof round about.

²⁶And thou shalt make for it four rings of gold, and put the rings in the four corners that are on the four feet thereof.

²⁷Over against the border shall the rings be for places for the staves to bear the table.

²⁸And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood and overlay them with gold, that the table may be borne with them.

²⁹And thou shalt make the dishes thereof and spoons thereof and covers thereof and bowls thereof for pouring; of pure gold shalt thou make them.

³⁰And thou shalt set upon the table showbread before Me always.

³¹"And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold; of beaten work shall the candlestick be made: his shaft and his branches, his bowls, his buds, and his flowers shall be of the same.

³²And six branches shall come out of the sides of it: three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side.

³³Three bowls made like unto almonds with a bud and a flower on one branch, and three bowls made like almonds on the other branch with a bud and a flower -- so for the six branches that come out of the candlestick.

³⁴And on the candlestick shall be four bowls made like unto almonds, with their buds and their flowers.

³⁵And there shall be a bud under two branches of the same, and a bud under two branches of the same, and a bud under two branches of the same, according to the six branches that proceed out of the candlestick.

³⁶Their buds and their branches shall be of the same. All of it shall be one beaten work of pure gold.

³⁷And thou shalt make the seven lamps thereof; and they shall light the lamps thereof, that they may give light over the face of it.

³⁸And the tongs thereof and the snuff dishes thereof shall be of pure gold;

³⁹of a talent of pure gold shall he make it, with all these vessels.

⁴⁰And look that thou make them after their pattern, which was shown thee on the mount.

26"Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of finetwined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet. With cherubims of the work of a skilled embroiderer shalt thou make them.

²The length of one curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits; and every one of the curtains shall have one measure.

³The five curtains shall be coupled together one to another, and other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

⁴And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvage in the coupling, and likewise shalt thou do on the uttermost edge of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.

⁵Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and fifty loops shalt thou make on the edge of the curtain that is in the coupling of the second, that the loops may take hold one to another.

⁶And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains together with the clasps; and it shall be one tabernacle.

⁷"And thou shalt make curtains of goats' hair to be a covering upon the tabernacle; eleven curtains shalt thou make.

⁸The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits; and the eleven curtains shall be all the same measure.

⁹And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain at the forefront of the tabernacle.

¹⁰And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

¹¹"And thou shalt make fifty clasps of brass, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

¹²And the remnant that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the backside of the tabernacle.

¹³And a cubit on the one side and a cubit on the other side, of that which remaineth of the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side to cover it.

¹⁴And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering above of badgers' skins.

¹⁵"And thou shalt make boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood standing upright.

¹⁶Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half shall be the breadth of one board.

¹⁷Two tenons shall there be in one board, set in order to join one to another. Thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

¹⁸And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.

¹⁹And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.

²⁰And for the second side of the tabernacle on the north side, there shall be twenty boards

²¹and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board and two sockets under another board.

²²And for the sides of the tabernacle westward, thou shalt make six boards.

²³And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle at the two sides.

²⁴And they shall be coupled together beneath, and they shall be coupled together above the head of it into one ring. Thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.

²⁵And there shall be eight boards with their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

²⁶"And thou shalt make bars of shittim wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

²⁷and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the two sides westward.

²⁸And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall reach from end to end.

²⁹And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars; and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.

³⁰And thou shalt raise up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which was shown thee on the mount.

³¹"And thou shalt make a veil of blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen of skillful work; with cherubims shall it be made.

³²And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of shittim wood overlaid with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, upon the four sockets of silver.

³³And thou shalt hang up the veil under the clasps, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the Testimony; and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the Most Holy.

³⁴And thou shalt put the mercy seat upon the ark of the Testimony in the Most Holy Place.

³⁵And thou shalt set the table outside the veil, and the candlestick opposite the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south; and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

³⁶"And thou shalt make a hanging for the door of the tent of blue and purple and scarlet and finetwined linen, wrought with needlework.

³⁷And thou shalt make for the hanging five pillars of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold, and their hooks shall be of gold; and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

27"And thou shalt make an altar of shittim wood, five cubits long and five cubits broad; the altar shall be foursquare, and the height thereof shall be three cubits.

²And thou shalt make the horns of it upon the four corners thereof. His horns shall be of the same, and thou shalt overlay it with brass.

³And thou shalt make his pans to receive his ashes, and his shovels and his basins and his fleshhooks and his firepans. All the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass.

⁴And thou shalt make for it a grate, a network of brass; and upon the network shalt thou make four brazen rings at the four corners thereof.

⁵And thou shalt put it under the rim of the altar beneath, that the network may be even to the middle of the altar.

⁶And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with brass.

⁷And the staves shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar to bear it.

⁸Hollow with boards shalt thou make it. As it was shown thee on the mount, so shall they make it.

⁹"And thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle: For the south side southward there shall be hangings for the court of finetwined linen of a hundred cubits long for one side.

¹⁰And the twenty pillars thereof and their twenty sockets shall be of brass; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver.

¹¹And likewise for the north side, in length there shall be hangings of a hundred cubits long, and his twenty pillars with their twenty sockets of brass, and the hooks of the pillars and their fillets of silver.

¹²And for the breadth of the court on the west side shall be hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten.

¹³And the breadth of the court on the east side eastward shall be fifty cubits.

¹⁴The hangings on one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.

¹⁵And on the other side shall be hangings of fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.

¹⁶And for the gate of the court shall be a hanging of twenty cubits of blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen wrought with needlework; and their pillars shall be four and their sockets four.

¹⁷All the pillars round about the court shall be filleted with silver; their hooks shall be of silver and their sockets of brass.

¹⁸The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, and the breadth fifty everywhere, and the height five cubits of finetwined linen, and their sockets of brass.

¹⁹All the vessels of the tabernacle for all the service thereof, and all the pins thereof, and all the pins of the court, shall be of brass.

²⁰"And thou shalt command the children of Israel that they bring thee pure oil of beaten olives for the light to cause the lamp to burn always.

²¹In the tabernacle of the congregation outside the veil, which is before the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute for ever unto their generations on the behalf of the children of Israel.

28"And take thou unto thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office, even Aaron, with Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron's sons.

²And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, for glory and for beauty.

³And thou shalt speak unto all who are wisehearted, whom I have filled with the spirit of wisdom, that they may make Aaron's garments to consecrate him, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office.

⁴And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate and an ephod, and a robe and an embroidered coat, a miter and a girdle; and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother and his sons, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office.

⁵"And they shall take gold and blue and purple and scarlet, and fine linen;

⁶and they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and of purple, of scarlet and finetwined linen, with skillful work.

⁷It shall have the two shoulder pieces thereof joined at the two edges thereof, and so it shall be joined together.

⁸And the embroidered girdle of the ephod which is upon it shall be of the same, according to the work thereof: even of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet and finetwined linen.

⁹And thou shalt take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the children of Israel:

¹⁰six of their names on one stone, and the other six names of the rest on the other stone, according to their birth.

¹¹With the work of an engraver in stone, like the engravings of a signet, shalt thou engrave the two stones with the names of the children of Israel. Thou shalt make them to be set in clasps of gold.

¹²And thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of theephod for stones of memorial unto the children of Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD upon his two shoulders for a memorial.

¹³And thou shalt make clasps of gold,

¹⁴and two chains of pure gold at the ends; of wreathed work shalt thou make them, and fasten the wreathed chains to the clasps.

¹⁵"And thou shalt make the breastplate of judgment with skillful work; according to the work of the ephod thou shalt make it: of gold, of blue and of purple, and of scarlet and of finetwined linen shalt thou make it.

¹⁶Foursquare it shall be, and doubled: a span shall be the length thereof and a span shall be the breadth thereof.

¹⁷And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle; this shall be the first row.

¹⁸And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;

¹⁹and the third row a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst;

²⁰and the fourth row a beryl and an onyx and a jasper. They shall be set in gold in their enclosings.

²¹And the stones shall be with the names of the children of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet; every one with his name shall they be according to the twelve tribes.

²²And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains at the ends, of wreathed work of pure gold.

²³And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

²⁴And thou shalt put the two wreathed chains of gold in the two rings which are on the ends of the breastplate.

²⁵And the other two ends of the two wreathed chains thou shalt fasten in the two clasps, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front of it.

²⁶And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two ends of the breastplate in the border thereof, which is on the inner side of the ephod.

²⁷And two other rings of gold thou shalt make, and shalt put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the forepart thereof, over against the other coupling thereof, above the embroidered girdle of the ephod.

²⁸And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it may be above the embroidered girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate be not loosed from the ephod.

²⁹And Aaron shall bear the names of the children of Israel on the breastplate of judgment upon his heart when he goeth in unto the holy place, for a memorial before the LORD continually.

³⁰And thou shalt put in the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be upon Aaron's heart when he goeth in before the LORD; and Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the LORD continually.

³¹"And thou shalt make the robe of the ephod all of blue;

³²and there shall be a hole in the top of it, in the middle thereof. It shall have a binding of woven work round about the hole of it, as it were the hole of a jacket of mail, that it be not rent.

³³And beneath upon the hem of it thou shalt make pomegranates of blue and of purple and of scarlet round about the hem thereof, and bells of gold between them round about:

³⁴a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, upon the hem of the robe round about.

³⁵And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers; and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD and when he cometh out, that he die not.

³⁶"And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold and engrave upon it, like the engravings of a signet: Holiness to the LORD.

³⁷And thou shalt put it on a blue lace, that it may be upon the miter; upon the forefront of the miter it shall be.

³⁸And it shall be upon Aaron's forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel shall hallow in all their holy gifts. And it shall be always upon his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD.

³⁹"And thou shalt embroider the coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the miter of fine linen, and thou shalt make the girdle of needlework.

⁴⁰"And for Aaron's sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty.

⁴¹And thou shalt put them upon Aaron thy brother and his sons with him; and shalt anoint them and consecrate them and sanctify them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office.

⁴²And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover their nakedness; from the loins even unto the thighs they shall reach.

⁴³And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place, that they bear not iniquity and die. It shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

29"And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock and two rams without blemish,

²and unleavened bread and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil -- of wheat flour shalt thou make them --

³and thou shalt put them into one basket and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.

⁴And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.

⁵And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod and the ephod and the breastplate, and gird him with the embroidered girdle of the ephod.

⁶And thou shalt put the miter upon his head and put the holy crown upon the miter.

⁷Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head and anoint him.

⁸And thou shalt bring his sons and put coats upon them.

⁹And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them. And the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute; and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.

¹⁰"And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.

¹¹And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

¹²And thou shalt take of the blood of the bullock, and put it upon the horns of the altar with thy finger, and pour all the blood alongside the bottom of the altar.

¹³And thou shalt take all the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul that is above the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them, and burn them upon the altar.

¹⁴But the flesh of the bullock and his skin and his dung shalt thou burn with fire outside the camp. It is a sin offering.

¹⁵"Thou shalt also take one ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.

¹⁶And thou shalt slay the ram, and thou shalt take his blood and sprinkle it round about upon the altar.

¹⁷And thou shalt cut the ram in pieces, and wash the inwards of him and his legs, and put them on top of his pieces and on top of his head;

¹⁸and thou shalt burn the whole ram upon the altar. It is a burnt offering unto the LORD: it is a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

¹⁹"And thou shalt take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the ram.

²⁰Then shalt thou kill the ram, and take of his blood and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot, and sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

²¹And thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it upon Aaron and upon his garments, and upon his sons and upon the garments of his sons with him; and he shall be hallowed, and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.

²²"Also thou shalt take of the ram the fat, and the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them, and the right shoulder (for it is a ram of consecration),

²³and one loaf of bread and one cake of oiled bread, and one wafer out of the basket of the unleavened bread that is before the LORD.

²⁴And thou shalt put all in the hands of Aaron and in the hands of his sons, and shalt wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.

²⁵And thou shalt receive them from their hands, and burn them upon the altar for a burnt offering, for a sweet savor before the LORD. It is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

²⁶"And thou shalt take the breast of the ram of Aaron's consecration, and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thy part.

²⁷And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron and of that which is for his sons.

²⁸And it shall be Aaron's and his sons' by a statute for ever from the children of Israel, for it is a heave offering; and it shall be a heave offering from the children of Israel from the sacrifice of their peace offerings, even their heave offering unto the LORD.

²⁹"And the holy garments of Aaron shall be his sons' after him, to be anointed therein and to be consecrated in them.

³⁰And that son who is priest in his stead shall put them on seven days, when he cometh into the tabernacle of the congregation to minister in the holy place.

³¹"And thou shalt take the ram of the consecration and boil his flesh in the holy place.

³²And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram, and the bread that is in the basket by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

³³And they shall eat those things with which the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them; but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy.

³⁴And if aught of the flesh of the consecrations or of the bread remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy.

³⁵"And thus shalt thou do unto Aaron and to his sons, according to all things which I have commanded thee. Seven days shalt thou consecrate them.

³⁶And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement; and thou shalt cleanse the altar when thou hast made an atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it to sanctify it.

³⁷Seven days thou shalt make an atonement for the altar and sanctify it; and it shall be an altar most holy. Whatsoever toucheth the altar shall be holy.

³⁸"Now this is that which thou shalt offer upon the altar: two lambs of the first year, day by day continually.

³⁹The one lamb thou shalt offer in the morning, and the other lamb thou shalt offer at evening.

⁴⁰And with the one lamb a tenth part of flour mingled with a fourth part of a hin of beaten oil, and a fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering.

⁴¹And the other lamb thou shalt offer at evening, and shalt do thereto according to the meat offering of the morning and according to the drink offering thereof, for a sweet savor, an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

⁴²"This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD, where I will meet you to speak there unto thee.

⁴³And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory.

⁴⁴And I will sanctify the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar. I will sanctify also both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me in the priest's office.

⁴⁵And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God.

⁴⁶And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the LORD their God.

30"And thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of shittim wood shalt thou make it.

²A cubit shall be the length thereof and a cubit the breadth thereof. Foursquare shall it be, and two cubits shall be the height thereof. The horns thereof shall be part of the same.

³And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof and the sides thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a crown of gold round about.

⁴And two golden rings shalt thou make for it under the crown of it, by the two corners thereof; upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it.

⁵And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood and overlay them with gold.

⁶And thou shalt put it before the veil that is by the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with thee.

⁷And Aaron shall burn thereon sweet incense every morning. When he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn incense upon it.

⁸And when Aaron lighteth the lamps at evening, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations.

⁹Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt sacrifice, nor meat offering; neither shall ye pour drink offering thereon.

¹⁰And Aaron shall make an atonement upon the horns of it once in a year with the blood of the sin offering of atonements. Once in the year shall he make atonement upon it throughout your generations. It is most holy unto the LORD."

¹¹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹²"When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel according to their number, then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul unto the LORD when thou numberest them, that there be no plague among them when thou numberest them.

¹³This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (a shekel is twenty gerahs); a half shekel shall be the offering to the LORD.

¹⁴Every one who passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD.

¹⁵The rich shall not give more and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel, when they give an offering unto the LORD to make an atonement for your souls.

¹⁶And thou shalt take the atonement money of the children of Israel, and shalt appoint it for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, that it may be a memorial unto the children of Israel before the LORD, to make an atonement for your souls."

¹⁷And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁸"Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, with his foot also of brass, for washing; and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

¹⁹For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat.

²⁰When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not. Or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD,

²¹so they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not. And it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations."

²²Moreover the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²³"Take thou also unto thee principal spices: of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half as much (even two hundred and fifty shekels), and of sweet calamus two hundred and fifty shekels,

²⁴and of cassia five hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil a hin.

²⁵And thou shalt make from it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound according to the art of the perfumer; it shall be a holy anointing oil.

²⁶And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the Testimony,

²⁷and the table and all his vessels, and the candlestick and his vessels, and the altar of incense,

²⁸and the altar of burnt offering with all his vessels, and the laver and his foot;

²⁹and thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be most holy. Whatsoever toucheth them shall be holy.

³⁰And thou shalt anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office.

³¹And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'This shall be a holy anointing oil unto Me throughout your generations.

³²Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, according to the composition of it. It is holy, and it shall be holy unto you.

³³Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people.'"

³⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "Take unto thee sweet spices: stacte and onycha and galbanum; these sweet spices with pure frankincense, of each shall there be a like weight.

³⁵And thou shalt make it a perfume, a confection according to the art of the perfumer, tempered together, pure and holy.

³⁶And thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put it before the testimony in the tabernacle of the congregation where I will meet with thee; it shall be unto you most holy.

³⁷And as for the perfume which thou shalt make, ye shall not make it for yourselves according to the composition thereof; it shall be unto thee holy for the LORD.

³⁸Whosoever shall make like unto that, to smell thereto, shall even be cut off from his people."

31And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"See, I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah.

³And I have filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom and in understanding and in knowledge and in all manner of workmanship,

⁴to devise skillful works: to work in gold and in silver and in brass,

⁵and in cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of timber, to work in all manner of workmanship.

⁶And I, behold, I have given with him Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan; and in the hearts of all who are wisehearted I have put wisdom, that they may make all that I have commanded thee:

⁷the tabernacle of the congregation, and the ark of the Testimony and the mercy seat that is thereupon, and all the furniture of the tabernacle,

⁸and the table and his furniture, and the pure candlestick with all his furniture, and the altar of incense,

⁹and the altar of burnt offering with all his furniture, and the laver and his foot,

¹⁰and the clothes of service, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to minister in the priest's office,

¹¹and the anointing oil and sweet incense for the holy place. According to all that I have commanded thee shall they do."

¹²And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹³"Speak thou also unto the children of Israel, saying, 'Verily My Sabbaths ye shall keep; for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that ye may know that I am the LORD who doth sanctify you.

¹⁴Ye shall keep the Sabbath therefore, for it is holy unto you. Every one who defileth it shall surely be put to death; for whosoever doeth any work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

¹⁵Six days may work be done, but on the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whosoever doeth any work on the Sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

¹⁶Therefore the children of Israel shall keep the Sabbath, to observe the Sabbath throughout their generations for a perpetual covenant.

¹⁷It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel for ever; for in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.'"

¹⁸And He gave unto Moses, when He had made an end of communing with him upon Mount Sinai, two tablets of testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.

32And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron and said unto him, "Arise, make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him."

²And Aaron said unto them, "Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons and of your daughters, and bring them unto me."

³And all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron.

⁴And he received them from their hand, and fashioned it with an engraving tool after he had made it a molten calf; and they said, "These are thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!"

⁵And when Aaron saw it, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, "Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD."

⁶And they rose up early on the morrow, and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

⁷And the LORD said unto Moses, "Go, get thee down; for thy people which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt have corrupted themselves.

⁸They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them. They have made themselves a molten calf and have worshiped it, and have sacrificed thereunto and said, 'These are thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!'"

⁹And the LORD said unto Moses, "I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiffnecked people.

¹⁰Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them; and I will make of thee a great nation."

¹¹And Moses besought the LORD his God and said, "LORD, why doth Thy wrath wax hot against Thy people, whom Thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand?

¹²Why should the Egyptians speak and say, 'For mischief did He bring them out, to slay them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth'? Turn from Thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against Thy people.

¹³Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, Thy servants to whom Thou sworest by Thine own self and saidst unto them, 'I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.'"

¹⁴And the LORD repented of the evil which He thought to do unto His people.

¹⁵And Moses turned and went down from the mount, and the two tablets of the testimony were in his hand. The tablets were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written.

¹⁶And the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tablets.

¹⁷And when Joshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted, he said unto Moses, "There is a noise of war in the camp."

¹⁸And Moses said, "It is not the voice of them that shout for mastery, neither is it the voice of them that cry for being overcome; but the noise of them that sing do I hear."

¹⁹And it came to pass, as soon as he came nigh unto the camp, that he saw the calf and the dancing; and Moses' anger waxed hot, and he cast the tablets out of his hands and broke them beneath the mount.

²⁰And he took the calf which they had made and burned it in the fire and ground it to powder, and strewed it upon the water and made the children of Israel drink of it.

²¹And Moses said unto Aaron, "What did this people unto thee, that thou hast brought so great a sin upon them?"

²²And Aaron said, "Let not the anger of my lord wax hot. Thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief.

²³For they said unto me, 'Make us gods which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him.'

²⁴And I said unto them, 'Whosoever hath any gold, let them break it off.' So they gave it to me. Then I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf."

²⁵And when Moses saw that the people were naked (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies),

²⁶then Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said, "Who is on the LORD'S side? Let him come unto me." And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

²⁷And he said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbor.'"

²⁸And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.

²⁹For Moses had said, "Consecrate yourselves today to the LORD, even every man upon his son and upon his brother, that He may bestow upon you a blessing this day."

³⁰And it came to pass on the morrow that Moses said unto the people, "Ye have sinned a great sin. And now I will go up unto the LORD. Perhaps I shall make an atonement for your sin."

³¹And Moses returned unto the LORD and said, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.

³²Yet now, if Thou wilt forgive their sin -- and if not, blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written!"

³³And the LORD said unto Moses, "Whosoever hath sinned against Me, him will I blot out of My book.

³⁴Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee; behold, Mine angel shall go before thee. Nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them."

³⁵And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf which Aaron made.

33And the LORD said unto Moses, "Depart and go up hence, thou and the people whom thou hast brought up out of the land of Egypt, unto the land which I swore unto Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, 'Unto thy seed will I give it.'

²And I will send an angel before thee; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite"

³unto a land flowing with milk and honey. For I will not go up in the midst of thee, for thou art a stiffnecked people, lest I consume thee on the way."

⁴And when the people heard these evil tidings they mourned, and no man put on his ornaments.

⁵For the LORD had said unto Moses, "Say unto the children of Israel, 'Ye are a stiffnecked people. I will come up into the midst of thee in a moment and consume thee. Therefore now put off thy ornaments from thee, that I may know what to do unto thee.'"

⁶And the children of Israel stripped themselves of their ornaments by Mount Horeb.

⁷And Moses took the tabernacle and pitched it outside the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass that every one who sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was outside the camp.

⁸And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.

⁹And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.

¹⁰And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the tabernacle door; and all the people rose up and worshiped, every man in his tent door.

¹¹And the LORD spoke unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he returned again into the camp; but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

¹²And Moses said unto the LORD, "See, Thou sayest unto me, 'Bring up this people,' and Thou hast not let me know whom Thou wilt send with me. Yet Thou hast said, 'I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in My sight.'

¹³Now therefore, I pray Thee, if I have found grace in Thy sight, show me now Thy way, that I may know Thee, that I may find grace in Thy sight; and consider that this nation is Thy people."

¹⁴And He said, "My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

¹⁵And he said unto Him, "If Thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.

¹⁶For wherein shall it be known here that I and Thy people have found grace in Thy sight? Is it not in that Thou goest with us? So shall we be separated, I and Thy people, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth."

¹⁷And the LORD said unto Moses, "I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken; for thou hast found grace in My sight, and I know thee by name."

¹⁸And he said, "I beseech Thee, show me Thy glory."

¹⁹And He said, "I will make all My goodness pass before thee; and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee, and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy."

²⁰And He said, "Thou canst not see My face, for there shall no man see Me and live."

²¹And the LORD said, "Behold, there is a place by Me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock.

²²And it shall come to pass, while My glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a cleft of the rock, and will cover thee with My hand while I pass by;

²³and I will take away Mine hand, and thou shalt see My back parts, but My face shall not be seen."

34And the LORD said unto Moses, "Hew thee two tablets of stone like unto the first, and I will write upon these tablets the words that were in the first tablets which thou brokest.

²And be ready in the morning, and come up in the morning unto Mount Sinai, and present thyself there to Me on the top of the mount.

³And no man shall come up with thee, neither let any man be seen throughout all the mount; neither let the flocks nor herds feed before that mount."

⁴And he hewed two tablets of stone like unto the first; and Moses rose up early in the morning and went up unto Mount Sinai, as the LORD had commanded him, and took in his hand the two tablets of stone.

⁵And the LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the LORD.

⁶And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed, "The LORD, the LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth,

⁷keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children unto the third and to the fourth generation."

⁸And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth and worshiped.

⁹And he said, "If now I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray Thee, go among us, for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance."

¹⁰And He said, "Behold, I make a covenant. Before all thy people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom thou art shall see the work of the LORD, for it is a fearsome thing that I will do with thee.

¹¹Observe thou that which I command thee this day. Behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite and the Canaanite, and the Hittite and the Perizzite, and the Hivite and the Jebusite.

¹²Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee.

¹³But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their Asherah poles.

¹⁴For thou shalt worship no other god; for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God,

¹⁵lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee and thou eat of his sacrifice,

¹⁶and thou take their daughters unto thy sons, and their daughters go a whoring after their gods, and make thy sons go a whoring after their gods.

¹⁷"Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

¹⁸"The Feast of Unleavened Bread shalt thou keep. Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, as I commanded thee, in the time of the month of Abib; for in the month of Abib thou camest out from Egypt.

¹⁹"All that openeth the womb is Mine, and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.

²⁰But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty.

²¹"Six days thou shalt work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; in plowing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

²²And thou shalt observe the Feast of Weeks of the firstfruits of wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year's end.

²³Thrice in the year shall all your menchildren appear before the Lord GOD, the God of Israel.

²⁴For I will cast out the nations before thee and enlarge thy borders; neither shall any man desire thy land when thou shalt go up to appear before the LORD thy God thrice in the year.

²⁵"Thou shalt not offer the blood of My sacrifice with leaven, neither shall the sacrifice of the Feast of the Passover be left until the morning.

²⁶The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not boil a kid in his mother's milk."

²⁷And the LORD said unto Moses, "Write thou these words, for according to the tenor of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel."

²⁸And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water. And He wrote upon the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

²⁹And it came to pass, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of testimony in Moses' hand, when he came down from the mount, that Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.

³⁰And when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come nigh him.

³¹And Moses called unto them, and Aaron and all the rulers of the congregation returned unto him; and Moses talked with them.

³²And afterward all the children of Israel came nigh, and he gave them in commandments all that the LORD had spoken with him on Mount Sinai.

³³And until Moses had done speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.

³⁴But when Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he took the veil off until he came out. And he came out, and spoke unto the children of Israel that which he was commanded.

³⁵And the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses' face shone; and Moses put the veil upon his face again, until he went in to speak with Him.

35And Moses gathered all the congregation of the children of Israel together and said unto them, "These are the words which the LORD hath commanded, that ye should do them:

²Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be for you a holy day, a Sabbath of rest to the LORD. Whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death.

³Ye shall kindle no fire throughout your habitations upon the Sabbath day."

⁴And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying,

⁵'Take ye from among you an offering unto the LORD. Whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the LORD: gold and silver and brass;

⁶and blue and purple and scarlet, and fine linen and goats' hair;

⁷and rams' skins dyed red, and badgers' skins, and shittim wood;

⁸and oil for the light, and spices for anointing oil and for the sweet incense;

⁹and onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate.

¹⁰"'And every wisehearted among you shall come and make all that the LORD hath commanded:

¹¹the tabernacle, his tent and his covering, his clasps, and his boards, his bars, his pillars and his sockets;

¹²the ark and the staves thereof, with the mercy seat and the veil of the covering;

¹³the table and his staves and all his vessels, and the showbread;

¹⁴the candlestick also for the light, and his furniture and his lamps with the oil for the light;

¹⁵and the incense altar and his staves, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the door at the entrance of the tabernacle;

¹⁶the altar of burnt offering with his brazen grate, his staves and all his vessels, the laver and his foot;

¹⁷the hangings of the court, his pillars and their sockets, and the hanging for the door of the court;

¹⁸the pegs of the tabernacle, and the pegs of the court and their cords;

¹⁹the clothes of service to do service in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest and the garments of his sons to minister in the priest's office.'"

²⁰And all the congregation of the children of Israel departed from the presence of Moses.

²¹And they came every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing, and they brought the LORD'S offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service and for the holy garments.

²²And they came, both men and women, as many as were willinghearted, and brought bracelets and earrings, and rings and tablets, all jewels of gold; and every man who offered, offered an offering of gold unto the LORD.

²³And every man with whom was found blue and purple and scarlet, and fine linen and goats' hair, and red skins of rams and badgers' skins, brought them.

²⁴Every one who offered an offering of silver and brass brought the LORD'S offering; and every man with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the service brought it.

²⁵And all the women who were wisehearted spun with their hands and brought that which they had spun, both of blue and of purple, and of scarlet and of fine linen.

²⁶And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair.

²⁷And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set for the ephod and for the breastplate,

²⁸and spices, and oil for the light and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense.

²⁹The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the LORD, every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work, which the LORD had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses.

³⁰And Moses said unto the children of Israel, "See, the LORD hath called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur of the tribe of Judah.

³¹And He hath filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge, and in all manner of workmanship,

³²and to devise skillful works, to work in gold and in silver and in brass,

³³and in the cutting of stones to set them, and in carving of wood to make any manner of skillful work.

³⁴And He hath put in his heart that he may teach, both he and Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach of the tribe of Dan.

³⁵Them hath He filled with wisdom of heart, to work all manner of work of the engraver and of the skilled workman, and of the embroiderer in blue and in purple, in scarlet and in fine linen, and of the weaver --even of those who do any work and of those who devise skillful work."

36Then Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wisehearted man in whom the LORD put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, wrought according to all that the LORD had commanded.

²And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wisehearted man in whose heart the LORD had put wisdom, even every one whose heart stirred him up, to come unto the work to do it.

³And they received from Moses all the offering which the children of Israel had brought for the work of the service of the sanctuary, to make it thereby. And they brought yet unto him freewill offerings every morning.

⁴And all the wise men who wrought all the work of the sanctuary came every man from his work which they made,

⁵and they spoke unto Moses, saying, "The people bring much more than enough for the service of the work which the LORD commanded to make."

⁶And Moses gave a commandment, and they caused it to be proclaimed throughout the camp, saying, "Let neither man nor woman make any more work for the offering of the sanctuary." So the people were restrained from bringing,

⁷for the supply they had was sufficient for all the work to make it, and too much.

⁸And every wisehearted man among them who wrought the work of the tabernacle made ten curtains of finetwined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet; with cherubims of skillful work made he them.

⁹The length of one curtain was twenty and eight cubits, and the breadth of one curtain four cubits; the curtains were all of one size.

¹⁰And he coupled the five curtains one unto another, and the other five curtains he coupled one unto another.

¹¹And he made loops of blue on the edge of one curtain from the selvage in the coupling. Likewise he made in the outermost side of another curtain, in the coupling of the second.

¹²Fifty loops made he in one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the edge of the curtain which was in the coupling of the second; the loops held one curtain to another.

¹³And he made fifty clasps of gold, and coupled the curtains one unto another with the clasps. So it became one tabernacle.

¹⁴And he made curtains of goats' hair for the tent over the tabernacle; eleven curtains he made them.

¹⁵The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and four cubits was the breadth of one curtain; the eleven curtains were of one size.

¹⁶And he coupled five curtains by themselves and six curtains by themselves.

¹⁷And he made fifty loops upon the outermost edge of the curtain in the coupling, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain which coupleth the second.

¹⁸And he made fifty clasps of brass to couple the tent together, that it might be one.

¹⁹And he made a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of badgers' skins above that.

²⁰And he made boards for the tabernacle of shittim wood, standing upright.

²¹The length of a board was ten cubits, and the breadth of a board one cubit and a half.

²²One board had two tenons equally distant one from another. Thus did he make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

²³And he made boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.

²⁴And forty sockets of silver he made under the twenty boards: two sockets under one board for his two tenons, and two sockets under another board for his two tenons.

²⁵And for the other side of the tabernacle, which is toward the north corner, he made twenty boards

²⁶and their forty sockets of silver: two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

²⁷And for the sides of the tabernacle westward he made six boards.

²⁸And two boards made he for the corners of the tabernacle in the two sides.

²⁹And they were coupled beneath and coupled together at the head thereof to one ring; thus he did to both of them in both the corners.

³⁰And there were eight boards, and their sockets were sixteen sockets of silver, under every board two sockets.

³¹And he made bars of shittim wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

³²and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the tabernacle for the sides westward.

³³And he made the middle bar to extend through the boards from the one end to the other.

³⁴And he overlaid the boards with gold, and made their rings of gold to be places for the bars, and overlaid the bars with gold.

³⁵And he made a veil of blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen; with cherubims he made it of skillful work.

³⁶And he made thereunto four pillars of shittim wood and overlaid them with gold. Their hooks were of gold, and he cast for them four sockets of silver.

³⁷And he made a hanging for the tabernacle door of blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen, of needlework,

³⁸and the five pillars of it with their hooks. And he overlaid their capitals and their fillets with gold, but their five sockets were of brass.

37And Bezaleel made the ark of shittim wood. Two cubits and a half was the length of it, and a cubit and a half the breadth of it, and a cubit and a half the height of it.

²And he overlaid it with pure gold within and without, and made a crown of gold for it round about.

³And he cast for it four rings of gold to be set in the four corners of it: even two rings upon the one side of it, and two rings upon the other side of it.

⁴And he made staves of shittim wood and overlaid them with gold.

⁵And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the ark, to bear the ark.

⁶And he made the mercy seat of pure gold. Two cubits and a half was the length thereof, and one cubit and a half the breadth thereof.

⁷And he made two cherubims of gold. Beaten out of one piece made he them on the two ends of the mercy seat:

⁸one cherub on the end on this side, and another cherub on the other end on that side; out of the mercy seat made he the cherubims on the two ends thereof.

⁹And the cherubims spread out their wings on high, and covered over the mercy seat with their wings with their faces one toward another; even toward the mercy seat were the faces of the cherubims.

¹⁰And he made the table of shittim wood. Two cubits was the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof, and a cubit and a half the height thereof.

¹¹And he overlaid it with pure gold, and made thereunto a crown of gold round about.

¹²Also he made thereunto a border of a handbreadth round about, and made a crown of gold for the border thereof round about.

¹³And he cast for it four rings of gold, and put the rings upon the four corners that were in the four feet thereof.

¹⁴Over against the border were the rings, the places for the staves to bear the table.

¹⁵And he made the staves of shittim wood to bear the table, and overlaid them with gold.

¹⁶And he made the vessels which were upon the table -- his dishes and his spoons and his bowls and his covers for covering -- of pure gold.

¹⁷And he made the candlestick of pure gold; of beaten work made he the candlestick. His shaft, and his branch, his bowls, his buds and his flowers were of the same.

¹⁸And six branches came out of the sides thereof: three branches of the candlestick out of the one side thereof, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side thereof.

¹⁹Three bowls were made after the fashion of almonds on one branch, with a bud and a flower, and three bowls were made like almonds on another branch, with a bud and a flower -- so throughout the six branches going out of the candlestick.

²⁰And on the candlestick were four bowls made like almonds, with his buds and his flowers,

²¹and a bud under two branches of the same, and a bud under two branches of the same, and a bud under two branches of the same, according to the six branches going out of it.

²²Their buds and their branches were of the same; all of it was one beaten work of pure gold.

²³And he made his seven lamps and his snuffers and his snuff dishes of pure gold.

²⁴Of a talent of pure gold made he it, and all the vessels thereof.

²⁵And he made the incense altar of shittim wood. The length of it was a cubit and the breadth of it a cubit; it was foursquare, and two cubits was the height of it. The horns thereof were of the same.

²⁶And he overlaid it with pure gold, both the top of it and the sides thereof round about, and the horns of it; also he made for it a crown of gold round about.

²⁷And he made two rings of gold for it under the crown thereof, by the two corners of it, upon the two sides thereof, to be places for the staves to bear it.

²⁸And he made the staves of shittim wood and overlaid them with gold.

²⁹And he made the holy anointing oil and the pure incense of sweet spices, according to the work of the perfumer.

38And he made the altar of burnt offering of shittim wood; five cubits was the length thereof and five cubits the breadth thereof; it was foursquare, and three cubits the height thereof.

²And he made the horns thereof on the four corners of it; the horns thereof were of the same, and he overlaid it with brass.

³And he made all the vessels of the altar: the pots and the shovels and the basins, and the fleshhooks and the firepans; all the vessels thereof made he of brass.

⁴And he made for the altar a brazen grate of network, under the rim thereof beneath, unto the midst of it.

⁵And he cast four rings for the four ends of the grate of brass, to be places for the staves.

⁶And he made the staves of shittim wood and overlaid them with brass.

⁷And he put the staves into the rings on the sides of the altar to bear it; he made the altar hollow with boards.

⁸And he made the laver of brass and the foot of it from brass, from the looking glasses of the women assembling, who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁹And he made the court: on the south side southward the hangings of the court were of finetwined linen, a hundred cubits.

¹⁰Their pillars were twenty and their brazen sockets twenty; the hooks of the pillars and their fillets were of silver.

¹¹And for the north side the hangings were a hundred cubits. Their pillars were twenty and their sockets of brass twenty, the hooks of the pillars and their fillets, of silver.

¹²And for the west side were hangings of fifty cubits, their pillars ten and their sockets ten, the hooks of the pillars and their fillets, of silver.

¹³And for the east side eastward, fifty cubits.

¹⁴The hangings of the one side of the gate were fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.

¹⁵And for the other side of the court gate, on this side and that side, were hangings of fifteen cubits, their pillars three and their sockets three.

¹⁶All the hangings of the court round about were of finetwined linen.

¹⁷And the sockets for the pillars were of brass, the hooks of the pillars and their fillets, of silver; and the overlaying of their capitals, of silver, and all the pillars of the court were filleted with silver.

¹⁸And the hanging for the gate of the court was needlework: of blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen; and twenty cubits was the length, and the height in the breadth was five cubits, corresponding to the hangings of the court.

¹⁹And their pillars were four and their sockets of brass four; their hooks, of silver, and the overlaying of their capitals and their fillets, of silver.

²⁰And all the pegs of the tabernacle and of the court round about were of brass.

²¹This is the account of the tabernacle, even of the tabernacle of testimony, as it was counted according to the commandment of Moses for the service of the Levites, by the hand of Ithamar, son of Aaron the priest.

²²And Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, made all that the LORD commanded Moses.

²³And with him was Aholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, an engraver and a skillful workman, and an embroiderer in blue and in purple and in scarlet, and fine linen.

²⁴All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the holy place, even the gold of the offering, was twenty and nine talents, and seven hundred and thirty shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

²⁵And the silver of those who were numbered in the congregation was a hundred talents, and a thousand seven hundred and threescore and fifteen shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary:

²⁶a bekah for every man, that is, half a shekel, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for every one who went to be numbered from twenty years old and upward, for six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty men.

²⁷And of the hundred talents of silver were cast the sockets of the sanctuary and the sockets of the veil: a hundred sockets from the hundred talents, a talent for a socket.

²⁸And of the thousand seven hundred seventy and five shekels he made hooks for the pillars, and overlaid their capitals and filleted them.

²⁹And the brass from the offering was seventy talents, and two thousand and four hundred shekels.

³⁰And therewith he made the sockets for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the brazen altar and the brazen grate for it, and all the vessels of the altar,

³¹and the sockets of the court round about, and the sockets of the court gate, and all the pegs of the tabernacle, and all the pegs of the court round about.

39And of the blue and purple and scarlet they made clothes of service to do service in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²And he made the ephod of gold, blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen.

³And they beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires to work it in the blue and in the purple and in the scarlet and in the fine linen, with skillful work.

⁴They made shoulder pieces for it to couple it together; by the two edges was it coupled together.

⁵And the embroidered girdle of his ephod that was upon it was of the same, according to the work thereof: of gold, blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁶And they wrought onyx stones enclosed in clasps of gold, graven as signets are graven, with the names of the children of Israel.

⁷And he put them on the shoulders of the ephod, that they should be stones for a memorial to the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁸And he made the breastplate of skillful work, like the work of the ephod: of gold, blue and purple and scarlet, and finetwined linen.

⁹It was foursquare. They made the breastplate double: a span was the length thereof and a span the breadth thereof, being doubled.

¹⁰And they set in it four rows of stones: the first row was a sardius, a topaz and a carbuncle; this was the first row;

¹¹and the second row, an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond;

¹²and the third row, a ligure, an agate, and an amethyst;

¹³and the fourth row, a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in clasps of gold in their enclosings.

¹⁴And the stones were according to the names of the children of Israel -- twelve, according to their names like the engravings of a signet, every one with his name according to the twelve tribes.

¹⁵And they made upon the breastplate chains at the ends of wreathed work of pure gold.

¹⁶And they made two clasps of gold and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.

¹⁷And they put the two wreathed chains of gold in the two rings on the ends of the breastplate;

¹⁸and the two ends of the two wreathed chains they fastened in the two clasps, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod at the front.

¹⁹And they made two rings of gold and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, upon the border of it which was on the side of the ephod inward;

²⁰and they made two other golden rings and put them on the two sides of the ephod underneath, toward the front of it over against the other coupling thereof, above the embroidered girdle of the ephod.

²¹And they bound the breastplate by his rings unto the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be above the embroidered girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not be loosed from the ephod, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²²And he made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.

²³And there was a hole in the midst of the robe, as the hole of a jacket of mail, with a band round about the hole, that it should not rend.

²⁴And they made upon the hems of the robe pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet, and twined linen.

²⁵And they made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates upon the hem of the robe, round about between the pomegranates:

²⁶a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, round about the hem of the robe to minister in, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²⁷And they made coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron and for his sons,

²⁸and a miter of fine linen and goodly bonnets of fine linen, and linen breeches of finetwined linen,

²⁹and a girdle of finetwined linen, and blue and purple and scarlet needlework, as the LORD commanded Moses.

³⁰And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like the engravings of a signet: Holiness to the LORD.

³¹And they tied unto it a lace of blue to fasten it on high upon the miter, as the LORD commanded Moses.

³²Thus was all the work of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation finished, and the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so did they.

³³And they brought the tabernacle unto Moses: the tent and all his furniture, his clasps, his boards, his bars and his pillars and his sockets;

³⁴and the covering of rams' skins dyed red, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the veil of the covering;

³⁵the ark of the Testimony and the staves thereof, and the mercy seat;

³⁶the table and all the vessels thereof, and the showbread;

³⁷the pure candlestick with the lamps thereof, even with the lamps to be set in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for light;

³⁸and the golden altar, and the anointing oil, and the sweet incense, and the hanging for the tabernacle door;

³⁹the brazen altar and his grate of brass, his staves and all his vessels, the laver and his foot;

⁴⁰the hangings of the court, his pillars and his sockets, and the hanging for the court gate, his cords and his pegs, and all the vessels of the service of the tabernacle for the tent of the congregation;

⁴¹the clothes of service to do service in the holy place, and the holy garments for Aaron the priest and his sons' garments to minister in the priest's office.

⁴²According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel made all the work.

⁴³And Moses looked upon all the work, and behold, they had done it as the LORD had commanded; even so had they done it. And Moses blessed them.

40And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"On the first day of the first month shalt thou set up the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

³And thou shalt put therein the ark of the Testimony, and cover the ark with the veil.

⁴And thou shalt bring in the table and set in order the things that are to be set in order upon it; and thou shalt bring in the candlestick and light the lamps thereof.

⁵And thou shalt set the altar of gold for the incense before the ark of the Testimony, and put up the hanging of the door to the tabernacle.

⁶And thou shalt set the altar of the burnt offering before the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation.

⁷And thou shalt set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and shalt put water therein.

⁸And thou shalt set up the court round about, and hang up the hanging at the court gate.

⁹And thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the tabernacle and all that is therein, and shalt hallow it and all the vessels thereof; and it shall be holy.

¹⁰And thou shalt anoint the altar of the burnt offering and all his vessels, and sanctify the altar; and it shall be an altar most holy.

¹¹And thou shalt anoint the laver and his foot, and sanctify it.

¹²And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water.

¹³And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him and sanctify him, that he may minister unto Me in the priest's office.

¹⁴And thou shalt bring his sons and clothe them with coats;

¹⁵and thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, that they may minister unto Me in the priest's office. For their anointing shall surely be an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations."

¹⁶Thus did Moses: according to all that the LORD commanded him, so did he.

¹⁷And it came to pass in the first month in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was reared up.

¹⁸And Moses reared up the tabernacle, and fastened his sockets and set up the boards thereof, and put in the bars thereof and reared up his pillars.

¹⁹And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle, and put the covering of the tent above upon it, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²⁰And he took and put the testimony into the ark, and set the staves on the ark, and put the mercy seat above upon the ark.

²¹And he brought the ark into the tabernacle, and set up the veil of the covering and covered the ark of the Testimony, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²²And he put the table in the tent of the congregation upon the side of the tabernacle northward, outside the veil.

²³And he set the bread in order upon it before the LORD, as the LORD had commanded Moses.

²⁴And he put the candlestick in the tent of the congregation opposite the table, on the side of the tabernacle southward.

²⁵And he lighted the lamps before the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²⁶And he put the golden altar in the tent of the congregation before the veil;

²⁷and he burned sweet incense thereon, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²⁸And he set up the hanging at the door of the tabernacle.

²⁹And he put the altar of burnt offering by the door of the tabernacle of the tent of the congregation, and offered upon it the burnt offering and the meat offering, as the LORD commanded Moses.

³⁰And he set the laver between the tent of the congregation and the altar, and put water there for washing.

³¹And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed their hands and their feet thereat.

³²When they went into the tent of the congregation and when they came near unto the altar, they washed, as the LORD commanded Moses.

³³And he reared up the court round about the tabernacle and the altar, and set up the hanging of the court gate. So Moses finished the work.

³⁴Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

³⁵And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.

³⁶And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys;

³⁷but if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not until the day that it was taken up.

³⁸For the cloud of the LORD was upon the tabernacle by day and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel throughout all their journeys.

1And the LORD called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd and of the flock.

³"'If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish. He shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD.

⁴And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him.

⁵And he shall kill the bullock before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood round about upon the altar that is by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁶And he shall flay the burnt offering and cut it into his pieces.

⁷And the sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire upon the altar, and lay the wood in order upon the fire.

⁸And the priests, Aaron's sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order upon the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar;

⁹but his inwards and his legs shall he wash in water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

¹⁰"'And if his offering be of the flocks, namely, of the sheep or of the goats, for a burnt sacrifice, he shall bring a male without blemish.

¹¹And he shall kill it on the side of the altar northward before the LORD; and the priests, Aaron's sons, shall sprinkle his blood round about upon the altar.

¹²And he shall cut it into his pieces, with his head and his fat; and the priest shall lay them in order on the wood that is on the fire which is upon the altar,

¹³but he shall wash the inwards and the legs with water. And the priest shall bring it all and burn it upon the altar: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

¹⁴"'And if the burnt sacrifice for his offering to the LORD be of fowls, then he shall bring his offering of turtledoves or of young pigeons.

¹⁵And the priest shall bring it unto the altar, and wring off his head, and burn it on the altar; and the blood thereof shall be wrung out at the side of the altar.

¹⁶And he shall pluck away his crop with his feathers, and cast it beside the altar on the east part, by the place of the ashes.

¹⁷And he shall cleave it with the wings thereof, but shall not divide it asunder. And the priest shall burn it upon the altar, upon the wood that is upon the fire: it is a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

2"'And when any will offer a meat offering unto the LORD, his offering shall be of fine flour; and he shall pour oil upon it and put frankincense thereon.

²And he shall bring it to Aaron's sons the priests; and he shall take from it his handful of the flour thereof and of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof; and the priest shall burn the memorial of it upon the altar to be an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

³And the remnant of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings to the LORD made by fire.

⁴"'And if thou bring an oblation of a meat offering baked in the oven, it shall be unleavened cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, or unleavened wafers anointed with oil.

⁵And if thy oblation be a meat offering baked in a pan, it shall be of fine flour, unleavened, mingled with oil.

⁶Thou shalt part it in pieces and pour oil thereon: it is a meat offering.

⁷And if thy oblation be a meat offering baked in the frying pan, it shall be made of fine flour with oil.

⁸And thou shalt bring the meat offering that is made of these things unto the LORD; and when it is presented unto the priest, he shall bring it unto the altar.

⁹And the priest shall take from the meat offering a memorial thereof and shall burn it upon the altar: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

¹⁰And that which is left of the meat offering shall be Aaron's and his sons': it is a thing most holy of the offerings of the LORD made by fire.

¹¹"'No meat offering which ye shall bring unto the LORD shall be made with leaven; for ye shall burn no leaven nor any honey in any offering of the LORD made by fire.

¹²As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD, but they shall not be burned on the altar for a sweet savor.

¹³And every oblation of thy meat offering shalt thou season with salt; neither shalt thou allow the salt of the covenant of thy God to be lacking from thy meat offering. With all thine offerings thou shalt offer salt.

¹⁴And if thou offer a meat offering of thy firstfruits unto the LORD, thou shalt offer for the meat offering of thy firstfruits green ears of corn dried by the fire, even corn beaten out of full ears.

¹⁵And thou shalt put oil upon it and lay frankincense thereon: it is a meat offering.

¹⁶And the priest shall burn the memorial of it, part of the beaten corn thereof and part of the oil thereof, with all the frankincense thereof: it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

3"'And if his oblation be a sacrifice of peace offering, if he offer it of the herd, whether it be a male or female, he shall offer it without blemish before the LORD.

²And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering, and kill it at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and Aaron's sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar round about.

³And he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD: the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

⁴and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys -- it shall he take away.

⁵And Aaron's sons shall burn it on the altar upon the burnt sacrifice, which is upon the wood that is on the fire: it is an offering made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

⁶"'And if his offering for a sacrifice of peace offering unto the LORD be of the flock, male or female, he shall offer it without blemish.

⁷If he offer a lamb for his offering, then shall he offer it before the LORD.

⁸And he shall lay his hand upon the head of his offering and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation; and Aaron's sons shall sprinkle the blood thereof round about upon the altar.

⁹And he shall offer from the sacrifice of the peace offering an offering made by fire unto the LORD; the fat thereof and the whole rump, it shall he take off hard by the backbone: and the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

¹⁰and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys -- it shall he take away.

¹¹And the priest shall burn it upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire unto the LORD.

¹²"'And if his offering be a goat, then he shall offer it before the LORD.

¹³And he shall lay his hand upon the head of it and kill it before the tabernacle of the congregation; and the sons of Aaron shall sprinkle the blood thereof upon the altar round about.

¹⁴And he shall offer thereof his offering, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD: the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

¹⁵and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys -- it shall he take away.

¹⁶And the priest shall burn them upon the altar: it is the food of the offering made by fire for a sweet savor; all the fat is the LORD'S.

¹⁷It shall be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.'"

4And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'If a soul shall sin through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and shall do against any of them,

³if the priest who is anointed shall sin, bringing the sin upon the people, then let him bring for his sin which he hath sinned a young bullock without blemish unto the LORD for a sin offering.

⁴And he shall bring the bullock unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD, and shall lay his hand upon the bullock's head and kill the bullock before the LORD.

⁵And the priest who is anointed shall take of the bullock's blood and bring it to the tabernacle of the congregation;

⁶and the priest shall dip his finger in the blood and sprinkle of the blood seven times before the LORD, before the veil of the sanctuary.

⁷And the priest shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar of sweet incense before the LORD, which is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour all the blood of the bullock at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁸And he shall take off from it all the fat of the bullock for the sin offering: the fat that covereth the inwards and all the fat that is upon the inwards,

⁹and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them which is by the flanks, and the caul above the liver, with the kidneys -- it shall he take away,

¹⁰as it was taken off from the bullock of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall burn them upon the altar of the burnt offering.

¹¹And the skin of the bullock and all his flesh, with his head, and with his legs, and his inwards, and his dung"

¹²even the whole bullock shall he carry forth outside the camp unto a clean place, where the ashes are poured out, and burn him on the wood with fire; where the ashes are poured out shall he be burned.

¹³"'And if the whole congregation of Israel sin through ignorance, and the thing be hid from the eyes of the assembly, and they have done something against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which should not be done, and are guilty,

¹⁴when the sin which they have sinned is known, then the congregation shall offer a young bullock for the sin, and bring him before the tabernacle of the congregation.

¹⁵And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands upon the head of the bullock before the LORD; and the bullock shall be killed before the LORD.

¹⁶And the priest who is anointed shall bring of the bullock's blood to the tabernacle of the congregation;

¹⁷and the priest shall dip his finger in some of the blood and sprinkle it seven times before the LORD, even before the veil.

¹⁸And he shall put some of the blood upon the horns of the altar which is before the LORD, that is in the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall pour out all the blood at the bottom of the altar of the burnt offering, which is at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

¹⁹And he shall take all his fat from him and burn it upon the altar.

²⁰And he shall do with the bullock as he did with the bullock for a sin offering; so shall he do with this. And the priest shall make an atonement for them, and it shall be forgiven them.

²¹And he shall carry forth the bullock outside the camp and burn him as he burned the first bullock: it is a sin offering for the congregation.

²²"'When a ruler hath sinned, and done something through ignorance against any of the commandments of the LORD his God concerning things which should not be done, and is guilty,

²³or if his sin wherein he hath sinned come to his knowledge, he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a male without blemish.

²⁴And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the goat, and kill it in the place where they kill the burnt offering before the LORD: it is a sin offering.

²⁵And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out his blood at the bottom of the altar of burnt offering.

²⁶And he shall burn all his fat upon the altar, as the fat of the sacrifice of peace offerings; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin, and it shall be forgiven him.

²⁷"'And if any one of the common people sin through ignorance while he doeth something against any of the commandments of the LORD concerning things which ought not to be done, and be guilty,

²⁸or if his sin which he hath sinned come to his knowledge, then he shall bring his offering, a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he hath sinned.

²⁹And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay the sin offering in the place of the burnt offering.

³⁰And the priest shall take of the blood thereof with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.

³¹And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat is taken away from off the sacrifice of peace offerings, and the priest shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.

³²"'And if he bring a lamb for a sin offering, he shall bring it a female without blemish.

³³And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the sin offering, and slay it for a sin offering in the place where they kill the burnt offering.

³⁴And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering with his finger, and put it upon the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and shall pour out all the blood thereof at the bottom of the altar.

³⁵And he shall take away all the fat thereof, as the fat of the lamb is taken away from the sacrifice of the peace offerings, and the priest shall burn them upon the altar, according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD; and the priest shall make an atonement for his sin that he hath committed, and it shall be forgiven him.

5"'And if a soul sin and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it, if he does not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.

²Or if a soul touch any unclean thing, whether it be a carcass of an unclean beast, or a carcass of unclean cattle, or the carcass of unclean creeping things, and if it be hidden from him, he also shall be unclean and guilty.

³Or if he touch the uncleanness of man, whatsoever uncleanness it be, that a man shall be defiled thereby, and it be hid from him, when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty.

⁴Or if a soul swear, pronouncing with his lips to do evil or to do good, whatsoever it be that a man shall pronounce with an oath, and it be hid from him, when he knoweth of it, then he shall be guilty in one of these.

⁵And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing;

⁶and he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin.

⁷"'And if he is not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves or two young pigeons unto the LORD: one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering.

⁸And he shall bring them unto the priest, who shall offer that which is for the sin offering first, and wring off his head from his neck, but shall not divide it asunder.

⁹And he shall sprinkle of the blood of the sin offering upon the side of the altar, and the rest of the blood shall be wrung out at the bottom of the altar: it is a sin offering.

¹⁰And he shall offer the second for a burnt offering according to the ordinance; and the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin which he hath sinned, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹¹"'But if he is not able to bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering. He shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon, for it is a sin offering.

¹²Then shall he bring it to the priest and the priest shall take his handful of it, even a memorial thereof, and burn it on the altar according to the offerings made by fire unto the LORD: it is a sin offering.

¹³And the priest shall make an atonement for him for his sin that he hath sinned in one of these, and it shall be forgiven him; and the remnant shall be the priest's as a meat offering.'"

¹⁴And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁵"If a soul commit a trespass and sin through ignorance in the holy things of the LORD, then he shall bring for his trespass unto the LORD a ram without blemish out of the flocks, with thy valuation in shekels of silver according to the shekel of the sanctuary, for a trespass offering.

¹⁶And he shall make amends for the harm that he hath done in the holy thing, and shall add a fifth part thereto and give it unto the priest; and the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹⁷"And if a soul sin, and commit any of these things which are forbidden to be done by the commandments of the LORD, though he knew it not, yet is he guilty and shall bear his iniquity.

¹⁸And he shall bring a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy valuation for a trespass offering unto the priest; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his ignorance wherein he erred and knew it not, and it shall be forgiven him.

¹⁹It is a trespass offering; he hath certainly trespassed against the LORD."

6And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"If a soul sin and commit a trespass against the LORD by lying unto his neighbor about that which was delivered to him to keep, or in dealings, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbor,

³or has found that which was lost and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely -- in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein,

⁴then it shall be, because he hath sinned and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

⁵or all that about which he hath sworn falsely. He shall even restore the principal thereof, and shall add a fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, on the day of his trespassoffering.

⁶And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, according to thy valuation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest.

⁷And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD; and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein."

⁸And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁹"Command Aaron and his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the burnt offering: It is the burnt offering because of the burning upon the altar all night unto the morning, and the fire of the altar shall be burning in it.

¹⁰And the priest shall put on his linen garment, and his linen breeches shall he put upon his flesh, and take up the ashes which the fire hath consumed with the burnt offering on the altar; and he shall put them beside the altar.

¹¹And he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry forth the ashes outside the camp unto a clean place.

¹²And the fire upon the altar shall be burning in it; it shall not be put out. And the priest shall burn wood on it every morning and lay the burnt offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace offerings.

¹³The fire shall ever be burning upon the altar; it shall never go out.

¹⁴"'And this is the law of the meat offering: The sons of Aaron shall offer it before the LORD, before the altar.

¹⁵And he shall take from it his handful of the flour of the meat offering, and of the oil thereof and all the frankincense which is upon the meat offering, and shall burn it upon the altar for a sweet savor, even the memorial of it unto the LORD.

¹⁶And the remainder thereof shall Aaron and his sons eat. With unleavened bread shall it be eaten in the holy place; in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation they shall eat it.

¹⁷It shall not be baked with leaven. I have given it unto them for their portion of My offerings made by fire; it is most holy, as is the sin offering and as the trespass offering.

¹⁸All the males among the children of Aaron shall eat of it. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations concerning the offerings of the LORD made by fire. Every one who toucheth them shall be holy.'"

¹⁹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁰"This is the offering of Aaron and of his sons, which they shall offer unto the LORD in the day when he is anointed: a tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a perpetual meat offering, half of it in the morning and half thereof at night.

²¹In a pan it shall be made with oil; and when it is baked thou shalt bring it in, and the baked pieces of the meat offering shalt thou offer for a sweet savor unto the LORD.

²²And the priest from among his sons, who is anointed in his stead, shall offer it. It is a statute for ever unto the LORD; it shall be wholly burned.

²³For every meat offering for the priest shall be wholly burned; it shall not be eaten."

²⁴And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁵"Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD; it is most holy.

²⁶The priest who offereth it for sin shall eat it; in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.

²⁷Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy; and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.

²⁸But the earthen vessel wherein it is boiled shall be broken; and if it is boiled in a brazen pot, it shall be both scoured and rinsed in water.

²⁹All the males among the priests shall eat thereof; it is most holy.

³⁰And no sin offering, from which any of the blood is brought into the tabernacle of the congregation for reconcilement thereby in the holy place, shall be eaten: it shall be burned in the fire.

7"'Likewise this is the law of the trespass offering (it is most holy):

²In the place where they kill the burnt offering shall they kill the trespass offering; and the blood thereof shall he sprinkle round about upon the altar.

³And he shall offer from it all the fat thereof: the rump, and the fat that covereth the inwards,

⁴and the two kidneys and the fat that is on them which is by the flanks, and the caul that is above the liver, with the kidneys; it shall he take away.

⁵And the priest shall burn them upon the altar for an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a trespass offering.

⁶Every male among the priests shall eat thereof. It shall be eaten in the holy place; it is most holy.

⁷As the sin offering is, so is the trespass offering; there is one law for them: the priest who maketh atonement therewith shall have it.

⁸And the priest who offereth any man's burnt offering, even the priest shall have to himself the skin of the burnt offering which he hath offered.

⁹And all the meat offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is dressed in the frying pan and in the pan, shall be the priest's who offereth it.

¹⁰And every meat offering mingled with oil, or dry, shall all the sons of Aaron have, one as much as another.

¹¹"'And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which he shall offer unto the LORD:

¹²If he offer it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the sacrifice of thanksgiving unleavened cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, and cakes mingled with oil of fine flour, fried.

¹³Besides the cakes, he shall offer for his offering leavened bread with the sacrifice of thanksgiving of his peace offerings.

¹⁴And of it he shall offer one out of the whole oblation for a heave offering unto the LORD, and it shall be the priest's who sprinkleth the blood of the peace offerings.

¹⁵And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten the same day that it is offered; he shall not leave any of it until the morning.

¹⁶But if the sacrifice of his offering be a vow or a voluntary offering, it shall be eaten the same day that he offereth his sacrifice; and on the morrow also the remainder of it shall be eaten.

¹⁷But the remainder of the flesh of the sacrifice on the third day shall be burned with fire.

¹⁸And if any of the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings is eaten at all on the third day, it shall not be accepted, neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it; it shall be an abomination, and the soul that eateth of it shall bear his iniquity.

¹⁹"'And the flesh that toucheth any unclean thing shall not be eaten; it shall be burned with fire; and as for the flesh, all who are clean shall eat thereof.

²⁰But the soul that eateth of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings that pertain unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.

²¹Moreover the soul that shall touch any unclean thing, as the uncleanness of man or any unclean beast or any abominable unclean thing, and eat of the flesh of the sacrifice of peace offerings which pertain unto the LORD, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.'"

²²And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²³"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'Ye shall eat no manner of fat, of ox or of sheep or of goat.

²⁴And the fat of the beast that dieth of itself and the fat of that which is torn by beasts may be used in any other use, but ye shall in no wise eat of it.

²⁵For whosoever eateth the fat of the beast of which men offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, even the soul that eateth it shall be cut off from his people.

²⁶Moreover ye shall eat no manner of blood in any of your dwellings, whether it be of fowl or of beast.

²⁷Whatsoever soul it be that eateth any manner of blood, even that soul shall be cut off from his people.'"

²⁸And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁹"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'He that offereth the sacrifice of his peace offerings unto the LORD shall bring his oblation unto the LORD from the sacrifice of his peace offerings.

³⁰His own hands shall bring the offerings of the LORD made by fire; the fat with the breast it shall he bring, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the LORD.

³¹And the priest shall burn the fat upon the altar, but the breast shall be Aaron's and his sons'.

³²And the right shoulder shall ye give unto the priest for a heave offering of the sacrifices of your peace offerings.

³³He among the sons of Aaron who offereth the blood of the peace offerings and the fat, shall have the right shoulder for his part.

³⁴For the wave breast and the heave shoulder have I taken from the children of Israel from the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them unto Aaron the priest and unto his sons by a statute for ever, from among the children of Israel.'"

³⁵This is the portion of the anointing of Aaron and of the anointing of his sons out of the offerings to the LORD made by fire, on the day when he presented them to minister unto the LORD in the priest's office,

³⁶which the LORD commanded to be given them by the children of Israel on the day that He anointed them, by a statute for ever throughout their generations.

³⁷This is the law of the burnt offering, of the meat offering, and of the sin offering, and of the trespass offering, and of the consecrations, and of the sacrifice of the peace offerings,

³⁸which the LORD commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day that He commanded the children of Israel to offer their oblations unto the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai.

8And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments, and the anointing oil, and a bullock for the sin offering, and two rams, and a basket of unleavened bread;

³and gather thou all the congregation together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation."

⁴And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and the assembly was gathered together unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁵And Moses said unto the congregation: "This is the thing which the LORD commanded to be done."

⁶And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.

⁷And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod upon him, and he girded him with the woven girdle of the ephod, and bound it unto him therewith.

⁸And he put the breastplate upon him. Also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.

⁹And he put the miter upon his head. Also upon the miter, even upon the front thereof, did he put the golden plate, the holy crown, as the LORD commanded Moses.

¹⁰And Moses took the anointing oil and anointed the tabernacle and all that was therein, and sanctified them.

¹¹And he sprinkled thereof upon the altar seven times, and anointed the altar and all his vessels, both the laver and his foot, to sanctify them.

¹²And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron's head and anointed him, to sanctify him.

¹³And Moses brought Aaron's sons and put coats upon them, and girded them with girdles, and put headdresses upon them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

¹⁴And he brought the bullock for the sin offering; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the bullock for the sin offering.

¹⁵And he slew it; and Moses took the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about with his finger and purified the altar, and poured the blood at the bottom of the altar and sanctified it, to make reconciliation upon it.

¹⁶And he took all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys, and their fat, and Moses burned it upon the altar.

¹⁷But the bullock and his hide, his flesh, and his dung he burned with fire outside the camp, as the LORD commanded Moses.

¹⁸And he brought the ram for the burnt offering; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

¹⁹And he killed it; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

²⁰And he cut the ram into pieces; and Moses burned the head and the pieces and the fat.

²¹And he washed the inwards and the legs in water; and Moses burned the whole ram upon the altar. It was a burnt sacrifice for a sweet savor, and an offering made by fire unto the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²²And he brought the other ram, the ram of consecration; and Aaron and his sons laid their hands upon the head of the ram.

²³And he slew it; and Moses took of the blood of it and put it upon the tip of Aaron's right ear and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the great toe of his right foot.

²⁴And he brought Aaron's sons, and Moses put of the blood upon the tip of their right ear and upon the thumbs of their right hands and upon the great toes of their right feet; and Moses sprinkled the blood upon the altar round about.

²⁵And he took the fat, and the rump, and all the fat that was upon the inwards, and the caul above the liver, and the two kidneys and their fat, and the right shoulder;

²⁶and out of the basket of unleavened bread that was before the LORD he took one unleavened cake and a cake of oiled bread and one wafer, and put them on the fat and upon the right shoulder.

²⁷And he put all upon Aaron's hands and upon his sons' hands, and waved them for a wave offering before the LORD.

²⁸And Moses took them from their hands and burned them on the altar upon the burnt offering. They were consecrations for a sweet savor; it is an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

²⁹And Moses took the breast and waved it for a wave offering before the LORD; for of the ram of consecration, it was Moses' part, as the LORD commanded Moses.

³⁰And Moses took of the anointing oil and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron and upon his garments, and upon his sons and upon his sons' garments with him, and sanctified Aaron and his garments, and his sons and his sons' garments with him.

³¹And Moses said unto Aaron and to his sons, "Boil the flesh at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and there eat it with the bread that is in the basket of consecrations, as I commanded, saying, 'Aaron and his sons shall eat it.'

³²And that which remaineth of the flesh and of the bread shall ye burn with fire.

³³And ye shall not go out of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation for seven days, until the days of your consecration are at an end; for seven days shall He consecrate you.

³⁴As He hath done this day, so the LORD hath commanded to do, to make an atonement for you.

³⁵Therefore shall ye abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the LORD, that ye die not; for so I am commanded."

³⁶So Aaron and his sons did all things which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

9And it came to pass on the eighth day that Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel,

²and he said unto Aaron, "Take thee a young calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the LORD.

³And unto the children of Israel thou shalt speak, saying, 'Take ye a kid of the goats for a sin offering, and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering,

⁴also a bullock and a ram for peace offerings to sacrifice before the LORD, and a meat offering mingled with oil; for today the LORD will appear unto you.'"

⁵And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the congregation drew near and stood before the LORD.

⁶And Moses said, "This is the thing which the LORD commanded that ye should do, and the glory of the LORD shall appear unto you."

⁷And Moses said unto Aaron, "Go unto the altar, and offer thy sin offering and thy burnt offering, and make an atonement for thyself and for the people; and offer the offering of the people and make an atonement for them, as the LORD commanded."

⁸Aaron therefore went unto the altar and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.

⁹And the sons of Aaron brought the blood unto him, and he dipped his finger in the blood and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the bottom of the altar;

¹⁰but the fat, and the kidneys and the caul above the liver of the sin offering, he burned upon the altar, as the LORD commanded Moses.

¹¹And the flesh and the hide he burned with fire outside the camp.

¹²And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled round about upon the altar.

¹³And they presented the burnt offering unto him, with the pieces thereof and the head; and he burned them upon the altar.

¹⁴And he washed the inwards and the legs, and burned them upon the burnt offering on the altar.

¹⁵And he brought the people's offering, and took the goat, which was the sin offering for the people, and slew it and offered it for sin, as the first.

¹⁶And he brought the burnt offering and offered it according to the ordinance.

¹⁷And he brought the meat offering, and took a handful thereof and burned it upon the altar beside the burnt sacrifice of the morning.

¹⁸He slew also the bullock and the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people; and Aaron's sons presented unto him the blood, which he sprinkled upon the altar round about,

¹⁹and the fat of the bullock and of the ram, the rump, and that which covereth the inwards, and the kidneys, and the caul above the liver.

²⁰And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burned the fat upon the altar.

²¹And the breasts and the right shoulder Aaron waved for a wave offering before the LORD, as Moses commanded.

²²And Aaron lifted up his hand toward the people and blessed them, and came down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offering and peace offerings.

²³And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out and blessed the people; and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people.

²⁴And there came a fire out from before the LORD and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat, which when all the people saw, they shouted and fell on their faces.

10And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took each of them his censer and put fire therein, and put incense thereon and offered strange fire before the LORD, which He commanded them not.

²And there went out fire from the LORD and devoured them, and they died before the LORD.

³Then Moses said unto Aaron, "This is that which the LORD spoke, saying, 'I will be sanctified in them that come nigh Me, and before all the people I will be glorified.'" And Aaron held his peace.

⁴And Moses called Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel the uncle of Aaron, and said unto them, "Come near; carry your brethren from before the sanctuary out of the camp."

⁵So they went near and carried them in their coats out of the camp, as Moses had said.

⁶And Moses said unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons, "Uncover not your heads, neither rend your clothes, lest ye die, and lest wrath come upon all the people; but let your brethren, the whole house of Israel, bewail the burning which the LORD hath kindled.

⁷And ye shall not go out from the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die; for the anointing oil of the LORD is upon you." And they did according to the word of Moses.

⁸And the LORD spoke unto Aaron, saying,

⁹"Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations,

¹⁰that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean,

¹¹and that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses."

¹²And Moses spoke unto Aaron and unto Eleazar and unto Ithamar, his sons who were left: "Take the meat offering that remaineth of the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and eat it without leaven beside the altar; for it is most holy.

¹³And ye shall eat it in the holy place, because it is thy due and thy sons' due of the sacrifices of the LORD made by fire; for so I am commanded.

¹⁴And the wave breast and heave shoulder shall ye eat in a clean place, thou, and thy sons, and thy daughters with thee; for they are thy due and thy sons' due, which are given out of the sacrifices of peace offerings of the children of Israel.

¹⁵The heave shoulder and the wave breast shall they bring with the offerings made by fire of the fat, to wave it for a wave offering before the LORD; and it shall be thine and thy sons' with thee by a statute for ever, as the LORD hath commanded."

¹⁶And Moses diligently sought the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned; and he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left alive, saying,

¹⁷"Why have ye not eaten the sin offering in the holy place, seeing it is most holy, and God hath given it to you to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD?

¹⁸Behold, the blood of it was not brought in within the holy place; ye should indeed have eaten it in the holy place, as I commanded."

¹⁹And Aaron said unto Moses, "Behold, this day have they offered their sin offering and their burnt offering before the LORD, and such things have befallen me. And if I had eaten the sin offering today, should it have been accepted in the sight of the LORD?"

²⁰And when Moses heard that, he was content.

11And the LORD spoke unto Moses and to Aaron, saying unto them,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'These are the beasts which ye shall eat among all the beasts that are on the earth.

³Whatsoever parteth the hoof and is cloven-footed and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that shall ye eat.

⁴Nevertheless these shall ye not eat, of those that chew the cud or of those that divide the hoof: the camel, because he cheweth the cud but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you;

⁵and the coney, because he cheweth the cud but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you;

⁶and the hare, because he cheweth the cud but divideth not the hoof, he is unclean unto you;

⁷and the swine, though he divide the hoof and is cloven-footed, yet he cheweth not the cud, he is unclean to you.

⁸Of their flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcass shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you.

⁹"'These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters: whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters, in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.

¹⁰And all that have not fins and scales in the seas and in the rivers, of all that move in the waters and of any living thing which is in the waters, they shall be an abomination unto you.

¹¹They shall be even an abomination unto you: ye shall not eat of their flesh, but ye shall hold their carcasses in abomination.

¹²Whatsoever hath no fins nor scales in the waters, that shall be an abomination unto you.

¹³"'And these are they which ye shall hold in abomination among the fowls; they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination: the eagle, and the ossifrage, and the osprey,

¹⁴and the vulture, and the kite after his kind,

¹⁵every raven after his kind,

¹⁶and the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckoo, and the hawk after his kind,

¹⁷and the little owl, and the cormorant, and the great owl,

¹⁸and the swan, and the pelican, and the gier eagle,

¹⁹and the stork, the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

²⁰"'All fowls that creep, going upon all fours, shall be an abomination unto you.

²¹Yet these may ye eat of every flying creeping thing that goeth upon all fours, which have legs above their feet with which to leap upon the earth;

²²even these of them ye may eat: the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind.

²³But all other flying creeping things which have four feet shall be an abomination unto you.

²⁴"'And by these ye shall be unclean. Whosoever toucheth the carcass of them shall be unclean until the evening,

²⁵and whosoever beareth aught of the carcass of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

²⁶The carcasses of every beast which divideth the hoof, and is not cloven-footed nor cheweth the cud, are unclean unto you; every one who toucheth them shall be unclean.

²⁷And whatsoever goeth upon his paws, among all manner of beasts that go on all fours, those are unclean unto you; whoso toucheth their carcass shall be unclean until the evening.

²⁸And he that beareth the carcass of them shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening; they are unclean unto you.

²⁹"'These also shall be unclean unto you among the creeping things that creep upon the earth: the weasel, and the mouse, and the tortoise after his kind,

³⁰and the ferret, and the chameleon, and the lizard, and the snail, and the mole.

³¹These are unclean to you among all that creep; whosoever doth touch them when they are dead shall be unclean until the evening.

³²And upon whatsoever any of them when they are dead doth fall, it shall be unclean. Whether it be any vessel of wood or raiment or skin or sack, whatsoever vessel it be wherein any work is done, it must be put into water, and it shall be unclean until the evening; so it shall be cleansed.

³³And every earthen vessel whereinto any of them falleth, whatsoever is in it shall be unclean, and ye shall break it.

³⁴Of all meat which may be eaten, that on which such water cometh shall be unclean; and all drink that may be drunk in every such vessel shall be unclean.

³⁵And every thing whereupon any part of their carcass falleth shall be unclean. Whether it be an oven or ranges for pots, they shall be broken down; for they are unclean and shall be unclean unto you.

³⁶Nevertheless a fountain or pit, wherein there is plenty of water, shall be clean; but that which toucheth their carcass shall be unclean.

³⁷And if any part of their carcass fall upon any sowing seed which is to be sown, it shall be clean.

³⁸But if any water be put upon the seed and any part of their carcass fall thereon, it shall be unclean unto you.

³⁹"'And if any beast of which ye may eat die, he that toucheth the carcass thereof shall be unclean until the evening.

⁴⁰And he that eateth of the carcass of it shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. He also that beareth the carcass of it shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening.

⁴¹"'And every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth shall be an abomination; it shall not be eaten.

⁴²Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath more feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat, for they are an abomination.

⁴³Ye shall not make yourselves abominable with any creeping thing that creepeth, neither shall ye make yourselves unclean with them, that ye should be defiled thereby.

⁴⁴For I am the LORD your God. Ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy, for I am holy; neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

⁴⁵For I am the LORD who bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. Ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.

⁴⁶"'This is the law of the beasts, and of the fowl, and of every living creature that moveth in the waters, and of every creature that creepeth upon the earth,

⁴⁷to make a difference between the unclean and the clean, and between the beast that may be eaten and the beast that may not be eaten.'"

12And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'If a woman have conceived seed and borne a manchild, then she shall be unclean seven days; according to the days of the separation for her infirmity shall she be unclean.

³And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised.

⁴And she shall then continue in the blood of her purifying three and thirty days. She shall touch no hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purifying are fulfilled.

⁵But if she bear a maidchild, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her separation; and she shall continue in the blood of her purifying threescore and six days.

⁶"'And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation unto the priest,

⁷who shall offer it before the LORD and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath borne a male or a female.

⁸And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons, the one for the burnt offering and the other for a sin offering, and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean.'"

13And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron, saying,

²"When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy, then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest or unto one of his sons the priests.

³And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh; and when the hair in the plague has turned white and the plague in appearance be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy; and the priest shall look on him and pronounce him unclean.

⁴If the bright spot be white in the skin of his flesh and in appearance be not deeper than the skin and the hair thereof be not turned white, then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague seven days.

⁵And the priest shall look on him the seventh day; and behold, if the plague in its appearance is stayed and the plague spread not in the skin, then the priest shall shut him up seven days more.

⁶And the priest shall look on him again the seventh day; and behold, if the plague be somewhat dark and the plague spread not in the skin, the priest shall pronounce him clean. It is but a scab, and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

⁷But if the scab spread much abroad in the skin, after he hath been seen by the priest for his cleansing, he shall be seen by the priest again.

⁸And if the priest see that, behold, the scab spreadeth in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is leprosy.

⁹"When the plague of leprosy is in a man, then he shall be brought unto the priest.

¹⁰And the priest shall see him; and behold, if the rising be white in the skin and it has turned the hair white and there be living raw flesh in the rising,

¹¹it is an old leprosy in the skin of his flesh; and the priest shall pronounce him unclean and shall not shut him up, for he is unclean.

¹²And if leprosy break out abroad in the skin and the leprosy cover all the skin of him that hath the plague from his head even to his foot, wheresoever the priest looketh,

¹³then the priest shall consider; and behold, if the leprosy have covered all his flesh, he shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague. It has all turned white; he is clean.

¹⁴But when raw flesh appeareth in him, he shall be unclean.

¹⁵And the priest shall see the raw flesh and pronounce him to be unclean, for the raw flesh is unclean; it is leprosy.

¹⁶Or if the raw flesh turn again and be changed unto white, he shall come unto the priest,

¹⁷and the priest shall see him; and behold, if the plague be turned into white, then the priest shall pronounce him clean that hath the plague; he is clean.

¹⁸"The flesh also in which, even in the skin thereof, was a boil and it is healed,

¹⁹and in the place of the boil there be a white rising or a bright spot, white and somewhat reddish, and it be shown to the priest,

²⁰and if, when the priest seeth it, behold, it is in appearance lower than the skin and the hair thereof is turned white, the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a plague of leprosy broken out of the boil.

²¹But if the priest look on it, and behold, there are no white hairs therein and if it is not lower than the skin, but is somewhat dark, then the priest shall shut him up seven days.

²²And if it spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a plague.

²³But if the bright spot stay in his place and spread not, it is a burning boil; and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

²⁴"Or if there be any flesh in the skin whereof there is a hot burning, and the living flesh that burneth have a white bright spot, somewhat reddish or white,

²⁵then the priest shall look upon it; and behold, if the hair in the bright spot is turned white and it is in appearance deeper than the skin, it is a leprosy broken out of the burning. Therefore the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the plague of leprosy.

²⁶But if the priest look on it, and behold, there is no white hair in the bright spot and it is no lower than the other skin, but is somewhat dark, then the priest shall shut him up seven days.

²⁷And the priest shall look upon him the seventh day; and if it is spread much abroad in the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is the plague of leprosy.

²⁸And if the bright spot stay in his place and spread not in the skin, but it is somewhat dark, it is a rising from the burning; and the priest shall pronounce him clean, for it is an inflammation from the burning.

²⁹"If a man or woman have a plague upon the head or the beard,

³⁰then the priest shall see the plague; and behold, if it be in appearance deeper than the skin and there is in it a yellow thin hair, then the priest shall pronounce him unclean; it is a dry scall, even a leprosy upon the head or beard.

³¹And if the priest look on the plague of the scall, and behold, it is not in appearance deeper than the skin and there is no black hair in it, then the priest shall shut up him that hath the plague of the scall seven days.

³²And on the seventh day the priest shall look on the plague; and behold, if the scall spread not and there is in it no yellow hair and the scall is not in appearance deeper than the skin,

³³he shall be shaved, but the scall shall he not shave; and the priest shall shut up him that hath the scall seven days more.

³⁴And on the seventh day the priest shall look on the scall; and behold, if the scall is not spread in the skin nor is in appearance deeper than the skin, then the priest shall pronounce him clean; and he shall wash his clothes and be clean.

³⁵But if the scall spread much in the skin after his cleansing,

³⁶then the priest shall look on him; and behold, if the scall is spread in the skin, the priest shall not seek for yellow hair; he is unclean.

³⁷But if the scall is in appearance stayed and there is black hair grown up therein, the scall is healed; he is clean, and the priest shall pronounce him clean.

³⁸"If a man also or a woman have in the skin of their flesh bright spots, even white bright spots,

³⁹then the priest shall look; and behold, if the bright spots in the skin of their flesh be darkish white, it is a freckled spot that groweth in the skin; he is clean.

⁴⁰"And the man whose hair has fallen off his head, he is bald, yet is he clean.

⁴¹And he that hath his hair fallen off from the part of his head toward his face, his forehead is bald, yet is he clean.

⁴²And if there be in the bald head or bald forehead a white reddish sore, it is leprosy sprung up in his bald head or his bald forehead.

⁴³Then the priest shall look upon it; and behold, if the rising of the sore is reddish white in his bald head or in his bald forehead, as the leprosy appeareth in the skin of the flesh,

⁴⁴he is a leprous man; he is unclean. The priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is on his head.

⁴⁵"And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip and shall cry, 'Unclean, unclean.'

⁴⁶All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean. He shall dwell alone; outside the camp shall his habitation be.

⁴⁷"The garment also that the plague of leprosy is in, whether it be a woolen garment or a linen garment,

⁴⁸whether it be in the warp or woof, of linen or of wool, whether in a skin or in any thing made of skin,

⁴⁹and if the plague is greenish or reddish in the garment or in the skin, either in the warp or in the woof or in any thing of skin, it is a plague of leprosy and shall be shown unto the priest.

⁵⁰And the priest shall look upon the plague and shut up it that hath the plague seven days.

⁵¹And he shall look on the plague on the seventh day; if the plague is spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in a skin or in any work that is made of skin, the plague is a consuming leprosy; it is unclean.

⁵²He shall therefore burn that garment, whether warp or woof, in wool or in linen, or any thing of skin wherein the plague is, for it is a consuming leprosy; it shall be burned in the fire.

⁵³"And if the priest shall look, and behold, the plague is not spread in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof, or in any thing of skin,

⁵⁴then the priest shall command that they wash the thing wherein the plague is, and he shall shut it up seven days more.

⁵⁵And the priest shall look on the plague after it is washed; and behold, if the plague has not changed his color and the plague is not spread, it is unclean; thou shalt burn it in the fire. It has eaten inward, whether it be bare within or without.

⁵⁶And if the priest look, and behold, the plague is somewhat dark after the washing of it, then he shall rend it out of the garment, or out of the skin, or out of the warp, or out of the woof.

⁵⁷And if it appear still in the garment, either in the warp or in the woof or in any thing of skin, it is a spreading plague; thou shalt burn that wherein the plague is with fire.

⁵⁸And the garment, either warp or woof or whatsoever thing of skin it is which thou shalt wash, if the plague is departed from them, then it shall be washed the second time and shall be clean."

⁵⁹This is the law of the plague of leprosy in a garment of wool or linen, either in the warp or woof, or any thing of skins, to pronounce it clean or to pronounce it unclean.

14And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest.

³And the priest shall go forth out of the camp, and the priest shall look; and behold, if the plague of leprosy be healed in the leper,

⁴then shall the priest command to take for him that is to be cleansed two birds alive and clean, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.

⁵And the priest shall command that one of the birds be killed in an earthen vessel over running water.

⁶As for the living bird, he shall take it, and the cedar wood, and the scarlet, and the hyssop, and shall dip them and the living bird in the blood of the bird that was killed over the running water.

⁷And he shall sprinkle upon him that is to be cleansed from the leprosy seven times, and shall pronounce him clean and shall let the living bird loose into the open field.

⁸And he that is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair, and wash himself in water, that he may be clean; and after that he shall come into the camp, and shall tarry abroad out of his tent seven days.

⁹But it shall be on the seventh day that he shall shave all his hair off his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair he shall shave off, and he shall wash his clothes; also he shall wash his flesh in water, and he shall be clean.

¹⁰"And on the eighth day he shall take two helambs without blemish and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish, and threetenths part of fine flour for a meat offering mingled with oil, and one log of oil.

¹¹And the priest who maketh him clean shall present the man that is to be made clean, and those things, before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

¹²And the priest shall take one helamb and offer him for a trespass offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.

¹³And he shall slay the lamb in the place where he shall kill the sin offering and the burnt offering, in the holy place; for as the sin offering is the priest's, so is the trespass offering; it is most holy.

¹⁴And the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering, and the priest shall put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the great toe of his right foot.

¹⁵And the priest shall take some of the log of oil and pour it into the palm of his own left hand.

¹⁶And the priest shall dip his right finger in the oil that is in his left hand and shall sprinkle of the oil with his finger seven times before the LORD;

¹⁷and of the rest of the oil that is in his hand shall the priest put upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the blood of the trespass offering.

¹⁸And the remnant of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall pour upon the head of him that is to be cleansed; and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD.

¹⁹And the priest shall offer the sin offering, and make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed from his uncleanness; and afterward he shall kill the burnt offering.

²⁰And the priest shall offer the burnt offering and the meat offering upon the altar; and the priest shall make an atonement for him, and he shall be clean.

²¹"And if he be poor and cannot get so much, then he shall take one lamb for a trespass offering to be waved to make an atonement for him, and onetenth part of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering, and a log of oil,

²²and two turtledoves or two young pigeons, such as he is able to get; and the one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.

²³And he shall bring them on the eighth day for his cleansing unto the priest unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, before the LORD.

²⁴And the priest shall take the lamb of the trespass offering and the log of oil, and the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD.

²⁵And he shall kill the lamb of the trespass offering, and the priest shall take some of the blood of the trespass offering and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the great toe of his right foot;

²⁶and the priest shall pour of the oil into the palm of his own left hand.

²⁷And the priest shall sprinkle with his right finger some of the oil that is in his left hand seven times before the LORD;

²⁸and the priest shall put of the oil that is in his hand upon the tip of the right ear of him that is to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand and upon the great toe of his right foot, upon the place of the blood of the trespass offering.

²⁹And the rest of the oil that is in the priest's hand he shall put upon the head of him that is to be cleansed, to make an atonement for him before the LORD.

³⁰And he shall offer one of the turtledoves or of the young pigeons, such as he can get--

³¹even such as he is able to get -- the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, with the meat offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him that is to be cleansed before the LORD.

³²This is the law for him in whom is the plague of leprosy, whose hand is not able to get that which pertaineth to his cleansing."

³³And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

³⁴"When ye have come into the land of Canaan, which I give to you for a possession, and I put the plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession,

³⁵and he that owneth the house shall come and tell the priest, saying, 'It seemeth to me there is, as it were, a plague in the house,'

³⁶then the priest shall command that they empty the house before the priest go into it to see the plague, that all that is in the house be not made unclean; and afterward the priest shall go in to see the house.

³⁷And he shall look on the plague, and behold, if the plague be in the walls of the house with hollow streaks, greenish or reddish, which in appearance are lower than the wall,

³⁸then the priest shall go out of the house to the door of the house and shut up the house seven days.

³⁹And the priest shall come again the seventh day and shall look; and behold, if the plague is spread in the walls of the house,

⁴⁰then the priest shall command that they take away the stones in which the plague is, and they shall cast them into an unclean place outside the city.

⁴¹And he shall cause the house to be scraped within round about, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off outside the city into an unclean place.

⁴²And they shall take other stones and put them in the place of those stones, and he shall take other mortar and shall plaster the house.

⁴³"And if the plague come again and break out in the house, after he hath taken away the stones and after he hath scraped the house and after it is plastered,

⁴⁴then the priest shall come and look; and behold, if the plague is spread in the house, it is a consuming leprosy in the house; it is unclean.

⁴⁵And he shall break down the house -- the stones of it and the timber thereof and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.

⁴⁶Moreover he that goeth into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the evening.

⁴⁷And he that lieth in the house shall wash his clothes, and he that eateth in the house shall wash his clothes.

⁴⁸"And if the priest shall come in and look upon it, and behold, the plague hath not spread in the house after the house was plastered, then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

⁴⁹And he shall take to cleanse the house two birds, and cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop.

⁵⁰And he shall kill one of the birds in an earthen vessel over running water;

⁵¹and he shall take the cedar wood and the hyssop and the scarlet and the living bird, and dip them in the blood of the slain bird and in the running water, and sprinkle the house seven times.

⁵²And he shall cleanse the house with the blood of the bird and with the running water and with the living bird, and with the cedar wood and with the hyssop and with the scarlet;

⁵³but he shall let go the living bird out of the city into the open fields, and make an atonement for the house; and it shall be clean."

⁵⁴This is the law for all manner of plague of leprosy and scall,

⁵⁵and for the leprosy of a garment and of a house,

⁵⁶and for a rising and for a scab and for a bright spot,

⁵⁷to teach when it is unclean and when it is clean. This is the law of leprosy.

15And the LORD spoke unto Moses and to Aaron, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, 'When any man hath a running issue out of his flesh, because of his issue he is unclean.

³And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: whether his flesh run with his issue or his flesh be stopped from running with his issue, it is his uncleanness.

⁴Every bed whereon he lieth who hath the issue is unclean, and every thing whereon he sitteth shall be unclean.

⁵And whosoever toucheth his bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

⁶And he that sitteth on any thing whereon he sat who hath the issue shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

⁷And he that toucheth the flesh of him that hath the issue shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and is unclean until the evening.

⁸And if he that hath the issue spit upon him that is clean, then he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

⁹And what saddle soever he rideth upon who hath the issue shall be unclean.

¹⁰And whosoever toucheth any thing that was under him shall be unclean until the evening; and he that beareth any of those things shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

¹¹And whomsoever he toucheth who hath the issue and hath not rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

¹²And the vessel of earth that he toucheth who hath the issue shall be broken, and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.

¹³"'And when he that hath an issue is cleansed of his issue, then he shall number to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.

¹⁴And on the eighth day he shall take for himself two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and come before the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and give them unto the priest.

¹⁵And the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD for his issue.

¹⁶"'And if any man's seed of copulation go out from him, then he shall wash all his flesh in water and be unclean until the evening.

¹⁷And every garment and every skin whereon is the seed of copulation, shall be washed with water and be unclean until the evening.

¹⁸The woman also with whom a man shall lie with seed of copulation, they shall both bathe themselves in water and be unclean until the evening.

¹⁹"'And if a woman have an issue and her issue from her flesh be blood, she shall be put apart seven days; and whosoever toucheth her shall be unclean until the evening.

²⁰And every thing that she lieth upon in her separation shall be unclean; every thing also that she sitteth upon shall be unclean.

²¹And whosoever toucheth her bed shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

²²And whosoever toucheth any thing that she sat upon shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

²³And if it be on her bed or on any thing whereon she sitteth, when he toucheth it, he shall be unclean until the evening.

²⁴And if any man lie with her at all and her monthly discharge be upon him, he shall be unclean seven days; and all the bed whereon he lieth shall be unclean.

²⁵"'And if a woman have an issue of her blood many days out of the time of her separation, or if it run beyond the time of her separation, all the days of the issue of her uncleanness shall be as the days of her separation; she shall be unclean.

²⁶Every bed whereon she lieth all the days of her issue shall be unto her as the bed of her separation; and whatsoever she sitteth upon shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her separation.

²⁷And whosoever toucheth those things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.

²⁸But if she be cleansed of her issue, then she shall number to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.

²⁹And on the eighth day she shall take unto her two turtledoves or two young pigeons, and bring them unto the priest to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

³⁰And the priest shall offer one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for her before the LORD for the issue of her uncleanness.

³¹"'Thus shall ye separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, that they die not in their uncleanness when they defile My tabernacle that is among them.'"

³²This is the law of him that hath an issue, and of him whose seed goeth from him and is defiled therewith,

³³and of her that is sick with her monthly discharge, and of him that hath an issue, of the man and of the woman, and of him that lieth with her that is unclean.

16And the LORD spoke unto Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they offered before the LORD, and died;

²and the LORD said unto Moses, "Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the Holy Place within the veil before the mercy seat which is upon the ark, that he die not; for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

³Thus shall Aaron come into the Holy Place: with a young bullock for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering.

⁴He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches upon his flesh and shall be girded with a linen girdle, and with the linen miter shall he be attired. These are holy garments. Therefore shall he wash his flesh in water, and so put them on.

⁵And he shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering.

⁶And Aaron shall offer his bullock of the sin offering which is for himself, and make an atonement for himself and for his house.

⁷And he shall take the two goats and present them before the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁸And Aaron shall cast lots upon the two goats -- one lot for the LORD and the other lot for the scapegoat.

⁹And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering.

¹⁰But the goat on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him and to let him go as a scapegoat into the wilderness.

¹¹"And Aaron shall bring the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself, and shall make an atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bullock of the sin offering which is for himself.

¹²And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it inside the veil.

¹³And he shall put the incense upon the fire before the LORD, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is upon the testimony, that he die not.

¹⁴And he shall take of the blood of the bullock and sprinkle it with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward; and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle of the blood with his finger seven times.

¹⁵Then shall he kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bullock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat and before the mercy seat.

¹⁶And he shall make an atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel and because of their transgressions in all their sins; and so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation that remaineth among them in the midst of their uncleanness.

¹⁷And there shall be no man in the tabernacle of the congregation when he goeth in to make an atonement in the Holy Place until he come out, and has made an atonement for himself and for his household and for all the congregation of Israel.

¹⁸And he shall go out unto the altar that is before the LORD and make an atonement for it, and shall take of the blood of the bullock and of the blood of the goat, and put it upon the horns of the altar round about.

¹⁹And he shall sprinkle of the blood upon it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it and hallow it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.

²⁰"And when he hath made an end of reconciling the Holy Place and the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, he shall bring the live goat.

²¹And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness.

²²And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited; and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

²³"And Aaron shall come into the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall put off the linen garments which he put on when he went into the Holy Place and shall leave them there;

²⁴and he shall wash his flesh with water in the Holy Place and put on his garments, and come forth and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make an atonement for himself and for the people.

²⁵And the fat of the sin offering shall he burn upon the altar.

²⁶And he that let go the goat as the scapegoat shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

²⁷And the bullock for the sin offering and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall one carry forth outside the camp; and they shall burn in the fire their skins and their flesh and their dung.

²⁸And he that burneth them shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.

²⁹"And this shall be a statute for ever unto you: that in the seventh month on the tenth day of the month, ye shall afflict your souls and do no work at all, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger who sojourneth among you;

³⁰for on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the LORD.

³¹It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you and ye shall afflict your souls, by a statute for ever.

³²And the priest, whom he shall anoint and whom he shall consecrate to minister in the priest's office in his father's stead, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen clothes, even the holy garments;

³³and he shall make an atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, and he shall make an atonement for the tabernacle of the congregation and for the altar, and he shall make an atonement for the priests and for all the people of the congregation.

³⁴And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you: to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year." And he did as the LORD commanded Moses.

17And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them: 'This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, saying:

³Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel who killeth an ox or lamb or goat in the camp, or who killeth it out of the camp,

⁴and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD, blood shall be imputed unto that man: he hath shed blood. And that man shall be cut off from among his people,

⁵to the end that the children of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they offer in the open field, even that they may bring them unto the LORD unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest, and offer them for peace offerings unto the LORD.

⁶And the priest shall sprinkle the blood upon the altar of the LORD at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and burn the fat for a sweet savor unto the LORD.

⁷And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. This shall be a statute for ever unto them throughout their generations.'

⁸"And thou shalt say unto them: 'Whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among you, who offereth a burnt offering or sacrifice,

⁹and bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation to offer it unto the LORD, even that man shall be cut off from among his people.

¹⁰"'And whatsoever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among you, who eateth any manner of blood, I will even set My face against that soul who eateth blood and will cut him off from among his people.

¹¹For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

¹²Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, "No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood."

¹³And whatsoever man there be of the children of Israel or of the strangers who sojourn among you, who hunteth and catcheth any beast or fowl that may be eaten, he shall even pour out the blood thereof and cover it with dust.

¹⁴For it is the life of all flesh: the blood of it is for the life thereof. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, "Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh, for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof. Whosoever eateth it shall be cut off."

¹⁵And every soul that eateth that which died of itself or that which was torn by beasts, whether it be one of your own country or a stranger, he shall both wash his clothes and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening; then shall he be clean.

¹⁶But if he wash them not nor bathe his flesh, then he shall bear his iniquity.'"

18And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'I am the LORD your God.

³According to the doings of the land of Egypt wherein ye dwelt, shall ye not do; and according to the doings of the land of Canaan whither I bring you, shall ye not do; neither shall ye walk in their ordinances.

⁴Ye shall do My judgments and keep Mine ordinances to walk therein; I am the LORD your God.

⁵Ye shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.

⁶"'None of you shall approach any who is near of kin to him to uncover their nakedness: I am the LORD.

⁷The nakedness of thy father or the nakedness of thy mother shalt thou not uncover: she is thy mother; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

⁸The nakedness of thy father's wife shalt thou not uncover: it is thy father's nakedness.

⁹The nakedness of thy sister, the daughter of thy father or daughter of thy mother, whether she be born at home or born abroad, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover.

¹⁰The nakedness of thy son's daughter or of thy daughter's daughter, even their nakedness thou shalt not uncover; for theirs is thine own nakedness.

¹¹The nakedness of thy father's wife's daughter, begotten of thy father, she is thy sister; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

¹²Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's sister: she is thy father's near kinswoman.

¹³Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister, for she is thy mother's near kinswoman.

¹⁴Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy father's brother. Thou shalt not approach his wife: she is thine aunt.

¹⁵Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy daughter-in-law: she is thy son's wife; thou shalt not uncover her nakedness.

¹⁶Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness.

¹⁷Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shalt thou take her son's daughter or her daughter's daughter to uncover her nakedness: for they are her near kinswomen; it is wickedness.

¹⁸Neither shalt thou take a wife to her sister to vex her, to uncover her nakedness beside the other in her life time.

¹⁹"'Also thou shalt not approach unto a woman to uncover her nakedness as long as she is put apart for her uncleanness.

²⁰Moreover thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbor's wife, to defile thyself with her.

²¹And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through the fire to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

²²Thou shalt not lie with mankind as with womankind: it is abomination.

²³Neither shalt thou lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith, neither shall any woman stand before a beast to lie down thereto: it is confusion.

²⁴"'Defile not ye yourselves in any of these things, for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you,

²⁵and the land is defiled. Therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomiteth out her inhabitants.

²⁶Ye shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations, neither any of your own nation nor any stranger who sojourneth among you

²⁷(for all these abominations have the men of the land done, who were before you, and the land is defiled),

²⁸that the land spew not you out also when ye defile it, as it spewed out the nations that were before you.

²⁹For whosoever shall commit any of these abominations, even the souls who commit them shall be cut off from among their people.

³⁰Therefore shall ye keep Mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the LORD your God.'"

19And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: 'Ye shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.

³Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, and keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.

⁴Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

⁵"'And if ye offer a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, ye shall offer it at your own will.

⁶It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow; and if aught remain until the third day, it shall be burned in the fire.

⁷And if it be eaten at all on the third day, it is abominable; it shall not be accepted.

⁸Therefore every one who eateth it shall bear his iniquity, because he hath profaned the hallowed thing of the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

⁹"'And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.

¹⁰And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard. Thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God.

¹¹"'Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

¹²And ye shall not swear by My name falsely; neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.

¹³"'Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him. The wages of him that is hired shall not remain with thee all night until the morning.

¹⁴Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the LORD.

¹⁵"'Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty, but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

¹⁶"'Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the LORD.

¹⁷"'Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart. Thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not let sin come upon him.

¹⁸Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the LORD.

¹⁹"'Ye shall keep My statutes. Thou shalt not let thy cattle breed with a diverse kind. Thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed; neither shall a garment mingled with linen and wool come upon thee.

²⁰"'And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman who is a bondmaid, betrothed to a husband, and not at all redeemed nor freedom given her, she shall be scourged. They shall not be put to death, because she was not free.

²¹And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation: even a ram for a trespass offering.

²²And the priest shall make an atonement for him with the ram of the trespass offering before the LORD for his sin which he hath done, and the sin which he hath done shall be forgiven him.

²³"'And when ye shall come into the land and shall have planted all manner of trees for food, then ye shall count the fruit thereof as uncircumcised. Three years shall it be as uncircumcised unto you. It shall not be eaten of.

²⁴But in the fourth year all the fruit thereof shall be holy with which to praise the LORD.

²⁵And in the fifth year shall ye eat of the fruit thereof, that it may yield unto you the increase thereof: I am the LORD your God.

²⁶"'Ye shall not eat any thing with the blood; neither shall ye use enchantment, nor observe omens.

²⁷Ye shall not round off the corners of your heads, neither shalt thou mar the corners of thy beard.

²⁸Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD.

²⁹"'Do not prostitute thy daughter to cause her to be a whore, lest the land fall to whoredom and the land become full of wickedness.

³⁰Ye shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

³¹"'Regard not those who have familiar spirits, neither seek after wizards to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God.

³²"'Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

³³"'And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

³⁴But the stranger who dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

³⁵"'Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in measuring length, weight, or number.

³⁶Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin shall ye have: I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

³⁷Therefore shall ye observe all My statutes and all My judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.'"

20And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel: 'Whosoever he be of the children of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who giveth any of his seed unto Molech, he shall surely be put to death. The people of the land shall stone him with stones.

³And I will set My face against that man and will cut him off from among his people, because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile My sanctuary and to profane My holy name.

⁴And if the people of the land do in any way hide their eyes from the man when he giveth of his seed unto Molech and kill him not,

⁵then I will set My face against that man and against his family and will cut him off, and all who go a whoring after him to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.

⁶"'And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits and after wizards to go a whoring after them, I will even set My face against that soul and will cut him off from among his people.

⁷"'Sanctify yourselves therefore and be ye holy, for I am the LORD your God.

⁸"'And ye shall keep My statutes and do them: I am the LORD who sanctify you.

⁹"'For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death. He hath cursed his father or his mother: his blood shall be upon him.

¹⁰"'And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

¹¹And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon them.

¹²And if a man lie with his daughter-in-law, both of them shall surely be put to death. They have wrought confusion: their blood shall be upon them.

¹³"'If a man also lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon them.

¹⁴"'And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there be no wickedness among you.

¹⁵"'And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death; and ye shall slay the beast.

¹⁶And if a woman approach unto any beast and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman and the beast. They shall surely be put to death: their blood shall be upon them.

¹⁷"'And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness and she see his nakedness, it is a wicked thing; and they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He hath uncovered his sister's nakedness: he shall bear his iniquity.

¹⁸"'And if a man shall lie with a woman having her sickness and shall uncover her nakedness, he hath discovered her fountain, and she hath uncovered the fountain of her blood; and both of them shall be cut off from among their people.

¹⁹And thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy mother's sister nor of thy father's sister, for he uncovereth his near kin: they shall bear their iniquity.

²⁰And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he hath uncovered his uncle's nakedness. They shall bear their sin: they shall die childless.

²¹And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing. He hath uncovered his brother's nakedness: they shall be childless.

²²"'Ye shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and do them, that the land whither I bring you to dwell therein spew you not out.

²³And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation which I cast out before you; for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them.

²⁴But I have said unto you, "Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey." I am the LORD your God, who have separated you from other people.

²⁵Ye shall therefore put difference between clean beasts and unclean, and between unclean fowls and clean; and ye shall not make your souls abominable by beast or by fowl, or by any manner of living thing that creepeth on the ground, which I have separated from you as unclean.

²⁶And ye shall be holy unto Me; for I the LORD am holy and have severed you from other people, that ye should be Mine.

²⁷"'A man also or woman who hath a familiar spirit, or who is a wizard, shall surely be put to death. They shall stone them with stones: their blood shall be upon them.'"

21And the LORD said unto Moses, "Speak unto the priests the sons of Aaron, and say unto them: 'There shall none be defiled for the dead among his people,

²except for his kin who is near unto him, that is: for his mother, and for his father, and for his son, and for his daughter, and for his brother,

³and for his sister, a virgin who is nigh unto him, who hath had no husband; for her may he be defiled.

⁴But he shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.

⁵They shall not make baldness upon their head, neither shall they shave off the corner of their beard nor make any cuttings in their flesh.

⁶They shall be holy unto their God and not profane the name of their God, for the offerings of the LORD made by fire and the bread of their God they do offer; therefore they shall be holy.

⁷They shall not take a wife who is a whore or profane, neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband; for he is holy unto his God.

⁸Thou shalt sanctify him therefore, for he offereth the bread of thy God. He shall be holy unto thee; for I the LORD, who sanctify you, am holy.

⁹And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father. She shall be burned with fire.

¹⁰"'And he that is the high priest among his brethren, upon whose head the anointing oil was poured and who is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not uncover his head nor rend his clothes;

¹¹neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father or for his mother;

¹²neither shall he go out of the sanctuary nor profane the sanctuary of his God, for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him: I am the LORD.

¹³And he shall take a wife in her virginity.

¹⁴A widow or a divorced woman or profane or a harlot, these shall he not take; but he shall take a virgin of his own people for a wife.

¹⁵Neither shall he profane his seed among his people, for I the LORD do sanctify him.'"

¹⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁷"Speak unto Aaron, saying, 'Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations who hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God.

¹⁸For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous,

¹⁹or a man who is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded,

²⁰or crookbacked, or a dwarf, or who hath a blemish in his eye, or hath scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken--

²¹no man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire. He hath a blemish: he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God.

²²He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy and of the holy.

²³Only he shall not go in unto the veil nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish, that he profane not My sanctuaries; for I the LORD do sanctify them.'"

²⁴And Moses told it unto Aaron and to his sons, and unto all the children of Israel.

22And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, that they separate themselves from the holy things of the children of Israel, and that they profane not My holy name in those things which they hallow unto Me: I am the LORD.

³Say unto them: 'Whosoever he be of all your seed among your generations, who goeth unto the holy things which the children of Israel hallow unto the LORD, having his uncleanness upon him, that soul shall be cut off from My presence: I am the LORD.

⁴Whatsoever man of the seed of Aaron is a leper or hath a running issue, he shall not eat of the holy things until he is clean. And whoso toucheth any thing that is unclean by the dead, or a man whose seed goeth from him,

⁵or whosoever toucheth any creeping thing whereby he may be made unclean, or a man of whom he may take uncleanness, whatsoever uncleanness he hath--

⁶the soul who hath touched any such shall be unclean until evening, and shall not eat of the holy things unless he wash his flesh with water.

⁷And when the sun is down he shall be clean, and shall afterwards eat of the holy things, because it is his food.

⁸That which dieth of itself or is torn with beasts, he shall not eat to defile himself therewith: I am the LORD.

⁹They shall therefore keep Mine ordinance, lest they bear sin for it and die therefore if they profane it: I the LORD do sanctify them.

¹⁰"'There shall no stranger eat of the holy thing. A sojourner of the priest or a hired servant shall not eat of the holy thing.

¹¹But if the priest buy any soul with his money, he shall eat of it, and he that is born in his house; they shall eat of his meat.

¹²If the priest's daughter also be married unto a stranger, she may not eat of an offering of the holy things.

¹³But if the priest's daughter be a widow or divorced, and have no child, and is returned unto her father's house as in her youth, she shall eat of her father's meat; but there shall no stranger eat thereof.

¹⁴And if a man eat of the holy thing unwittingly, then he shall put a fifth part thereof unto it, and shall give it unto the priest with the holy thing.

¹⁵And they shall not profane the holy things of the children of Israel, which they offer unto the LORD,

¹⁶or allow them to bear the iniquity of trespass when they eat their holy things: for I the LORD do sanctify them.'"

¹⁷And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁸"Speak unto Aaron and to his sons and unto all the children of Israel, and say unto them: 'Whosoever he be of the house of Israel or of the strangers in Israel, who will offer his oblation for all his vows and for all his freewill offerings, which they will offer unto the LORD for a burnt offering"

¹⁹ye shall offer at your own will a male without blemish of the beeves, of the sheep, or of the goats.

²⁰But whatsoever hath a blemish, that shall ye not offer; for it shall not be acceptable for you.

²¹And whosoever offereth a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD to accomplish his vow, or a freewill offering in beeves or sheep, it shall be perfect to be accepted; there shall be no blemish therein.

²²Blind, or broken, or maimed, or having a wen, or scurvy, or scabbed, ye shall not offer these unto the LORD, nor make an offering by fire of them upon the altar unto the LORD.

²³Either a bullock or a lamb that hath any thing superfluous or lacking in his parts, that mayest thou offer for a freewill offering, but for a vow it shall not be accepted.

²⁴Ye shall not offer unto the LORD that which is bruised, or crushed, or broken, or cut; neither shall ye make any offering thereof in your land.

²⁵Neither from a stranger's hand shall ye offer the bread of your God of any of these, because their corruption is in them and blemishes are in them; they shall not be accepted for you.'"

²⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁷"When a bullock or a sheep or a goat is brought forth, then it shall be seven days with its dam; and from the eighth day and thenceforth it shall be accepted for an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

²⁸And whether it be cow or ewe, ye shall not kill it and her young both in one day.

²⁹And when ye will offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving unto the LORD, offer it at your own will.

³⁰On the same day it shall be eaten up; ye shall leave none of it until the morrow: I am the LORD.

³¹"Therefore shall ye keep My commandments and do them: I am the LORD.

³²Neither shall ye profane My holy name, but I will be hallowed among the children of Israel. I am the LORD who hallow you,

³³that brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD."

23And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My feasts.

³"'Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no work therein; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings.

⁴"'These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.

⁵On the fourteenth day of the first month at evening is the LORD'S Passover.

⁶And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread unto the LORD; seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.

⁷On the first day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work therein.

⁸But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work therein.'"

⁹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁰"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'When ye come into the land which I give unto you and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest.

¹¹And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD to be accepted for you; on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

¹²And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf a helamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

¹³And the meat offering thereof shall be two-tenths part of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savor; and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, a fourth part of a hin.

¹⁴And ye shall eat neither bread nor parched corn nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

¹⁵"'And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete.

¹⁶Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall ye number fifty days, and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.

¹⁷Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two-tenths part. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.

¹⁸And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock and two rams; they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savor unto the LORD.

¹⁹Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.

²⁰And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD with the two lambs; they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.

²¹And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day that it may be a holy convocation unto you. Ye shall do no servile work therein; it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

²²"'And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not rid cleanly the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleanings of thy harvest. Thou shalt leave them unto the poor and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.'"

²³And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁴"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

²⁵Ye shall do no servile work therein, but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.'"

²⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁷"Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

²⁸And ye shall do no work in that same day, for it is a Day of Atonement to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.

²⁹For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.

³⁰And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.

³¹Ye shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

³²It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening unto evening, shall ye celebrate your sabbath."

³³And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

³⁴"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.

³⁵On the first day shall be a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work therein.

³⁶Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. On the eighth day shall be a holy convocation unto you, and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. It is a solemn assembly, and ye shall do no servile work therein.

³⁷"'These are the feasts of the LORD which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering and a meat offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, every thing upon his day"

³⁸besides the Sabbaths of the LORD, and besides your gifts, and besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which ye give unto the LORD.

³⁹"'Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days; on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.

⁴⁰And ye shall take for yourselves on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.

⁴¹And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations; ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

⁴²Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths,

⁴³that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.'"

⁴⁴And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

24And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Command the children of Israel that they bring unto thee pure olive oil, beaten for the light, to cause the lamps to burn continually.

³Outside the veil of the testimony, in the tabernacle of the congregation, shall Aaron order it from the evening unto the morning before the LORD continually; it shall be a statute for ever in your generations.

⁴He shall order the lamps upon the pure candlestick before the LORD continually.

⁵"And thou shalt take fine flour and bake twelve cakes thereof, twotenths part shall be in one cake.

⁶And thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the LORD.

⁷And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row, that it may be on the bread for a memorial, even an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

⁸Every Sabbath he shall set it in order before the LORD continually, being taken from the children of Israel by an everlasting covenant.

⁹And it shall be Aaron's and his sons'; and they shall eat it in the holy place, for it is most holy unto him of the offerings of the LORD made by fire by a perpetual statute."

¹⁰And the son of an Israelite woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelite woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp.

¹¹And the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name of the LORD and cursed. And they brought him unto Moses (his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan);

¹²and they put him under guard, that the mind of the LORD might be shown them.

¹³And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁴"Bring forth him that hath cursed outside the camp; and let all who heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him.

¹⁵And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin.

¹⁶And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him. As well the stranger as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

¹⁷And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸And he that killeth a beast shall make it good, beast for beast.

¹⁹And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbor, as he hath done, so shall it be done to him--

²⁰breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. As he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

²¹And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it; and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death.

²²Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger as for one of your own country; for I am the LORD your God.'"

²³And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, that they should bring forth him that had cursed out of the camp and stone him with stones. And the children of Israel did as the LORD commanded Moses.

25And the LORD spoke unto Moses on Mount Sinai, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'When ye come into the land which I give you, then shall the land keep a sabbath unto the LORD.

³Six years thou shalt sow thy field, and six years thou shalt prune thy vineyard and gather in the fruit thereof,

⁴but in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD; thou shalt neither sow thy field nor prune thy vineyard.

⁵That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap, neither gather the grapes of thy vine undressed; for it is a year of rest unto the land.

⁶And the sabbath of the land shall be meat for you: for thee, and for thy servant, and for thy maid, and for thy hired servant, and for thy stranger who sojourneth with thee;

⁷and for thy cattle and for the beasts that are in thy land shall all the increase thereof be meat.

⁸"'And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.

⁹Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land.

¹⁰And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof. It shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

¹¹A jubilee shall that fiftieth year be unto you: ye shall not sow neither reap that which groweth of itself in it, nor gather the grapes in it of thy vine undressed.

¹²For it is the jubilee; it shall be holy unto you; ye shall eat the increase thereof out of the field.

¹³"'In the year of this jubilee ye shall return every man unto his possession.

¹⁴And if thou sell aught unto thy neighbor or buyest aught of thy neighbor's hand, ye shall not oppress one another.

¹⁵According to the number of years after the jubilee thou shalt buy from thy neighbor, and according unto the number of years of the fruits he shall sell unto thee.

¹⁶According to the multitude of years thou shalt increase the price thereof, and according to the fewness of years thou shalt diminish the price of it; for according to the number of the years of the fruits doth he sell unto thee.

¹⁷Ye shall not therefore oppress one another, but thou shalt fear thy God; for I am the LORD your God.

¹⁸"'Therefore ye shall do My statutes, and keep My judgments and do them; and ye shall dwell in the land in safety.

¹⁹And the land shall yield her fruit, and ye shall eat your fill and dwell therein in safety.

²⁰And if ye shall say, "What shall we eat the seventh year? Behold, we shall not sow nor gather in our increase."

²¹Then I will command My blessing upon you in the sixth year, and it shall bring forth fruit for three years.

²²And ye shall sow the eighth year, and eat yet of old fruit until the ninth year; until her fruits come in ye shall eat of the old store.

²³The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is Mine; for ye are strangers and sojourners with Me.

²⁴And in all the land of your possession ye shall grant a redemption for the land.

²⁵"'If thy brother waxeth poor and hath sold away some of his possession, and if any of his kin come to redeem it, then shall he redeem that which his brother sold.

²⁶And if the man have none to redeem it, and he himself is able to redeem it,

²⁷then let him count the years of the sale thereof, and restore the overplus unto the man to whom he sold it, that he may return unto his possession.

²⁸But if he is not able to restore it to him, then that which is sold shall remain in the hand of him that hath bought it until the Year of Jubilee; and in the jubilee it shall go out, and he shall return unto his possession.

²⁹"'And if a man sell a dwelling house in a walled city, then he may redeem it within a whole year after it is sold; within a full year may he redeem it.

³⁰And if it is not redeemed within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city shall be established for ever to him that bought it throughout his generations; it shall not go out in the jubilee.

³¹But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country; they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubilee.

³²Notwithstanding, the cities of the Levites and the houses of the cities of their possession may the Levites redeem at any time.

³³And if a man purchase from the Levites, then the house that was sold and the city of his possession shall go out in the Year of Jubilee; for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the children of Israel.

³⁴But the field of the suburbs of their cities may not be sold, for it is their perpetual possession.

³⁵"'And if thy brother be waxed poor and hath fallen into ruin with thee, then thou shalt relieve him, yea, though he be a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with thee.

³⁶Take thou no interest from him or increase; but fear thy God, that thy brother may live with thee.

³⁷Thou shalt not give him thy money upon interest, nor lend him thy victuals for increase.

³⁸I am the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

³⁹"'And if thy brother who dwelleth by thee be waxed poor and is sold unto thee, thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bond servant;

⁴⁰but as a hired servant and as a sojourner he shall be with thee, and shall serve thee unto the Year of Jubilee.

⁴¹And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return.

⁴²For they are My servants, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt; they shall not be sold as bondmen.

⁴³Thou shalt not rule over him with rigor, but shalt fear thy God.

⁴⁴Both thy bondmen and thy bondmaids, whom thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen who are round about you. From them shall ye buy bondmen and bondmaids.

⁴⁵Moreover of the children of the strangers who sojourn among you, from them shall ye buy and from their families who are with you, whom they begot in your land; and they shall be your possession.

⁴⁶And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession. They shall be your bondmen for ever. But over your brethren, the children of Israel, ye shall not rule one over another with rigor.

⁴⁷"'And if a sojourner or stranger wax rich by thee, and thy brother who dwelleth by him wax poor and sell himself unto the stranger or sojourner by thee, or to the stock of the stranger's family,

⁴⁸after he is sold he may be redeemed again. One of his brethren may redeem him:

⁴⁹either his uncle or his uncle's son may redeem him, or any that is nigh of kin unto him of his family may redeem him; or if he is able, he may redeem himself.

⁵⁰And he shall reckon with him that bought him from the year that he was sold to him unto the Year of Jubilee; and the price of his sale shall be according unto the number of years, according to the time of a hired servant shall it be with him.

⁵¹If there be yet many years behind, according unto them he shall give again the price of his redemption out of the money that he was bought for.

⁵²And if there remain but few years unto the Year of Jubilee, then he shall count with him, and according unto his years shall he give him again the price of his redemption.

⁵³And as a yearly hired servant shall he be with him, and the other shall not rule with rigor over him in thy sight.

⁵⁴And if he is not redeemed in these years, then he shall go out in the Year of Jubilee, both he and his children with him.

⁵⁵For unto Me the children of Israel are servants. They are My servants whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

26"'Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land to bow down unto it; for I am the LORD your God.

²Ye shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

³"'If ye walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them,

⁴then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.

⁵And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely.

⁶And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid; and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land.

⁷And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword.

⁸And five of you shall chase a hundred, and a hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword.

⁹For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful and multiply you, and establish My covenant with you.

¹⁰And ye shall eat old store, and bring forth the old because of the new.

¹¹And I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you.

¹²And I will walk among you and will be your God, and ye shall be My people.

¹³I am the LORD your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bands of your yoke, and made you go upright.

¹⁴"'But if ye will not hearken unto Me and will not do all these commandments,

¹⁵and if ye shall despise My statutes, or if your soul abhor My judgments so that ye will not do all My commandments, but that ye break My covenant,

¹⁶I also will do this unto you: I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague that shall consume the eyes and cause sorrow of heart; and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it.

¹⁷And I will set My face against you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies; they that hate you shall reign over you, and ye shall flee when none pursueth you.

¹⁸And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto Me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

¹⁹And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron and your earth as brass.

²⁰And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits.

²¹"'And if ye walk contrary unto Me and will not hearken unto Me, I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins.

²²I will also send wild beasts among you, which shall rob you of your children and destroy your cattle and make you few in number, and your highways shall be desolate.

²³"'And if ye will not be reformed by Me by these things, but will walk contrary unto Me,

²⁴then will I also walk contrary unto you, and will punish you yet seven times for your sins.

²⁵And I will bring a sword upon you that shall avenge the quarrel of My covenant; and when ye are gathered together within your cities I will send the pestilence among you, and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

²⁶And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight; and ye shall eat and not be satisfied.

²⁷"'And if ye will not for all this hearken unto Me, but walk contrary unto Me,

²⁸then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury; and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

²⁹And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat.

³⁰And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols; and My soul shall abhor you.

³¹And I will make your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors.

³²And I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies who dwell therein shall be astonished at it.

³³And I will scatter you among the heathen, and will draw out a sword after you; and your land shall be desolate and your cities waste.

³⁴"'Then shall the land enjoy her sabbaths, as long as it lieth desolate and ye are in your enemies' land; even then shall the land rest and enjoy her sabbaths.

³⁵As long as it lieth desolate it shall rest, because it did not rest in your sabbaths when ye dwelt upon it.

³⁶And upon them that are left alive of you, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies; and the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when none pursueth.

³⁷And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth; and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies.

³⁸And ye shall perish among the heathen, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up.

³⁹And they that are left of you shall pine away in their iniquity in your enemies' lands; and also in the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them.

⁴⁰"'If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their trespass which they trespassed against Me, and that also they have walked contrary unto Me,

⁴¹and that I also have walked contrary unto them and have brought them into the land of their enemies--if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept the punishment of their iniquity,

⁴²then will I remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

⁴³The land also shall be left by them, and shall enjoy her sabbaths while she lieth desolate without them; and they shall accept the punishment of their iniquity, because, even because they despised My judgments and because their soul abhorred My statutes.

⁴⁴And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly and to break My covenant with them; for I am the LORD their God.

⁴⁵But I will for their sakes remember the covenant of their ancestors, whom I brought forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the heathen, that I might be their God: I am the LORD.'"

⁴⁶These are the statutes and judgments and laws which the LORD made between Himself and the children of Israel on Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

27And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: 'When a man shall make a singular vow, the persons shall be for the LORD by thy estimation.

³And thy estimation shall be of the male from twenty years old even unto sixty years old, even thy valuation shall be fifty shekels of silver, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

⁴And if it be a female, then thy valuation shall be thirty shekels.

⁵And if it be from five years old even unto twenty years old then thy valuation shall be for the male twenty shekels and for the female ten shekels.

⁶And if it be from a month old even unto five years old, then thy valuation shall be for the male five shekels of silver, and for the female thy valuation shall be three shekels of silver.

⁷And if it be from sixty years old and above, if it be a male, then thy valuation shall be fifteen shekels and for the female ten shekels.

⁸But if he be poorer than thy valuation, then he shall present himself before the priest and the priest shall value him; according to his ability who vowed shall the priest value him.

⁹"'And if it be a beast whereof men bring an offering unto the LORD, all that any man giveth of such unto the LORD shall be holy.

¹⁰He shall not alter it nor change it, a good for a bad or a bad for a good; and if he shall at all change beast for beast, then it and the exchange thereof shall be holy.

¹¹And if it be any unclean beast, which they do not offer as a sacrifice unto the LORD, then he shall present the beast before the priest.

¹²And the priest shall value it, whether it be good or bad; as thou, who art the priest, valuest it, so shall it be.

¹³But if he will at all redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part thereof unto thy valuation.

¹⁴"'And when a man shall sanctify his house to be holy unto the LORD, then the priest shall evaluate it, whether it be good or bad; as the priest shall evaluate it, so shall it stand.

¹⁵And if he that sanctified it will redeem his house, then he shall add a fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be his.

¹⁶"'And if a man shall sanctify unto the LORD some part of a field of his possession, then thy valuation shall be according to the seed thereof: a homer of barley seed shall be valued at fifty shekels of silver.

¹⁷If he sanctify his field from the Year of Jubilee, according to thy valuation it shall stand.

¹⁸But if he sanctify his field after the jubilee, then the priest shall reckon unto him the money according to the years that remain, even unto the Year of the Jubilee, and it shall be abated from thy valuation.

¹⁹And if he that sanctified the field will in any wise redeem it, then he shall add a fifth part of the money of thy valuation unto it, and it shall be assured to him.

²⁰And if he will not redeem the field or if he have sold the field to another man, it shall not be redeemed any more.

²¹But the field, when it goeth out in the jubilee, shall be holy unto the LORD, as a field devoted; the possession thereof shall be the priest's.

²²And if a man sanctify unto the LORD a field which he hath bought, which is not of the fields of his possession,

²³then the priest shall reckon unto him the worth of thy valuation, even unto the Year of the Jubilee; and he shall give thy valuation on that day as a holy thing unto the LORD.

²⁴In the Year of the Jubilee the field shall return unto him from whom it was bought, even to him to whom the possession of the land did belong.

²⁵And all thy valuations shall be according to the shekel of the sanctuary: twenty gerahs shall be the shekel.

²⁶"'Only the firstborn of the beasts, which should be the LORD'S firstling, no man shall sanctify it; whether it be ox or sheep, it is the LORD'S.

²⁷And if it is of an unclean beast, then he shall redeem it according to thy valuation and shall add a fifth part of it thereto; or if it be not redeemed, then it shall be sold according to thy valuation.

²⁸"'Notwithstanding, no devoted thing that a man shall devote unto the LORD of all that he hath, both of man and beast, and of the field of his possession, shall be sold or redeemed; every devoted thing is most holy unto the LORD.

²⁹None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed, but shall surely be put to death.

³⁰"'And all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land or of the fruit of the tree, is the LORD'S; it is holy unto the LORD.

³¹And if a man will at all redeem aught of his tithes, he shall add thereto a fifth part thereof.

³²And concerning the tithe of the herd or of the flock, even of whatsoever passeth under the rod, a tenth shall be holy unto the LORD.

³³He shall not search whether it be good or bad, neither shall he change it; and if he change it at all, then both it and the change thereof shall be holy; it shall not be redeemed.'"

³⁴These are the commandments which the LORD commanded Moses for the children of Israel on Mount Sinai.

1And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the tabernacle of the congregation, on the first day of the second month, in the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

²"Take ye the number of all the congregation of the children of Israel, by their families, by the house of their fathers, with the number of their names, every male by head count

³from twenty years old and upward, all who are able to go forth to war in Israel. Thou and Aaron shall number them by their armies.

⁴And with you there shall be a man of every tribe, every one head of the house of his fathers.

⁵And these are the names of the men who shall stand with you: of the tribe of Reuben, Elizur the son of Shedeur;

⁶of Simeon, Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai;

⁷of Judah, Nahshon the son of Amminadab;

⁸of Issachar, Nethaneel the son of Zuar;

⁹of Zebulun, Eliab the son of Helon;

¹⁰of the children of Joseph: of Ephraim, Elishama the son of Ammihud, and of Manasseh, Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur;

¹¹of Benjamin, Abidan the son of Gideoni;

¹²of Dan, Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai;

¹³of Asher, Pagiel the son of Ocran;

¹⁴of Gad, Eliasaph the son of Deuel;

¹⁵of Naphtali, Ahira the son of Enan."

¹⁶These were the renowned of the congregation, princes of the tribes of their fathers, heads of thousands in Israel.

¹⁷And Moses and Aaron took these men who are expressly named.

¹⁸And they assembled all the congregation together on the first day of the second month; and they declared their pedigrees according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward by head count.

¹⁹As the LORD commanded Moses, so he numbered them in the Wilderness of Sinai.

²⁰And the children of Reuben, Israel's eldest son, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, by head count every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

²¹those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Reuben, were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

²²Of the children of Simeon, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, those who were numbered of them, according to the number of the names, by head count every male from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

²³those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Simeon, were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

²⁴Of the children of Gad, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

²⁵those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Gad, were forty and five thousand six hundred and fifty.

²⁶Of the children of Judah, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

²⁷those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Judah, were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

²⁸Of the children of Issachar, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

²⁹those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Issachar, were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

³⁰Of the children of Zebulun, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

³¹those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Zebulun, were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

³²Of the children of Joseph, namely, of the children of Ephraim, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

³³those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Ephraim, were forty thousand and five hundred.

³⁴Of the children of Manasseh, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

³⁵those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Manasseh, were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

³⁶Of the children of Benjamin, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

³⁷those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Benjamin, were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

³⁸Of the children of Dan, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

³⁹those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

⁴⁰Of the children of Asher, by their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

⁴¹those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Asher, were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

⁴²Of the children of Naphtali, throughout their generations, according to their families, by the house of their fathers, according to the number of the names, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war:

⁴³those who were numbered of them, even of the tribe of Naphtali, were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

⁴⁴These are those who were numbered, whom Moses and Aaron numbered, and the princes of Israel, being twelve men; each one was for the house of his fathers.

⁴⁵So were all those who were numbered of the children of Israel, by the house of their fathers, from twenty years old and upward, all who were able to go forth to war in Israel,

⁴⁶even all those who were numbered were six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

⁴⁷But the Levites, according to the tribe of their fathers were not numbered among them.

⁴⁸For the LORD had spoken unto Moses, saying,

⁴⁹"Only the tribe of Levi shalt thou not number, neither take the count of them among the children of Israel;

⁵⁰but thou shalt appoint the Levites over the tabernacle of testimony, and over all the vessels thereof and over all things that belong to it. They shall bear the tabernacle and all the vessels thereof, and they shall minister unto it and shall encamp round about the tabernacle.

⁵¹And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down; and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up; and the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to death.

⁵²And the children of Israel shall pitch their tents, every man by his own camp and every man by his own standard, throughout their hosts.

⁵³But the Levites shall pitch round about the tabernacle of testimony, that there be no wrath upon the congregation of the children of Israel; and the Levites shall keep the charge of the tabernacle of testimony."

⁵⁴And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses; so did they.

2And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

²"Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch his tent by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house. Far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch.

³And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall those of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies; and Nahshon the son of Amminadab shall be captain of the children of Judah."

⁴And his host and those who were numbered of them were threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred.

⁵"And those who pitch next unto him shall be the tribe of Issachar; and Nethaneel the son of Zuar shall be captain of the children of Issachar."

⁶And his host and those who were numbered thereof were fifty and four thousand and four hundred.

⁷"Then the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon shall be captain of the children of Zebulun."

⁸And his host and those who were numbered thereof were fifty and seven thousand and four hundred.

⁹All who were numbered in the camp of Judah were a hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. "These shall first set forth.

¹⁰"On the south side shall be the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies; and the captain of the children of Reuben shall be Elizur the son of Shedeur."

¹¹And his host and those who were numbered thereof were forty and six thousand and five hundred.

¹²"And those who pitch by him shall be the tribe of Simeon; and the captain of the children of Simeon shall be Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai."

¹³And his host and those who were numbered of them were fifty and nine thousand and three hundred.

¹⁴"Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad shall be Eliasaph the son of Reuel."

¹⁵And his host and those who were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty.

¹⁶All who were numbered in the camp of Reuben were a hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies. "And they shall set forth in the second rank.

¹⁷"Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall go forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp. As they encamp, so shall they go forward, every man in his place by their standards.

¹⁸"On the west side shall be the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies; and the captain of the sons of Ephraim shall be Elishama the son of Ammihud."

¹⁹And his host and those who were numbered of them were forty thousand and five hundred.

²⁰"And by him shall be the tribe of Manasseh; and the captain of the children of Manasseh shall be Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur."

²¹And his host and those who were numbered of them were thirty and two thousand and two hundred.

²²"Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin shall be Abidan the son of Gideoni."

²³And his host and those who were numbered of them were thirty and five thousand and four hundred.

²⁴All who were numbered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred thousand and eight thousand and a hundred, throughout their armies. "And they shall go forward in the third rank.

²⁵"The standard of the camp of Dan shall be on the north side by their armies; and the captain of the children of Dan shall be Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai."

²⁶And his host and those who were numbered of them were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred.

²⁷"And those who encamp by him shall be the tribe of Asher; and the captain of the children of Asher shall be Pagiel the son of Ocran."

²⁸And his host and those who were numbered of them were forty and one thousand and five hundred.

²⁹"Then the tribe of Naphtali: and the captain of the children of Naphtali shall be Ahira the son of Enan."

³⁰And his host and those who were numbered of them were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

³¹All those who were numbered in the camp of Dan were a hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. "They shall go hindmost with their standards."

³²These are those who were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers; all those who were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts were six hundred and three thousand and five hundred and fifty.

³³But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel, as the LORD commanded Moses.

³⁴And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses: so they camped by their standards, and so they went forward, every one by their families, according to the house of their fathers.

3These also are the generations of Aaron and Moses in the day that the LORD spoke with Moses on Mount Sinai.

²And these are the names of the sons of Aaron: Nadab the firstborn, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

³These are the names of the sons of Aaron, the priests who were anointed, whom he consecrated to minister in the priest's office.

⁴And Nadab and Abihu died before the LORD when they offered strange fire before the LORD in the Wilderness of Sinai; and they had no children. And Eleazar and Ithamar ministered in the priest's office in the sight of Aaron their father.

⁵And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁶"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may minister unto him.

⁷And they shall keep his charge, and the charge of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of the congregation, to do the service of the tabernacle.

⁸And they shall keep all the instruments of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the children of Israel, to do the service of the tabernacle.

⁹And thou shalt give the Levites unto Aaron and to his sons: they are wholly given unto him out of the children of Israel.

¹⁰And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office; and the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to death."

¹¹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

¹²"And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who openeth the womb among the children of Israel. Therefore the Levites shall be Mine,

¹³because all the firstborn are Mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast. Mine shall they be: I am the LORD."

¹⁴And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, saying:

¹⁵"Number the children of Levi according to the house of their fathers, by their families. Every male from a month old and upward shalt thou number them."

¹⁶And Moses numbered them according to the word of the LORD, as he was commanded.

¹⁷And these were the sons of Levi by their names: Gershon, and Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁸And these are the names of the sons of Gershon by their families: Libni and Shimei.

¹⁹And the sons of Kohath by their families: Amram, and Izehar, Hebron, and Uzziel.

²⁰And the sons of Merari by their families: Mahli and Mushi. These are the families of the Levites according to the house of their fathers.

²¹Of Gershon was the family of the Libnites and the family of the Shimites; these are the families of the Gershonites.

²²Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, even those who were numbered of them were seven thousand and five hundred.

²³The families of the Gershonites shall pitch camp behind the tabernacle westward.

²⁴And the chief of the house of the father of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.

²⁵And the charge of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation shall be the tabernacle, and the tent, the covering thereof, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

²⁶and the hangings of the court, and the curtain for the door of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and the cords of it for all the service thereof.

²⁷And of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites; these are the families of the Kohathites.

²⁸In the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were eight thousand and six hundred, keeping the charge of the sanctuary.

²⁹The families of the sons of Kohath shall pitch camp on the side of the tabernacle southward.

³⁰And the chief of the house of the father of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.

³¹And their charge shall be the ark, and the table, and the candlestick, and the altars, and the vessels of the sanctuary wherewith they minister, and the hanging, and all the service thereof.

³²And Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be chief over the chief of the Levites, and have the oversight of those who keep the charge of the sanctuary.

³³Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites and the family of the Mushites; these are the families of Merari.

³⁴And those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand and two hundred.

³⁵And the chief of the house of the father of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail; these shall pitch camp on the side of the tabernacle northward.

³⁶And under the custody and charge of the sons of Merari shall be the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and the sockets thereof, and all the vessels thereof, and all that serveth thereto,

³⁷and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords.

³⁸But those who encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, even before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, shall be Moses and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to death.

³⁹All who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron numbered at the commandment of the LORD, throughout their families, all the males from a month old and upward were twenty and two thousand.

⁴⁰And the LORD said unto Moses: "Number all the firstborn of the males of the children of Israel from a month old and upward, and take the number of their names.

⁴¹And thou shalt take the Levites for Me (I am the LORD) instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of all the firstlings among the cattle of the children of Israel."

⁴²And Moses numbered, as the LORD commanded him, all the firstborn among the children of Israel.

⁴³And all the firstborn males by the number of names, from a month old and upward, of those who were numbered of them were twenty and two thousand two hundred and threescore and thirteen.

⁴⁴And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁴⁵"Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle. And the Levites shall be Mine: I am the LORD.

⁴⁶And for those who are to be redeemed of the two hundred and threescore and thirteen of the firstborn of the children of Israel, who are more than the Levites,

⁴⁷thou shalt even take five shekels apiece by head count; according to the shekel of the sanctuary shalt thou take them (the shekel is twenty gerahs).

⁴⁸And thou shalt give the money, wherewith the odd number of them is to be redeemed, unto Aaron and to his sons."

⁴⁹And Moses took the redemption money from those who were over and above those who were redeemed by the Levites.

⁵⁰Of the firstborn of the children of Israel took he the money, a thousand three hundred and threescore and five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

⁵¹And Moses gave the money of those who were redeemed unto Aaron and to his sons, according to the word of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

4And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

²"Take a count of the sons of Kohath from among the sons of Levi, according to their families, by the house of their fathers,

³from thirty years old and upward even until fifty years old, all who enter into the host, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁴This shall be the service of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation concerned with the most holy things.

⁵And when the camp moves forward, Aaron shall come and his sons, and they shall take down the covering veil and cover the ark of Testimony with it,

⁶and shall put thereon the covering of badgers' skins, and shall spread over it a cloth wholly of blue, and shall put in the staves thereof.

⁷And upon the table of showbread they shall spread a cloth of blue, and put thereon the dishes and the spoons and the bowls, and covers for covering; and the continual bread shall be thereon.

⁸And they shall spread upon them a cloth of scarlet, and cover the same with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

⁹And they shall take a cloth of blue and cover the candlestick of the light, and his lamps and his tongs and his snuff dishes, and all the oil vessels thereof, wherewith they minister unto it.

¹⁰And they shall put it and all the vessels thereof within a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put it upon a carrying pole.

¹¹And upon the golden altar they shall spread a cloth of blue and cover it with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put in the staves thereof.

¹²And they shall take all the instruments of ministry wherewith they minister in the sanctuary, and put them in a cloth of blue and cover them with a covering of badgers' skins, and shall put them on a carrying pole.

¹³And they shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon;

¹⁴and they shall put upon it all the vessels thereof wherewith they minister about it -- even the censers, the fleshhooks, and the shovels, and the basins, all the vessels of the altar -- and they shall spread upon it a covering of badgers' skins and put in the staves of it.

¹⁵And when Aaron and his sons have made an end of covering the sanctuary and all the vessels of the sanctuary, as the camp is to move forward, after that the sons of Kohath shall come to bear it; but they shall not touch any holy thing, lest they die. These things are the burden of the sons of Kohath in the tabernacle of the congregation.

¹⁶"And to the office of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, pertaineth the oil for the light, and the sweet incense, and the daily meat offering, and the anointing oil, and the oversight of all the tabernacle and of all that therein is in the sanctuary and in the vessels thereof."

¹⁷And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying:

¹⁸"Cut ye not off the tribe of the families of the Kohathites from among the Levites,

¹⁹but thus do unto them, that they may live and not die when they approach unto the most holy things: Aaron and his sons shall go in and appoint them every one to his service and to his burden;

²⁰but they shall not go in to see when the holy things are covered, lest they die."

²¹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²²"Take also the sum of the sons of Gershon, throughout the houses of their fathers, by their families.

²³From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them, all who enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

²⁴This is the service of the families of the Gershonites, to serve and to bear burdens.

²⁵And they shall bear the curtains of the tabernacle, and the tabernacle of the congregation, his covering, and the covering of the badgers' skins that is above upon it, and the hanging for the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

²⁶and the hangings of the court, and the hanging for the door of the gate of the court which is by the tabernacle and by the altar round about, and their cords, and all the instruments of their service, and all that is made for them; so shall they serve.

²⁷At the appointment of Aaron and his sons shall be all the service of the sons of the Gershonites, in all their burdens and in all their service; and ye shall appoint unto them in charge all their burdens.

²⁸This is the service of the families of the sons of Gershon in the tabernacle of the congregation; and their charge shall be under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

²⁹"As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them according to their families, by the house of their fathers;

³⁰from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one who entereth into the service to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation.

³¹And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation: the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof,

³²and the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service; and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden.

³³This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest."

³⁴And Moses and Aaron and the chief of the congregation numbered the sons of the Kohathites by their families and by the house of their fathers,

³⁵from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one who entereth into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation;

³⁶and those who were numbered of them by their families were two thousand seven hundred and fifty.

³⁷These were they that were numbered of the families of the Kohathites, all who might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

³⁸And those who were numbered of the sons of Gershon, throughout their families and by the house of their fathers,

³⁹from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one who entereth into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation"

⁴⁰even those who were numbered of them throughout their families, by the house of their fathers, were two thousand and six hundred and thirty.

⁴¹These are they that were numbered of the families of the sons of Gershon, of all who might do service in the tabernacle of the congregation, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the commandment of the LORD.

⁴²And those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, throughout their families, by the house of their fathers,

⁴³from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one who entereth into the service for the work in the tabernacle of the congregation"

⁴⁴even those who were numbered of them by their families, were three thousand and two hundred.

⁴⁵These are those who were numbered of the families of the sons of Merari, whom Moses and Aaron numbered according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

⁴⁶All those who were numbered of the Levites, whom Moses and Aaron and the chief of Israel numbered, according to their families and by the house of their fathers,

⁴⁷from thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old, every one who came to do the service of the ministry and the service of the burden in the tabernacle of the congregation--

⁴⁸even those who were numbered of them were eight thousand and five hundred and fourscore.

⁴⁹According to the commandment of the LORD they were numbered by the hand of Moses, every one according to his service and according to his burden. Thus were they numbered by him, as the LORD commanded Moses.

5And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying:

²"Command the children of Israel that they put out of the camp every leper and every one who hath an issue and whosoever is defiled by the dead.

³Both male and female shall ye put out. Outside the camp shall ye put them, that they defile not their camps in the midst whereof I dwell."

⁴And the children of Israel did so, and put them out outside the camp; as the LORD spoke unto Moses, so did the children of Israel.

⁵And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁶"Speak unto the children of Israel: 'When a man or woman shall commit any sin that men commit to do a trespass against the LORD, and that person be guilty,

⁷then they shall confess their sin which they have done. And he shall recompense his trespass with the principal thereof, and add unto it a fifth part thereof, and give it unto him against whom he hath trespassed.

⁸But if the man have no kinsman to recompense the trespass unto, let the trespass be recompensed unto the LORD, even to the priest, besides the ram of the atonement, whereby an atonement shall be made for him.

⁹And every offering of all the holy things of the children of Israel, which they bring unto the priest, shall be his.

¹⁰And every man's hallowed things shall be his; whatsoever any man giveth the priest, it shall be his.'"

¹¹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹²"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'If any man's wife go astray and commit a trespass against him,

¹³and a man lie with her carnally, and it be hid from the eyes of her husband and be kept secret, and she be defiled and there be no witness against her, neither be she taken in the act,

¹⁴and the spirit of jealousy come upon him and he be jealous of his wife, and she be defiled -- or if the spirit of jealousy come upon him and he be jealous of his wife, and she be not defiled--

¹⁵then shall the man bring his wife unto the priest. And he shall bring her offering for her, a tenth part of an ephah of barley meal. He shall pour no oil upon it nor put frankincense thereon, for it is an offering of jealousy, an offering of memorial, bringing iniquity to remembrance.

¹⁶"'And the priest shall bring her near, and set her before the LORD.

¹⁷And the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel, and of the dust that is in the floor of the tabernacle the priest shall take and put it into the water.

¹⁸And the priest shall set the woman before the LORD, and uncover the woman's head, and put the offering of memorial in her hands, which is the jealousy offering; and the priest shall have in his hand the bitter water that causeth the curse.

¹⁹And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, "If no man have lain with thee and if thou hast not gone astray to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse.

²⁰But if thou hast gone astray to another instead of thy husband, and if thou be defiled and some man have lain with thee besides thine husband"--

²¹then the priest shall charge the woman with an oath of cursing, and the priest shall say unto the woman -- "the LORD make thee a curse and an oath among thy people, when the LORD doth make thy thigh to rot and thy belly to swell.

²²And this water that causeth the curse shall go into thy bowels to make thy belly to swell and thy thigh to rot." And the woman shall say, "Amen, amen."

²³"'And the priest shall write these curses in a book, and he shall blot them out with the bitter water;

²⁴and he shall cause the woman to drink the bitter water that causeth the curse, and the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter.

²⁵Then the priest shall take the jealousy offering out of the woman's hand, and shall wave the offering before the LORD and offer it upon the altar.

²⁶And the priest shall take a handful of the offering, even the memorial thereof, and burn it upon the altar, and afterward shall cause the woman to drink the water.

²⁷And when he hath made her to drink the water, then it shall come to pass, if she be defiled and have done trespass against her husband, that the water that causeth the curse shall enter into her and become bitter, and her belly shall swell and her thigh shall rot; and the woman shall be a curse among her people.

²⁸And if the woman be not defiled, but be clean, then she shall be free and shall conceive seed.

²⁹"'This is the law of jealousies, when a wife goeth aside to another instead of her husband and is defiled,

³⁰or when the spirit of jealousy cometh upon him and he is jealous over his wife, and shall set the woman before the LORD, and the priest shall execute upon her all this law.

³¹Then shall the man be guiltless from iniquity, and this woman shall bear her iniquity.'"

6And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'When either man or woman shall separate themselves to vow a vow of a Nazirite, to separate themselves unto the LORD,

³he shall separate himself from wine and strong drink, and shall drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat moist grapes or dried.

⁴All the days of his separation shall he eat nothing that is made of the vine tree, from the kernels even to the husk.

⁵"'All the days of the vow of his separation there shall no razor come upon his head. Until the days be fulfilled in which he separateth himself unto the LORD, he shall be holy and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow.

⁶All the days that he separateth himself unto the LORD he shall come near no dead body.

⁷He shall not make himself unclean for his father or for his mother, for his brother or for his sister when they die, because the consecration of his God is upon his head.

⁸All the days of his separation he is holy unto the LORD.

⁹And if any man die very suddenly by him, and he hath defiled the head of his consecration, then he shall shave his head in the day of his cleansing; on the seventh day shall he shave it.

¹⁰And on the eighth day he shall bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons to the priest, to the door of the tabernacle of the congregation;

¹¹and the priest shall offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering, and make an atonement for him, because he sinned by the dead, and shall hallow his head that same day.

¹²And he shall consecrate unto the LORD the days of his separation, and shall bring a lamb of the first year for a trespass offering; but the days that were before shall be lost, because his separation was defiled.

¹³"'And this is the law of the Nazirite when the days of his separation are fulfilled: He shall be brought unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation,

¹⁴and he shall offer his offering unto the LORD: one helamb of the first year without blemish for a burnt offering, and one ewe lamb of the first year without blemish for a sin offering, and one ram without blemish for peace offerings,

¹⁵and a basket of unleavened bread, cakes of fine flour mingled with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings.

¹⁶And the priest shall bring them before the LORD, and shall offer his sin offering and his burnt offering.

¹⁷And he shall offer the ram for a sacrifice of peace offerings unto the LORD, with the basket of unleavened bread. The priest shall offer also his meat offering and his drink offering.

¹⁸And the Nazirite shall shave the head of his separation at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shall take the hair of the head of his separation and put it in the fire which is under the sacrifice of the peace offerings.

¹⁹And the priest shall take the boiled shoulder of the ram, and one unleavened cake out of the basket and one unleavened wafer, and shall put them upon the hands of the Nazirite after the hair of his separation is shaved.

²⁰And the priest shall wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. This is holy for the priest, with the wave breast and heave shoulder. And after that the Nazirite may drink wine.'

²¹"This is the law of the Nazirite who hath vowed, and of his offering unto the LORD for his separation, besides that which his hand shall get: according to the vow which he vowed, so he must do according to the law of his separation."

²²And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²³"Speak unto Aaron and unto his sons, saying, 'In this way ye shall bless the children of Israel, saying unto them:

²⁴The LORD bless thee and keep thee;

²⁵the LORD make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee;

²⁶the LORD lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.'

²⁷"And they shall put My name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them."

7And it came to pass on the day that Moses had fully set up the tabernacle, and had anointed it and sanctified it and all the instruments thereof, both the altar and all the vessels thereof, and had anointed them and sanctified them,

²that the princes of Israel, heads of the house of their fathers, who were the princes of the tribes and were over those who were numbered, offered.

³And they brought their offering before the LORD: six covered wagons and twelve oxen -- a wagon for two of the princes and for each one an ox; and they brought them before the tabernacle.

⁴And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁵"Take it from them, that they may be to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation; and thou shalt give them unto the Levites, to every man according to his service."

⁶And Moses took the wagons and the oxen, and gave them unto the Levites.

⁷Two wagons and four oxen he gave unto the sons of Gershon, according to their service;

⁸and four wagons and eight oxen he gave unto the sons of Merari, according to their service, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.

⁹But unto the sons of Kohath he gave none, because the service of the sanctuary belonging unto them was that they should bear upon their shoulders.

¹⁰And the princes offered for the dedicating of the altar in the day that it was anointed, even the princes offered their offering before the altar.

¹¹And the LORD said unto Moses, "They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar."

¹²And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah.

¹³And his offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

¹⁴one spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense;

¹⁵one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

¹⁶one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

¹⁷and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

¹⁸On the second day Nethaneel the son of Zuar, prince of Issachar, offered.

¹⁹He offered for his offering one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

²⁰one spoon of gold of ten shekels, full of incense;

²¹one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

²²one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

²³and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

²⁴On the third day Eliab the son of Helon, prince of the children of Zebulun, offered.

²⁵His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

²⁶one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

²⁷one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

²⁸one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

²⁹and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliab the son of Helon.

³⁰On the fourth day Elizur the son of Shedeur, prince of the children of Reuben, offered.

³¹His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

³²one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

³³one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

³⁴one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

³⁵and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elizur the son of Shedeur.

³⁶On the fifth day Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai, prince of the children of Simeon, offered.

³⁷His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

³⁸one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

³⁹one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁴⁰one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁴¹and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

⁴²On the sixth day Eliasaph the son of Deuel, prince of the children of Gad, offered.

⁴³His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, and a silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

⁴⁴one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁴⁵one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁴⁶one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁴⁷and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

⁴⁸On the seventh day Elishama the son of Ammihud, prince of the children of Ephraim, offered.

⁴⁹His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

⁵⁰one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁵¹one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁵²one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁵³and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Elishama the son of Ammihud.

⁵⁴On the eighth day offered Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur, prince of the children of Manasseh.

⁵⁵His offering was one silver charger of the weight of a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

⁵⁶one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁵⁷one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁵⁸one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁵⁹and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

⁶⁰On the ninth day Abidan the son of Gideoni, prince of the children of Benjamin, offered.

⁶¹His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

⁶²one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁶³one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁶⁴one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁶⁵and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Abidan the son of Gideoni.

⁶⁶On the tenth day Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai, prince of the children of Dan, offered.

⁶⁷His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

⁶⁸one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁶⁹one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁷⁰one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁷¹and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

⁷²On the eleventh day Pagiel the son of Ocran, prince of the children of Asher, offered.

⁷³His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

⁷⁴one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁷⁵one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁷⁶one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁷⁷and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Pagiel the son of Ocran.

⁷⁸On the twelfth day Ahira the son of Enan, prince of the children of Naphtali, offered.

⁷⁹His offering was one silver charger, the weight whereof was a hundred and thirty shekels, and one silver bowl of seventy shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, both of them full of fine flour mingled with oil for a meat offering;

⁸⁰one golden spoon of ten shekels, full of incense;

⁸¹one young bullock, one ram, one lamb of the first year, for a burnt offering;

⁸²one kid of the goats for a sin offering;

⁸³and for a sacrifice of peace offerings: two oxen, five rams, five hegoats, five lambs of the first year. This was the offering of Ahira the son of Enan.

⁸⁴This was the dedication of the altar in the day when it was anointed by the princes of Israel: twelve chargers of silver, twelve silver bowls, twelve spoons of gold,

⁸⁵each charger of silver weighing a hundred and thirty shekels, each bowl seventy. All the silver vessels weighed two thousand and four hundred shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary.

⁸⁶The golden spoons were twelve, full of incense, weighing ten shekels apiece, according to the shekel of the sanctuary; all the gold of the spoons was a hundred and twenty shekels.

⁸⁷All the oxen for the burnt offering were twelve bullocks, the rams twelve, the lambs of the first year twelve, with their meat offering, and the kids of the goats for sin offering twelve.

⁸⁸And all the oxen for the sacrifice of the peace offerings were twenty and four bullocks, the rams sixty, the hegoats sixty, the lambs of the first year sixty. This was for the dedication of the altar after it was anointed.

⁸⁹And when Moses had gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with Him, then he heard the voice of One speaking unto him from the mercy seat that was upon the ark of Testimony, from between the two cherubims; and He spoke unto him.

8And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto Aaron, and say unto him: 'When thou lightest the lamps, the seven lamps shall give light over against the candlestick.'"

³And Aaron did so; he lighted the lamps thereof over against the candlestick, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁴And this work of the candlestick was of beaten gold; unto the shaft thereof, unto the flowers thereof, was beaten work. According unto the pattern which the LORD had shown Moses, so he made the candlestick.

⁵And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁶"Take the Levites from among the children of Israel and cleanse them.

⁷And thus shalt thou do unto them to cleanse them: Sprinkle water of purifying upon them, and let them shave all their flesh, and let them wash their clothes, and so make themselves clean.

⁸Then let them take a young bullock with his meat offering, even fine flour mingled with oil, and another young bullock shalt thou take for a sin offering.

⁹And thou shalt bring the Levites before the tabernacle of the congregation, and thou shalt gather the whole assembly of the children of Israel together.

¹⁰And thou shalt bring the Levites before the LORD, and the children of Israel shall put their hands upon the Levites.

¹¹And Aaron shall offer the Levites before the LORD for an offering of the children of Israel, that they may execute the service of the LORD.

¹²And the Levites shall lay their hands upon the heads of the bullocks, and thou shalt offer the one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering unto the LORD to make an atonement for the Levites.

¹³And thou shalt set the Levites before Aaron and before his sons, and offer them for an offering unto the LORD.

¹⁴Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine.

¹⁵And after that shall the Levites go in to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and thou shalt cleanse them and offer them for an offering.

¹⁶For they are wholly given unto Me from among the children of Israel, instead of such as open every womb, even instead of the firstborn of all the children of Israel have I taken them unto Me.

¹⁷For all the firstborn of the children of Israel are Mine, both man and beast. On the day that I smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified them for Myself.

¹⁸And I have taken the Levites for all the firstborn of the children of Israel.

¹⁹And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and to his sons from among the children of Israel, to do the service of the children of Israel in the tabernacle of the congregation and to make an atonement for the children of Israel, that there be no plague among the children of Israel when the children of Israel come nigh unto the sanctuary."

²⁰And Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel did to the Levites according unto all that the LORD commanded Moses concerning the Levites; so did the children of Israel unto them.

²¹And the Levites were purified, and they washed their clothes; and Aaron offered them as an offering before the LORD, and Aaron made an atonement for them to cleanse them.

²²And after that went the Levites in to do their service in the tabernacle of the congregation before Aaron and before his sons. As the LORD had commanded Moses concerning the Levites, so did they unto them.

²³And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁴"This is what applies unto the Levites: From twenty and five years old and upward they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

²⁵And from the age of fifty years they shall cease waiting upon the service thereof, and shall serve no more,

²⁶but shall minister with their brethren in the tabernacle of the congregation to keep the charge, and shall do no service. Thus shalt thou do unto the Levites concerning their charge."

9And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying,

²"Let the children of Israel also keep the Passover at his appointed season.

³In the fourteenth day of this month at evening ye shall keep it in his appointed season. According to all the rites of it and according to all the ceremonies thereof shall ye keep it."

⁴And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover.

⁵And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening in the Wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.

⁶And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man, so that they could not keep the Passover on that day; and they came before Moses and before Aaron on that day.

⁷And those men said unto him, "We are defiled by the dead body of a man. Why are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the LORD in its appointed season among the children of Israel?"

⁸And Moses said unto them, "Stand still, and I will hear what the LORD will command concerning you."

⁹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁰"Speak unto the children of Israel, saying: 'If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the Passover unto the LORD.

¹¹The fourteenth day of the second month at evening they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.

¹²They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it. According to all the ordinances of the Passover they shall keep it.

¹³But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and forbeareth to keep the Passover, even the same soul shall be cut off from among his people, because he brought not the offering of the LORD in its appointed season. That man shall bear his sin.

¹⁴And if a stranger shall sojourn among you, and will keep the Passover unto the LORD, according to the ordinance of the Passover and according to the manner thereof, so shall he do. Ye shall have one ordinance, both for the stranger and for him that was born in the land.'"

¹⁵And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony; and at evening there was upon the tabernacle, as it were, the appearance of fire until the morning.

¹⁶So it was always: the cloud covered it by day and the appearance of fire by night.

¹⁷And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then after that the children of Israel journeyed; and in the place where the cloud stood still, there the children of Israel pitched their tents.

¹⁸At the commandment of the LORD the children of Israel journeyed, and at the commandment of the LORD they pitched camp. As long as the cloud stayed upon the tabernacle they rested in their tents;

¹⁹and when the cloud tarried long upon the tabernacle many days, then the children of Israel kept the charge of the LORD and journeyed not.

²⁰And so it was, when the cloud was a few days upon the tabernacle, according to the commandment of the LORD they stayed in their tents, and according to the commandment of the LORD they journeyed.

²¹And so it was, when the cloud tarried from evening unto the morning, and the cloud was taken up in the morning, then they journeyed. Whether it was by day or by night that the cloud was taken up, they journeyed.

²²Or whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud tarried upon the tabernacle, remaining thereon, the children of Israel remained in their tents and journeyed not; but when it was taken up, they journeyed.

²³At the commandment of the LORD they rested in the tents, and at the commandment of the LORD they journeyed. They kept the charge of the LORD, at the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

10And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Make thee two trumpets of silver. Of a whole piece shalt thou make them, that thou mayest use them for the calling of the assembly and for the journeying of the camps.

³And when they shall blow with them, all the assembly shall assemble themselves to thee at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁴And if they blow but with one trumpet, then the princes, who are heads of the thousands of Israel, shall gather themselves unto thee.

⁵When ye blow an alarm, then the camps that lie on the east parts shall go forward.

⁶When ye blow an alarm the second time, then the camps that lie on the south side shall take their journey. They shall blow an alarm for their journeys.

⁷But when the congregation is to be gathered together, ye shall blow, but ye shall not sound an alarm.

⁸And the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall blow with the trumpets; and they shall be to you for an ordinance for ever throughout your generations.

⁹And if ye go to war in your land against the enemy who oppresseth you, then ye shall blow an alarm with the trumpets; and ye shall be remembered before the LORD your God, and ye shall be saved from your enemies.

¹⁰Also in the day of your gladness and in your solemn days, and in the beginnings of your months, ye shall blow with the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings, that they may be to you for a memorial before your God: I am the LORD your God."

¹¹And it came to pass on the twentieth day of the second month, in the second year, that the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle of the testimony.

¹²And the children of Israel took their journeys out of the Wilderness of Sinai, and the cloud rested in the Wilderness of Paran.

¹³And they first took their journey according to the commandment of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

¹⁴In the first place went the standard of the camp of the children of Judah according to their armies; and over his host was Nahshon the son of Amminadab.

¹⁵And over the host of the tribe of the children of Issachar was Nethaneel the son of Zuar.

¹⁶And over the host of the tribe of the children of Zebulun was Eliab the son of Helon.

¹⁷And the tabernacle was taken down; and the sons of Gershon and the sons of Merari moved forward, bearing the tabernacle.

¹⁸And the standard of the camp of Reuben moved forward according to their armies; and over his host was Elizur the son of Shedeur.

¹⁹And over the host of the tribe of the children of Simeon was Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai.

²⁰And over the host of the tribe of the children of Gad was Eliasaph the son of Deuel.

²¹And the Kohathites moved forward, bearing the sanctuary; and the others set up the tabernacle for when they came.

²²And the standard of the camp of the children of Ephraim moved forward according to their armies; and over his host was Elishama the son of Ammihud.

²³And over the host of the tribe of the children of Manasseh was Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur.

²⁴And over the host of the tribe of the children of Benjamin was Abidan the son of Gideoni.

²⁵And the standard of the camp of the children of Dan moved forward, which was the rearmost of all the camps throughout their hosts; and over his host was Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai.

²⁶And over the host of the tribe of the children of Asher was Pagiel the son of Ocran.

²⁷And over the host of the tribe of the children of Naphtali was Ahira the son of Enan.

²⁸Thus were the journeyings of the children of Israel according to their armies when they moved forward.

²⁹And Moses said unto Hobab, the son of Reuel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law: "We are journeying unto the place of which the LORD said, 'I will give it to you.' Come thou with us, and we will do thee good; for the LORD hath spoken good concerning Israel."

³⁰And he said unto him, "I will not go, but I will depart to mine own land and to my kindred."

³¹And he said, "Leave us not, I pray thee, inasmuch as thou knowest how we are to encamp in the wilderness, and thou mayest be to us instead of eyes.

³²And it shall be, if thou go with us, yea, it shall be that what goodness the LORD shall do unto us, the same will we do unto thee."

³³And they departed from the mount of the LORD three days' journey, and the ark of the covenant of the LORD went before them in the three days' journey to search out a resting place for them.

³⁴And the cloud of the LORD was upon them by day when they went out of the camp.

³⁵And it came to pass, when the ark moved forward, that Moses said, "Rise up, LORD, and let Thine enemies be scattered; and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee."

³⁶And when it rested he said, "Return, O LORD, unto the many thousands of Israel."

11And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD; and the LORD heard it, and His anger was kindled. And the fire of the LORD burned among them, and consumed those who were in the uttermost parts of the camp.

²And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.

³And he called the name of the place Taberah [that is, A burning], because the fire of the LORD burned among them.

⁴And the mixed multitude that was among them fell to lusting. And the children of Israel also wept again and said, "Who shall give us flesh to eat?

⁵We remember the fish which we ate in Egypt freely, the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlic;

⁶but our soul is dried away. There is nothing at all besides this manna before our eyes."

⁷And the manna was as coriander seed, and the color thereof as the color of bdellium.

⁸And the people went about and gathered it, and ground it in mills or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans and made cakes of it; and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.

⁹And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.

¹⁰Then Moses heard the people weep throughout their families, every man in the door of his tent. And the anger of the LORD was kindled greatly; Moses also was displeased.

¹¹And Moses said unto the LORD, "Why hast Thou afflicted Thy servant? And why have I not found favor in Thy sight, that Thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?

¹²Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that Thou shouldest say unto me, 'Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking child, unto the land which Thou swearest unto their fathers'?

¹³From whence should I have flesh to give unto all this people? For they weep unto me, saying, 'Give us flesh, that we may eat.'

¹⁴I am not able to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me.

¹⁵And if Thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray Thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in Thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness!"

¹⁶And the LORD said unto Moses, "Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people and officers over them; and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation, that they may stand there with thee.

¹⁷And I will come down and talk with thee there. And I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee and will put it upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone.

¹⁸And say thou unto the people: 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, and ye shall eat flesh. For ye have wept in the ears of the LORD, saying, "Who shall give us flesh to eat? For it was well with us in Egypt." Therefore the LORD will give you flesh, and ye shall eat.

¹⁹Ye shall not eat one day, nor two days, nor five days, neither ten days, nor twenty days,

²⁰but even a whole month, until it come out at your nostrils and it be loathsome unto you, because ye have despised the LORD who is among you, and have wept before Him, saying, "Why came we forth out of Egypt?"'"

²¹And Moses said, "The people among whom I am are six hundred thousand footmen; and Thou hast said, 'I will give them flesh, that they may eat a whole month.'

²²Shall the flocks and the herds be slain for them to suffice them? Or shall all the fish of the sea be gathered together for them to suffice them?"

²³And the LORD said unto Moses, "Has the LORD'S hand waxed short? Thou shalt see now whether My word shall come to pass unto thee or not."

²⁴And Moses went out and told the people the words of the LORD, and gathered the seventy men of the elders of the people and set them round about the tabernacle.

²⁵And the LORD came down in a cloud and spoke unto him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him and gave it unto the seventy elders; and it came to pass that, when the Spirit rested upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease.

²⁶But there remained two of the men in the camp: the name of the one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them; and they were of those who were written, but went not out unto the tabernacle; and they prophesied in the camp.

²⁷And there ran a young man and told Moses, and said, "Eldad and Medad do prophesy in the camp."

²⁸And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of Moses, one of his young men, answered and said, "My lord Moses, forbid them!"

²⁹And Moses said unto him, "Enviest thou for my sake? Would God that all the LORD'S people were prophets, and that the LORD would put His Spirit upon them!"

³⁰And Moses got him into the camp, he and the elders of Israel.

³¹And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth.

³²And the people stood up all that day and all that night and all the next day, and they gathered the quails. He that gathered least gathered ten homers, and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.

³³And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.

³⁴And he called the name of that place Kibrothhattaavah [that is, The graves of lust], because there they buried the people who lusted.

³⁵And the people journeyed from Kibrothhattaavah unto Hazeroth, and abode at Hazeroth.

12And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married, for he had married an Ethiopian woman.

²And they said, "Hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us?" And the LORD heard it.

³(Now the man Moses was very meek, above all the men who were upon the face of the earth.)

⁴And the LORD spoke suddenly unto Moses and unto Aaron and unto Miriam: "Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation." And the three came out.

⁵And the LORD came down in the pillar of the cloud and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam; and they both came forth.

⁶And He said, "Hear now My words: If there be a prophet among you, I, the LORD, will make Myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.

⁷My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all Mine house.

⁸With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even plainly, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold. Why then were ye not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?"

⁹And the anger of the LORD was kindled against them, and He departed.

¹⁰And the cloud departed from off the tabernacle. And behold, Miriam became leprous, white as snow; and Aaron looked upon Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

¹¹And Aaron said unto Moses, "Alas, my lord, I beseech thee, lay not the sin upon us, wherein we have done foolishly and wherein we have sinned.

¹²Let her not be as one dead, of whom the flesh is half consumed when he cometh out of his mother's womb."

¹³And Moses cried unto the LORD, saying, "Heal her now, O God, I beseech Thee."

¹⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "If her father had but spit in her face, should she not be ashamed seven days? Let her be shut out from the camp seven days, and after that let her be received in again."

¹⁵And Miriam was shut out from the camp seven days, and the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again.

¹⁶And afterward the people removed from Hazeroth and pitched camp in the Wilderness of Paran.

13And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Send thou men, that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel. Of every tribe of their fathers shall ye send a man, every one a ruler among them."

³And Moses by the commandment of the LORD sent them from the Wilderness of Paran. All those men were heads of the children of Israel.

⁴And these were their names: of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur;

⁵of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori;

⁶of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

⁷of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph;

⁸of the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Nun;

⁹of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu;

¹⁰of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi;

¹¹of the tribe of Joseph, namely, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi;

¹²of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli;

¹³of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael;

¹⁴of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi;

¹⁵of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

¹⁶These are the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Hoshea the son of Nun, Joshua.

¹⁷And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said unto them, "Get you up this way southward, and go up into the mountain.

¹⁸And see the land, what it is, and the people who dwelleth therein, whether they be strong or weak, few or many;

¹⁹and what the land is that they dwell in, whether it be good or bad, and what cities they be that they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds;

²⁰and what the land is, whether it be fat or lean, whether there be wood therein or not. And be ye of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land." Now the time was the time of the first ripe grapes.

²¹So they went up and searched the land from the Wilderness of Zin unto Rehob, as men come to Hamath.

²²And they ascended by the south and came unto Hebron where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the children of Anak, were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.)

²³And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bore it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates and of the figs.

²⁴The place was called the Brook Eshcol, because of the cluster of grapes which the children of Israel cut down from thence.

²⁵And they returned from searching of the land after forty days.

²⁶And they went and came to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel unto the Wilderness of Paran to Kadesh, and brought back word unto them and unto all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.

²⁷And they told him, and said, "We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.

²⁸Nevertheless the people are strong who dwell in the land, and the cities are walled and very great; and moreover we saw the children of Anak there.

²⁹The Amalekites dwell in the land of the South; and the Hittites and the Jebusites and the Amorites dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of the Jordan."

³⁰And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once and possess it, for we are well able to overcome it."

³¹But the men who went up with him said, "We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we."

³²And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, "The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof, and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature.

³³And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, who come of the giants. And we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight."

14And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried, and the people wept that night.

²And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them, "Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or would God we had died in this wilderness!

³And why hath the LORD brought us unto this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? Were it not better for us to return into Egypt?"

⁴And they said one to another, "Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt."

⁵Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.

⁶And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of those who searched the land, rent their clothes;

⁷and they spoke unto all the company of the children of Israel, saying, "The land which we passed through to search it is an exceeding good land.

⁸If the LORD delight in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which floweth with milk and honey.

⁹Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land, for they are bread for us. Their defense has departed from them, and the LORD is with us. Fear them not."

¹⁰But all the congregation bade stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.

¹¹And the LORD said unto Moses, "How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will it be ere they believe Me for all the signs which I have shown among them?

¹²I will smite them with the pestilence and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they."

¹³And Moses said unto the LORD, "Then the Egyptians shall hear it (for Thou broughtest up this people in Thy might from among them),

¹⁴and they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land; for they have heard that Thou, LORD, art among this people, that Thou, LORD, art seen face to face, and that Thy cloud standeth over them, and that Thou goest before them by daytime in a pillar of a cloud and in a pillar of fire by night.

¹⁵Now if Thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of Thee will speak, saying,

¹⁶'Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore unto them, therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.'

¹⁷And now, I beseech Thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying,

¹⁸'The LORD is longsuffering and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.'

¹⁹Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of Thy mercy, and as Thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt even until now."

²⁰And the LORD said, "I have pardoned according to thy word;

²¹but as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.

²²Because all those men who have seen My glory and My miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times and have not hearkened to My voice--

²³surely they shall not see the land which I swore unto their fathers, neither shall any of those who provoked Me see it.

²⁴But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him and hath followed Me fully, him will I bring into the land whereinto he went, and his seed shall possess it."

²⁵(Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites dwelt in the valley.) "Tomorrow turn you and get you into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea."

²⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

²⁷"How long shall I bear with this evil congregation who murmur against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmur against Me.

²⁸Say unto them, 'As truly as I live, saith the LORD, as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you.

²⁹Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness; and all who were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me,

³⁰doubtless ye shall not come into the land concerning which I swore to make you dwell therein, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

³¹But your little ones, whom ye said should be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have despised.

³²But as for you, your carcasses, they shall fall in this wilderness.

³³And your children shall wander in the wilderness forty years and bear your whoredoms, until your carcasses be wasted in the wilderness.

³⁴After the number of the days in which ye searched the land, even forty days, for each day a year, shall ye bear your iniquities, even forty years, and ye shall know My altering of My purpose.

³⁵I, the LORD, have said: I will surely do it unto all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die.'"

³⁶And the men, whom Moses sent to search the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him by bringing up a slander upon the land,

³⁷even those men who brought up the evil report upon the land, died by the plague before the LORD.

³⁸But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were of the men who went to search the land, lived still.

³⁹And Moses told these sayings unto all the children of Israel, and the people mourned greatly.

⁴⁰And they rose up early in the morning and got them up into the top of the mountain, saying, "Lo, we are here, and will go up unto the place which the LORD hath promised; for we have sinned."

⁴¹And Moses said, "Why now do ye transgress the commandment of the LORD? But it shall not prosper.

⁴²Go not up, for the LORD is not among you, that ye be not smitten before your enemies.

⁴³For the Amalekites and the Canaanites are there before you, and ye shall fall by the sword. Because ye have turned away from the LORD, therefore the LORD will not be with you."

⁴⁴But they presumed to go up unto the hilltop. Nevertheless the ark of the covenant of the LORD and Moses departed not out of the camp.

⁴⁵Then the Amalekites came down and the Canaanites who dwelt in that hill, and smote them and discomfited them, even unto Hormah.

15And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'When ye have come into the land of your habitations, which I give unto you,

³and will make an offering by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering or a sacrifice in performing a vow, or in a freewill offering, or in your solemn feasts, to make a sweet savor unto the LORD of the herd or of the flock,

⁴then shall he that offereth his offering unto the LORD bring a meat offering of a tenth part of flour mingled with a fourth part of a hin of oil.

⁵And a fourth part of a hin of wine for a drink offering shalt thou prepare with the burnt offering or sacrifice, for one lamb.

⁶Or for a ram, thou shalt prepare for a meat offering two tenths part of flour mingled with a third part of a hin of oil.

⁷And for a drink offering thou shalt offer a third part of a hin of wine for a sweet savor unto the LORD.

⁸And when thou preparest a bullock for a burnt offering, or for a sacrifice in performing a vow, or peace offerings unto the LORD,

⁹then shall he bring with a bullock a meat offering of three tenths part of flour mingled with half a hin of oil.

¹⁰And thou shalt bring for a drink offering half a hin of wine for an offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

¹¹"'Thus shall it be done for one bullock or for one ram or for a lamb or a kid.

¹²According to the number that ye shall prepare, so shall ye do to every one according to their number.

¹³All who are born of the country shall do these things in this manner in offering an offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

¹⁴And if a stranger sojourn with you, or whosoever be among you in your generations, and will offer an offering made by fire of a sweet savor unto the LORD, as ye do, so he shall do.

¹⁵One ordinance shall be both for you of the congregation and also for the stranger who sojourneth with you, an ordinance for ever in your generations. As ye are, so shall the stranger be before the LORD:

¹⁶one law and one manner shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourneth with you.'"

¹⁷And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁸"Speak unto the children of Israel and say unto them: 'When ye come into the land whither I bring you,

¹⁹then it shall be that, when ye eat of the bread of the land, ye shall offer up a heave offering unto the LORD.

²⁰Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for a heave offering; as ye do the heave offering of the threshing floor, so shall ye heave it.

²¹Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD a heave offering in your generations.

²²And if ye have erred and not observed all these commandments which the LORD hath spoken unto Moses--

²³even all that the LORD hath commanded you by the hand of Moses, from the day that the LORD commanded Moses and henceforward among your generations--

²⁴then it shall be, if aught be committed by ignorance without the knowledge of the congregation, that all the congregation shall offer one young bullock for a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the LORD with his meat offering and his drink offering, according to the ordinance, and one kid of the goats for a sin offering.

²⁵And the priest shall make an atonement for all the congregation of the children of Israel, and it shall be forgiven them, for it is ignorance; and they shall bring their offering, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD, and their sin offering before the LORD, for their ignorance.

²⁶And it shall be forgiven all the congregation of the children of Israel and the stranger who sojourneth among them, seeing all the people were in ignorance.

²⁷"'And if any soul sin through ignorance, then he shall bring a shegoat of the first year for a sin offering.

²⁸And the priest shall make an atonement for the soul who sinneth ignorantly, when he sinneth by ignorance before the LORD, to make an atonement for him; and it shall be forgiven him.

²⁹Ye shall have one law for him that sinneth through ignorance, both for him that is born among the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourneth among them.

³⁰But the soul who doeth aught presumptuously, whether he be born in the land or a stranger, the same reproacheth the LORD; and that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

³¹Because he hath despised the word of the LORD and hath broken His commandment, that soul shall utterly be cut off. His iniquity shall be upon him.'"

³²And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man who gathered sticks upon the Sabbath day.

³³And those who found him gathering sticks brought him unto Moses and Aaron and unto all the congregation.

³⁴And they put him under guard, because it was not declared what should be done to him.

³⁵And the LORD said unto Moses, "The man shall be surely put to death. All the congregation shall stone him with stones outside the camp."

³⁶And all the congregation brought him outside the camp and stoned him with stones, and he died, as the LORD commanded Moses.

³⁷And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

³⁸"Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribbon of blue.

³⁹And it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to go a whoring,

⁴⁰that ye may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy unto your God.

⁴¹I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to be your God: I am the LORD your God."

16Now Korah the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram the sons of Eliab, and On the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men;

²and they rose up before Moses with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown.

³And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, "Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them. Why then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD?"

⁴And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face;

⁵and he spoke unto Korah and unto all his company, saying, "Even tomorrow the LORD will show who are His and who is holy, and will cause him to come near unto Him. Even him whom He hath chosen will He cause to come near unto Him.

⁶This do: Take you censers, Korah and all his company,

⁷and put fire therein and put incense in them before the LORD tomorrow. And it shall be that the man whom the LORD doth choose, he shall be holy. Ye take too much upon you, ye sons of Levi."

⁸And Moses said unto Korah, "Hear, I pray you, ye sons of Levi:

⁹Seemeth it but a small thing unto you that the God of Israel hath separated you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Himself to do the service of the tabernacle of the LORD and to stand before the congregation to minister unto them?

¹⁰And He hath brought thee near to Him, and all thy brethren the sons of Levi with thee. And seek ye the priesthood also?

¹¹For this cause both thou and all thy company are gathered together against the LORD. And what is Aaron, that ye murmur against him?"

¹²And Moses sent to call Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, who said, "We will not come up.

¹³Is it a small thing that thou hast brought us up out of a land that floweth with milk and honey to kill us in the wilderness, unless thou make thyself altogether a prince over us?

¹⁴Moreover thou hast not brought us into a land that floweth with milk and honey, or given us inheritance of fields and vineyards. Wilt thou put out the eyes of these men? We will not come up!"

¹⁵And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, "Respect not Thou their offering. I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them."

¹⁶And Moses said unto Korah, "Be thou and all thy company before the LORD, thou and they and Aaron, tomorrow.

¹⁷And take every man his censer and put incense in them, and bring ye before the LORD every man his censer, two hundred and fifty censers, thou also and Aaron, each of you his censer."

¹⁸And they took every man his censer and put fire in them and laid incense thereon, and stood in the door of the tabernacle of the congregation with Moses and Aaron.

¹⁹And Korah gathered all the congregation against them unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation; and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the congregation.

²⁰And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

²¹"Separate yourselves from among this congregation, that I may consume them in a moment."

²²And they fell upon their faces, and said, "O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and wilt Thou be wroth with all the congregation?"

²³And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁴"Speak unto the congregation, saying, 'Get you up from about the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram.'"

²⁵And Moses rose up and went unto Dathan and Abiram, and the elders of Israel followed him.

²⁶And he spoke unto the congregation, saying, "Depart, I pray you, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest ye be consumed in all their sins."

²⁷So they got up from the tabernacle of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram on every side; and Dathan and Abiram came out and stood in the door of their tents, and their wives and their sons and their little children.

²⁸And Moses said, "Hereby ye shall know that the LORD hath sent me to do all these works, for I have not done them of mine own mind.

²⁹If these men die the common death of all men, or if they be visited according to the visitation of all men, then the LORD hath not sent me.

³⁰But if the LORD make a new thing, and the earth open her mouth and swallow them up with all that appertain unto them, and they go down alive into the pit, then ye shall understand that these men have provoked the LORD."

³¹And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground cleaved asunder that was under them;

³²and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses and all the men who appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.

³³They and all that appertained to them went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them; and they perished from among the congregation.

³⁴And all Israel who were round about them fled at the cry of them, for they said, "Lest the earth swallow us up also!"

³⁵And there came out a fire from the LORD, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men who offered incense.

³⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

³⁷"Speak unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, that he take up the censers out of the burning, and scatter thou the fire yonder, for they are hallowed.

³⁸The censers of these sinners against their own souls, let them make them into broad plates for a covering of the altar; for they offered them before the LORD. Therefore they are hallowed, and they shall be a sign unto the children of Israel."

³⁹And Eleazar the priest took the brazen censers, wherewith those who were burned had offered, and they were made broad plates for a covering of the altar

⁴⁰to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, that no stranger, who is not of the seed of Aaron, come near to offer incense before the LORD; that he be not as Korah and as his company, as the LORD said to him by the hand of Moses.

⁴¹But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, "Ye have killed the people of the LORD."

⁴²And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation; and behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared.

⁴³And Moses and Aaron came before the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁴⁴And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁴⁵"Get you up from among this congregation, that I may consume them as in a moment." And they fell upon their faces.

⁴⁶And Moses said unto Aaron, "Take a censer and put fire therein from the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation and make an atonement for them. For there has wrath gone out from the LORD; the plague has begun."

⁴⁷And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague had begun among the people. And he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people.

⁴⁸And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed.

⁴⁹Now those who died in the plague were fourteen thousand and seven hundred, besides those who died in the matter of Korah.

⁵⁰And Aaron returned unto Moses unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the plague was stayed.

17And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Speak unto the children of Israel, and take from every one of them a rod according to the house of their fathers, from all their princes according to the house of their fathers, twelve rods. Write thou every man's name upon his rod.

³And thou shalt write Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, for one rod shall be for the head of the house of their fathers.

⁴And thou shalt lay them up in the tabernacle of the congregation before the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

⁵And it shall come to pass that the man's rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom; and I will make to cease from Me the murmurings of the children of Israel, whereby they murmur against you."

⁶And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel, and every one of their princes gave him a rod apiece, for each prince one according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods; and the rod of Aaron was among their rods.

⁷And Moses laid up the rods before the LORD in the tabernacle of witness.

⁸And it came to pass that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds and bloomed blossoms and yielded almonds.

⁹And Moses brought out all the rods from before the LORD unto all the children of Israel; and they looked, and took every man his rod.

¹⁰And the LORD said unto Moses, "Bring Aaron's rod again before the Testimony to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from Me, that they die not."

¹¹And Moses did so; as the LORD commanded him, so did he.

¹²And the children of Israel spoke unto Moses, saying, "Behold, we die, we perish, we all perish!

¹³Whosoever cometh anywhere near unto the tabernacle of the LORD shall die. Shall we be consumed with dying?"

18And the LORD said unto Aaron: "Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary; and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.

²And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee and minister unto thee; but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.

³And they shall keep thy charge and the charge of all the tabernacle; only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.

⁴And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation for all the service of the tabernacle; and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.

⁵And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary and the charge of the altar, that there be no wrath any more upon the children of Israel.

⁶And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel. To you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁷Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar and within the veil; and ye shall serve. I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift, and the stranger who cometh nigh shall be put to death."

⁸And the LORD spoke unto Aaron: "Behold, I also have given thee the charge of Mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel. Unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

⁹This shall be thine of the most holy things reserved from the fire: every oblation of theirs, every meat offering of theirs, and every sin offering of theirs, and every trespass offering of theirs, which they shall render unto Me, shall be most holy for thee and for thy sons.

¹⁰In the most holy place shalt thou eat it; every male shall eat it. It shall be holy unto thee.

¹¹And this is thine: the heave offering of their gift, with all the wave offerings of the children of Israel. I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever; every one who is clean in thy house shall eat of it.

¹²All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.

¹³And whatsoever is first ripe in the land, which they shall bring unto the LORD, shall be thine. Every one who is clean in thine house shall eat of it.

¹⁴Every thing devoted in Israel shall be thine.

¹⁵Every thing that openeth the womb in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine. Nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem.

¹⁶And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, according to the shekel of the sanctuary which is twenty gerahs.

¹⁷But the firstling of a cow, or the firstling of a sheep, or the firstling of a goat thou shalt not redeem. They are holy. Thou shalt sprinkle their blood upon the altar, and shalt burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a sweet savor unto the LORD.

¹⁸And the flesh of them shall be thine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine.

¹⁹All the heave offerings of the holy things, which the children of Israel offer unto the LORD, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a statute for ever. It is a covenant of salt for ever before the LORD unto thee and to thy seed with thee."

²⁰And the LORD spoke unto Aaron, "Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.

²¹And behold, I have given the children of Levi all the tenth in Israel for an inheritance for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.

²²Neither must the children of Israel henceforth come nigh the tabernacle of the congregation, lest they bear sin and die.

²³But the Levites shall do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they shall bear their iniquity. It shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations that among the children of Israel they have no inheritance.

²⁴But the tithes of the children of Israel, which they offer as a heave offering unto the LORD, I have given to the Levites to inherit. Therefore I have said unto them: 'Among the children of Israel they shall have no inheritance.'"

²⁵And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁶"Thus speak unto the Levites and say unto them: 'When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up a heave offering of it for the LORD, even a tenth part of the tithe.

²⁷And this your heave offering shall be reckoned unto you as though it were the corn of the threshing floor and as the fullness of the wine press.

²⁸Thus ye also shall offer a heave offering unto the LORD of all your tithes, which ye receive from the children of Israel; and ye shall give thereof the LORD'S heave offering to Aaron the priest.

²⁹Out of all your gifts ye shall offer every heave offering of the LORD of all the best thereof, even the hallowed part thereof out of it.'

³⁰Therefore thou shalt say unto them: 'When ye have offered the best thereof from it, then it shall be counted unto the Levites as the increase of the threshing floor and as the increase of the wine press.

³¹And ye shall eat it in every place, ye and your households, for it is your reward for your service in the tabernacle of the congregation.

³²And ye shall bear no sin by reason of it, when ye have offered from it the best of it; neither shall ye pollute the holy things of the children of Israel, lest ye die.'"

19And the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying,

²"This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD hath commanded, saying: 'Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish and upon which never came a yoke.

³And ye shall give her unto Eleazar the priest, that he may bring her forth outside the camp, and one shall slay her before his face.

⁴And Eleazar the priest shall take of her blood with his finger, and sprinkle of her blood directly before the tabernacle of the congregation seven times.

⁵And one shall burn the heifer in his sight: her skin and her flesh and her blood, with her dung, shall he burn.

⁶And the priest shall take cedar wood and hyssop and scarlet, and cast it into the midst of the burning of the heifer.

⁷Then the priest shall wash his clothes, and he shall bathe his flesh in water; and afterward he shall come into the camp, and the priest shall be unclean until the evening.

⁸And he that burneth her shall wash his clothes in water and bathe his flesh in water, and shall be unclean until the evening.

⁹And a man who is clean shall gather up the ashes of the heifer and lay them up outside the camp in a clean place, and it shall be kept for the congregation of the children of Israel for a water of separation: it is a purification for sin.

¹⁰And he that gathereth the ashes of the heifer shall wash his clothes and be unclean until the evening. And it shall be unto the children of Israel, and unto the stranger who sojourneth among them, for a statute for ever.

¹¹"'He that toucheth the dead body of any man shall be unclean seven days.

¹²He shall purify himself with the water on the third day, and on the seventh day he shall be clean; but if he purify not himself the third day, then the seventh day he shall not be clean.

¹³Whosoever toucheth the dead body of any man who is dead and purifieth not himself, defileth the tabernacle of the LORD, and that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Because the water of separation was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is yet upon him.

¹⁴"'This is the law when a man dieth in a tent: All who come into the tent, and all who are in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.

¹⁵And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it, is unclean.

¹⁶And whosoever toucheth one who is slain with a sword in the open fields, or a dead body, or a bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days.

¹⁷And for an unclean person they shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer of purification for sin, and running water shall be put thereto in a vessel.

¹⁸And a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water, and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the vessels and upon the persons who were there, and upon him that touched a bone or one slain or one dead or a grave.

¹⁹And the clean person shall sprinkle upon the unclean on the third day and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify himself, and wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and shall be clean at evening.

²⁰"'But the man who shall be unclean and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation, because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the LORD. The water of separation hath not been sprinkled upon him: he is unclean.

²¹And it shall be a perpetual statute unto them, that he that sprinkleth the water of separation shall wash his clothes; and he that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until evening.

²²And whatsoever the unclean person toucheth shall be unclean, and the soul that toucheth it shall be unclean until evening.'"

20Then came the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, into the Desert of Zin in the first month; and the people abode in Kadesh. And Miriam died there, and was buried there.

²And there was no water for the congregation, and they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron.

³And the people chided Moses and spoke, saying, "Would God that we had died when our brethren died before the LORD!

⁴And why have ye brought up the congregation of the LORD into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die there?

⁵And why have ye made us to come up out of Egypt to bring us in unto this evil place? It is no place of seed or of figs or of vines or of pomegranates; neither is there any water to drink."

⁶And Moses and Aaron went from the presence of the assembly unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and they fell upon their faces; and the glory of the LORD appeared unto them.

⁷And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁸"Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes; and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock: so thou shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink."

⁹And Moses took the rod from before the LORD, as He commanded him.

¹⁰And Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them: "Hear now, ye rebels! Must we fetch you water out of this rock?"

¹¹And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod he smote the rock twice; and the water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.

¹²And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron: "Because ye believed Me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them."

¹³This is the water of Meribah [that is, Strife], because the children of Israel strove with the LORD, and He was sanctified in them.

¹⁴And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh unto the king of Edom: "Thus saith thy brother Israel: 'Thou knowest all the travail that hath befallen us,

¹⁵how our fathers went down into Egypt, and we have dwelt in Egypt a long time; and the Egyptians vexed us and our fathers.

¹⁶And when we cried unto the LORD, He heard our voice and sent an angel, and hath brought us forth out of Egypt. And behold, we are in Kadesh, a city in the uttermost of thy border.

¹⁷Let us pass, I pray thee, through thy country. We will not pass through the fields or through the vineyards, neither will we drink of the water of the wells. We will go by the king's highway; we will not turn to the right hand nor to the left until we have passed thy borders.'"

¹⁸And Edom said unto him: "Thou shalt not pass by me, lest I come out against thee with the sword."

¹⁹And the children of Israel said unto him, "We will go by the highway; and if I and my cattle drink of thy water, then I will pay for it. I will only, without doing any thing else, go through on my feet."

²⁰And he said, "Thou shalt not go through." And Edom came out against him with many people and with a strong hand.

²¹Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage through his border. Therefore Israel turned away from him.

²²And the children of Israel, even the whole congregation, journeyed from Kadesh and came unto Mount Hor.

²³And the LORD spoke unto Moses and Aaron in Mount Hor, by the border of the land of Edom, saying,

²⁴"Aaron shall be gathered unto his people; for he shall not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because ye rebelled against My word at the water of Meribah.

²⁵Take Aaron and Eleazar his son, and bring them up unto Mount Hor.

²⁶And strip Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron shall be gathered unto his people and shall die there."

²⁷And Moses did as the LORD commanded, and they went up into Mount Hor in the sight of all the congregation.

²⁸And Moses stripped Aaron of his garments, and put them upon Eleazar his son; and Aaron died there on the top of the mount. And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mount;

²⁹and when all the congregation saw that Aaron was dead, they mourned for Aaron thirty days, even all the house of Israel.

21And when King Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South, heard tell that Israel came by the way of the spies, then he fought against Israel and took some of them prisoners.

²And Israel vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, "If Thou wilt indeed deliver this people into my hand, then I will utterly destroy their cities."

³And the LORD hearkened to the voice of Israel and delivered up the Canaanites, and they utterly destroyed them and their cities. And he called the name of the place Hormah [that is, Utter Destruction].

⁴And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea to compass the land of Edom, and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way.

⁵And the people spoke against God and against Moses: "Why have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread."

⁶And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many people of Israel died.

⁷Therefore the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against thee. Pray unto the LORD, that He take away the serpents from us." And Moses prayed for the people.

⁸And the LORD said unto Moses, "Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole. And it shall come to pass that every one who is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live."

⁹And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole; and it came to pass that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass he lived.

¹⁰And the children of Israel went forward, and pitched camp in Oboth.

¹¹And they journeyed from Oboth, and pitched at Ijeabarim, in the wilderness which is before Moab toward the sunrising.

¹²From thence they removed, and pitched camp in the Valley of Zered.

¹³From thence they removed, and pitched on the other side of Arnon, which is in the wilderness that cometh out of the border of the Amorites; for Arnon is the border of Moab, between Moab and the Amorites.

¹⁴Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD what He did in the Red Sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

¹⁵and at the stream of the brooks that goeth down to the dwelling of Ar and lieth upon the border of Moab.

¹⁶And from thence they went to Beer. That is the well whereof the LORD spoke unto Moses: "Gather the people together, and I will give them water."

¹⁷Then Israel sang this song: "Spring up, O well! Sing ye unto it!

¹⁸The princes dug the well; the nobles of the people dug it by the direction of the lawgiver, with their staves." And from the wilderness they went to Mattanah,

¹⁹and from Mattanah to Nahaliel, and from Nahaliel to Bamoth,

²⁰and from Bamoth in the valley that is in the country of Moab to the top of Pisgah, which looketh toward Jeshimon.

²¹And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, saying,

²²"Let me pass through thy land. We will not turn into the fields or into the vineyards; we will not drink of the waters of the well, but we will go along by the king's highway until we be past thy borders."

²³And Sihon would not suffer Israel to pass through his border. But Sihon gathered all his people together, and went out against Israel into the wilderness; and he came to Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

²⁴And Israel smote him with the edge of the sword and possessed his land from Arnon unto Jabbok, even unto the children of Ammon; for the border of the children of Ammon was strong.

²⁵And Israel took all these cities; and Israel dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all the villages thereof.

²⁶For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon.

²⁷Therefore those who speak in proverbs say: "Come into Heshbon; let the city of Sihon be built and prepared.

²⁸For there is a fire gone out of Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon. It hath consumed Ar of Moab, and the lords of the high places of Arnon.

²⁹Woe to thee, Moab! Thou art undone, O people of Chemosh! He hath given his sons that escaped and his daughters into captivity, unto Sihon king of the Amorites.

³⁰We have shot at them; Heshbon is perished even unto Dibon. And we have laid them waste even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba."

³¹Thus Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites.

³²And Moses sent to spy out Jazer; and they took the villages thereof, and drove out the Amorites who were there.

³³And they turned and went up by the way of Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan went out against them, he and all his people, to the battle at Edrei.

³⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "Fear him not, for I have delivered him into thy hand, and all his people and his land. And thou shalt do to him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon."

³⁵So they smote him, and his sons and all his people, until there was none left him alive; and they possessed his land.

22And the children of Israel went forward, and pitched camp in the plains of Moab on this side of the Jordan by Jericho.

²And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.

³And Moab was sore afraid of the people because they were many, and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.

⁴And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, "Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field." And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.

⁵He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor at Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, "Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt. Behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.

⁶Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse for me this people;for they are too mighty for me. Perhaps I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land; for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed."

⁷And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand, and they came unto Balaam and spoke unto him the words of Balak.

⁸And he said unto them, "Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word back, as the LORD shall speak unto me." And the princes of Moab stayed with Balaam.

⁹And God came unto Balaam and said, "What men are these with thee?"

¹⁰And Balaam said unto God, "Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying,

¹¹'Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, who covereth the face of the earth. Come now, curse them for me. Perhaps I shall be able to overcome them and drive them out.'"

¹²And God said unto Balaam, "Thou shalt not go with them. Thou shalt not curse the people, for they are blessed."

¹³And Balaam rose up in the morning and said unto the princes of Balak, "Get you into your land, for the LORD refuseth to give me leave to go with you."

¹⁴And the princes of Moab rose up, and they went unto Balak and said, "Balaam refuseth to come with us."

¹⁵And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honorable than they.

¹⁶And they came to Balaam and said to him, "Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor: 'Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me;

¹⁷for I will promote thee unto very great honor, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me. Come therefore, I pray thee, curse for me this people.'"

¹⁸And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, "If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the LORD my God to do less or more.

¹⁹Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what more the LORD will say unto me."

²⁰And God came unto Balaam at night and said unto him, "If the men come to call thee, rise up and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do."

²¹And Balaam rose up in the morning and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.

²²And God's anger was kindled because he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the way as an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.

²³And the ass saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand. And the ass turned aside out of the way and went into the field, and Balaam smote the ass to turn her into the way.

²⁴But the angel of the LORD stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side and a wall on that side.

²⁵And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she thrust herself unto the wall and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall; and he smote her again.

²⁶And the angel of the LORD went further, and stood in a narrow place where there was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.

²⁷And when the ass saw the angel of the LORD, she fell down under Balaam; and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.

²⁸And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, "What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?"

²⁹And Balaam said unto the ass, "Because thou hast mocked me. I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee."

³⁰And the ass said unto Balaam, "Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? Was I ever wont to do so unto thee?" And he said, "Nay."

³¹Then the LORD opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the LORD standing in the way and his sword drawn in his hand; and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.

³²And the angel of the LORD said unto him, "Why hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? Behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me.

³³And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times. Unless she had turned from me, surely now also I would have slain thee and saved her alive."

³⁴And Balaam said unto the angel of the LORD, "I have sinned, for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me. Now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again."

³⁵And the angel of the LORD said unto Balaam, "Go with the men; but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that shalt thou speak." So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.

³⁶And when Balak heard that Balaam had come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost border.

³⁷And Balak said unto Balaam, "Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? Why camest thou not unto me? Am I not able indeed to promote thee to honor?"

³⁸And Balaam said unto Balak, "Lo, I have come unto thee. Have I now any power at all to say anything? The word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak."

³⁹And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth.

⁴⁰And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent some to Balaam and to the princes who were with him.

⁴¹And it came to pass on the morrow that Balak took Balaam and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.

23And Balaam said unto Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams."

²And Balak did as Balaam had spoken, and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.

³And Balaam said unto Balak, "Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go. Perhaps the LORD will come to meet me, and whatsoever He showeth me I will tell thee." And he went to a high place.

⁴And God met Balaam; and he said unto Him, "I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram."

⁵And the LORD put a word in Balaam's mouth and said, "Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak."

⁶And he returned unto him, and lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he and all the princes of Moab.

⁷And he took up his parable and said: "Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, 'Come, curse for me Jacob, and come, defy Israel.'

⁸How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? Or how shall I defy whom the LORD hath not defied?

⁹For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I behold him; lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations.

¹⁰Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the number of the fourth part of Israel? Let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his!"

¹¹And Balak said unto Balaam, "What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast blessed them altogether."

¹²And he answered and said, "Must I not take heed to speak that which the LORD hath put in my mouth?"

¹³And Balak said unto him, "Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place from whence thou mayest see them. Thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all; and curse them for me from thence."

¹⁴And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

¹⁵And he said unto Balak, "Stand here by thy burnt offering while I meet the LORD yonder."

¹⁶And the LORD met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth and said, "Go again unto Balak, and say thus."

¹⁷And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him. And Balak said unto him, "What hath the LORD spoken?"

¹⁸And he took up his parable and said: "Rise up, Balak, and hear; hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor.

¹⁹God is not a man, that He should lie; neither the son of man, that He should repent. Hath He said, and shall He not do it? Or hath He spoken, and shall He not make it good?

²⁰Behold, I have received commandment to bless; and He hath blessed, and I cannot reverse it.

²¹He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath He seen perverseness in Israel; the LORD his God is with him, and the shout of a King is among them.

²²God brought them out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the strength of a unicorn.

²³Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel. According to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, 'What hath God wrought!'

²⁴Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up himself as a young lion; he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey and drink the blood of the slain."

²⁵And Balak said unto Balaam, "Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all."

²⁶But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, "Told not I thee, saying, 'All that the LORD speaketh, that I must do'?"

²⁷And Balak said unto Balaam, "Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place. Perhaps it will please God that thou mayest curse them for me from thence."

²⁸And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.

²⁹And Balaam said unto Balak, "Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams."

³⁰And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.

24And when Balaam saw that it pleased the LORD to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek out enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.

²And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the Spirit of God came upon him.

³And he took up his parable and said: "Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said,

⁴he hath said, who heard the words of God, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

⁵How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and thy tabernacles, O Israel!

⁶As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river's side, as the trees of lignaloes which the LORD hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.

⁷He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters; and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted.

⁸God brought him forth out of Egypt; he hath, as it were, the strength of a unicorn. He shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones and pierce them through with his arrows.

⁹He couched, he lay down as a lion. And as a great lion, who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee."

¹⁰And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together; and Balak said unto Balaam, "I called thee to curse mine enemies, and behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.

¹¹Therefore now flee thou to thy place. I thought to promote thee unto great honor, but lo, the LORD hath kept thee back from honor."

¹²And Balaam said unto Balak, "Spoke I not also to thy messengers whom thou sentest unto me, saying,

¹³'If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the LORD to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the LORD saith, that will I speak'?

¹⁴And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come therefore, and I will warn thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days."

¹⁵And he took up his parable and said: "Balaam the son of Beor hath said, and the man whose eyes are open hath said,

¹⁶he hath said, who heard the words of God, and knew the knowledge of the Most High, who saw the vision of the Almighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:

¹⁷I shall see Him, but not now; I shall behold Him, but not nigh. There shall come a Star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab and destroy all the children of Sheth.

¹⁸And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies, and Israel shall do valiantly.

¹⁹Out of Jacob shall come He that shall have dominion, and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city."

²⁰And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable and said: "Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever."

²¹And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable and said: "Strong is thy dwelling place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.

²²Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted, until Asshur shall carry thee away captive."

²³And he took up his parable and said: "Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!

²⁴And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim, and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber, and he also shall perish for ever."

²⁵And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place; and Balak also went his way.

25And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.

²And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and bowed down to their gods.

³And Israel joined himself unto Baal of Peor, and the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel.

⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "Take all the heads of the people and hang them up before the LORD against the sun, that the fierce anger of the LORD may be turned away from Israel."

⁵And Moses said unto the judges of Israel, "Slay ye every one his men who were joined unto Baal of Peor."

⁶And behold, one of the children of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianite woman in the sight of Moses and in the sight of all the congregation of the children of Israel, who were weeping before the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

⁷And when Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, saw it, he rose up from among the congregation and took a javelin in his hand;

⁸and he went after the man of Israel into the tent and thrust both of them through, the man of Israel and the woman through her belly. So the plague was stayed from the children of Israel.

⁹And those who died in the plague were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁰And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹¹"Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned My wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for My sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in My jealousy.

¹²Therefore say: 'Behold, I give unto him My covenant of peace.

¹³And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood, because he was zealous for his God, and made an atonement for the children of Israel.'"

¹⁴Now the name of the Israelite who was slain, even who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri, the son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites.

¹⁵And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain was Cozbi, the daughter of Zur. He was head over a people and of a chief housein Midian.

¹⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁷"Vex the Midianites and smite them.

¹⁸For they vex you with their wiles wherewith they have beguiled you in the matter of Peor and in the matter of Cozbi, the daughter of a prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain in the day of the plague for Peor's sake."

26And it came to pass after the plague that the LORD spoke unto Moses and unto Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest, saying,

²"Take the count of all the congregation of the children of Israel from twenty years old and upward throughout their father's house, all who are able to go to war in Israel."

³And Moses and Eleazar the priest spoke with them in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,

⁴"Take the count of the people from twenty years old and upward," as the LORD commanded Moses and the children of Israel who went forth out of the land of Egypt.

⁵Reuben, the eldest son of Israel. The children of Reuben: Hanoch, of whom cometh the family of the Hanochites; of Pallu, the family of the Palluites;

⁶of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Carmi, the family of the Carmites.

⁷These are the families of the Reubenites; and those who were numbered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty.

⁸And the son of Pallu: Eliab.

⁹And the sons of Eliab: Nemuel, and Dathan, and Abiram. These are the Dathan and Abiram who were famous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the company of Korah when they strove against the LORD.

¹⁰And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up together with Korah when that company died, the time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty men; and they became a sign.

¹¹Notwithstanding, the children of Korah died not.

¹²The sons of Simeon according to their families: of Nemuel, the family of the Nemuelites; of Jamin, the family of the Jaminites; of Jachin, the family of the Jachinites;

¹³of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites; of Shaul, the family of the Shaulites.

¹⁴These are the families of the Simeonites, twenty and two thousand and two hundred.

¹⁵The children of Gad according to their families: of Zephon, the family of the Zephonites; of Haggi, the family of the Haggites; of Shuni, the family of the Shunites;

¹⁶of Ozni, the family of the Oznites; of Eri, the family of the Erites;

¹⁷of Arod, the family of the Arodites; of Areli, the family of the Arelites.

¹⁸These are the families of the children of Gad according to those who were numbered of them, forty thousand and five hundred.

¹⁹The sons of Judah were Er and Onan; and Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan.

²⁰And the sons of Judah according to their families were: of Shelah, the family of the Shelanites; of Perez, the family of the Perezites; of Zerah, the family of the Zarhites.

²¹And the sons of Perez were: of Hezron, the family of the Hezronites; of Hamul, the family of the Hamulites.

²²These are the families of Judah according to those who were numbered of them, threescore and sixteen thousand and five hundred.

²³Of the sons of Issachar according to their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Pua, the family of the Punites;

²⁴of Jashub, the family of the Jashubites; of Shimron, the family of the Shimronites.

²⁵These are the families of Issachar according to those who were numbered of them, threescore and four thousand and three hundred.

²⁶Of the sons of Zebulun according to their families: of Sered, the family of the Sardites; of Elon, the family of the Elonites; of Jahleel, the family of the Jahleelites.

²⁷These are the families of the Zebulunites according to those who were numbered of them, threescore thousand and five hundred.

²⁸The sons of Joseph according to their families were Manasseh and Ephraim.

²⁹Of the sons of Manasseh: of Machir, the family of the Machirites; and Machir begot Gilead; of Gilead come the family of the Gileadites.

³⁰These are the sons of Gilead: of Jeezer, the family of the Jeezerites; of Helek, the family of the Helekites;

³¹and of Asriel, the family of the Asrielites; and of Shechem, the family of the Shechemites;

³²And of Shemida, the family of the Shemidaites; and of Hepher, the family of the Hepherites.

³³And Zelophehad the son of Hepher had no sons, but daughters; and the names of the daughters of Zelophehad were Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

³⁴These are the families of Manasseh, and those who were numbered of them, fifty and two thousand and seven hundred.

³⁵These are the sons of Ephraim according to their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites; of Becher, the family of the Bachrites; of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.

³⁶And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.

³⁷These are the families of the sons of Ephraim according to those who were numbered of them, thirty and two thousand and five hundred. These are the sons of Joseph according to their families.

³⁸The sons of Benjamin according to their families: of Bela, the family of the Belaites; of Ashbel, the family of the Ashbelites; of Ahiram, the family of the Ahiramites;

³⁹of Shupham, the family of the Shuphamites; of Hupham, the family of the Huphamites.

⁴⁰And the sons of Bela were Ard and Naaman; of Ard, the family of the Ardites; and of Naaman, the family of the Naamites.

⁴¹These are the sons of Benjamin according to their families, and those who were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and six hundred.

⁴²These are the sons of Dan according to their families: of Shuham, the family of the Shuhamites. These are the families of Dan according to their families.

⁴³All the families of the Shuhamites, according to those who were numbered of them, were threescore and four thousand and four hundred.

⁴⁴Of the children of Asher according to their families: of Jimna, the family of the Jimnites; of Jesui, the family of the Jesuites; of Beriah, the family of the Beriites.

⁴⁵Of the sons of Beriah: of Heber, the family of the Heberites; of Malchiel, the family of the Malchielites.

⁴⁶And the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah.

⁴⁷These are the families of the sons of Asher according to those who were numbered of them, who were fifty and three thousand and four hundred.

⁴⁸Of the sons of Naphtali according to their families: of Jahzeel, the family of the Jahzeelites; of Guni, the family of the Gunites;

⁴⁹of Jezer, the family of the Jezerites; of Shillem, the family of the Shillemites.

⁵⁰These are the families of Naphtali according to their families, and those who were numbered of them were forty and five thousand and four hundred.

⁵¹These were the numbered of the children of Israel: six hundred thousand and a thousand seven hundred and thirty.

⁵²And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁵³"Unto these the land shall be divided for an inheritance according to the number of names.

⁵⁴To many thou shalt give the more inheritance, and to few thou shalt give the less inheritance: to every one shall his inheritance be given according to those who were numbered of him.

⁵⁵Notwithstanding, the land shall be divided by lot; according to the names of the tribes of their fathers they shall inherit.

⁵⁶According to the lot shall the possession thereof be divided between many and few."

⁵⁷And these are those who were numbered of the Levites according to their families: of Gershon, the family of the Gershonites; of Kohath, the family of the Kohathites; of Merari, the family of the Merarites.

⁵⁸These are the families of the Levites: the family of the Libnites, the family of the Hebronites, the family of the Mahlites, the family of the Mushites, the family of the Korathites. And Kohath begot Amram.

⁵⁹And the name of Amram's wife was Jochebed, the daughter of Levi, whom her mother bore to Levi in Egypt; and she bore unto Amram, Aaron and Moses, and Miriam their sister.

⁶⁰And unto Aaron was born Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

⁶¹And Nadab and Abihu died when they offered strange fire before the LORD.

⁶²And those who were numbered of them were twenty and three thousand, all males from a month old and upward; for they were not numbered among the children of Israel, because there was no inheritance given them among the children of Israel.

⁶³These are those who were numbered by Moses and Eleazar the priest, who numbered the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.

⁶⁴But among these there was not a man of them whom Moses and Aaron the priest numbered when they numbered the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Sinai.

⁶⁵For the LORD had said of them, "They shall surely die in the wilderness." And there was not left a man of them, save Caleb the son of Jephunneh and Joshua the son of Nun.

27Then came the daughters of Zelophehad, the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh the son of Joseph; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah.

²And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all the congregation by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying,

³"Our father died in the wilderness; and he was not in the company of those who gathered themselves together against the LORD in the company of Korah, but died in his own sin and had no sons.

⁴Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren of our father."

⁵And Moses brought their cause before the LORD.

⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

⁷"The daughters of Zelophehad speak right. Thou shalt surely give them a possession of an inheritance among their father's brethren, and thou shalt cause the inheritance of their father to pass unto them.

⁸And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, 'If a man die and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to pass unto his daughter.

⁹And if he have no daughter, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren.

¹⁰And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father's brethren.

¹¹And if his father have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman who is next to him of his family, and he shall possess it. And it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute of judgment, as the LORD commanded Moses.'"

¹²And the LORD said unto Moses, "Get thee up into this Mount Abarim, and see the land which I have given unto the children of Israel.

¹³And when thou hast seen it, thou also shalt be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother was gathered.

¹⁴For ye rebelled against My commandment in the Desert of Zin, in the strife of the congregation, to sanctify Me at the water before their eyes." (That is, the water of Meribah in Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin.)

¹⁵And Moses spoke unto the LORD, saying,

¹⁶"Let the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, set a man over the congregation,

¹⁷who may go out before them and who may go in before them and who may lead them out and who may bring them in, that the congregation of the LORD be not as sheep which have no shepherd."

¹⁸And the LORD said unto Moses, "Take thee Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit, and lay thine hand upon him;

¹⁹and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation, and give him a charge in their sight.

²⁰And thou shalt put some of thine honor upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.

²¹And he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall ask counsel for him by the judgment of the Urim before the LORD. At his word shall they go out, and at his word they shall come in, both he and all the children of Israel with him, even all the congregation."

²²And Moses did as the LORD commanded him, and he took Joshua and set him before Eleazar the priest and before all the congregation.

²³And he laid his hands upon him and gave him a charge, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

28And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Command the children of Israel and say unto them: 'My offering and My bread for My sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor unto Me, shall ye observe to offer unto Me in their due season.'

³And thou shalt say unto them: 'This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto the LORD: two lambs of the first year without spot, day by day, for a continual burnt offering.

⁴The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening,

⁵and a tenth part of an ephah of flour for a meat offering mingled with a fourth part of a hin of beaten oil.

⁶It is a continual burnt offering, which was ordained in Mount Sinai for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

⁷And the drink offering thereof shall be a fourth part of a hin for the one lamb; in the holy place shalt thou cause the strong wine to be poured unto the LORD for a drink offering.

⁸And the other lamb shalt thou offer at evening; as the meat offering of the morning and as the drink offering thereof thou shalt offer it, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD.

⁹"'And on the Sabbath day two lambs of the first year without spot, and twotenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, and the drink offering thereof.

¹⁰This is the burnt offering of every Sabbath, besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering.

¹¹"'And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD: two young bullocks and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot;

¹²and threetenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one bullock; and twotenths part of flour for a meat offering, mingled with oil, for one ram;

¹³and a separate tenth part of flour mingled with oil for a meat offering unto one lamb, for a burnt offering of a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

¹⁴And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine unto a bullock, and a third part of a hin unto a ram, and a fourth part of a hin unto a lamb. This is the burnt offering of every month throughout the months of the year.

¹⁵And one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto the LORD shall be offered, besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering.

¹⁶"'And on the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the LORD.

¹⁷And on the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.

¹⁸On the first day shall be a holy convocation. Ye shall do no manner of servile work therein,

¹⁹but ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto the LORD: two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year. They shall be unto you without blemish.

²⁰And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: threetenths part shall ye offer for a bullock, and twotenths part for a ram,

²¹a separate tenth part shalt thou offer for every lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

²²and one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you.

²³Ye shall offer these besides the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.

²⁴In this manner ye shall offer daily throughout the seven days the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD. It shall be offered besides the continual burnt offering and his drink offering.

²⁵And on the seventh day ye shall have a holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.

²⁶"'Also on the day of the firstfruits, when ye bring a new meat offering unto the LORD, after your weeks be out, ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work,

²⁷but ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the LORD: two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year,

²⁸and their meat offering of flour mingled with oil: threetenths part unto one bullock, twotenths part unto one ram,

²⁹a separate tenth part unto one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

³⁰and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you.

³¹Ye shall offer them besides the continual burnt offering and his meat offering (they shall be unto you without blemish), and their drink offerings.

29"'And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work: it is a day of blowing the trumpets unto you.

²And ye shall offer a burnt offering for a sweet savor unto the LORD: one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year without blemish.

³And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: threetenths part for a bullock, and twotenths part for a ram,

⁴and onetenth part for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

⁵and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you,

⁶besides the burnt offering of the month and his meat offering, and the daily burnt offering, and his meat offering, and their drink offerings, according unto their manner, for a sweet savor, a sacrifice made by fire unto the LORD.

⁷"'And ye shall have on the tenth day of this seventh month a holy convocation. And ye shall afflict your souls: ye shall not do any work therein.

⁸But ye shall offer a burnt offering unto the LORD for a sweet savor: one young bullock, one ram, and seven lambs of the first year; they shall be unto you without blemish.

⁹And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: threetenths part to a bullock, and twotenths part to one ram,

¹⁰a separate tenth part for one lamb, throughout the seven lambs;

¹¹one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the sin offering of atonement, and the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering of it, and their drink offerings.

¹²"'And on the fifteenth day of the seventh month ye shall have a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work, and ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days.

¹³And ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD: thirteen young bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year; they shall be without blemish.

¹⁴And their meat offering shall be of flour mingled with oil: threetenths part unto every bullock of the thirteen bullocks, twotenths part to each ram of the two rams,

¹⁵and a separate tenth part to each lamb of the fourteen lambs;

¹⁶and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

¹⁷"'And on the second day ye shall offer twelve young bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without spot.

¹⁸And their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;

¹⁹and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and the meat offering thereof, and their drink offerings.

²⁰"'And on the third day eleven bullocks, two rams, fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish,

²¹and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams, and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;

²²and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

²³"'And on the fourth day ten bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish.

²⁴Their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;

²⁵and one kid of the goats for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

²⁶"'And on the fifth day nine bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without spot;

²⁷and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;

²⁸and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

²⁹"'And on the sixth day eight bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;

³⁰and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;

³¹and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

³²"'And on the seventh day seven bullocks, two rams, and fourteen lambs of the first year without blemish;

³³and their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullocks, for the rams and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;

³⁴and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, his meat offering, and his drink offering.

³⁵"'On the eighth day ye shall have a solemn assembly. Ye shall do no servile work therein;

³⁶but ye shall offer a burnt offering, a sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savor unto the LORD: one bullock, one ram, seven lambs of the first year without blemish;

³⁷their meat offering and their drink offerings for the bullock, for the ram and for the lambs, shall be according to their number, after the manner;

³⁸and one goat for a sin offering, besides the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, and his drink offering.

³⁹"'These things ye shall do unto the LORD in your set feasts, besides your vows and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings, and for your meat offerings, and for your drink offerings, and for your peace offerings.'"

⁴⁰And Moses told the children of Israel according to all that the LORD commanded Moses.

30And Moses spoke unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, "This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded:

²If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

³"If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth,

⁴and her father hear her vow and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace with her, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

⁵But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth, not any of her vows or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand; and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

⁶And if she had a husband, when she vowed or uttered aught out of her lips wherewith she bound her soul,

⁷and her husband heard it and held his peace with her in the day that he heard it, then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

⁸But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it, then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips wherewith she bound her soul, of no effect; and the LORD shall forgive her.

⁹But every vow of a widow and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.

¹⁰And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath,

¹¹and her husband heard it and held his peace with her and disallowed her not, then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

¹²But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them, then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband hath made them void, and the LORD shall forgive her.

¹³Every vow and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.

¹⁴But if her husband altogether hold his peace with her from day to day, then he establisheth all her vows or all her bonds which are upon her; he confirmeth them, because he held his peace with her in the day that he heard them.

¹⁵But if he shall any way make them void after he hath heard them, then he shall bear her iniquity."

¹⁶These are the statutes which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, and between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.

31And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Avenge the children of Israel on the Midianites. Afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people."

³And Moses spoke unto the people, saying, "Arm some of yourselves unto the war, and let them go against the Midianites and avenge the LORD on Midian.

⁴From every tribe a thousand, throughout all the tribes of Israel, shall ye send to the war."

⁵So there were delivered out of the thousands of Israel, a thousand of every tribe, twelve thousand armed for war.

⁶And Moses sent them to the war, a thousand of every tribe -- them and Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the war, with the holy instruments and the trumpets to blow in his hand.

⁷And they warred against the Midianites, as the LORD commanded Moses; and they slew all the males.

⁸And they slew the kings of Midian besides the rest of those who were slain, namely: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, five kings of Midian. Balaam also the son of Beor they slew with the sword.

⁹And the children of Israel took all the women of Midian captive, and their little ones, and took the spoil of all their cattle and all their flocks and all their goods.

¹⁰And they burned all their cities wherein they dwelt and all their goodly strongholds with fire.

¹¹And they took all the spoil and all the prey, both of men and of beasts.

¹²And they brought the captives and the prey and the spoil unto Moses and Eleazar the priest, and unto the congregation of the children of Israel, unto the camp at the plains of Moab, which are by the Jordan near Jericho.

¹³And Moses and Eleazar the priest and all the princes of the congregation went forth to meet them outside the camp.

¹⁴And Moses was wroth with the officers of the host, with the captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, who came from the battle.

¹⁵And Moses said unto them, "Have ye saved all the women alive?

¹⁶Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the LORD.

¹⁷Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who hath known a man by lying with him.

¹⁸But all the women children, who have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

¹⁹And abide ye outside the camp seven days. Whosoever hath killed any person, and whosoever hath touched any slain, purify both yourselves and your captives on the third day and on the seventh day.

²⁰And purify all your raiment and all that is made of skins, and all work of goats' hair, and all things made of wood."

²¹And Eleazar the priest said unto the men of war who went to the battle, "This is the ordinance of the law which the LORD commanded Moses:

²²Only the gold, and the silver, the brass, the iron, the tin, and the lead,

²³every thing that may abide the fire, ye shall make it go through the fire, and it shall be clean; nevertheless it shall be purified with the water of separation. And all that abideth not the fire ye shall make go through the water.

²⁴And ye shall wash your clothes on the seventh day, and ye shall be clean, and afterward ye shall come into the camp."

²⁵And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²⁶"Take the sum of the prey that was taken, both of man and of beast, thou and Eleazar the priest and the chief fathers of the congregation;

²⁷and divide the prey into two parts, between those who took the war upon them, who went out to battle, and between all the congregation.

²⁸And levy a tribute unto the LORD on the men of war who went out to battle: one soul of five hundred, both of the persons, and of the beeves, and of the asses, and of the sheep.

²⁹Take it from their half, and give it unto Eleazar the priest for a heave offering of the LORD.

³⁰And of the children of Israel's half, thou shalt take one portion of fifty, of the persons, of the beeves, of the asses, and of the flocks, of all manner of beasts, and give them unto the Levites, who keep the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD."

³¹And Moses and Eleazar the priest did as the LORD commanded Moses.

³²And the booty, being the rest of the prey which the men of war had caught, was six hundred thousand and seventy thousand and five thousand sheep,

³³and threescore and twelve thousand beeves,

³⁴and threescore and one thousand asses,

³⁵and thirty and two thousand persons in all, of women who had not known a man by lying with him.

³⁶And the half, which was the portion of those who went out to war, was in number three hundred thousand and seven and thirty thousand and five hundred sheep;

³⁷and the LORD'S tribute of the sheep was six hundred and threescore and fifteen.

³⁸And the beeves were thirty and six thousand, of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and twelve.

³⁹And the asses were thirty thousand and five hundred, of which the LORD'S tribute was threescore and one.

⁴⁰And the persons were sixteen thousand, of which the LORD'S tribute was thirty and two persons.

⁴¹And Moses gave the tribute which was the LORD'S heave offering unto Eleazar the priest, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁴²And of the children of Israel's half, which Moses divided from the men who warred

⁴³(now the half that pertained unto the congregation was three hundred thousand and thirty thousand and seven thousand and five hundred sheep,

⁴⁴and thirty and six thousand beeves,

⁴⁵and thirty thousand asses and five hundred,

⁴⁶and sixteen thousand persons),

⁴⁷even of the children of Israel's half, Moses took one portion of fifty, both of man and of beast, and gave them unto the Levites, who kept the charge of the tabernacle of the LORD, as the LORD commanded Moses.

⁴⁸And the officers who were over thousands of the host, the captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, came near Moses;

⁴⁹and they said unto Moses, "Thy servants have taken the count of the men of war who are under our charge, and there lacketh not one man of us.

⁵⁰We have therefore brought an oblation for the LORD, what every man hath gotten, of jewels of gold, chains, and bracelets, rings, earrings, and tablets, to make an atonement for our souls before the LORD."

⁵¹And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from them, even all wrought jewels.

⁵²And all the gold from the offering that they offered up to the LORD, of the captains of thousands and of the captains of hundreds, was sixteen thousand seven hundred and fifty shekels.

⁵³(For the men of war had taken spoil, every man for himself.)

⁵⁴And Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold of the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it into the tabernacle of the congregation for a memorial for the children of Israel before the LORD.

32Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle; and when they saw the land of Jazer and the land of Gilead, that behold, the place was a place for cattle,

²the children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spoke unto Moses and to Eleazar the priest and unto the princes of the congregation, saying,

³"Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon,

⁴even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle."

⁵Therefore, said they, "If we have found grace in thy sight, let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over the Jordan."

⁶And Moses said unto the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben, "Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here?

⁷And why discourage ye the heart of the children of Israel from going over into the land which the LORD hath given them?

⁸Thus did your fathers when I sent them from Kadeshbarnea to see the land.

⁹For when they went up unto the Valley of Eshcol and saw the land, they discouraged the heart of the children of Israel, that they should not go into the land which the LORD had given them.

¹⁰And the LORD'S anger was kindled the same time, and He swore, saying,

¹¹'Surely none of the men who came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, because they have not wholly followed Me,

¹²save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun; for they have wholly followed the LORD.'

¹³And the LORD'S anger was kindled against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation that had done evil in the sight of the LORD was consumed.

¹⁴And behold, ye have risen up in your fathers' stead, an increase of sinful men, to augment yet the fierce anger of the LORD toward Israel.

¹⁵For if ye turn away from after Him, He will yet again leave them in the wilderness, and ye shall destroy all this people."

¹⁶And they came near unto him and said, "We will build sheepfolds here for our flocks and cities for our little ones,

¹⁷but we ourselves will go ready and armed before the children of Israel until we have brought them unto their place; and our little ones shall dwell in the fortified cities because of the inhabitants of the land.

¹⁸We will not return unto our houses until the children of Israel have inherited every man his inheritance.

¹⁹For we will not inherit with them on yonder side of the Jordan or forward, because our inheritance has fallen to us on this side of the Jordan eastward."

²⁰And Moses said unto them, "If ye will do this thing, if ye will go armed before the LORD to war,

²¹and will go all of you armed over the Jordan before the LORD, until He hath driven out His enemies from before Him

²²and the land be subdued before the LORD, then afterward ye shall return and be guiltless before the LORD and before Israel, and this land shall be your possession before the LORD.

²³But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD; and be sure your sin will find you out.

²⁴Build you cities for your little ones and folds for your sheep, and do that which hath proceeded out of your mouth."

²⁵And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben spoke unto Moses, saying, "Thy servants will do as my lord commandeth.

²⁶Our little ones, our wives, our flocks, and all our cattle shall be there in the cities of Gilead;

²⁷but thy servants will pass over, every man armed for war, before the LORD to battle, as my lord saith."

²⁸So concerning them, Moses commanded Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the chief fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.

²⁹And Moses said unto them, "If the children of Gad and the children of Reuben will pass with you over the Jordan, every man armed for battle before the LORD and the land shall be subdued before you, then ye shall give them the land of Gilead for a possession.

³⁰But if they will not pass over with you armed, they shall have possessions among you in the land of Canaan."

³¹And the children of Gad and the children of Reuben answered, saying, "As the LORD hath said unto thy servants, so will we do.

³²We will pass over armed before the LORD into the land of Canaan, that the possession of our inheritance on this side of the Jordan may be ours."

³³And Moses gave unto them, even to the children of Gad and to the children of Reuben and unto half the tribe of Manasseh the son of Joseph, the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites and the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, the land with the cities thereof in the borders, even the cities of the country round about.

³⁴And the children of Gad built Dibon, and Ataroth, and Aroer,

³⁵and Atroth, Shophan, and Jazer, and Jogbehah,

³⁶and Bethnimrah, and Bethharan, fortified cities, and folds for sheep.

³⁷And the children of Reuben built Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Kirjathaim,

³⁸and Nebo, and Baalmeon (their names being changed), and Shibmah, and gave other names unto the cities which they built.

³⁹And the children of Machir the son of Manasseh went to Gilead and took it, and dispossessed the Amorites who were in it.

⁴⁰And Moses gave Gilead unto Machir the son of Manasseh, and he dwelt therein.

⁴¹And Jair the son of Manasseh went and took the small towns thereof, and called them Havothjair.

⁴²And Nobah went and took Kenath and the villages thereof, and called it Nobah, after his own name.

33These are the journeys of the children of Israel, who went forth out of the land of Egypt with their armies under the hand of Moses and Aaron.

²And Moses wrote their goings out according to their journeys by the commandment of the LORD, and these are their journeys according to their goings out:

³And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. On the morrow after the Passover the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians,

⁴for the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, whom the LORD had smitten among them. Upon their gods also the LORD executed judgments.

⁵And the children of Israel removed from Rameses and pitched camp in Succoth.

⁶And they departed from Succoth and pitched in Etham, which is in the edge of the wilderness.

⁷And they removed from Etham and turned again unto Pihahiroth, which is before Baalzephon; and they pitched before Migdol.

⁸And they departed from before Pihahiroth and passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness, and went three days' journey in the Wilderness of Etham, and pitched in Marah.

⁹And they removed from Marah and came unto Elim; and in Elim were twelve fountains of water and threescore and ten palm trees, and they pitched there.

¹⁰And they removed from Elim and encamped by the Red Sea.

¹¹And they removed from the Red Sea and encamped in the Wilderness of Sin.

¹²And they took their journey out of the Wilderness of Sin and encamped in Dophkah.

¹³And they departed from Dophkah and encamped in Alush.

¹⁴And they removed from Alush and encamped at Rephidim, where was no water for the people to drink.

¹⁵And they departed from Rephidim and pitched camp in the Wilderness of Sinai.

¹⁶And they removed from the Desert of Sinai and pitched at Kibrothhattaavah [that is, The graves of lust].

¹⁷And they departed from Kibrothhattaavah and encamped at Hazeroth.

¹⁸And they departed from Hazeroth and pitched in Rithmah.

¹⁹And they departed from Rithmah and pitched at Rimmonperez.

²⁰And they departed from Rimmonperez and pitched in Libnah.

²¹And they removed from Libnah and pitched at Rissah.

²²And they journeyed from Rissah and pitched in Kehelathah.

²³And they went from Kehelathah and pitched in Mount Shepher.

²⁴And they removed from Mount Shepher and encamped in Haradah.

²⁵And they removed from Haradah and pitched in Makheloth.

²⁶And they removed from Makheloth and encamped at Tahath.

²⁷And they departed from Tahath and pitched at Terah.

²⁸And they removed from Terah and pitched in Mithkah.

²⁹And they went from Mithkah and pitched in Hashmonah.

³⁰And they departed from Hashmonah and encamped at Moseroth.

³¹And they departed from Moseroth and pitched in Benejaakan.

³²And they removed from Benejaakan and encamped at Horhagidgad.

³³And they went from Horhagidgad and pitched in Jotbathah.

³⁴And they removed from Jotbathah and encamped at Abronah.

³⁵And they departed from Abronah and encamped at Eziongeber.

³⁶And they removed from Eziongeber and pitched in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh.

³⁷And they removed from Kadesh and pitched in Mount Hor, on the edge of the land of Edom.

³⁸And Aaron the priest went up into Mount Hor at the commandment of the LORD, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.

³⁹And Aaron was a hundred and twenty and three years old when he died on Mount Hor.

⁴⁰And King Arad the Canaanite, who dwelt in the South in the land of Canaan, heard of the coming of the children of Israel.

⁴¹And they departed from Mount Hor and pitched camp in Zalmonah.

⁴²And they departed from Zalmonah and pitched in Punon.

⁴³And they departed from Punon and pitched in Oboth.

⁴⁴And they departed from Oboth and pitched in Ijeabarim, in the border of Moab.

⁴⁵And they departed from Iim and pitched in Dibongad.

⁴⁶And they removed from Dibongad and encamped in Almondiblathaim.

⁴⁷And they removed from Almondiblathaim and pitched in the mountains of Abarim before Nebo.

⁴⁸And they departed from the mountains of Abarim and pitched in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.

⁴⁹And they pitched by the Jordan, from Bethjesimoth even unto Abelshittim in the plains of Moab.

⁵⁰And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,

⁵¹"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: 'When ye have passed over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

⁵²then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their idols, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places.

⁵³And ye shall dispossess the inhabitants of the land and dwell therein, for I have given you the land to possess it.

⁵⁴And ye shall divide the land by lot for an inheritance among your families; and to the more ye shall give the more inheritance, and to the fewer ye shall give the less inheritance. Every man's inheritance shall be in the place where his lot falleth, according to the tribes of your fathers ye shall inherit.

⁵⁵But if ye will not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall come to pass that those who ye let remain of them shall be pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides, and shall vex you in the land wherein ye dwell.

⁵⁶Moreover it shall come to pass that I shall do unto you as I thought to do unto them.'"

34And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

²"Command the children of Israel, and say unto them: 'When ye come into the land of Canaan (this is the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, even the land of Canaan with the borders thereof),

³then your south quarter shall be from the Wilderness of Zin along by the border of Edom; and your south border shall be the outmost coast of the Salt Sea eastward.

⁴And your border shall turn from the south to the Ascent of Akrabbim and pass on to Zin; and the going forth thereof shall be from the south to Kadeshbarnea, and shall go on to Hazaraddar and pass on to Azmon.

⁵And the border shall pass around from Azmon unto the River of Egypt, and the limits of it shall be at the Sea.

⁶"'And as for the western border, ye shall even have the Great Sea for a border. This shall be your west border.

⁷"'And this shall be your north border: from the Great Sea ye shall designate for you Mount Hor;

⁸from Mount Hor ye shall designate your border unto the entrance of Hamath; and the limits of the border shall be to Zedad;

⁹and the border shall go on to Ziphron, and the limits of it shall be at Hazarenan. This shall be your north border.

¹⁰"'And ye shall designate your east border from Hazarenan to Shepham;

¹¹and the border shall go down from Shepham to Riblah on the east side of Ain; and the border shall descend and shall reach unto the side of the Sea of Chinnereth eastward;

¹²and the border shall go down to the Jordan, and the limits of it shall be at the Salt Sea. This shall be your land with the borders thereof round about.'"

¹³And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, "This is the land which ye shall inherit by lot, which the LORD commanded to give unto the nine tribes and to the halftribe.

¹⁴For the tribe of the children of Reuben according to the house of their fathers, and the tribe of the children of Gad according to the house of their fathers, have received their inheritance; and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance.

¹⁵The two tribes and the halftribe have received their inheritance on this side of the Jordan near Jericho eastward, toward the sunrising."

¹⁶And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁷"These are the names of the men who shall divide the land unto you: Eleazar the priest, and Joshua the son of Nun.

¹⁸And ye shall take one prince of every tribe to divide the land by inheritance.

¹⁹And the names of the men are these: of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh;

²⁰and of the tribe of the children of Simeon, Shemuel the son of Ammihud;

²¹of the tribe of Benjamin, Elidad the son of Chislon;

²²and the prince of the tribe of the children of Dan, Bukki the son of Jogli;

²³the princes of the children of Joseph: for the tribe of the children of Manasseh, Hanniel the son of Ephod,

²⁴and the prince of the tribe of the children of Ephraim, Kemuel the son of Shiphtan;

²⁵and the prince of the tribe of the children of Zebulun, Elizaphan the son of Parnach;

²⁶and the prince of the tribe of the children of Issachar, Paltiel the son of Azzan;

²⁷and the prince of the tribe of the children of Asher, Ahihud the son of Shelomi;

²⁸and the prince of the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel the son of Ammihud."

²⁹These are they whom the LORD commanded to divide the inheritance unto the children of Israel in the land of Canaan.

35And the LORD spoke unto Moses in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho, saying,

²"Command the children of Israel that they give unto the Levites from the inheritance of their possession cities to dwell in; and ye shall give also unto the Levites suburbs for the cities round about them.

³And the cities shall they have to dwell in, and the suburbs of them shall be for their cattle and for their goods and for all their beasts.

⁴And the suburbs of the cities, which ye shall give unto the Levites, shall reach from the wall of the city and outward a thousand cubits round about.

⁵And ye shall measure from outside the city on the east side two thousand cubits, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits; and the city shall be in the midst. This shall be to them the suburbs of the cities.

⁶And among the cities which ye shall give unto the Levites there shall be six cities for refuge which ye shall appoint for the manslayer, that he may flee thither; and to them ye shall add forty and two cities.

⁷So all the cities which ye shall give to the Levites shall be forty and eight cities; these shall ye give with their suburbs.

⁸And the cities which ye shall give shall be from the possession of the children of Israel. From those who have many ye shall give many, but from those who have few ye shall give few. Every one shall give from his cities unto the Levites according to his inheritance which he inheriteth."

⁹And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying,

¹⁰"Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: 'When ye have come over the Jordan into the land of Canaan,

¹¹then ye shall appoint you cities to be cities of refuge for you, that the slayer may flee thither who killeth any person unawares.

¹²And they shall be unto you cities for refuge from the avenger, that the manslayer die not until he stand before the congregation in judgment.

¹³And of these cities which ye shall give, six cities shall ye have for refuge.

¹⁴Ye shall give three cities on this side of the Jordan, and three cities shall ye give in the land of Canaan, which shall be cities of refuge.

¹⁵These six cities shall be a refuge both for the children of Israel, and for the stranger and for the sojourner among them, that every one who killeth any person unawares may flee thither.

¹⁶"'And if he smite him with an instrument of iron so that he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁷And if he smite him with throwing a stone wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁸Or if he smite him with a hand weapon of wood wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death.

¹⁹The avenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him, he shall slay him.

²⁰But if he thrust him out of hatred, or hurl at him by lying in wait so that he die,

²¹or in enmity smite him with his hand so that he die, he that smote him shall surely be put to death, for he is a murderer: the avenger of blood shall slay the murderer when he meeteth him.

²²"'But if he thrust him suddenly without enmity, or have cast upon him anything without lying in wait,

²³or with any stone wherewith a man may die, seeing him not and casting it upon him so that he die, and was not his enemy neither sought his harm,

²⁴then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the avenger of blood according to these judgments.

²⁵And the congregation shall deliver the slayer out of the hand of the avenger of blood, and the congregation shall restore him to the city of his refuge whither he had fled; and he shall abide in it unto the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil.

²⁶But if the slayer shall at any time come outside the border of the city of his refuge whither he had fled,

²⁷and the avenger of blood find him outside the borders of the city of his refuge, and the avenger of blood kill the slayer, he shall not be guilty of blood,

²⁸because he should have remained in the city of his refuge until the death of the high priest; but after the death of the high priest the slayer shall return into the land of his possession.

²⁹"'So these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

³⁰Whoso killeth any person, the murderer shall be put to death by the mouth of witnesses; but one witness shall not testify against any person to cause him to die.

³¹Moreover ye shall take no payment for the life of a murderer who is deserving of death, but he shall be surely put to death.

³²And ye shall take no payment for him that has fled to the city of his refuge, that he should come again to dwell in the land until the death of the priest.

³³So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are; for blood defileth the land, and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.

³⁴Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit wherein I dwell; for I, the LORD, dwell among the children of Israel.'"

36And the chief fathers of the families of the children of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, of the families of the sons of Joseph, came near and spoke before Moses and before the princes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel.

²And they said, "The LORD commanded my lord to give the land for an inheritance by lot to the children of Israel, and my lord was commanded by the LORD to give the inheritance of Zelophehad our brother unto his daughters.

³And if they be married to any of the sons of the other tribes of the children of Israel, then shall their inheritance be taken from the inheritance of our fathers, and shall be added to the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall it be taken from the lot of our inheritance.

⁴And when the Jubilee of the children of Israel shall be, then shall their inheritance be added unto the inheritance of the tribe whereunto they are received: so shall their inheritance be taken away from the inheritance of the tribe of our fathers."

⁵And Moses commanded the children of Israel according to the word of the LORD, saying, "The tribe of the sons of Joseph hath said well.

⁶This is the thing which the LORD doth command concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, 'Let them marry whom they think best; only, within the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry.'

⁷So shall not the inheritance of the children of Israel remove from tribe to tribe, for every one of the children of Israel shall keep himself to the inheritance of the tribe of his fathers.

⁸And every daughter who possesseth an inheritance in any tribe of the children of Israel shall be the wife unto one of the family of the tribe of her father, that the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers.

⁹Neither shall the inheritance remove from one tribe to another tribe, but every one of the tribes of the children of Israel shall keep himself to his own inheritance."

¹⁰Even as the LORD commanded Moses, so did the daughters of Zelophehad;

¹¹for Mahlal, Tirzah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Noah, the daughters of Zelophehad, were married unto their fathers' brothers' sons.

¹²And they were married into the families of the sons of Manasseh the son of Joseph, and their inheritance remained in the tribe of the family of their father.

¹³These are the commandments and the judgments which the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses unto the children of Israel in the plains of Moab by the Jordan near Jericho.

1These are the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel on this side of the Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain opposite the Red Sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.

²(There are eleven days' journey from Horeb by the way of Mount Seir unto Kadeshbarnea.)

³And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first day of the month, that Moses spoke unto the children of Israel according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them,

⁴after he had slain Sihon the king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, who dwelt at Ashtaroth in Edrei.

⁵On this side of the Jordan in the land of Moab, began Moses to declare this law, saying,

⁶"The LORD our God spoke unto us in Horeb, saying: 'Ye have dwelt long enough in this mount.

⁷Turn you and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites and unto all the places nigh thereunto, in the plain, in the hills and in the vale, and in the South and by the seaside, to the land of the Canaanites and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the River Euphrates.

⁸Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.'

⁹"And I spoke unto you at that time, saying, 'I am not able to bear you myself alone.

¹⁰The LORD your God hath multiplied you, and behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.

¹¹(The LORD God of your fathers make you a thousand times so many more as ye are, and bless you as He hath promised you!)

¹²How can I myself alone bear your cumbrance and your burden and your strife?

¹³Take you wise men of understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over you.'

¹⁴And ye answered me and said, 'The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.'

¹⁵So I took the chief of your tribes, wise men and known, and made them heads over you, captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, and captains over fifties and captains over tens, and officers among your tribes.

¹⁶And I charged your judges at that time, saying, 'Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother and the stranger who is with him.

¹⁷Ye shall not respect persons in judgment, but ye shall hear the small as well as the great. Ye shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God's. And the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me and I will hear it.'

¹⁸And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

¹⁹"And when we departed from Horeb, we went through all that great and terrible wilderness which ye saw by the way of the mountain of the Amorites, as the LORD our God commanded us; and we came to Kadeshbarnea.

²⁰And I said unto you, 'Ye have come unto the mountain of the Amorites, which the LORD our God doth give unto us.

²¹Behold, the LORD thy God hath set the land before thee. Go up and possess it, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath said unto thee; fear not, neither be discouraged.'

²²"And ye came near unto me, every one of you, and said, 'We will send men before us, and they shall search us out the land and bring us word again by what way we must go up and into what cities we shall come.'

²³And the saying pleased me well; and I took twelve men of you, one from a tribe.

²⁴And they turned and went up into the mountain, and came unto the Valley of Eshcol and searched it out.

²⁵And they took of the fruit of the land in their hands and brought it down unto us, and brought us word again, and said, 'It is a good land which the LORD our God doth give us.'

²⁶"Notwithstanding, ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God;

²⁷and ye murmured in your tents and said, 'Because the LORD hated us, He hath brought us forth out of the land of Egypt to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us.

²⁸Whither shall we go up? Our brethren have discouraged our heart, saying, "The people are greater and taller than we; the cities are great and walled up to heaven, and moreover we have seen the sons of the Anakim there."'

²⁹Then I said unto you, 'Dread not, neither be afraid of them.

³⁰The LORD your God who goeth before you, He shall fight for you according to all that He did for you in Egypt before your eyes,

³¹and in the wilderness where thou hast seen how the LORD thy God bore thee, as a man doth bear his son, in all the way that ye went until ye came into this place.'

³²Yet in this thing ye did not believe the LORD your God,

³³who went in the way before you to search you out a place to pitch your tents, in fire by night to show you by what way ye should go, and in a cloud by day.

³⁴"And the LORD heard the voice of your words and was wroth, and swore, saying,

³⁵'Surely there shall not one of these men of this evil generation see that good land which I swore to give unto your fathers,

³⁶save Caleb the son of Jephunneh; he shall see it, and to him will I give the land that he hath trodden upon, and to his children, because he hath wholly followed the LORD.'

³⁷Also the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, saying, 'Thou also shalt not go in thither.

³⁸But Joshua the son of Nun, who standeth before thee, he shall go in thither. Encourage him, for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.

³⁹Moreover your little ones, who ye said should be a prey, and your children, who in that day had no knowledge between good and evil, they shall go in thither; and unto them will I give it, and they shall possess it.

⁴⁰But as for you, turn you, and take your journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea.'

⁴¹"Then ye answered and said unto me, 'We have sinned against the LORD. We will go up and fight, according to all that the LORD our God commanded us.' And when ye had girded on every man his weapons of war, ye were ready to go up onto the hill.

⁴²And the LORD said unto me, 'Say unto them: Go not up, neither fight, for I am not among you, lest ye be smitten before your enemies.'

⁴³So I spoke unto you, and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the LORD, and went presumptuously up onto the hill.

⁴⁴And the Amorites, who dwelt in that mountain, came out against you and chased you as bees do, and destroyed you in Seir, even unto Hormah.

⁴⁵And ye returned and wept before the LORD; but the LORD would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.

⁴⁶So ye abode in Kadesh many days, according unto the days that ye abode there.

2"Then we turned and took our journey into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea, as the LORD spoke unto me; and we compassed Mount Seir many days.

²And the LORD spoke unto me, saying,

³'Ye have compassed this mountain long enough; turn you northward.

⁴And command thou the people, saying, "Ye are to pass through the border of your brethren the children of Esau, who dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you. Take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore.

⁵Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth, because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.

⁶Ye shall buy meat from them with money, that ye may eat; and ye shall also buy water from them with money, that ye may drink.

⁷For the LORD thy God hath blessed thee in all the works of thy hand. He knoweth thy walking through this great wilderness. These forty years the LORD thy God hath been with thee; thou hast lacked nothing."'

⁸And when we passed by from our brethren the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, through the way of the plain from Elath and from Eziongaber, we turned and passed by the way of the Wilderness of Moab.

⁹"And the LORD said unto me, 'Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle; for I will not give thee of their land for a possession, because I have given Ar unto the children of Lot for a possession.'

¹⁰(The Emim dwelt therein in times past, a people great and many and tall as the Anakim,

¹¹who also were accounted giants, as the Anakim, but the Moabites call them Emim.

¹²The Horim also dwelt in Seir aforetime, but the children of Esau succeeded them when they had destroyed them from before them, and dwelt in their stead, as Israel did unto the land of his possession which the LORD gave unto them.)

¹³'Now rise up,' said I, 'and get you over the Brook Zered.' And we went over the Brook Zered.

¹⁴And the space in which we came from Kadeshbarnea until we had come over the Brook Zered was thirty and eight years, until all the generation of the men of war were wasted from among the host, as the LORD swore unto them.

¹⁵For indeed the hand of the LORD was against them to destroy them from among the host until they were consumed.

¹⁶"So it came to pass, when all the men of war were consumed and dead from among the people,

¹⁷that the LORD spoke unto me, saying,

¹⁸'Thou art to pass over through Ar, the border of Moab, this day.

¹⁹And when thou comest nigh over against the children of Ammon, distress them not nor meddle with them; for I will not give thee of the land of the children of Ammon any possession, because I have given it unto the children of Lot for a possession.'

²⁰(That also was accounted a land of giants. Giants dwelt therein in olden times; and the Ammonites call them Zamzummim,

²¹a people great and many and tall, as the Anakim. But the LORD destroyed them before them; and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead,

²²as He did to the children of Esau, who dwelt in Seir, when He destroyed the Horim from before them; and they succeeded them and dwelt in their stead even unto this day.

²³And the Avim who dwelt in Hazerim, even unto Gaza, the Caphtorim, who came forth out of Caphtor, destroyed them and dwelt in their stead.)

²⁴'Rise ye up, take your journey and pass over the River Arnon. Behold, I have given into thine hand Sihon the Amorite, king of Heshbon, and his land. Begin to possess it, and contend with him in battle.

²⁵This day will I begin to put the dread of thee and the fear of thee upon the nations who are under the whole heaven, who shall hear report of thee, and shall tremble and be in anguish because of thee.'

²⁶"And I sent messengers out of the Wilderness of Kedemoth unto Sihon king of Heshbon with words of peace, saying,

²⁷'Let me pass through thy land. I will go along by the high way; I will neither turn unto the right hand nor to the left.

²⁸Thou shalt sell me meat for money, that I may eat, and give me water for money, that I may drink. I will pass through only on my feet,

²⁹as the children of Esau who dwell in Seir and the Moabites who dwell in Ar did unto me, until I shall pass over the Jordan into the land which the LORD our God giveth us.'

³⁰But Sihon king of Heshbon would not let us pass by him, for the LORD thy God hardened his spirit and made his heart obstinate, that He might deliver him into thy hand, as appeareth this day.

³¹And the LORD said unto me, 'Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land.'

³²Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz.

³³And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons and all his people.

³⁴And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men and the women and the little ones of every city; we left none to remain.

³⁵Only the cattle we took for a prey unto ourselves, and the spoil of the cities which we took.

³⁶From Aroer, which is by the brink of the River of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us; the LORD our God delivered all unto us.

³⁷Only unto the land of the children of Ammon thou camest not, nor unto any place of the River Jabbok, nor unto the cities in the mountains, nor unto whatsoever the LORD our God forbade us.

3"Then we turned and went up the way to Bashan; and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei.

²And the LORD said unto me, 'Fear him not; for I will deliver him and all his people and his land into thy hand, and thou shalt do unto him as thou didst unto Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon.'

³So the LORD our God delivered into our hands Og also, the king of Bashan, and all his people; and we smote him until none was left to him remaining.

⁴And we took all his cities at that time; there was not a city which we took not from them: threescore cities, all the region of Argob, the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

⁵All these cities were fortified with high walls, gates, and bars, besides unwalled towns a great many.

⁶And we utterly destroyed them, as we did unto Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women, and children of every city.

⁷But all the cattle and the spoil of the cities we took for a prey to ourselves.

⁸And we took at that time out of the hand of the two kings of the Amorites the land that was on this side of the Jordan, from the River of Arnon unto Mount Hermon

⁹(which Hermon the Sidonians call Sirion, and the Amorites call it Senir),

¹⁰all the cities of the plain, and all Gilead, and all Bashan, unto Salchah and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan.

¹¹For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of giants; behold, his bedstead was a bedstead of iron. (Is it not in Rabbath of the children of Ammon?) Nine cubits was the length thereof and four cubits the breadth of it, according to the cubit of a man.

¹²"And this land, which we possessed at that time, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, and half Mount Gilead and the cities thereof, gave I unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites.

¹³And the rest of Gilead, and all Bashan, being the kingdom of Og, gave I unto the halftribe of Manasseh: all the region of Argob, with all Bashan, which was called the land of giants.

¹⁴Jair the son of Manasseh took all the country of Argob unto the borders of Geshuri and Maachathi, and called them after his own name, Bashanhavothjair, unto this day.

¹⁵And I gave Gilead unto Machir.

¹⁶And unto the Reubenites and unto the Gadites I gave from Gilead even unto the River Arnon half the valley, and the border even unto the River Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon;

¹⁷the plain also, and the Jordan and the border thereof, from Chinnereth even unto the sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea, under Pisgah eastward.

¹⁸"And I commanded you at that time, saying, 'The LORD your God hath given you this land to possess it. Ye shall pass over armed before your brethren the children of Israel, all who are meet for the war.

¹⁹But your wives and your little ones and your cattle (for I know that ye have much cattle) shall abide in your cities which I have given you,

²⁰until the LORD shall have given rest unto your brethren as well as unto you, and until they also possess the land which the LORD your God hath given them beyond the Jordan; and then shall ye return every man unto his possession which I have given you.'

²¹And I commanded Joshua at that time, saying, 'Thine eyes have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto these two kings; so shall the LORD do unto all the kingdoms whither thou passest.

²²Ye shall not fear them, for the LORD your God He shall fight for you.'

²³"And I besought the LORD at that time, saying,

²⁴'O Lord GOD, Thou hast begun to show Thy servant Thy greatness and Thy mighty hand; for what God is there in heaven or in earth who can do according to Thy works and according to Thy might?

²⁵I pray Thee, let me go over and see the good land that is beyond the Jordan, that goodly mountain, and Lebanon.'

²⁶But the LORD was wroth with me for your sakes, and would not hear me. And the LORD said unto me: 'Let it suffice thee: speak no more unto Me of this matter.

²⁷Get thee up onto the top of Pisgah, and lift up thine eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward, and behold it with thine eyes; for thou shalt not go over this Jordan.

²⁸But charge Joshua, and encourage him and strengthen him; for he shall go over before this people, and he shall cause them to inherit the land which thou shalt see.'

²⁹So we abode in the valley over against Bethpeor.

4"Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments which I teach you to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

²Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

³Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor; for all the men who followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

⁴But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.

⁵Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

⁶Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations who shall hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'

⁷For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them as the LORD our God is in all things that we call upon Him for?

⁸And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law which I set before you this day?

⁹"Only take heed to thyself and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life; but teach them to thy sons and thy sons' sons,

¹⁰especially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, 'Gather Me the people together, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.'

¹¹And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

¹²And the LORD spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire. Ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

¹³And He declared unto you His covenant, which He commanded you to perform, even Ten Commandments; and He wrote them upon two tablets of stone.

¹⁴And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

¹⁵"Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves (for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire),

¹⁶lest ye corrupt yourselves and make you a graven image: the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

¹⁷the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,

¹⁸the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth;

¹⁹and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath imparted unto all nations under the whole heaven.

²⁰But the LORD hath taken you and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto Him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

²¹Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

²²But I must die in this land, I must not go over the Jordan; but ye shall go over and possess that good land.

²³Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God which He made with you, and make yourselves a graven image or the likeness of any thing which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

²⁴For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

²⁵"When thou shalt beget children and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God to provoke Him to anger,

²⁶I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

²⁷And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen whither the LORD shall lead you.

²⁸And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.

²⁹But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find Him, if thou seek Him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

³⁰When thou art in tribulation and all these things have come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God and shalt be obedient unto His voice

³¹(for the LORD thy God is a merciful God), He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which He swore unto them.

³²"For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

³³Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

³⁴Or hath God deigned to go and take Him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

³⁵Unto thee it was shown, that thou mightest know that the LORD He is God: there is none else besides Him.

³⁶Out of heaven He made thee to hear His voice, that He might instruct thee; and upon earth He showed thee His great fire, and thou heardest His words out of the midst of the fire.

³⁷And because He loved thy fathers, therefore He chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in His sight with His mighty power out of Egypt

³⁸to drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.

³⁹Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD He is God in heaven above and upon the earth beneath: there is none else.

⁴⁰Thou shalt keep therefore His statutes and His commandments which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever."

⁴¹Then Moses set apart three cities on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising,

⁴²that the slayer might flee thither who should kill his neighbor unawares, and hated him not in times past, and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live,

⁴³namely: Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country of the Reubenites, and Ramoth in Gilead of the Gadites, and Golan in Bashan of the Manassites.

⁴⁴And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel.

⁴⁵These are the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which Moses spoke unto the children of Israel after they came forth out of Egypt,

⁴⁶on this side of the Jordan in the valley opposite Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote after they had come forth out of Egypt.

⁴⁷And they possessed his land and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, who were on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising,

⁴⁸from Aroer, which is by the bank of the River Arnon, even unto Mount Sion, which is Hermon,

⁴⁹and all the plain on this side of the Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.

5And Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, "Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them.

²The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

³The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who are all of us here alive this day.

⁴The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire

⁵(I stood between the LORD and you at that time to show you the word of the LORD, for ye were afraid by reason of the fire and went not up into the mount), saying:

⁶"'I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

⁷"'Thou shalt have no other gods before Me.

⁸Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth.

⁹Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; for I, the LORD thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me,

¹⁰and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me and keep My commandments.

¹¹"'Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.

¹²"'Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

¹³Six days thou shalt labor and do all thy work,

¹⁴but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the LORD thy God: In it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates, that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

¹⁵And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm; therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day.

¹⁶"'Honor thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee, that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

¹⁷"'Thou shalt not kill.

¹⁸"'Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

¹⁹"'Neither shalt thou steal.

²⁰"'Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbor.

²¹"'Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbor's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbor's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbor's.'

²²"These words the LORD spoke unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and He added no more. And He wrote them on two tablets of stone, and delivered them unto me.

²³And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness (for the mountain did burn with fire), that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes and your elders.

²⁴And ye said, 'Behold, the LORD our God hath shown us His glory and His greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the midst of the fire. We have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

²⁵Now therefore why should we die? For this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die.

²⁶For who is there of all flesh that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

²⁷Go thou near and hear all that the LORD our God shall say; and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee, and we will hear it and do it.'

²⁸"And the LORD heard the voice of your words when ye spoke unto me; and the LORD said unto me: 'I have heard the voice of the words of this people which they have spoken unto thee. They have well said all that they have spoken.

²⁹O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments always, that it might be well with them and with their children for ever!

³⁰Go, say to them, "Get you into your tents again."

³¹But as for thee, stand thou here by Me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it.'

³²"Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you; ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

³³Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

6"Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it,

²that thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life, and that thy days may be prolonged.

³Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it, that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey.

⁴"Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD.

⁵And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

⁶And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart;

⁷and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down and when thou risest up.

⁸And thou shalt bind them as a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.

⁹And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house and on thy gates.

¹⁰"And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities which thou built not,

¹¹and houses full of all good things which thou filled not, and wells dug which thou dug not, vineyards and olive trees which thou planted not, when thou shalt have eaten and be full,

¹²then beware lest thou forget the LORD who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

¹³Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve Him, and shalt swear by His name.

¹⁴Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people who are round about you

¹⁵(for the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

¹⁶"Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah.

¹⁷Ye shall diligently keep the commandments of the LORD your God, and His testimonies, and His statutes which He hath commanded thee.

¹⁸And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers,

¹⁹to cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken.

²⁰"And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, 'What mean the testimonies and the statutes and the judgments which the LORD our God hath commanded you?'

²¹then thou shalt say unto thy son: 'We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

²²And the LORD showed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his household, before our eyes;

²³and He brought us out from thence, that He might bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers.

²⁴And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is at this day.

²⁵And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He hath commanded us.'

7"When the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee -- the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou--

²and when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee, thou shalt smite them and utterly destroy them. Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor show mercy unto them.

³Neither shalt thou make marriages with them. Thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son;

⁴for they will turn away thy son from following Me, that they may serve other gods. So will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you and destroy thee suddenly.

⁵But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their graven images with fire.

⁶"For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God; the LORD thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth.

⁷The LORD did not set His love upon you nor choose you because ye were more in number than any people, for ye were the fewest of all people;

⁸but because the LORD loved you, and because He would keep the oath which He had sworn unto your fathers, hath the LORD brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

⁹Know therefore that the LORD thy God, He is God, the faithful God, who keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations,

¹⁰and repayeth them that hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack to him that hateth Him; He will repay him to his face.

¹¹Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments and the statutes and the judgments which I command thee this day, to do them.

¹²"Therefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments and keep and do them, that the LORD thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which He swore unto thy fathers.

¹³And He will love thee and bless thee and multiply thee; He will also bless the fruit of thy womb and the fruit of thy land, thy corn and thy wine and thine oil, the increase of thy cattle and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which He swore unto thy fathers to give thee.

¹⁴Thou shalt be blessed above all people. There shall not be male or female barren among you or among your cattle.

¹⁵And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee, but will lay them upon all those who hate thee.

¹⁶And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them; neither shalt thou serve their gods, for that will be a snare unto thee.

¹⁷"If thou shalt say in thine heart, 'These nations are more than I. How can I dispossess them?'

¹⁸thou shalt not be afraid of them, but shalt well remember what the LORD thy God did unto Pharaoh and unto all Egypt--

¹⁹the great temptations which thine eyes saw, and the signs, and the wonders, and the mighty hand, and the stretched out arm --whereby the LORD thy God brought thee out. So shall the LORD thy God do unto all the people of whom thou art afraid.

²⁰Moreover the LORD thy God will send the hornet among them, until those who are left and hide themselves from thee be destroyed.

²¹Thou shalt not be frightened at them; for the LORD thy God is among you, a mighty God and fearsome.

²²And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee little by little; thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.

²³But the LORD thy God shall deliver them unto thee, and shall destroy them with a mighty destruction until they be destroyed.

²⁴And He shall deliver their kings into thine hand, and thou shalt destroy their name from under heaven. There shall no man be able to stand before thee until thou have destroyed them.

²⁵The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire. Thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein; for it is an abomination to the LORD thy God.

²⁶Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it; but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it, for it is a cursed thing.

8"All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers.

²And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments or not.

³And He humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know, that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.

⁴Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell these forty years.

⁵Thou shalt also consider in thine heart that as a man chasteneth his son, so the LORD thy God chasteneth thee.

⁶Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God to walk in His ways and to fear Him.

⁷For the LORD thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills,

⁸a land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates, a land of olive oil, and honey,

⁹a land wherein thou shalt eat bread without scarceness. Thou shalt not lack any thing in it; a land whose stones are iron and out of whose hills thou mayest dig brass.

¹⁰When thou hast eaten and art full, then thou shalt bless the LORD thy God for the good land which He hath given thee.

¹¹"Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God in not keeping His commandments and His judgments and His statutes which I command thee this day,

¹²lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses and dwelt therein,

¹³and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied,

¹⁴then thine heart be lifted up and thou forget the LORD thy God, who brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage,

¹⁵who led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, wherein were fiery serpents and scorpions and drought, where there was no water, who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint,

¹⁶who fed thee in the wilderness with manna which thy fathers knew not, that He might humble thee and that He might prove thee, to do thee good at thy latter end;

¹⁷and thou say in thine heart, 'My power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth.'

¹⁸But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God; for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

¹⁹And it shall be, if thou at all forget the LORD thy God and walk after other gods, and serve them and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish.

²⁰As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish, because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.

9"Hear, O Israel: Thou art to pass over the Jordan this day to go in to possess nations greater and mightier than thyself, cities great and fortified up to heaven,

²a people great and tall, the children of the Anakim, whom thou knowest and of whom thou hast heard say, 'Who can stand before the children of Anak!'

³Understand therefore this day that the LORD thy God is He who goeth over before thee as a consuming fire. He shall destroy them, and He shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the LORD hath said unto thee.

⁴Speak not thou in thine heart, after the LORD thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, 'For my righteousness the LORD hath brought me in to possess this land'; but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD doth drive them out from before thee.

⁵Not for thy righteousness or for the uprightness of thine heart dost thou go to possess their land, but for the wickedness of these nations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that He may perform the word which the LORD swore unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

⁶"Understand, therefore, that the LORD thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness, for thou art a stiffnecked people.

⁷Remember, and forget not, how thou provoked the LORD thy God to wrath in the wilderness. From the day that thou didst depart out of the land of Egypt until ye came unto this place, ye have been rebellious against the LORD.

⁸Also in Horeb ye provoked the LORD to wrath, so that the LORD was so angry with you as to have destroyed you.

⁹When I had gone up into the mount to receive the tablets of stone, even the tablets of the covenant which the LORD made with you, then I abode on the mount forty days and forty nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water.

¹⁰And the LORD delivered unto me two tablets of stone written with the finger of God, and on them was written according to all the words which the LORD spoke with you on the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly.

¹¹And it came to pass, at the end of forty days and forty nights, that the LORD gave me the two tablets of stone, even the tablets of the covenant.

¹²And the LORD said unto me, 'Arise, get thee down quickly from hence, for thy people whom thou hast brought forth out of Egypt have corrupted themselves. They have quickly turned aside out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten image.'

¹³"Furthermore the LORD spoke unto me, saying, 'I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiffnecked people.

¹⁴Let Me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven; and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.'

¹⁵So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire; and the two tablets of the covenant were in my two hands.

¹⁶And I looked, and behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf. Ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.

¹⁷And I took the two tablets, and cast them out of my two hands, and broke them before your eyes.

¹⁸And I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights as at the first; I neither ate bread nor drank water, because of all your sins which ye sinned in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger.

¹⁹For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.

²⁰And the LORD was very angry with Aaron so as to have destroyed him, and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.

²¹And I took your sin, the calf which ye had made, and burned it with fire and stamped it and ground it very small, even until it was as small as dust; and I cast the dust thereof into the brook that descended out of the mount.

²²"And at Taberah and at Massah and at Kibrothhattaavah ye provoked the LORD to wrath.

²³Likewise when the LORD sent you from Kadeshbarnea, saying, 'Go up and possess the land which I have given you,' then ye rebelled against the commandment of the LORD your God, and ye believed Him not nor hearkened to His voice.

²⁴Ye have been rebellious against the LORD from the day that I knew you.

²⁵"Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first, because the LORD had said He would destroy you.

²⁶I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said: 'O Lord GOD, destroy not Thy people and Thine inheritance whom Thou hast redeemed through Thy greatness, whom Thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand.

²⁷Remember Thy servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness nor to their sin,

²⁸lest the land whence Thou broughtest us out say, "Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which He promised them, and because He hated them, He hath brought them out to slay them in the wilderness."

²⁹Yet they are Thy people and Thine inheritance, whom Thou broughtest out by Thy mighty power and by Thy stretched out arm.'

10"At that time the LORD said unto me, 'Hew thee two tablets of stone like unto the first, and come up unto Me onto the mount, and make thee an ark of wood.

²And I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets which thou didst break, and thou shalt put them in the ark.'

³And I made an ark of shittim wood and hewed two tablets of stone like unto the first, and went up onto the mount, having the two tablets in mine hand.

⁴And He wrote on the tablets, according to the first writing, the Ten Commandments, which the LORD spoke unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly; and the LORD gave them unto me.

⁵And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tablets in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me."

⁶(And the children of Israel took their journey from Beeroth of the children of Jaakan to Mosera. There Aaron died, and there he was buried; and Eleazar his son ministered in the priest's office in his stead.

⁷From thence they journeyed unto Gudgodah, and from Gudgodah to Jotbathah, a land of rivers of waters.

⁸At that time the LORD separated the tribe of Levi to bear the ark of the covenant of the LORD, to stand before the LORD to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name, unto this day.

⁹Therefore Levi hath no part nor inheritance with his brethren; the LORD is his inheritance, according as the LORD thy God promised him.)

¹⁰"And I stayed on the mount, according to the first time, forty days and forty nights; and the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also, and the LORD would not destroy thee.

¹¹And the LORD said unto me, 'Arise, take thy journey before the people, that they may go in and possess the land which I swore unto their fathers to give unto them.'

¹²"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,

¹³to keep the commandments of the LORD and His statutes which I command thee this day for thy good?

¹⁴Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is.

¹⁵Only the LORD had a delight in thy fathers to love them; and He chose their seed after them, even you above all people, as it is this day.

¹⁶Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiffnecked.

¹⁷For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty and a fearsome, who regardeth not persons nor taketh reward.

¹⁸He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger in giving him food and raiment.

¹⁹Love ye therefore the stranger, for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

²⁰Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave and swear by His name.

²¹He is thy praise, and He is thy God, who hath done for thee these great and fearsome things which thine eyes have seen.

²²Thy fathers went down into Egypt with threescore and ten persons, and now the LORD thy God hath made thee as the stars of heaven for multitude.

11"Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep His charge, and His statutes, and His judgments, and His commandments, always.

²And know ye this day, for I speak not with your children, who have not known and who have not seen the chastisement of the LORD your God, His greatness, His mighty hand, and His stretched out arm,

³and His miracles, and His acts, which He did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt and unto all His land;

⁴and what He did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses and to their chariots: how He made the water of the Red Sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the LORD hath destroyed them unto this day;

⁵and what He did unto you in the wilderness until ye came into this place;

⁶and what He did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households and their tents and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel--

⁷but your eyes have seen all the great acts of the LORD which He did.

⁸"Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land whither ye go to possess it;

⁹and that ye may prolong your days in the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

¹⁰For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt from whence ye came out, where thou sowed thy seed and watered it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs.

¹¹But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven,

¹²a land which the LORD thy God careth for. The eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

¹³"And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the LORD your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul,

¹⁴that 'I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn and thy wine and thine oil.

¹⁵And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.'

¹⁶Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;

¹⁷and then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and He shut up the heaven, that there be no rain and that the land yield not her fruit, and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you.

¹⁸"Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.

¹⁹And ye shall teach them to your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down and when thou risest up.

²⁰And thou shalt write them upon the doorposts of thine house and upon thy gates,

²¹that your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the LORD swore unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth.

²²For if ye shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you to do them -- to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to cleave unto Him--

²³then will the LORD drive out all these nations from before you, and ye shall possess greater nations and mightier than yourselves.

²⁴Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness and Lebanon, from the river, the River Euphrates, even unto the uttermost sea shall your borders be.

²⁵There shall no man be able to stand before you; for the LORD your God shall lay the fear of you and the dread of you upon all the land that ye shall tread upon, as He hath said unto you.

²⁶"Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse:

²⁷a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you this day;

²⁸and a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the LORD your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods which ye have not known.

²⁹And it shall come to pass, when the LORD thy God hath brought thee in unto the land whither thou goest to possess it, that thou shalt put the blessing upon Mount Gerizim and the curse upon Mount Ebal.

³⁰Are they not on the other side of the Jordan, by the way where the sun goeth down, in the land of the Canaanites who dwell in the champaign over against Gilgal, beside the plains of Moreh?

³¹For ye shall pass over the Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you, and ye shall possess it and dwell therein.

³²And ye shall observe to do all the statutes and judgments which I set before you this day.

12"These are the statutes and judgments which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live upon the earth.

²Ye shall utterly destroy all the places wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains and upon the hills and under every green tree.

³And ye shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars and burn their Asherah poles with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods and destroy the names of them out of that place.

⁴Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

⁵But unto the place which the LORD your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even unto His habitation shall ye seek, and thither thou shalt come.

⁶And thither ye shall bring your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, and your tithes, and heave offerings of your hand, and your vows, and your freewill offerings, and the firstlings of your herds and of your flocks.

⁷And there ye shall eat before the LORD your God, and ye shall rejoice in all that ye put your hand unto, ye and your households, wherein the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

⁸Ye shall not do after all the things that we do here this day, every man whatsoever being right in his own eyes.

⁹For ye have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance which the LORD your God giveth you.

¹⁰But when ye go over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when He giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety,

¹¹then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause His name to dwell there. Thither shall ye bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD.

¹²And ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God, ye, and your sons, and your daughters, and your menservants, and your maidservants, and the Levite who is within your gates, forasmuch as he hath no part nor inheritance with you.

¹³Take heed to thyself that thou offer not thy burnt offerings in every place that thou seest;

¹⁴but in the place which the LORD shall choose in one of thy tribes, there thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, and there thou shalt do all that I command thee.

¹⁵"Notwithstanding, thou mayest kill and eat flesh in all thy gates, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which He hath given thee; the unclean and the clean may eat thereof, as of the roebuck and as of the hart.

¹⁶Only ye shall not eat the blood; ye shall pour it upon the earth as water.

¹⁷Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings or heave offering of thine hand.

¹⁸But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite who is within thy gates; and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto.

¹⁹Take heed to thyself that thou forsake not the Levite as long as thou livest upon the earth.

²⁰"When the LORD thy God shall enlarge thy border as He hath promised thee, and thou shalt say, 'I will eat flesh,' because thy soul longeth to eat flesh, thou mayest eat flesh, whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

²¹If the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to put His name there be too far from thee, then thou shalt kill of thy herd and of thy flock which the LORD hath given thee, as I have commanded thee, and thou shalt eat in thy gates whatsoever thy soul lusteth after.

²²Even as the roebuck and the hart is eaten, so thou shalt eat them; the unclean and the clean shall eat of them alike.

²³Only be sure that thou eat not the blood; for the blood is the life, and thou mayest not eat the life with the flesh.

²⁴Thou shalt not eat it; thou shalt pour it upon the earth as water.

²⁵Thou shalt not eat it, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

²⁶Only thy holy things which thou hast, and thy vows, thou shalt take and go unto the place which the LORD shall choose.

²⁷And thou shalt offer thy burnt offerings, the flesh and the blood, upon the altar of the LORD thy God; and the blood of thy sacrifices shall be poured out upon the altar of the LORD thy God, and thou shalt eat the flesh.

²⁸Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the LORD thy God.

²⁹"When the LORD thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them and dwellest in their land,

³⁰take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after they are destroyed from before thee, and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? Even so will I do likewise.'

³¹Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God, for every abomination to the LORD which He hateth have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burned in the fire to their gods.

³²"What thing soever I command you, observe to do it. Thou shalt not add thereto nor diminish from it.

13"If there arise among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and giveth thee a sign or a wonder,

²and the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spoke unto thee, saying, 'Let us go after other gods which thou hast not known, and let us serve them,'

³thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is proving you to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

⁴Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear Him, and keep His commandments, and obey His voice, and ye shall serve Him and cleave unto Him.

⁵And that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he hath spoken to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

⁶"If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend who is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve other gods,' which thou hast not known, thou nor thy fathers

⁷(namely, of the gods of the people which are round about you, nigh unto thee or far off from thee, from the one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth),

⁸thou shalt not consent unto him nor hearken unto him, neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him;

⁹but thou shalt surely kill him. Thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people.

¹⁰And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die, because he hath sought to thrust thee away from the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

¹¹And all Israel shall hear and fear, and shall do no more any such wickedness as this is among you.

¹²"If thou shalt hear say in one of thy cities, which the LORD thy God hath given thee to dwell there, saying,

¹³'Certain men, the children of Belial, have gone out from among you and have withdrawn the inhabitants of their city, saying, "Let us go and serve other gods," which ye have not known,'

¹⁴then shalt thou inquire, and make a search and ask diligently; and behold, if it be truth and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought among you,

¹⁵thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword, destroying it utterly, and all that is therein and the cattle thereof, with the edge of the sword.

¹⁶And thou shalt gather all the spoil of it into the midst of the street thereof, and shalt burn with fire the city and all the spoil thereof every whit for the LORD thy God. And it shall be a heap for ever; it shall not be built again.

¹⁷And there shall cleave nought of the cursed thing to thine hand, that the LORD may turn from the fierceness of His anger, and show thee mercy and have compassion upon thee and multiply thee, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers,

¹⁸when thou shalt hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God to keep all His commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of the LORD thy God.

14"Ye are the children of the LORD your God: ye shall not cut yourselves nor make any baldness between your eyes for the dead.

²For thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God, and the LORD hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto Himself above all the nations that are upon the earth.

³"Thou shalt not eat any abominable thing.

⁴These are the beasts which ye shall eat: the ox, the sheep, and the goat,

⁵the hart, and the roebuck, and the fallow deer, and the wild goat, and the pygarg, and the wild ox, and the chamois.

⁶And every beast that parteth the hoof and cleaveth the cleft into two claws and cheweth the cud among the beasts, that ye shall eat.

⁷Nevertheless, these ye shall not eat of them that chew the cud or of them that divide the cloven hoof: the camel, and the hare, and the coney; for they chew the cud, but divide not the hoof; therefore they are unclean unto you.

⁸And the swine, because it divideth the hoof, yet cheweth not the cud, it is unclean unto you; ye shall not eat of their flesh, nor touch their dead carcasses.

⁹"These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: all that have fins and scales shall ye eat.

¹⁰And whatsoever hath not fins and scales ye may not eat; it is unclean unto you.

¹¹"Of all clean birds ye shall eat.

¹²But these are they of which ye shall not eat: the eagle, and ossifrage, and the osprey,

¹³and the glede, and the kite, and the vulture after his kind,

¹⁴and every raven after his kind,

¹⁵and the owl, and the night hawk, and the cuckow, and the hawk after his kind,

¹⁶the little owl, and the great owl, and the swan,

¹⁷and the pelican, and the giereagle, and the cormorant,

¹⁸and the stork, and the heron after her kind, and the lapwing, and the bat.

¹⁹And every creeping thing that flieth is unclean unto you: they shall not be eaten.

²⁰But of all clean fowls ye may eat.

²¹"Ye shall not eat of any thing that dieth of itself. Thou shalt give it unto the stranger who is in thy gates, that he may eat it, or thou mayest sell it unto an alien; for thou art a holy people unto the LORD thy God. "Thou shalt not boil a kid in his mother's milk.

²²"Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed that the field bringeth forth year by year.

²³And thou shalt eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which He shall choose to place His name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks, that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always.

²⁴And if the way be too long for thee, so that thou art not able to carry it, or if the place be too far from thee which the LORD thy God shall choose to set His name there, when the LORD thy God hath blessed thee,

²⁵then shalt thou turn it into money, and bind up the money in thine hand, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.

²⁶And thou shalt bestow that money for whatsoever thy soul lusteth after: for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth; and thou shalt eat there before the LORD thy God, and thou shalt rejoice, thou and thine household.

²⁷And the Levite that is within thy gates, thou shalt not forsake him, for he hath no part nor inheritance with thee.

²⁸"At the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase the same year, and shalt lay it up within thy gates.

²⁹And the Levite (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee), and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within thy gates, shall come and shall eat and be satisfied, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

15"At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release.

²And this is the manner of the release: Every creditor who lendeth aught unto his neighbor shall release it. He shall not exact it from his neighbor or from his brother, because it is called the LORD'S release.

³From a foreigner thou mayest exact it again; but that which is thine with thy brother thine hand shall release,

⁴save when there shall be no poor among you. For the LORD shall greatly bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it,

⁵only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

⁶For the LORD thy God blesseth thee as He promised thee; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, but thou shalt not borrow; and thou shalt reign over many nations, but they shall not reign over thee.

⁷"If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother;

⁸but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth.

⁹Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, 'The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand,' and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother and thou givest him nought, and he cry unto the LORD against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

¹⁰Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him, because for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto;

¹¹for the poor shall never cease out of the land. Therefore I command thee, saying: 'Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy in thy land.'

¹²"And if thy brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee and serve thee six years, then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

¹³And when thou sendest him out free from thee, thou shalt not let him go away empty.

¹⁴Thou shalt furnish him liberally out of thy flock and out of thy floor and out of thy wine press. From that wherewith the LORD thy God hath blessed thee, thou shalt give unto him.

¹⁵And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing today.

¹⁶And it shall be, if he say unto thee, 'I will not go away from thee,' because he loveth thee and thine house, because he is well with thee,

¹⁷then thou shalt take an awl and thrust it through his ear unto the door, and he shall be thy servant for ever. And also unto thy maidservant thou shalt do likewise.

¹⁸It shall not seem hard unto thee when thou sendest him away free from thee, for he hath been worth a double hired servant to thee in serving thee six years; and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all that thou doest.

¹⁹"All the firstling males that come from thy herd and from thy flock thou shalt sanctify unto the LORD thy God; thou shalt do no work with the firstling of thy bullock, nor shear the firstling of thy sheep.

²⁰Thou shalt eat it before the LORD thy God year by year inthe place which the LORD shall choose, thou and thy household.

²¹And if there be any blemish therein, as if it be lame orblind or have any ill blemish, thou shalt not sacrifice it unto the LORD thy God.

²²Thou shalt eat it within thy gates; the unclean and the clean person shall eat it alike, as the roebuck and as the hart.

²³Only thou shalt not eat the blood thereof; thou shalt pour it upon the ground as water.

16"Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto the LORD thy God; for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

²Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place His name there.

³Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste, that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.

⁴And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy borders seven days, neither shall there anything of the flesh, which thou sacrificed the first day at evening, remain all night until the morning.

⁵Thou mayest not sacrifice the Passover within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee;

⁶but at the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place His name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the Passover at evening, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

⁷And thou shalt roast and eat it in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, and thou shalt turn in the morning and go unto thy tents.

⁸Six days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day shall be a solemn assembly to the LORD thy God. Thou shalt do no work therein.

⁹"Seven weeks shalt thou number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as thou beginnest to put the sickle to the corn.

¹⁰And thou shalt keep the Feast of Weeks unto the LORD thy God with a tribute of a freewill offering of thine hand, which thou shalt give unto the LORD thy God according as the LORD thy God hath blessed thee.

¹¹And thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God -- thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite who is within thy gates, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are among you -- in the place which the LORD thy God hath chosen to place His name there.

¹²And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and thou shalt observe and do these statutes.

¹³"Thou shalt observe the Feast of Tabernacles seven days, after thou hast gathered in thy corn and thy wine;

¹⁴and thou shalt rejoice in thy feast, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite, the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are within thy gates.

¹⁵Seven days shalt thou keep a solemn feast unto the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD shall choose. Because the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thine increase and in all the works of thine hands, therefore thou shalt surely rejoice.

¹⁶Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose: in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and in the Feast of Weeks, and in the Feast of Tabernacles. And they shall not appear before the LORD empty;

¹⁷every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the LORD thy God which He hath given thee.

¹⁸"Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes; and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

¹⁹Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous.

²⁰That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

²¹"Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God which thou shalt make thee.

²²Neither shalt thou set thee up any image, which the LORD thy God hateth.

17"Thou shalt not sacrifice unto the LORD thy God any bullock or sheep wherein is blemish or any evilfavoredness, for that is an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

²"If there be found among you, within any of thy gates which the LORD thy God giveth thee, man or woman who hath wrought wickedness in the sight of the LORD thy God in transgressing His covenant,

³and hath gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded,

⁴and it be told thee, and thou hast heard of it and inquired diligently, and behold, it be true and the thing certain that such abomination is wrought in Israel,

⁵then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman who has committed that wicked thing unto thy gates, even that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones till they die.

⁶At the mouth of two witnesses or three witnesses shall he that is worthy of death be put to death, but at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death.

⁷The hands of the witnesses shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hands of all the people. So thou shalt put the evil away from among you.

⁸"If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates, then shalt thou arise and get thee up into the place which the LORD thy God shall choose,

⁹and thou shalt come unto the priests, the Levites, and unto the judge who shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall show thee the sentence of judgment.

¹⁰And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall show thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee.

¹¹According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do. Thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee to the right hand nor to the left.

¹²And the man who will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest who standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel.

¹³And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

¹⁴"When thou art come unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt possess it and shalt dwell therein, and shalt say, 'I will set a king over me like all the nations that are about me,'

¹⁵thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee whom the LORD thy God shall choose. One from among thy brethren shalt thou set as king over thee; thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, who is not thy brother.

¹⁶But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt to the end that he should multiply horses, forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, 'Ye shall henceforth return no more that way.'

¹⁷Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away; neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

¹⁸"And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book from that which is before the priests the Levites.

¹⁹And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them,

²⁰that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.

18"The priests, the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel; they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and His inheritance.

²Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren; the LORD is their inheritance, as He hath said unto them.

³"And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from those who offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give unto the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the maw.

⁴The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.

⁵For the LORD thy God hath chosen him out of all thy tribes to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

⁶"And if a Levite come from any of thy gates out of all Israel where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind unto the place which the LORD shall choose,

⁷then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God as all his brethren the Levites do, who stand there before the LORD.

⁸They shall have like portions to eat, besides that which cometh from the sale of his patrimony.

⁹"When thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations.

¹⁰There shall not be found among you any one who maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or who useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

¹¹or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

¹²For all who do these things are an abomination unto the LORD, and because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth drive them out from before thee.

¹³Thou shalt be perfect with the LORD thy God.

¹⁴For these nations which thou shalt possess hearkened unto observers of times and unto diviners; but as for thee, the LORD thy God hath not suffered thee so to do.

¹⁵"The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, from thy brethren, like unto me. Unto Him ye shall hearken,

¹⁶according to all that thou desired of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.'

¹⁷And the LORD said unto me: 'They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

¹⁸I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren like unto thee, and will put My words in His mouth; and He shall speak unto them all that I shall command Him.

¹⁹And it shall come to pass that whosoever will not hearken unto My words which He shall speak in My name, I will require it of him.

²⁰But the prophet who shall presume to speak a word in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or who shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.'

²¹And if thou say in thine heart, 'How shall we know the word which the LORD hath not spoken?'--

²²when a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken, but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously; thou shalt not be afraid of him.

19"When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them and dwellest in their cities and in their houses,

²thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

³Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the borders of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.

⁴"And this is the case of the slayer who shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbor ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past--

⁵as when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbor to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve and lighteth upon his neighbor, so that he die -- he shall flee unto one of those cities and live,

⁶lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer while his heart is hot and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him, whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.

⁷Therefore I command thee, saying, 'Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.'

⁸And if the LORD thy God enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy fathers,

⁹if thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day -- to love the LORD thy God and to walk ever in His ways -- then shalt thou add three cities more for thee besides these three,

¹⁰that innocent blood be not shed in thy land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and so blood be upon thee.

¹¹"But if any man hate his neighbor, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him and smite him mortally, so that he die, and he fleeth into one of these cities,

¹²then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

¹³Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.

¹⁴"Thou shalt not remove thy neighbor's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.

¹⁵"One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth. By the mouth of two witnesses or by the mouth of three witnesses shall the matter be established.

¹⁶If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong,

¹⁷then both the men involved in the controversy shall stand before the LORD, before the priests and the judges who shall be in those days;

¹⁸and the judges shall make diligent inquisition. And behold, if the witness be a false witness and hath testified falsely against his brother,

¹⁹then shall ye do unto him as he had thought to have done unto his brother; so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

²⁰And those who remain shall hear and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

²¹And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

20"When thou goest out to battle against thine enemies, and seest horses and chariots and a people more than thou, be not afraid of them; for the LORD thy God is with thee, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

²And it shall be, when ye have come nigh unto the battle, that the priest shall approach and speak unto the people,

³and shall say unto them, 'Hear, O Israel: Ye approach this day unto battle against your enemies. Let not your hearts faint; fear not and do not tremble, neither be ye terrified because of them;

⁴for the LORD your God is He that goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies to save you.'

⁵And the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, 'What man is there who hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it? Let him go and return to his house, lest he die in the battle and another man dedicate it.

⁶And what man is he that hath planted a vineyard and hath not yet eaten of it? Let him also go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle and another man eat of it.

⁷And what man is there who hath betrothed a wife and hath not taken her? Let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the battle and another man take her.'

⁸And the officers shall speak further unto the people, and they shall say, 'What man is there that is fearful and fainthearted? Let him go and return unto his house, lest his brethren's heart faint as well as his heart.'

⁹And it shall be, when the officers have made an end of speaking unto the people, that they shall make captains of the armies to lead the people.

¹⁰"When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it.

¹¹And it shall be, if it make thee an answer of peace and open unto thee, then it shall be that all the people who are found therein shall be tributaries unto thee, and they shall serve thee.

¹²And if it will make no peace with thee, but will make war against thee, then thou shalt besiege it.

¹³And when the LORD thy God hath delivered it into thine hands, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword.

¹⁴But the women and the little ones, and the cattle and all that is in the city, even all the spoil thereof, shalt thou take unto thyself; and thou shalt eat the spoil of thine enemies which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

¹⁵Thus shalt thou do unto all the cities which are very far off from thee, which are not of the cities of these nations.

¹⁶But of the cities of these people which the LORD thy God doth give thee for an inheritance, thou shalt save alive nothing that breatheth,

¹⁷but thou shalt utterly destroy them, namely: the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee,

¹⁸that they teach you not to do according to all their abominations which they have done unto their gods, so ye should sin against the LORD your God.

¹⁹"When thou shalt besiege a city a long time, in making war against it to take it, thou shalt not destroy the trees thereof by forcing an ax against them, for thou mayest eat of them; and thou shalt not cut them down to employ them in the seige, for the tree of the field is man's life.

²⁰Only the trees which thou knowest are not trees for meat, thou shalt destroy and cut them down; and thou shalt build bulwarks against the city that maketh war with thee, until it be subdued.

21"If one be found slain in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him,

²then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure the distance unto the cities which are round about him that is slain.

³And it shall be that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer which hath not been worked and which hath not drawn in the yoke;

⁴and the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley.

⁵And the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried.

⁶And all the elders of that city who are next unto the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley.

⁷And they shall answer and say, 'Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.

⁸Be merciful, O LORD, unto Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto Thy people of Israel's charge.' And the blood shall be forgiven them.

⁹So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.

¹⁰"When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands and thou hast taken them captive,

¹¹and seest among the captives a beautiful woman and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her for thy wife,

¹²then thou shalt bring her home to thine house. And she shall shave her head and pare her nails;

¹³and she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house and bewail her father and her mother a full month. And after that thou shalt go in unto her and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.

¹⁴And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will, but thou shalt not sell her at all for money; thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.

¹⁵"If a man have two wives, one beloved and another hated, and they have borne him children, both the beloved and the hated, and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated,

¹⁶then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, who is indeed the firstborn.

¹⁷But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated as the firstborn by giving him a double portion of all that he hath, for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

¹⁸"If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, and who, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them,

¹⁹then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city and unto the gate of his place.

²⁰And they shall say unto the elders of his city, 'This, our son, is stubborn and rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.'

²¹And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, so that he die. So shalt thou put evil away from among you, and all Israel shall hear and fear.

²²"And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he is to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree,

²³his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day (for he that is hanged is accursed of God), that thy land be not defiled which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

22"Thou shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them. Thou shalt in any case bring them back unto thy brother.

²And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

³In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment and with all lost things of thy brother's, which he hath lost and thou hast found, shalt thou do likewise; thou mayest not hide thyself.

⁴Thou shalt not see thy brother's ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.

⁵"The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman's garment; for all who do so are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

⁶"If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree or on the ground, whether there be young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young;

⁷but thou shalt in any wise let the dam go and take the young to thee, that it may be well with thee and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

⁸"When thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a parapet for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house if any man fall from thence.

⁹"Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds, lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown and the fruit of thy vineyard be defiled.

¹⁰"Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

¹¹"Thou shalt not wear a garment of divers sorts, as of woolen and linen together.

¹²"Thou shalt make thee fringes upon the four quarters of thy vesture wherewith thou coverest thyself.

¹³"If any man take a wife and go in unto her, and hate her,

¹⁴and give occasions of speech against her, and bring up an evil name upon her and say, 'I took this woman, and when I came to her I found her not a maid,'

¹⁵then shall the father of the damsel and her mother take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the elders of the city in the gate.

¹⁶And the damsel's father shall say unto the elders, 'I gave my daughter unto this man for a wife, and he hateth her;

¹⁷and lo, he hath given occasions of speech against her, saying, "I found not thy daughter a maid," and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.

¹⁸And the elders of that city shall take that man and chastise him;

¹⁹and they shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them unto the father of the damsel, because he hath brought an evil name upon a virgin of Israel. And she shall be his wife; he may not put her away all his days.

²⁰But if this thing be true, and the tokens of virginity be not found for the damsel,

²¹then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die, because she hath wrought folly in Israel, to play the whore in her father's house; so shalt thou put evil away from among you.

²²"If a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of them die, both the man that lay with the woman and the woman; so shalt thou put away evil from Israel.

²³"If a damsel who is a virgin be betrothed unto a husband, and a man find her in the city and lie with her,

²⁴then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones, that they die -- the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city, and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbor's wife; so thou shalt put away evil from among you.

²⁵"But if a man find a betrothed damsel in the field, and the man force her and lie with her, then the man only that lay with her shall die.

²⁶But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death. For as when a man riseth against his neighbor and slayeth him, even so is this matter;

²⁷for he found her in the field, and the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.

²⁸"If a man find a damsel who is a virgin who is not betrothed, and lay hold on her and lie with her, and they be found,

²⁹then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife; because he hath humbled her, he may not put her away all his days.

³⁰"A man shall not take his father's wife, nor uncover his father's skirt.

23"He that is wounded in the stones or hath his private member cut off shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

²A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to his tenth generation shall he not enter into the congregation of the LORD.

³An Ammonite or Moabite shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD; even to their tenth generation shall they not enter into the congregation of the LORD for ever,

⁴because they met you not with bread and with water in the way when ye came forth out of Egypt, and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor, of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.

⁵Nevertheless the LORD thy God would not hearken unto Balaam, but the LORD thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the LORD thy God loved thee.

⁶Thou shalt not seek their peace nor their prosperity all thy days for ever.

⁷"Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother. Thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his land.

⁸The children who are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation of the LORD in their third generation.

⁹"When the host goeth forth against thine enemies, then keep thyself from every wicked thing.

¹⁰"If there be among you any man that is not clean by reason of uncleanness that chanceth him by night, then shall he go abroad out of the camp; he shall not come within the camp.

¹¹But it shall be, when evening cometh on, he shall wash himself with water; and when the sun is down he shall come into the camp again.

¹²"Thou shalt have a place also outside the camp whither thou shalt go forth abroad.

¹³And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.

¹⁴For the LORD thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp to deliver thee and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore shall thy camp be holy, that He see no unclean thing in thee and turn away from thee.

¹⁵"Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant who has escaped from his master unto thee.

¹⁶He shall dwell with thee, even among you, in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates where it is good for him. Thou shalt not oppress him.

¹⁷"There shall be no whore of the daughters of Israel, nor a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

¹⁸Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore or the price of a dog into the house of the LORD thy God for any vow, for even both these are abomination unto the LORD thy God.

¹⁹"Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother, interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of any thing that is lent upon interest.

²⁰Unto a stranger thou mayest lend upon interest, but unto thy brother thou shalt not lend upon interest, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all that thou settest thine hand to in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

²¹"When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not be slack to pay it; for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee.

²²But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee.

²³That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform, even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth.

²⁴"When thou comest into thy neighbor's vineyard, then thou mayest eat grapes to thy fill at thine own pleasure, but thou shalt not put any in thy vessel.

²⁵When thou comest into the standing corn of thy neighbor, then thou mayest pluck the ears with thine hand, but thou shalt not move a sickle unto thy neighbor's standing corn.

24"When a man hath taken a wife and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favor in his eyes because he hath found some uncleanness in her, then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.

²And when she has departed out of his house, she may go and be another man's wife.

³And if the latter husband hate her and write her a bill of divorcement, and putteth it in her hand and sendeth her out of his house, or if the latter husband die who took her to be his wife,

⁴her former husband who sent her away may not take her again to be his wife after she is defiled; for that is abomination before the LORD, and thou shalt not cause the land to sin which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

⁵"When a man hath taken a new wife, he shall not go out to war, neither shall he be charged with any business; but he shall be free at home one year, and shall cheer up his wife whom he hath taken.

⁶"No man shall take the nether or the upper millstone in pledge, for then he taketh a man's life in pledge.

⁷"If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him or selleth him, then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.

⁸"Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that thou observe diligently and do according to all that the priests, the Levites, shall teach you; as I commanded them, so ye shall observe to do.

⁹Remember what the LORD thy God did unto Miriam on the way after ye had come forth out of Egypt.

¹⁰"When thou dost lend thy brother any thing, thou shalt not go into his house to fetch his pledge.

¹¹Thou shalt stand abroad, and the man to whom thou dost lend shall bring out the pledge abroad unto thee.

¹²And if the man be poor, thou shalt not sleep with his pledge.

¹³In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment and bless thee; and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.

¹⁴"Thou shalt not oppress a hired servant who is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren or of thy strangers who are in thy land within thy gates.

¹⁵At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor and setteth his heart upon it, lest he cry against thee unto the LORD, and it be sin unto thee.

¹⁶"The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

¹⁷"Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger nor of the fatherless, nor take a widow's raiment in pledge;

¹⁸but thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee thence. Therefore I command thee to do this thing.

¹⁹"When thou cuttest down thine harvest in thy field and hast forgotten a sheaf in the field, thou shalt not go again to fetch it; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow, that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hands.

²⁰When thou beatest thine olive tree, thou shalt not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

²¹When thou gatherest the grapes of thy vineyard, thou shalt not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.

²²And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt. Therefore I command thee to do this thing.

25"If there be a controversy between men and they come unto judgment, that the judges may judge them, then they shall justify the righteous and condemn the wicked.

²And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

³Forty stripes he may give him, and no more, lest, if he should exceed and beat him above these with many stripes, then thy brother should seem vile unto thee.

⁴"Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

⁵"If brethren dwell together, and one of them die and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry outside unto a stranger; her husband's brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him for a wife, and perform the duty of a husband's brother unto her.

⁶And it shall be that the firstborn whom she beareth shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name be not put out of Israel.

⁷And if the man like not to take his brother's wife, then let his brother's wife go up to the gate unto the elders, and say, 'My husband's brother refuseth to raise up unto his brother a name in Israel. He will not perform the duty of my husband's brother.'

⁸Then the elders of his city shall call him and speak unto him; and if he stand by it and say, 'I like not to take her,'

⁹then shall his brother's wife come unto him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face, and shall answer and say, 'So shall it be done unto that man that will not build up his brother's house.'

¹⁰And his name shall be called in Israel, 'The house of him that hath his shoe loosed.'

¹¹"When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draweth near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him that smiteth him, and putteth forth her hand and taketh him by the secret parts,

¹²then thou shalt cut off her hand; thine eye shall not pity her.

¹³"Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small.

¹⁴Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small.

¹⁵But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have, that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

¹⁶For all who do such things and all who do unrighteously are an abomination unto the LORD thy God.

¹⁷"Remember what Amalek did unto thee on the way, when ye had come forth out of Egypt,

¹⁸how he met thee on the way and smote the hindmost of thee, even all who were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

¹⁹Therefore it shall be, when the LORD thy God hath given thee rest from all thine enemies round about, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance to possess it, that thou shalt blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven; thou shalt not forget it.

26"And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it and dwellest therein,

²that thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring from thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place His name there.

³And thou shalt go unto the priest who shall be in those days, and say unto him, 'I profess this day unto the LORD thy God, that I have come unto the country which the LORD swore unto our fathers to give us.'

⁴And the priest shall take the basket out of thine hand, and set it down before the altar of the LORD thy God.

⁵"And thou shalt speak and say before the LORD thy God: 'A Syrian ready to perish was my father; and he went down into Egypt and sojourned there with a few, and became there a nation, great, mighty, and populous.

⁶And the Egyptians evilly treated us and afflicted us, and laid upon us hard bondage.

⁷And when we cried unto the LORD God of our fathers, the LORD heard our voice, and looked on our affliction and our labor and our oppression.

⁸And the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great fearsomeness, and with signs and with wonders;

⁹and He hath brought us into this place and hath given us this land, even a land that floweth with milk and honey.

¹⁰And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land which Thou, O LORD, hast given me.' And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God;

¹¹and thou shalt rejoice in every good thing which the LORD thy God hath given unto thee and unto thine house, thou, and the Levite, and the stranger who is among you.

¹²"When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase the third year, which is the year of tithing, and hast given it unto the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that they may eat within thy gates and be filled,

¹³then thou shalt say before the LORD thy God: 'I have brought away the hallowed things out of mine house, and also have given them unto the Levite and unto the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Thy commandments which Thou hast commanded me. I have not transgressed Thy commandments, neither have I forgotten them.

¹⁴I have not eaten thereof in my mourning, neither have I taken away aught thereof for any unclean use, nor given aught thereof for the dead; but I have hearkened to the voice of the LORD my God and have done according to all that Thou hast commanded me.

¹⁵Look down from Thy holy habitation, from heaven, and bless Thy people Israel and the land which Thou hast given us as Thou swore unto our fathers, a land that floweth with milk and honey.'

¹⁶"This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments; thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart and with all thy soul.

¹⁷Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in His ways, and to keep His statutes and His commandments and His judgments, and to hearken unto His voice.

¹⁸And the LORD hath avouched thee this day to be His peculiar people, as He hath promised thee, and that thou shouldest keep all His commandments,

¹⁹and to make thee high above all nations which He hath made in praise and in name and in honor, and that thou mayest be a holy people unto the LORD thy God, as He hath spoken."

27And Moses with the elders of Israel commanded the people, saying, "Keep all the commandments which I command you this day.

²And it shall be on the day when ye shall pass over the Jordan unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, that thou shalt set thee up great stones, and plaster them with plaster.

³And thou shalt write upon them all the words of this law when thou art passed over, that thou mayest go in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, a land that floweth with milk and honey, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee.

⁴Therefore it shall be when ye have gone over the Jordan, that ye shall set up these stones, which I command you this day, on Mount Ebal, and thou shalt plaster them with plaster.

⁵And there shalt thou build an altar unto the LORD thy God, an altar of stones. Thou shalt not lift up any iron tool upon them.

⁶Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of whole stones, and thou shalt offer burnt offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God.

⁷And thou shalt offer peace offerings, and shalt eat there, and rejoice before the LORD thy God.

⁸And thou shalt write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly."

⁹And Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke unto all Israel, saying, "Take heed and hearken, O Israel: This day thou art become the people of the LORD thy God.

¹⁰Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the LORD thy God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day."

¹¹And Moses charged the people the same day, saying,

¹²"These shall stand upon Mount Gerizim to bless the people when ye have come over the Jordan: Simeon, and Levi, and Judah, and Issachar, and Joseph, and Benjamin.

¹³And these shall stand upon Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, and Asher, and Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.

¹⁴And the Levites shall speak, and say unto all the men of Israel with a loud voice:

¹⁵"'Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place.' And all the people shall answer and say, 'Amen.'

¹⁶"'Cursed be he that treateth lightly his father or his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

¹⁷"'Cursed be he that removeth his neighbor's landmark.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

¹⁸"'Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

¹⁹"'Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²⁰"'Cursed be he that lieth with his father's wife, because he uncovereth his father's skirt.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²¹"'Cursed be he that lieth with any manner of beast.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²²"'Cursed be he that lieth with his sister, the daughter of his father or the daughter of his mother.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²³"'Cursed be he that lieth with his mother-in-law.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²⁴"'Cursed be he that smiteth his neighbor secretly.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²⁵"'Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

²⁶"'Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'

28"And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God to observe and to do all His commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth;

²and all these blessings shall come on thee and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God:

³"Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field.

⁴Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy herds, the increase of thy cattle, and the flocks of thy sheep.

⁵Blessed shall be thy basket and thy stores.

⁶Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

⁷"The LORD shall cause thine enemies who rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face; they shall come out against thee one way, and flee before thee seven ways.

⁸"The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and He shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

⁹"The LORD shall establish thee a holy people unto Himself, as He hath sworn unto thee, if thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God and walk in His ways.

¹⁰And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of thee.

¹¹And the LORD shall make thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy ground, in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers to give thee.

¹²The LORD shall open unto thee His good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand; and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.

¹³And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath, if thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them.

¹⁴And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

¹⁵"But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command thee this day, that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee:

¹⁶"Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field.

¹⁷Cursed shall be thy basket and thy stores.

¹⁸Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy cattle, and the flocks of thy sheep.

¹⁹Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out.

²⁰"The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, vexation, and rebuke in all that thou settest thine hand unto to do until thou be destroyed and until thou perish quickly, because of the wickedness of thy doings whereby thou hast forsaken Me.

²¹The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee until He have consumed thee from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.

²²The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blight, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.

²³And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron.

²⁴The LORD shall make the rain of thy land powder and dust; from heaven shall it come down upon thee until thou be destroyed.

²⁵"The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them, and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

²⁶And thy carcass shall be meat unto all fowls of the air and unto the beasts of the earth, and no man shall frighten them away.

²⁷The LORD will smite thee with the boils of Egypt, and with the hemorrhoids, and with the scab, and with the itch, whereof thou canst not be healed.

²⁸The LORD shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart;

²⁹and thou shalt grope at noonday, as the blind gropeth in darkness, and thou shalt not prosper in thy ways. "And thou shalt be only oppressed and despoiled evermore, and no man shall save thee.

³⁰Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her. Thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein. Thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof.

³¹Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof. Thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face, and shall not be restored to thee. Thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have none to rescue them.

³²Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no might in thine hand.

³³The fruit of thy land and all thy labors shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always,

³⁴so that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

³⁵The LORD shall smite thee in the knees and in the legs with a sore boil that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head.

³⁶"The LORD shall bring thee and thy king whom thou shalt set over thee unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, and there shalt thou serve other gods, wood and stone.

³⁷And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.

³⁸"Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field and shalt gather but little in, for the locust shall consume it.

³⁹Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worms shall eat them.

⁴⁰Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy borders, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil, for thine olive shall cast his fruit.

⁴¹Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them, for they shall go into captivity.

⁴²All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume.

⁴³The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high, and thou shalt come down very low.

⁴⁴He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him. He shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail.

⁴⁵Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee and overtake thee till thou be destroyed, because thou hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded thee.

⁴⁶And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.

⁴⁷"Because thou served not the LORD thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart for the abundance of all things,

⁴⁸therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies whom the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in want of all things; and He shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until He have destroyed thee.

⁴⁹The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from far, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flieth, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand,

⁵⁰a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favor to the young.

⁵¹And he shall eat the fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed; he also shall not leave thee either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cattle, or flocks of thy sheep until he have destroyed thee.

⁵²And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates until thy high and fortified walls come down wherein thou trusted, throughout all thy land; and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land which the LORD thy God hath given thee.

⁵³And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege and in the extremity wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee,

⁵⁴so that the man that is tender among you and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother, and toward the wife of his bosom, and toward the remnant of his children whom he shall leave,

⁵⁵so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat, because he hath nothing left him in the siege and in the extremity wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates.

⁵⁶The tender and delicate woman among you, who would not venture to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom, and toward her son and toward her daughter,

⁵⁷and toward her young one who cometh out from between her feet, and toward her children whom she shall bear; for she shall eat them secretly for want of all things in the siege and extremity wherewith thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates.

⁵⁸"If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD,

⁵⁹then the LORD will make thy plagues wondrous, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

⁶⁰Moreover He will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt which thou wast afraid of, and they shall cleave unto thee.

⁶¹Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee until thou be destroyed.

⁶²And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the LORD thy God.

⁶³"And it shall come to pass that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.

⁶⁴And the LORD shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone.

⁶⁵And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest; but the LORD shall give thee there a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of mind.

⁶⁶And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have no assurance of thy life.

⁶⁷In the morning thou shalt say, 'Would God it were evening!' and at evening thou shalt say, 'Would God it were morning!' for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

⁶⁸And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships by the way whereof I spoke unto thee, 'Thou shalt see it no more again.' And there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bondmen and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you."

29These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He made with them in Horeb.

²And Moses called unto all Israel and said unto them, "Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh and unto all his servants and unto all his land,

³the great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles.

⁴Yet the LORD hath not given you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear unto this day.

⁵And I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not waxed old upon you, and thy shoe has not waxed old upon thy foot.

⁶Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink, that ye might know that I am the LORD your God.

⁷And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us unto battle, and we smote them.

⁸And we took their land and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to the halftribe of Manasseh.

⁹Keep therefore the words of this covenant and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.

¹⁰"Ye stand this day all of you before the LORD your God-- your captains of your tribes, your elders, and your officers, with all the men of Israel,

¹¹your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water--

¹²that thou shouldest enter into covenant with the LORD thy God, and into His oath, which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day,

¹³that He may establish thee today for a people unto Himself, and that He may be unto thee a God, as He hath said unto thee and as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.

¹⁴"Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath,

¹⁵but with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day

¹⁶(for ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the nations which ye passed by,

¹⁷and ye have seen their abominations and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them);

¹⁸lest there should be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of these nations, lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood,

¹⁹and it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall have peace, though I walk in the imagination of mine heart'--to add drunkenness to thirst.

²⁰The LORD will not spare him, but then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall smoke against that man, and all the curses that are written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven.

²¹And the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that are written in this Book of the Law,

²²so that the generation to come of your children who shall rise up after you, and the stranger who shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it,

²³and that the whole land thereof is brimstone and salt and burning, that it is not sown nor beareth nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger and in His wrath--

²⁴even all nations shall say, 'Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land? What meaneth the heat of this great anger?'

²⁵Then men shall say, 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt;

²⁶for they went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods whom they knew not and whom He had not given unto them.

²⁷And the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curses that are written in this book;

²⁸and the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger and in wrath and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day.'

²⁹"The secret things belong unto the LORD our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

30"And it shall come to pass, when all these things have come upon thee, the blessing and the curse which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,

²and shalt return unto the LORD thy God and shalt obey His voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart and with all thy soul,

³that then the LORD thy God will return thee from captivity and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

⁴If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will He fetch thee.

⁵And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and He will do thee good and multiply thee above thy fathers.

⁶And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

⁷And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies and on them that hate thee, who persecuted thee.

⁸And thou shalt return and obey the voice of the LORD, and do all His commandments which I command thee this day.

⁹And the LORD thy God will make thee plenteous in every work of thine hand, in the fruit of thy body, and in the fruit of thy cattle, and in the fruit of thy land, for good. For the LORD will again rejoice over thee for good, as He rejoiced over thy fathers,

¹⁰if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God to keep His commandments and His statutes which are written in this Book of the Law, and if thou turn unto the LORD thy God with all thine heart and with all thy soul.

¹¹"For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.

¹²It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, 'Who shall go up for us to heaven and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it?'

¹³Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, 'Who shall go over the sea for us and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it?'

¹⁴But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

¹⁵"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil,

¹⁶in that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply; and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

¹⁷But if thine heart turn away so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away and worship other gods and serve them,

¹⁸I declare unto you this day that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land whither thou passest over the Jordan to go to possess it.

¹⁹I call heaven and earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live,

²⁰that thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey His voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto Him; for He is thy life and the length of thy days, that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."

31And Moses went and spoke these words unto all Israel.

²And he said unto them: "I am a hundred and twenty years old this day; I can no more go out and come in. Also the LORD hath said unto me, 'Thou shalt not go over this Jordan.'

³The LORD thy God, He will go over before thee, and He will destroy these nations from before thee, and thou shalt possess them; and Joshua, he shall go over before thee, as the LORD hath said.

⁴And the LORD shall do unto them as He did to Sihon and to Og, kings of the Amorites, and unto the land of those whom He destroyed.

⁵And the LORD shall give them up before your face, that ye may do unto them according unto all the commandments which I have commanded you.

⁶Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the LORD thy God, He it is who doth go with thee. He will not fail thee nor forsake thee."

⁷And Moses called unto Joshua and said unto him in the sight of all Israel, "Be strong and of good courage; for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them, and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.

⁸And the LORD, He it is who doth go before thee. He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee. Fear not, neither be dismayed."

⁹And Moses wrote this law and delivered it unto the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and unto all the elders of Israel.

¹⁰And Moses commanded them, saying, "At the end of every seven years, in the solemnity of the year of release, in the Feast of Tabernacles,

¹¹when all Israel has come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which He shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.

¹²Gather the people together -- men, and women, and children, and thy stranger who is within thy gates -- that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law,

¹³and that their children, who have not known any thing, may hear and learn to fear the LORD your God as long as ye live in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it."

¹⁴And the LORD said unto Moses, "Behold, thy days approach that thou must die. Call Joshua, and present yourselves in the tabernacle of the congregation, that I may give him a charge." And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation.

¹⁵And the LORD appeared in the tabernacle in a pillar of a cloud, and the pillar of the cloud stood over the door of the tabernacle.

¹⁶And the LORD said unto Moses, "Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land whither they go to be among them, and will forsake Me and break My covenant which I have made with them.

¹⁷Then My anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured; and many evils and troubles shall befall them, so that they will say in that day, 'Have not these evils come upon us because our God is not among us?'

¹⁸And I will surely hide My face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.

¹⁹Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it to the children of Israel. Put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for Me against the children of Israel.

²⁰For when I shall have brought them into the land which I swore unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey, and they shall have eaten and filled themselves and waxed fat, then will they turn unto other gods and serve them, and provoke Me and break My covenant.

²¹And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles have befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed. For I know their imagination and that which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I swore."

²²Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it to the children of Israel.

²³And He gave Joshua, the son of Nun, a charge and said, "Be strong and of good courage; for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I swore unto them, and I will be with thee."

²⁴And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book until they were finished,

²⁵that Moses commanded the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, saying,

²⁶"Take this Book of the Law and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee;

²⁷for I know thy rebellion and thy stiff neck. Behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD. And how much more after my death?

²⁸Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.

²⁹For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you. And evil will befall you in the latter days, because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger through the work of your hands."

³⁰And Moses spoke in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song until they were ended:

32"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.

²My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distill as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass.

³Because I will proclaim the name of the LORD, ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

⁴"He is the Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are judgment, a God of truth and without iniquity; just and right is He.

⁵They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of His children; they are a perverse and crooked generation.

⁶"Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? Is not He thy father that hath bought thee? Hath He not made thee and established thee?

⁷Remember the days of old; consider the years of many generations. Ask thy father, and he will show thee, thy elders, and they will tell thee.

⁸When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel.

⁹For the LORD'S portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance.

¹⁰"He found him in a desert land and in the waste howling wilderness; He led him about, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye.

¹¹As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, beareth them on her wings,

¹²so the LORD alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.

¹³He made him ride on the high places of the earth, that he might eat the increase of the fields; and He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock;

¹⁴butter of cows and milk of sheep, with fat of lambs and rams of the breed of Bashan, and goats, with the fat of kidneys of wheat; and thou didst drink the pure blood of the grape.

¹⁵"But Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked; thou hast waxed fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness. Then he forsook God who made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation.

¹⁶They provoked Him to jealousy with strange gods; with abominations provoked they Him to anger.

¹⁷They sacrificed unto devils, not to God, to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom your fathers feared not.

¹⁸Of the Rock that begot thee thou art unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee.

¹⁹"And when the LORD saw it, He abhorred them, because of the provoking of His sons and of His daughters.

²⁰And He said: 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; for they are a very froward generation, children in whom is no faith.

²¹They have moved Me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked Me to anger with their vanities. And I will move them to jealousy with those who are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.

²²For a fire is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall consume the earth with her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains.

²³"'I will heap mischiefs upon them; I will spend Mine arrows upon them.

²⁴They shall be burned with hunger, and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction; I will also send the teeth of beasts upon them, with the poison of serpents of the dust.

²⁵The sword without and terror within shall destroy both the young man and the virgin, the suckling also with the man of gray hairs.

²⁶I said I would scatter them into corners, I would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men,

²⁷were it not that I feared the wrath of the enemy, lest their adversaries should behave themselves strangely, and lest they should say, "Our hand is high; and the LORD hath not done all this."'

²⁸"For they are a nation void of counsel, neither is there any understanding in them.

²⁹O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

³⁰How should one chase a thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight, unless their Rock had sold them, and the LORD had shut them up?

³¹For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.

³²For their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter.

³³Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

³⁴"'Is not this laid up in store with Me, and sealed up among My treasures?

³⁵To Me belongeth vengeance and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.'

³⁶"For the LORD shall judge His people and repent for His servants, when He seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left.

³⁷And He shall say: 'Where are their gods, their rock in whom they trusted,

³⁸which ate the fat of their sacrifices and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise up and help you, and be your protection.

³⁹"'See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god besides Me. I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal; neither is there any that can deliver out of My hand.

⁴⁰For I lift up My hand to heaven and say: I live for ever.

⁴¹If I whet My glittering sword and Mine hand take hold on judgment, I will render vengeance to Mine enemies and will reward them that hate Me.

⁴²I will make Mine arrows drunk with blood, and My sword shall devour flesh, and that with the blood of the slain and of the captives, from the beginning of revenges upon the enemy.'

⁴³"Rejoice, O ye nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His servants, and will render vengeance to His adversaries, and will be merciful unto His land and to His people."

⁴⁴And Moses came and spoke all the words of this song in the ears of the people, he and Joshua the son of Nun.

⁴⁵And Moses made an end of speaking all these words to all Israel,

⁴⁶and he said unto them: "Set your hearts unto all the words which I testify among you this day, which ye shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law.

⁴⁷For it is not a vain thing for you, because it is your life; and through this thing ye shall prolong your days in the land whither ye go over the Jordan to possess it."

⁴⁸And the LORD spoke unto Moses that selfsame day, saying,

⁴⁹"Get thee up into this mountain Abarim, unto Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab that is opposite Jericho, and behold the land of Canaan, which I give unto the children of Israel for a possession.

⁵⁰And die on the mount whither thou goest up, and be gathered unto thy people, as Aaron thy brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered unto his people,

⁵¹because ye trespassed against Me among the children of Israel at the waters of Meribah-Kadesh in the Wilderness of Zin, because ye sanctified Me not in the midst of the children of Israel.

⁵²Yet thou shalt see the land before thee, but thou shalt not go thither unto the land which I give the children of Israel."

33And this is the blessing wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel before his death.

²And he said: "The LORD came from Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them. He shined forth from Mount Paran, and He came with ten thousands of saints; from His right hand went a fiery law for them.

³Yea, He loved the people; all His saints are in Thy hand; and they sat down at Thy feet; every one shall receive of Thy words.

⁴Moses commanded us a law, even the inheritance of the congregation of Jacob.

⁵And he was king in Jeshurun, when the heads of the people and the tribes of Israel were gathered together.

⁶"Let Reuben live, and not die, and let not his men be few."

⁷And this is the blessing of Judah; and he said: "Hear, LORD, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people; let his hands be sufficient for him, and be Thou a help to him from his enemies."

⁸And of Levi he said: "Let Thy Thummim and Thy Urim be with Thy holy one, whom Thou didst prove at Massah, and with whom Thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah,

⁹who said unto his father and to his mother, 'I have not seen him'; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his own children; for they have observed Thy word, and kept Thy covenant.

¹⁰They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments and Israel Thy law; they shall put incense before Thee and whole burnt sacrifice upon Thine altar.

¹¹Bless, LORD, his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite through the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again."

¹²And of Benjamin he said: "The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him; and the LORD shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between His shoulders."

¹³And of Joseph he said: "Blessed of the LORD be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that coucheth beneath,

¹⁴and for the precious fruits brought forth by the sun, and for the precious things put forth by the moon,

¹⁵and for the chief things of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the lasting hills,

¹⁶and for the precious things of the earth and fullness thereof, and for the good will of Him that dwelt in the bush. Let the blessing come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of him that was separated from his brethren.

¹⁷His glory is like the firstling of his bullock, and his horns are like the horns of unicorns. With them he shall push the people together to the ends of the earth; and they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh."

¹⁸And of Zebulun he said: "Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out, and, Issachar, in thy tents.

¹⁹They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness; for they shall suck of the abundance of the seas and of treasures hid in the sand."

²⁰And of Gad he said: "Blessed be he that enlargeth Gad; he dwelleth as a lion and teareth the arm with the crown of the head.

²¹And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated. And he came with the heads of the people; he executed the justice of the LORD and His judgments with Israel."

²²And of Dan he said: "Dan is a lion's whelp; he shall leap from Bashan."

²³And of Naphtali he said: "O Naphtali, satisfied with favor and full with the blessing of the LORD, possess thou the west and the south."

²⁴And of Asher he said: "Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil.

²⁵Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as thy days, so shall thy strength be.

²⁶"There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven to thy help and in His excellency on the sky.

²⁷The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; and He shall thrust out the enemy from before thee, and shall say, 'Destroy them.'

²⁸Israel then shall dwell in safety alone; the fountain of Jacob shall be upon a land of corn and wine; also his heavens shall drop down dew.

²⁹Happy art thou, O Israel! Who is like unto thee, O people saved by the LORD, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency! And thine enemies shall be found liars unto thee, and thou shalt tread upon their high places."

34And Moses went up from the plains of Moab unto the mountain of Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, that is opposite Jericho. And the LORD showed him all the land of Gilead as far as Dan,

²and all Naphtali, and the land of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and all the land of Judah unto the utmost sea,

³and the South, and the plain of the Valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees, as far as Zoar.

⁴And the LORD said unto him, "This is the land which I swore unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, 'I will give it unto thy seed.' I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over thither."

⁵So Moses the servant of the LORD died there in the land of Moab, according to the word of the LORD.

⁶And He buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Bethpeor; but no man knoweth of his sepulcher unto this day.

⁷And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eye was not dim nor his natural force abated.

⁸And the children of Israel wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; so the days of weeping and mourning for Moses were ended.

⁹And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, for Moses had laid his hands upon him. And the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.

¹⁰And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,

¹¹in all the signs and the wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh and to all his servants and to all his land,

¹²and in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel.

1Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, it came to pass that the LORD spoke unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' minister, saying,

²"Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou and all this people, unto the land which I give to them, even to the children of Israel.

³Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.

⁴From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your border.

⁵There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee.

⁶Be strong and of a good courage, for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land which I swore unto their fathers to give them.

⁷Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses My servant commanded thee. Turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

⁸This Book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.

⁹Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

¹⁰Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,

¹¹"Pass through the host and command the people, saying, 'Prepare you victuals, for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan to go in to possess the land which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.'"

¹²And to the Reubenites and to the Gadites and to half the tribe of Manasseh spoke Joshua, saying,

¹³"Remember the word which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, saying, 'The LORD your God hath given you rest and hath given you this land.'

¹⁴Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valor, and help them

¹⁵until the LORD shall have given your brethren rest, as He hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them. Then ye shall return unto the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD'S servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrising."

¹⁶And they answered Joshua, saying, "All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us we will go.

¹⁷According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee; only the LORD thy God be with thee, as He was with Moses.

¹⁸Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death. Only be strong and of a good courage."

2And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, "Go, view the land, even Jericho." And they went and came into a harlot's house, named Rahab, and lodged there.

²And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, "Behold, there came men in hither tonight of the children of Israel to search out the country."

³And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, "Bring forth the men who have come to thee, who have entered into thine house, for they have come to search out all the country."

⁴And the woman took the two men and hid them, and said thus, "There came men unto me, but I knew not from whence they came.

⁵And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out. Whither the men went I know not. Pursue after them quickly, for ye shall overtake them."

⁶But she had brought them up to the roof of the house and hid them with the stalks of flax which she had laid in order upon the roof.

⁷And the men pursued after them on the way to the Jordan unto the fords; and as soon as those who pursued after them had gone out, they shut the gate.

⁸And before they lay down, she came up unto them upon the roof,

⁹and she said unto the men, "I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror has fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.

¹⁰For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when ye came out of Egypt, and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites who were on the other side of the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.

¹¹And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man because of you; for the LORD your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath.

¹²Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shown you kindness, that ye will also show kindness unto my father's house, and give me a true token,

¹³and that ye will save alive my father and my mother, and my brethren and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death."

¹⁴And the men answered her, "Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee."

¹⁵Then she let them down by a cord through the window, for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.

¹⁶And she said unto them, "Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days until the pursuers have returned, and afterward may ye go your way."

¹⁷And the men said unto her, "We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.

¹⁸Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by; and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father's household home unto thee.

¹⁹And it shall be that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless; and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head if any hand be upon him.

²⁰And if thou utter this our business, then we will be free of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear."

²¹And she said, "According unto your words, so be it." And she sent them away, and they departed; and she bound the scarlet line in the window.

²²And they went and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days until the pursuers had returned; and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.

²³So the two men returned and descended from the mountain, and passed over and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them.

²⁴And they said unto Joshua, "Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land, for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us."

3And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim and came to the Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.

²And it came to pass after three days that the officers went through the host,

³and they commanded the people, saying, "When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place and go after it.

⁴Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go, for ye have not passed this way heretofore."

⁵And Joshua said unto the people, "Sanctify yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do wonders among you."

⁶And Joshua spoke unto the priests, saying, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people." And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.

⁷And the LORD said unto Joshua, "This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.

⁸And thou shalt command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, saying, 'When ye have come to the brink of the water of the Jordan, ye shall stand still in the Jordan.'"

⁹And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, "Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God."

¹⁰And Joshua said, "Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Hivites and the Perizzites and the Girgashites and the Amorites and the Jebusites.

¹¹Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into the Jordan.

¹²Now therefore, take for yourselves twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

¹³And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests who bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, that the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand up in a heap."

¹⁴And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents to pass over the Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people,

¹⁵and as those who bore the ark had come unto the Jordan, and the feet of the priests who bore the ark were dipped in the brim of the water (for the Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest),

¹⁶that the waters which came down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan. And those who came down toward the sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea, failed and were cut off; and the people passed over right against Jericho.

¹⁷And the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people had passed clean over the Jordan.

4And it came to pass, when all the people had clean passed over the Jordan, that the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,

²"Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,

³and command ye them, saying, 'Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones; and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night.'"

⁴Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man.

⁵And Joshua said unto them, "Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel,

⁶that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What mean ye by these stones?'

⁷then ye shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD: when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever."

⁸And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD spoke unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

⁹And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there unto this day.

¹⁰For the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua; and the people hastened and passed over.

¹¹And it came to pass, when all the people had clean passed over, that the ark of the LORD passed over, and the priests, in the presence of the people.

¹²And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and half the tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses spoke unto them.

¹³About forty thousand prepared for war passed over before the LORD unto battle to the plains of Jericho.

¹⁴On that day the LORD magnified Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they feared Moses, all the days of his life.

¹⁵And the LORD spoke unto Joshua, saying,

¹⁶"Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony that they come up out of the Jordan."

¹⁷Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, "Come ye up out of the Jordan."

¹⁸And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD had come up out of the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests' feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place and flowed over all his banks, as they did before.

¹⁹And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month and encamped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho.

²⁰And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal.

²¹And he spoke unto the children of Israel, saying, "When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What mean these stones?'

²²then ye shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.'

²³For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan from before you until ye had passed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up from before us until we had gone over,

²⁴that all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever."

5And it came to pass, when all the kings of the Amorites who were on the side of the Jordan westward and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan from before the children of Israel until we had passed over, that their heart melted; neither was there spirit in them any more because of the children of Israel.

²At that time the LORD said unto Joshua, "Make thee sharp knives and circumcise again the children of Israel the second time."

³And Joshua made him sharp knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins [or, Gibeahhaaraloth].

⁴And this is the cause why Joshua did circumcise: All the people who came out of Egypt who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way after they came out of Egypt.

⁵Now all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness on the way as they came forth out of Egypt, them they had not circumcised.

⁶For the children of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness till all the people who were men of war, who came out of Egypt, were consumed because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD. Unto these the LORD swore that He would not show them the land which the LORD swore unto their fathers that He would give us, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

⁷And their children, whom He raised up in their stead, them Joshua circumcised; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not circumcised them on the way.

⁸And it came to pass, when they had done circumcising all the people, that they abode in their places in the camp till they were whole.

⁹And the LORD said unto Joshua, "This day have I rolled away the reproach of Egypt from off you." Therefore the name of the place is called Gilgal [that is, Rolling] unto this day.

¹⁰And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening in the plains of Jericho.

¹¹And they ate of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the Passover, unleavened cakes and parched corn on the selfsame day.

¹²And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more, but they ate of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.

¹³And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there stood a man opposite him with his sword drawn in his hand; and Joshua went unto him and said unto him, "Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?"

¹⁴And he said, "Nay, but as captain of the host of the LORD have I now come." And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped, and said unto him, "What saith my lord unto his servant?"

¹⁵And the captain of the LORD'S host said unto Joshua, "Loose thy shoe from off thy foot, for the place whereon thou standest is holy." And Joshua did so.

6Now Jericho was securely shut up because of the children of Israel: none went out, and none came in.

²And the LORD said unto Joshua, "See, I have given into thine hand Jericho, and the king thereof and the mighty men of valor.

³And ye shall compass the city, all ye men of war, and go round about the city once. Thus shalt thou do six days.

⁴And seven priests shall bear before the ark seven trumpets of rams' horns; and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times, and the priests shall blow with the trumpets.

⁵And it shall come to pass, when they make a long blast with the ram's horn and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, that all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."

⁶And Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said unto them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD."

⁷And he said unto the people, "Pass on, and compass the city, and let him that is armed pass on before the ark of the LORD."

⁸And it came to pass, when Joshua had spoken unto the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams' horns passed on before the LORD and blew with the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the LORD followed them.

⁹And the armed men went before the priests who blew with the trumpets, and the rearward came after the ark, the priests going on and blowing with the trumpets.

¹⁰And Joshua had commanded the people, saying, "Ye shall not shout nor make any noise with your voice, neither shall any word proceed out of your mouth until the day I bid you shout. Then shall ye shout."

¹¹So the ark of the LORD compassed the city, going about it once; and they came into the camp and lodged in the camp.

¹²And Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the LORD.

¹³And seven priests bearing seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD went on continually and blew with the trumpets; and the armed men went before them, but the rearward came after the ark of the LORD, the priests going on and blowing with the trumpets.

¹⁴And the second day they compassed the city once and returned into the camp. So they did six days.

¹⁵And it came to pass on the seventh day that they rose early, about the dawning of the day, and compassed the city in the same manner seven times. Only on that day they compassed the city seven times.

¹⁶And it came to pass at the seventh time, when the priests blew with the trumpets, Joshua said unto the people, "Shout! For the LORD hath given you the city.

¹⁷And the city shall be accursed, even it and all who are therein, to the LORD. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

¹⁸And ye, in all ways keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse and trouble it.

¹⁹But all the silver and gold and vessels of brass and iron are consecrated unto the LORD. They shall come into the treasury of the LORD."

²⁰So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets. And it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him; and they took the city.

²¹And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and ass, with the edge of the sword.

²²But Joshua had said unto the two men who had spied out the country, "Go into the harlot's house, and bring out from thence the woman and all that she hath, as ye swore unto her."

²³And the young men who were spies went in and brought Rahab and her father and her mother and her brethren, and all that she had; and they brought out all her kindred and left them outside the camp of Israel.

²⁴And they burned the city with fire and all that was therein. Only the silver and the gold and the vessels of brass and of iron they put into the treasury of the house of the LORD.

²⁵And Joshua saved Rahab the harlot alive, and her father's household and all that she had; and she dwelleth in Israel even unto this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

²⁶And Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, "Cursed be the man before the LORD who riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho. He shall lay the foundation thereof in his firstborn, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it."

²⁷So the LORD was with Joshua, and his fame was noised throughout all the country.

7But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing, for Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing; and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

²And Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is beside Bethaven on the east side of Bethel, and spoke unto them, saying, "Go up and view the country." And the men went up and viewed Ai.

³And they returned to Joshua and said unto him, "Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and smite Ai; and make not all the people to labor thither, for they are but few."

⁴So there went up thither of the people about three thousand men, and they fled before the men of Ai.

⁵And the men of Ai smote of them about thirty and six men, for they chased them from before the gate even unto Shebarim and smote them in their going down. Therefore the hearts of the people melted and became as water.

⁶And Joshua rent his clothes and fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of the LORD until the eventide, he and the elders of Israel, and put dust upon their heads.

⁷And Joshua said, "Alas, O Lord GOD, why hast Thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to destroy us? Would to God we had been content and dwelt on the other side of the Jordan!

⁸O LORD, what shall I say when Israel turneth their backs before their enemies!

⁹For the Canaanites and all the inhabitants of the land shall hear of it, and shall environ us round and cut off our name from the earth. And what wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?"

¹⁰And the LORD said unto Joshua, "Get thee up. Why liest thou thus upon thy face?

¹¹Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed My covenant which I commanded them; for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen and dissembled also; and they have put it even among their own stuff.

¹²Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed. Neither will I be with you any more, unless ye destroy the accursed from among you.

¹³Up, sanctify the people and say, 'Sanctify yourselves against tomorrow, for thus saith the LORD God of Israel: There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel. Thou canst not stand before thine enemies until ye take away the accursed thing from among you.

¹⁴In the morning therefore ye shall be brought according to your tribes; and it shall be that the tribe which the LORD taketh shall come according to the families thereof, and the family which the LORD shall take shall come by households, and the household which the LORD shall take shall come man by man.

¹⁵And it shall be that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burned with fire, he and all that he hath, because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.'"

¹⁶So Joshua rose up early in the morning and brought Israel by their tribes, and the tribe of Judah was taken;

¹⁷and he brought the family of Judah, and he took the family of the Zarhites; and he brought the family of the Zarhites man by man, and Zabdi was taken;

¹⁸and he brought his household man by man, and Achan the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah of the tribe of Judah was taken.

¹⁹And Joshua said unto Achan, "My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel and make confession unto Him. And tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me."

²⁰And Achan answered Joshua and said, "Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done:

²¹When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonian garment and two hundred shekels of silver and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them and took them; and behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent and the silver under it."

²²So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

²³And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

²⁴And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver and the garment and the wedge of gold, and his sons and his daughters, and his oxen and his asses and his sheep, and his tent and all that he had; and they brought them unto the Valley of Achor.

²⁵And Joshua said, "Why hast thou troubled us? The LORD shall trouble thee this day." And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones.

²⁶And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place was called the Valley of Achor [that is, Trouble] unto this day.

8And the LORD said unto Joshua, "Fear not, neither be thou dismayed. Take all the people of war with thee, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into thy hand the king of Ai and his people and his city and his land.

²And thou shalt do to Ai and her king as thou didst unto Jericho and her king. Only the spoil thereof and the cattle thereof shall ye take for booty unto yourselves. Lay thee an ambush for the city behind it."

³So Joshua arose, and all the people of war, to go up against Ai; and Joshua chose out thirty thousand mighty men of valor, and sent them away by night.

⁴And he commanded them, saying, "Behold, ye shall lie in wait against the city, even behind the city. Go not very far from the city, but be ye all ready;

⁵and I and all the people who are with me will approach unto the city. And it shall come to pass, when they come out against us as at the first, that we will flee before them

⁶(for they will come out after us) till we have drawn them from the city; for they will say, 'They flee before us, as at the first.' Therefore we will flee before them.

⁷Then ye shall rise up from the ambush and seize upon the city, for the LORD your God will deliver it into your hand.

⁸And it shall be, when ye have taken the city, that ye shall set the city on fire. According to the commandment of the LORD shall ye do. See, I have commanded you."

⁹Joshua therefore sent them forth; and they went to lie in ambush, and stayed between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of Ai; but Joshua lodged that night among the people.

¹⁰And Joshua rose up early in the morning and numbered the people, and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai.

¹¹And all the people, even the people of war who were with him, went up and drew nigh, and came before the city and pitched camp on the north side of Ai. Now there was a valley between them and Ai.

¹²And he took about five thousand men and set them to lie in ambush between Bethel and Ai, on the west side of the city.

¹³And when they had set the people, even all the host that was on the north of the city and those lying in wait on the west of the city, Joshua went that night into the midst of the valley.

¹⁴And it came to pass, when the king of Ai saw it, that they hastened and rose up early; and the men of the city went out against Israel to battle, he and all his people, at a time appointed before the plain; but he knew not that there lay an ambush against him behind the city.

¹⁵And Joshua and all Israel made as if they were beaten before them, and fled by the way of the wilderness.

¹⁶And all the people who were in Ai were called together to pursue after them, and they pursued after Joshua and were drawn away from the city.

¹⁷And there was not a man left in Ai or Bethel who went not out after Israel; and they left the city open and pursued after Israel.

¹⁸And the LORD said unto Joshua, "Stretch out the spear that is in thy hand toward Ai, for I will give it into thine hand." And Joshua stretched out the spear that he had in his hand toward the city.

¹⁹And the ambush arose quickly out of their place, and they ran as soon as he had stretched out his hand; and they entered into the city and took it, and hastened and set the city on fire.

²⁰And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way; and the people who fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.

²¹And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had taken the city and that the smoke of the city ascended, then they turned again and slew the men of Ai.

²²And the others issued out of the city against them; so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side and some on that side. And they smote them, so that they let none of them remain or escape;

²³and the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him to Joshua.

²⁴And it came to pass, when Israel had made an end of slaying all the inhabitants of Ai in the field, in the wilderness wherein they chased them, and when they had all fallen on the edge of the sword until they were consumed, that all the Israelites returned unto Ai and smote it with the edge of the sword.

²⁵And so it was that all who fell that day, both of men and women, were twelve thousand, even all the men of Ai.

²⁶For Joshua drew not his hand back, wherewith he stretched out the spear, until he had utterly destroyed all the inhabitants of Ai.

²⁷Only the cattle and the spoil of that city Israel took for a prey unto themselves, according unto the word of the LORD which He commanded Joshua.

²⁸And Joshua burned Ai and made it a heap for ever, even a desolation unto this day.

²⁹And the king of Ai he hanged on a tree until eventide; and as soon as the sun was down, Joshua commanded that they should take his carcass down from the tree and cast it at the entrance of the gate of the city, and raise thereon a great heap of stones that remaineth unto this day.

³⁰Then Joshua built an altar unto the LORD God of Israel in Mount Ebal,

³¹as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded the children of Israel, as it is written in the Book of the Law of Moses: "an altar of whole stones over which no man hath lifted up any iron." And they offered thereon burnt offerings unto the LORD, and sacrificed peace offerings.

³²And he wrote there upon the stones a copy of the Law of Moses, which he wrote in the presence of the children of Israel.

³³And all Israel, and their elders and officers and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side before the priests, the Levites, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, the stranger as well as he that was born among them -- half of them over against Mount Gerizim and half of them over against Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of the LORD had commanded before, that they should bless the people of Israel.

³⁴And afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessings and cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law.

³⁵There was not a word of all that Moses commanded which Joshua read not before all the congregation of Israel, with the women and the little ones and the strangers who walked among them.

9And it came to pass when all the kings who were on this side of the Jordan, in the hills and in the valleys and in all the borders of the Great Sea over against Lebanon -- the Hittite, and the Amorite, the Canaanite, the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite -- heard thereof,

²that they gathered themselves together to fight with Joshua and with Israel with one accord.

³And when the inhabitants of Gibeon heard what Joshua had done unto Jericho and to Ai,

⁴they worked cunningly, and went and made as if they had been ambassadors, and took old sacks upon their asses, and wineskins, old and rent and bound up,

⁵and old and patched shoes upon their feet, and old garments upon them; and all the bread of their provision was dry and moldy.

⁶And they went to Joshua unto the camp at Gilgal, and said unto him and to the men of Israel, "We have come from a far country. Now therefore make ye a league with us."

⁷And the men of Israel said unto the Hivites, "Perhaps ye dwell among us. Then how shall we make a league with you?"

⁸And they said unto Joshua, "We are thy servants." And Joshua said unto them, "Who are ye? And from whence come ye?"

⁹And they said unto him, "From a very far country thy servants have come because of the name of the LORD thy God; for we have heard the fame of him and all that he did in Egypt,

¹⁰and all that he did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan -- to Sihon king of Heshbon, and to Og king of Bashan, who was at Ashtaroth.

¹¹Therefore our elders and all the inhabitants of our country spoke to us, saying, 'Take provisions with you for the journey, and go to meet them and say unto them, "We are your servants. Therefore now make ye a league with us."'

¹²This our bread we took hot for our provision out of our houses on the day we came forth to go unto you; but now, behold, it is dry and it is moldy.

¹³And these skins of wine which we filled were new, and behold, they are rent; and these our garments and our shoes have become old by reason of the very long journey."

¹⁴And the men took of their provisions, and asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

¹⁵And Joshua made peace with them, and made a league with them to let them live; and the princes of the congregation swore unto them.

¹⁶And it came to pass at the end of three days after they had made a league with them, that they heard that they were their neighbors and that they dwelt among them.

¹⁷And the children of Israel journeyed and came unto their cities on the third day. Now their cities were Gibeon, and Chephirah, and Beeroth, and Kirjathjearim.

¹⁸And the children of Israel smote them not, because the princes of the congregation had sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. And all the congregation murmured against the princes.

¹⁹But all the princes said unto all the congregation, "We have sworn unto them by the LORD God of Israel. Now therefore we may not touch them.

²⁰This we will do to them: we will even let them live, lest wrath be upon us because of the oath which we swore unto them."

²¹And the princes said unto them, "Let them live, but let them be hewers of wood and drawers of water unto all the congregation, as the princes had promised them."

²²And Joshua called for them, and he spoke unto them, saying, "Why have ye beguiled us, saying, 'We are very far from you,' when ye dwell among us?

²³Now therefore ye are cursed, and there shall none of you be freed from being bondmen and hewers of wood and drawers of water for the house of my God."

²⁴And they answered Joshua and said, "Because it was certainly told thy servants how the LORD thy God commanded his servant Moses to give you all the land and to destroy all the inhabitants of the land from before you, therefore we were sore afraid for our lives because of you, and have done this thing.

²⁵And now, behold, we are in thine hand: as it seemeth good and right unto thee to do unto us, do."

²⁶And so did he unto them, and delivered them out of the hand of the children of Israel, that they slew them not.

²⁷And Joshua made them that day hewers of wood and drawers of water for the congregation and for the altar of the LORD, even unto this day, in the place which He should choose.

10Now it came to pass when Adonizedec king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai and had utterly destroyed it (as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king), and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them,

²that they feared greatly because Gibeon was a great city, as one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai and all the men thereof were mighty.

³Therefore Adonizedec king of Jerusalem sent unto Hoham king of Hebron, and unto Piram king of Jarmuth, and unto Japhia king of Lachish, and unto Debir king of Eglon, saying,

⁴"Come up unto me and help me, that we may smite Gibeon; for it hath made peace with Joshua and with the children of Israel."

⁵Therefore the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, the king of Eglon, gathered themselves together and went up, they and all their hosts, and encamped before Gibeon and made war against it.

⁶And the men of Gibeon sent unto Joshua to the camp to Gilgal, saying, "Slacken not thy hand from thy servants. Come up to us quickly, and save us and help us; for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the mountains are gathered together against us."

⁷So Joshua ascended from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him and all the mighty men of valor.

⁸And the LORD said unto Joshua, "Fear them not, for I have delivered them into thine hand. There shall not a man of them stand before thee."

⁹Joshua therefore came unto them suddenly, and went up from Gilgal all night.

¹⁰And the LORD discomfited them before Israel, and slew them with a great slaughter at Gibeon, and chased them along the way that goeth up to Bethhoron, and smote them to Azekah and unto Makkedah.

¹¹And it came to pass, as they fled from before Israel and were at the descent of Bethhoron, that the LORD cast down great stones from heaven upon them unto Azekah, and they died. There were more who died with hailstones than those whom the children of Israel slew with the sword.

¹²Then spoke Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel: "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."

¹³And the sun stood still and the moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the Book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hastened not to go down for about a whole day.

¹⁴And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man; for the LORD fought for Israel.

¹⁵And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

¹⁶But these five kings fled and hid themselves in a cave at Makkedah.

¹⁷And it was told Joshua, saying, "The five kings are found hidden in a cave at Makkedah."

¹⁸And Joshua said, "Roll great stones upon the mouth of the cave, and set men by it to keep them.

¹⁹And stay ye not, but pursue after your enemies and smite the hindmost of them. Permit them not to enter into their cities, for the LORD your God hath delivered them into your hand."

²⁰And it came to pass, when Joshua and the children of Israel had made an end of slaying them with a very great slaughter till they were consumed, that the rest who remained of them entered into fortified cities.

²¹And all the people returned to the camp to Joshua at Makkedah in peace. None moved his tongue against any of the children of Israel.

²²Then said Joshua, "Open the mouth of the cave, and bring out those five kings unto me out of the cave."

²³And they did so, and brought forth those five kings unto him out of the cave: the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon.

²⁴And it came to pass, when they brought out those kings unto Joshua, that Joshua called for all the men of Israel, and said unto the captains of the men of war who went with him, "Come near, put your feet upon the necks of these kings." And they came near and put their feet upon the necks of them.

²⁵And Joshua said unto them, "Fear not, nor be dismayed. Be strong and of good courage, for thus shall the LORD do to all your enemies against whom ye fight."

²⁶And afterward Joshua smote them and slew them, and hanged them on five trees; and they were hanging upon the trees until the evening.

²⁷And it came to pass at the time of the going down of the sun that Joshua commanded, and they took them down off the trees and cast them into the cave wherein they had been hid, and laid great stones in the cave's mouth, which remain until this very day.

²⁸And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed -- them and all the souls who were therein. He let none remain, and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

²⁹Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah.

³⁰And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel. And he smote it with the edge of the sword and all the souls who were therein. He let none remain in it, but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

³¹And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it and fought against it.

³²And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword and all the souls who were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

³³Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people until he had left him none remaining.

³⁴And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it.

³⁵And they took it on that day and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls who were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

³⁶And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it.

³⁷And they took it and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof and all the cities thereof and all the souls who were therein. He left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon, but destroyed it utterly and all the souls who were therein.

³⁸And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir, and fought against it.

³⁹And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword and utterly destroyed all the souls who were therein. He left none remaining. As he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir and to the king thereof, as he had done also to Libnah and to her king.

⁴⁰So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south and of the vale and of the springs, and all their kings. He left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

⁴¹And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

⁴²And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

⁴³And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, unto the camp to Gilgal.

11And it came to pass, when Jabin king of Hazor had heard those things, that he sent to Jobab king of Madon, and to the king of Shimron, and to the king of Achshaph,

²and to the kings who were on the north of the mountains and of the plains south of Chinneroth, and in the valley, and in the borders of Dor on the west,

³and to the Canaanite on the east and on the west, and to the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Jebusite in the mountains, and to the Hivite under Hermon in the land of Mizpah.

⁴And they went out, they and all their hosts with them, many people, even as the sand that is upon the seashore in multitude, with horses and chariots very many.

⁵And when all these kings were assembled together, they came and pitched camp together at the waters of Merom to fight against Israel.

⁶And the LORD said unto Joshua, "Be not afraid because of them, for tomorrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel. Thou shalt hamstring their horses and burn their chariots with fire."

⁷So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly, and they fell upon them.

⁸And the LORD delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them and chased them unto Great Sidon, and unto Misrephothmaim [or, Burning of waters], and unto the Valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them until they left them none remaining.

⁹And Joshua did unto them as the LORD bade him: he hamstrung their horses and burned their chariots with fire.

¹⁰And Joshua at that time turned back and took Hazor, and smote the king thereof with the sword; for Hazor formerly was the head of all those kingdoms.

¹¹And they smote all the souls who were therein with the edge of the sword, utterly destroying them. There was not any left to breathe; and he burned Hazor with fire.

¹²And all the cities of those kings, and all the kings of them, did Joshua take and smote them with the edge of the sword; and he utterly destroyed them, as Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.

¹³But as for the cities that stood still in their strength, Israel burned none of them, save Hazor only. That did Joshua burn.

¹⁴And all the spoil of these cities, and the cattle, the children of Israel took for booty unto themselves; but every man they smote with the edge of the sword until they had destroyed them, neither left they any to breathe.

¹⁵As the LORD commanded Moses His servant, so did Moses command Joshua, and so did Joshua. He left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.

¹⁶So Joshua took all that land: the hills, and all the south country, and all the land of Goshen, and the valley, and the plain, and the mountain of Israel, and the valley of the same,

¹⁷even from Mount Halak, that goeth up to Seir, even unto Baalgad in the Valley of Lebanon under Mount Hermon. And all their kings he took, and smote them and slew them.

¹⁸Joshua made war a long time with all those kings.

¹⁹There was not a city that made peace with the children of Israel, save the Hivites, the inhabitants of Gibeon. All others they took in battle.

²⁰For it was of the LORD to harden their hearts, that they should come against Israel in battle, that He might destroy them utterly and that they might have no favor, but that He might destroy them, as the LORD commanded Moses.

²¹And at that time came Joshua and cut off the Anakim from the mountains: from Hebron, from Debir, from Anab, and from all the mountains of Judah, and from all the mountains of Israel. Joshua destroyed them utterly with their cities.

²²There were none of the Anakim left in the land of the children of Israel; only in Gaza, in Gath, and in Ashdod, there remained.

²³So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD said unto Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance unto Israel according to their divisions by their tribes. And the land rested from war.

12Now these are the kings of the land whom the children of Israel smote, and possessed their land on the other side of the Jordan toward the rising of the sun, from the River Arnon unto Mount Hermon and all the plain on the east:

²Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon and ruled from Aroer, which is upon the bank of the River Arnon, from the middle of the river, and from half of Gilead, even unto the River Jabbok, which is the border of the children of Ammon,

³and from the plain to the Sea of Chinneroth on the east, and unto the sea of the plain, even the Salt Sea on the east, the way to Bethjeshimoth, and from the south, under Ashdothpisgah;

⁴and the territory of Og king of Bashan, who was of the remnant of the giants, who dwelt at Ashtaroth and at Edrei,

⁵and reigned in Mount Hermon and in Salcah and in all Bashan, unto the border of the Geshurites and the Maachathites, and half of Gilead, the border of Sihon king of Heshbon.

⁶These Moses the servant of the LORD and the children of Israel smote; and Moses the servant of the LORD gave it for a possession unto the Reubenites and the Gadites and the halftribe of Manasseh.

⁷And these are the kings of the country which Joshua and the children of Israel smote on this side of the Jordan on the west, from Baalgad in the Valley of Lebanon even unto the Mount Halak that goeth up to Seir, which Joshua gave unto the tribes of Israel for a possession according to their divisions,

⁸in the mountains and in the valleys and in the plains, and in the springs and in the wilderness and in the south country -- the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Canaanites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites:

⁹the king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Bethel, one;

¹⁰the king of Jerusalem, one; the king of Hebron, one;

¹¹the king of Jarmuth, one; the king of Lachish, one;

¹²the king of Eglon, one; the king of Gezer, one;

¹³the king of Debir, one; the king of Geder, one;

¹⁴the king of Hormah, one; the king of Arad, one;

¹⁵the king of Libnah, one; the king of Adullam, one;

¹⁶the king of Makkedah, one; the king of Bethel, one;

¹⁷the king of Tappuah, one; the king of Hepher, one;

¹⁸the king of Aphek, one; the king of Lasharon, one;

¹⁹the king of Madon, one; the king of Hazor, one;

²⁰the king of Shimronmeron, one; the king of Achshaph, one;

²¹the king of Taanach, one; the king of Megiddo, one;

²²the king of Kedesh, one; the king of Jokneam of Carmel, one;

²³the king of Dor in the province of Dor, one; the king of the nations of Gilgal, one;

²⁴the king of Tirzah, one -- all the kings thirty and one.

13Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him: "Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.

²This is the land that yet remaineth: all the borders of the Philistines and all Geshuri,

³from Sihor, which is before Egypt, even unto the borders of Ekron northward, which is counted as Canaanite; five lords of the Philistines -- the Gazathites, and the Ashdothites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites;

⁴from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that is beside the Sidonians, unto Aphek, to the borders of the Amorites;

⁵and the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrising, from Baalgad under Mount Hermon unto the entrance into Hamath.

⁶All the inhabitants of the hill country from Lebanon unto Misrephothmaim, and all the Sidonians, them will I drive out from before the children of Israel. Only divide thou it by lot unto the Israelites for an inheritance, as I have commanded thee.

⁷Now therefore divide this land for an inheritance unto the nine tribes and the halftribe of Manasseh"--

⁸with whom the Reubenites and the Gadites have received their inheritance which Moses gave them beyond the Jordan eastward, even as Moses the servant of the LORD gave them:

⁹from Aroer that is upon the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain of Medeba unto Dibon;

¹⁰and all the cities of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, unto the border of the children of Ammon;

¹¹and Gilead, and the border of the Geshurites and Maachathites, and all Mount Hermon, and all Bashan unto Salcah;

¹²all the kingdom of Og in Bashan, who reigned in Ashtaroth and in Edrei, who remained of the remnant of the giants; for these did Moses smite and cast them out.

¹³Nevertheless the children of Israel expelled not the Geshurites nor the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

¹⁴Only unto the tribe of Levi he gave no inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said unto them.

¹⁵And Moses gave unto the tribe of the children of Reuben inheritance according to their families.

¹⁶And their border was from Aroer, that is on the bank of the River Arnon, and the city that is in the midst of the river, and all the plain by Medeba;

¹⁷Heshbon and all her cities that are in the plain: Dibon, and Bamothbaal, and Bethbaalmeon,

¹⁸and Jahazah, and Kedemoth, and Mephaath,

¹⁹and Kirjathaim, and Sibmah, and Zarethshahar on the mount of the valley,

²⁰and Bethpeor, and Ashdothpisgah, and Bethjeshimoth,

²¹and all the cities of the plain and all the kingdom of Sihon king of the Amorites, who reigned in Heshbon, whom Moses smote with the princes of Midian: Evi, and Rekem, and Zur, and Hur, and Reba, who were dukes of Sihon dwelling in the country.

²²Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among those who were slain by them.

²³And the border of the children of Reuben was the Jordan and the border thereof. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and the villages thereof.

²⁴And Moses gave inheritance unto the tribe of Gad, even unto the children of Gad according to their families.

²⁵And their border was Jazer, and all the cities of Gilead, and half the land of the children of Ammon, unto Aroer that is before Rabbah;

²⁶and from Heshbon unto Ramathmizpeh, and Betonim, and from Mahanaim unto the border of Debir;

²⁷and in the valley, Betharam, and Bethnimrah, and Succoth, and Zaphon, the rest of the kingdom of Sihon king of Heshbon, the Jordan and his border, even unto the edge of the Sea of Chinnereth on the other side of the Jordan eastward.

²⁸This is the inheritance of the children of Gad according to their families, the cities and their villages.

²⁹And Moses gave inheritance unto the halftribe of Manasseh; and this was the possession of the halftribe of the children of Manasseh by their families:

³⁰and their border was from Mahanaim, all Bashan, all the kingdom of Og king of Bashan, and all the towns of Jair, which are in Bashan, threescore cities;

³¹and half of Gilead, and Ashtaroth, and Edrei, cities of the kingdom of Og in Bashan, were pertaining unto the children of Machir the son of Manasseh, even to one half of the children of Machir by their families.

³²These are the countries which Moses distributed for inheritance in the plains of Moab on the other side of the Jordan, by Jericho eastward.

³³But unto the tribe of Levi Moses gave not any inheritance: the LORD God of Israel was their inheritance, as He said unto them.

14And these are the countries which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed for inheritance to them.

²By lot was their inheritance, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and for the halftribe.

³For Moses had given the inheritance of two tribes and a halftribe on the other side of the Jordan; but unto the Levites he gave no inheritance among them,

⁴for the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. Therefore they gave no part unto the Levites in the land, save cities to dwell in, with their suburbs for their cattle and for their substance.

⁵As the LORD commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

⁶Then the children of Judah came unto Joshua in Gilgal; and Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenezite said unto him, "Thou knowest the thing that the LORD said unto Moses the man of God concerning me and thee in Kadeshbarnea.

⁷Forty years old was I when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadeshbarnea to espy out the land; and I brought him word again as it was in mine heart.

⁸Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

⁹And Moses swore on that day, saying, 'Surely the land whereon thy feet have trodden shall be thine inheritance and thy children's for ever, because thou hast wholly followed the LORD my God.'

¹⁰And now, behold, the LORD hath kept me alive, as He said, these forty and five years, even since the LORD spoke this word unto Moses while the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, lo, I am this day fourscore and five years old.

¹¹As yet I am as strong this day as I was in the day that Moses sent me: as my strength was then, even so is my strength now for war, both to go out and to come in.

¹²Now therefore give me this mountain whereof the LORD spoke in that day, for thou heardest in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. If it so be that the LORD will be with me, then I shall be able to drive them out, as the LORD said."

¹³And Joshua blessed him, and gave unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh Hebron for an inheritance.

¹⁴Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite unto this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁵And the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba, which Arba was a great man among the Anakim. And the land had rest from war.

15This then was the lot of the tribe of the children of Judah by their families: even to the border of Edom to the Wilderness of Zin southward was the outermost part of the south border.

²And their south border was from the shore of the Salt Sea, from the bay that looketh southward.

³And it went out to the south side to Maalehacrabbim, and passed along to Zin, and ascended up on the south side unto Kadeshbarnea, and passed along to Hezron, and went up to Adar, and went around to Karkaa.

⁴From thence it passed toward Azmon and went out unto the river of Egypt; and the borders of that region were at the sea: this shall be your south border.

⁵And the east border was the Salt Sea, even unto the end of the Jordan. And their border in the north quarter was from the bay of the sea at the uttermost part of the Jordan.

⁶And the border went up to Bethhogla and passed along by the north of Betharabah; and the border went up to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben;

⁷and the border went up toward Debir from the Valley of Achor, and so northward looking toward Gilgal, that is before the ascent to Adummim, which is on the south side of the river; and the border passed toward the waters of Enshemesh, and the boundaries thereof were at Enrogel.

⁸And the border went up by the Valley of the Son of Hinnom unto the south side of the Jebusite (the same is Jerusalem); and the border went up to the top of the mountain that lieth before the Valley of Hinnom westward, which is at the end of the Valley of the Giants northward.

⁹And the border was drawn from the top of the hill unto the fountain of the water of Nephtoah, and went out to the cities of Mount Ephron; and the border was drawn to Baalah, which is Kirjathjearim.

¹⁰And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto Mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of Mount Jearim, which is Chesalon on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah.

¹¹And the border went out unto the side of Ekron northward; and the border was drawn to Shicron, and passed along to Mount Baalah, and went out unto Jabneel; and the limit of the border was at the sea.

¹²And the west border was to the Great Sea and the coast thereof. This is the border of the children of Judah round about according to their families.

¹³And unto Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a part among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, even the city of Arba (Arba was the father of Anak), which city is Hebron.

¹⁴And Caleb drove from thence the three sons of Anak: Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak.

¹⁵And he went up thence to the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher).

¹⁶And Caleb said, "He that smiteth Kirjathsepher and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife."

¹⁷And Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife.

¹⁸And it came to pass, as she came unto him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field; and she alighted from her ass, and Caleb said unto her, "What wouldest thou?"

¹⁹She answered, "Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a south land. Give me also springs of water." And he gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

²⁰This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Judah according to their families:

²¹And the outermost cities of the tribe of the children of Judah toward the border of Edom southward were Kabzeel, and Eder, and Jagur,

²²and Kinah, and Dimonah, and Adadah,

²³and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Ithnan,

²⁴Ziph, and Telem, and Bealoth,

²⁵and Hazor, Hadattah, and Kerioth, and Hezron (which is Hazor),

²⁶Amam, and Shema, and Moladah,

²⁷and Hazargaddah, and Heshmon, and Bethpalet,

²⁸and Hazarshual, and Beersheba, and Bizjothjah,

²⁹Baalah, and Iim, and Ezem,

³⁰and Eltolad, and Chesil, and Hormah,

³¹and Ziklag, and Madmannah, and Sansannah,

³²and Lebaoth, and Shilhim, and Ain, and Rimmon: all the cities are twenty and nine, with their villages.

³³And in the valley: Eshtaol, and Zorah, and Ashnah,

³⁴and Zanoah, and Engannim, Tappuah, and Enam,

³⁵Jarmuth, and Adullam, Socoh, and Azekah,

³⁶and Sharaim, and Adithaim, and Gederah, and Gederothaim: fourteen cities with their villages;

³⁷Zenan, and Hadashah, and Migdalgad,

³⁸and Dilean, and Mizpeh, and Joktheel,

³⁹Lachish, and Bozkath, and Eglon,

⁴⁰and Cabbon, and Lahmam, and Kithlish,

⁴¹and Gederoth, Bethdagon, and Naamah, and Makkedah: sixteen cities with their villages;

⁴²Libnah, and Ether, and Ashan,

⁴³and Jiphtah, and Ashnah, and Nezib,

⁴⁴and Keilah, and Achzib, and Mareshah: nine cities with their villages;

⁴⁵Ekron, with her towns and her villages;

⁴⁶from Ekron even unto the sea, all that lay near Ashdod, with their villages;

⁴⁷Ashdod with her towns and her villages, Gaza with her towns and her villages, unto the river of Egypt and the Great Sea and the border thereof.

⁴⁸And in the mountains: Shamir, and Jattir, and Socoh,

⁴⁹and Dannah, and Kirjathsannah (which is Debir),

⁵⁰and Anab, and Eshtemoh, and Anim,

⁵¹and Goshen, and Holon, and Giloh: eleven cities with their villages;

⁵²Arab, and Dumah, and Eshean,

⁵³and Janum, and Bethtappuah, and Aphekah,

⁵⁴and Humtah, and Kirjatharba (which is Hebron), and Zior: nine cities with their villages;

⁵⁵Maon, Carmel, and Ziph, and Juttah,

⁵⁶and Jezreel, and Jokdeam, and Zanoah,

⁵⁷Kain, Gibeah, and Timnah: ten cities with their villages;

⁵⁸Halhul, Bethzur, and Gedor,

⁵⁹and Maarath, and Bethanoth, and Eltekon: six cities with their villages;

⁶⁰Kirjathbaal (which is Kirjathjearim), and Rabbah: two cities with their villages;

⁶¹in the wilderness: Betharabah, Middin, and Secacah,

⁶²and Nibshan, and the City of Salt, and Engedi; six cities with their villages.

⁶³As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem unto this day.

16And the lot of the children of Joseph fell from the Jordan by Jericho, unto the water of Jericho on the east, to the wilderness that goeth up from Jericho throughout Mount Bethel,

²and goeth out from Bethel to Luz, and passeth along unto the borders of the Archites to Ataroth,

³and goeth down westward to the border of the Japhletites, unto the border of Bethhoron the Nether and to Gezer; and the boundaries thereof are at the sea.

⁴So the children of Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim took their inheritance.

⁵And the border of the children of Ephraim according to their families was thus: even the border of their inheritance on the east side was Atarothaddar, unto Bethhoron the Upper.

⁶And the border went out toward the sea to Michmethath on the north side; and the border went about eastward unto Taanathshiloh, and passed by it on the east to Janohah;

⁷and it went down from Janohah to Ataroth and to Naarah, and came to Jericho and went out at the Jordan.

⁸The border went out from Tappuah westward unto the River Kanah; and the boundaries thereof were at the sea. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Ephraim by their families.

⁹And the separate cities for the children of Ephraim were among the inheritance of the children of Manasseh, all the cities with their villages.

¹⁰And they drove not out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites unto this day and serve under tribute.

17There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph, to wit, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war. Therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.

²There was also a lot for the rest of the children of Manasseh by their families: for the children of Abiezer, and for the children of Helek, and for the children of Asriel, and for the children of Shechem, and for the children of Hepher, and for the children of Shemida. These were the male children of Manasseh the son of Joseph by their families.

³But Zelophehad the son of Hepher, the son of Gilead, the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh, had no sons but daughters; and these are the names of his daughters: Mahlah, and Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah.

⁴And they came near before Eleazar the priest and before Joshua the son of Nun and before the princes, saying, "The LORD commanded Moses to give us an inheritance among our brethren." Therefore according to the commandment of the LORD he gave them an inheritance among the brethren of their father.

⁵And there fell ten portions to Manasseh, besides the land of Gilead and Bashan, which were on the other side of the Jordan,

⁶because the daughters of Manasseh had an inheritance among his sons; and the rest of Manasseh's sons had the land of Gilead.

⁷And the border of Manasseh was from Asher to Michmethath, that lieth before Shechem; and the border went along on the right hand unto the inhabitants of Entappuah.

⁸Now Manasseh had the land of Tappuah, but Tappuah on the border of Manasseh belonged to the children of Ephraim.

⁹And the border descended unto the River Kanah, southward of the river. These cities of Ephraim are among the cities of Manasseh. The border of Manasseh also was on the north side of the river, and the boundaries of it were at the sea.

¹⁰Southward it was Ephraim's, and northward it was Manasseh's, and the sea is his border; and they met together in Asher on the north and in Issachar on the east.

¹¹And Manasseh had in Issachar and in Asher Bethshean and her towns, and Ibleam and her towns, and the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Endor and her towns, and the inhabitants of Taanach and her towns, and the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns, even three countries.

¹²Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

¹³Yet it came to pass, when the children of Israel waxed strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, but did not utterly drive them out.

¹⁴And the children of Joseph spoke unto Joshua, saying, "Why hast thou given me but one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a great people, forasmuch as the LORD hath blessed me hitherto?"

¹⁵And Joshua answered them, "If thou be a great people, then get thee up to the wood country and cut down for thyself there in the land of the Perizzites and of the giants, if Mount Ephraim be too narrow for thee."

¹⁶And the children of Joseph said, "The hill is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Bethshean and her towns, and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel."

¹⁷And Joshua spoke unto the house of Joseph, even to Ephraim and to Manasseh, saying, "Thou art a great people and hast great power. Thou shalt not have one lot only;

¹⁸but the mountain shall be thine, for it is a wood and thou shalt cut it down. And the boundaries of it shall be thine; for thou shalt drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and though they be strong."

18And the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of the congregation there. And the land was subdued before them.

²And there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes, which had not yet received their inheritance.

³And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, "How long are ye slack to go to possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers hath given you?

⁴Appoint from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; and they shall rise and go through the land, and describe it according to the inheritance of them; and they shall come again to me.

⁵And they shall divide it into seven parts: Judah shall abide in their border on the south, and the house of Joseph shall abide in their borders on the north.

⁶Ye shall therefore describe the land into seven parts and bring the description hither to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God.

⁷But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad and Reuben and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them."

⁸And the men arose and went away; and Joshua charged those who went to describe the land, saying, "Go, and walk through the land and describe it, and come again to me, that I may here cast lots for you before the LORD in Shiloh."

⁹And the men went and passed through the land and described it by cities into seven parts in a book, and came again to Joshua to the host at Shiloh.

¹⁰And Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land unto the children of Israel according to their divisions.

¹¹And the lot of the tribe of the children of Benjamin came up according to their families; and the borders of their lot came forth between the children of Judah and the children of Joseph.

¹²And their border on the north side was from the Jordan; and the border went up to the side of Jericho on the north side, and went up through the mountains westward; and the boundaries thereof were at the Wilderness of Bethaven.

¹³And the border went over from thence toward Luz, to the side of Luz (which is Bethel), southward; and the border descended to Atarothadar, near the hill that lieth on the south side of the Nether Bethhoron.

¹⁴And the border was drawn thence and compassed the corner of the sea southward, from the hill that lieth before Bethhoron southward; and the boundaries thereof were at Kirjathbaal, which is Kirjathjearim, a city of the children of Judah: this was the west quarter.

¹⁵And the south quarter was from the end of Kirjathjearim, and the border went out on the west and went out to the well of waters of Nephtoah.

¹⁶And the border came down to the end of the mountain that lieth before the Valley of the Son of Hinnom and which is in the Valley of the Giants on the north, and descended to the Valley of Hinnom, to the side of the Jebusites on the south, and descended to Enrogel;

¹⁷and was drawn from the north, and went forth to Enshemesh, and went forth toward Geliloth, which is over against the ascent of Adummim, and descended to the stone of Bohan the son of Reuben,

¹⁸and passed along toward the side over against Arabah northward, and went down unto Arabah.

¹⁹And the border passed along to the side of Bethhoglah northward; and the boundaries of the border were at the north bay of the Salt Sea at the south end of the Jordan: this was the south border.

²⁰And the Jordan was the border of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin by the borders thereof round about, according to their families.

²¹Now the cities of the tribe of the children of Benjamin according to their families were Jericho, and Bethhoglah, and the Valley of Keziz,

²²and Betharabah, and Zemaraim, and Bethel,

²³and Avim, and Parah, and Ophrah,

²⁴and Chepharhaammonai, and Ophni, and Gaba: twelve cities with their villages;

²⁵Gibeon, and Ramah, and Beeroth,

²⁶and Mizpeh, and Chephirah, and Mozah,

²⁷and Rekem, and Irpeel, and Taralah,

²⁸and Zelah, Eleph, and Jebus (which is Jerusalem), Gibeath, and Kirjath: fourteen cities with their villages. This is the inheritance of the children of Benjamin according to their families.

19And the second lot came forth to Simeon, even for the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families; and their inheritance was within the inheritance of the children of Judah.

²And they had in their inheritance Beersheba (or Sheba), and Moladah,

³and Hazarshual, and Balah, and Ezem,

⁴and Eltolad, and Bethul, and Hormah,

⁵and Ziklag, and Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusah,

⁶and Bethlebaoth, and Sharuhen: thirteen cities and their villages;

⁷Ain, Rimmon, and Ether, and Ashan: four cities and their villages;

⁸and all the villages that were round about these cities to Baalathbeer, Ramah of the South. This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Simeon according to their families.

⁹Out of the portion of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon, for the part of the children of Judah was too much for them. Therefore the children of Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance of them.

¹⁰And the third lot came up for the children of Zebulun according to their families, and the border of their inheritance was unto Sarid.

¹¹And their border went up toward the sea, and Maralah, and reached to Dabbasheth, and reached to the river that is before Jokneam,

¹²and turned from Sarid eastward toward the sunrising unto the border of Chislothtabor, and then goeth out to Daberath, and goeth up to Japhia,

¹³and from thence passeth on along on the east to Gittahhepher, to Ittahkazin, and goeth out to Rimmon to Neah.

¹⁴And the border compasseth it on the north side to Hannathon, and the boundaries thereof are in the Valley of Jiphthahel,

¹⁵and Kattath, and Nahallal, and Shimron, and Idalah, and Bethlehem: twelve cities with their villages.

¹⁶This is the inheritance of the children of Zebulun according to their families, these cities with their villages.

¹⁷And the fourth lot came out to Issachar, for the children of Issachar according to their families.

¹⁸And their border was toward Jezreel, and Chesulloth, and Shunem,

¹⁹and Hapharaim, and Shion, and Anaharath,

²⁰and Rabbith, and Kishion, and Abez,

²¹and Remeth, and Engannim, and Enhaddah, and Bethpazzez.

²²And the border reacheth to Tabor, and Shahazimah, and Bethshemesh, and the boundaries of their border were at the Jordan: sixteen cities with their villages.

²³This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Issachar according to their families, the cities and their villages.

²⁴And the fifth lot came out for the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families.

²⁵And their border was Helkath, and Hali, and Beten, and Achshaph,

²⁶and Alammelech, and Amad, and Mishal; and reacheth to Carmel westward, and to Shihorlibnath;

²⁷and turneth toward the sunrising to Bethdagon, and reacheth to Zebulun, and to the Valley of Jiphthahel toward the north side of Bethemek, and Neiel, and goeth out to Cabul on the left hand,

²⁸and Ebron, and Rehob, and Hammon, and Kanah, even unto Great Sidon.

²⁹And then the border turneth to Ramah, and to the stronghold city of Tyre; and the border turneth to Hosah, and the boundaries thereof are at the sea from the border to Achzib;

³⁰Ummah also, and Aphek, and Rehob: twenty and two cities with their villages.

³¹This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Asher according to their families, these cities with their villages.

³²The sixth lot came out to the children of Naphtali, even for the children of Naphtali according to their families.

³³And their border was from Heleph, from Allon to Zaanannim, and Adami, Nekeb, and Jabneel, unto Lakkum; and the boundaries thereof were at the Jordan.

³⁴And then the border turneth westward to Aznothtabor, and goeth out from thence to Hukkok, and reacheth to Zebulun on the south side, and reacheth to Asher on the west side, and to Judah upon the Jordan toward the sunrising.

³⁵And the fortified cities are Ziddim, Zer, and Hammath, Rakkath, and Chinnereth,

³⁶and Adamah, and Ramah, and Hazor,

³⁷and Kedesh, and Edrei, and Enhazor,

³⁸and Iron, and Migdalel, Horem, and Bethanath, and Bethshemesh: nineteen cities with their villages.

³⁹This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Naphtali according to their families, the cities and their villages.

⁴⁰And the seventh lot came out for the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families.

⁴¹And the border of their inheritance was Zorah, and Eshtaol, and Irshemesh,

⁴²and Shaalabbin, and Aijalon, and Jethlah,

⁴³And Elon, and Timnah, and Ekron,

⁴⁴and Eltekeh, and Gibbethon, and Baalath,

⁴⁵and Jehud, and Beneberak, and Gathrimmon,

⁴⁶and Mejarkon, and Rakkon, with the border before Joppa.

⁴⁷And the border of the children of Dan went out too little for them. Therefore the children of Dan went up to fight against Leshem, and took it and smote it with the edge of the sword, and possessed it and dwelt therein, and called Leshem, Dan, after the name of Dan their father.

⁴⁸This is the inheritance of the tribe of the children of Dan according to their families, these cities with their villages.

⁴⁹When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them.

⁵⁰According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked, even Timnathserah in Mount Ephraim; and he built the city and dwelt therein.

⁵¹These are the inheritances which Eleazar the priest and Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided for an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. So they made an end of dividing the country.

20The LORD also spoke unto Joshua, saying,

²"Speak to the children of Israel, saying, 'Appoint out for you cities of refuge, whereof I spoke unto you by the hand of Moses,

³that the slayer who killeth any person unawares and unwittingly may flee thither; and they shall be your refuge from the avenger of blood.

⁴And when he that doth flee unto one of those cities shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and shall declare his cause in the ears of the elders of that city, they shall take him into the city unto them and give him a place, that he may dwell among them.

⁵And if the avenger of blood pursue after him, then they shall not deliver the slayer up into his hand, because he smote his neighbor unwittingly and hated him not beforehand.

⁶And he shall dwell in that city until he stand before the congregation for judgment, and until the death of the high priest who shall be in those days. Then shall the slayer return and come unto his own city and unto his own house, unto the city from whence he fled.'"

⁷And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in Mount Naphtali, and Shechem in Mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba (which is Hebron) in the mountain of Judah.

⁸And on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho eastward, they assigned Bezer in the wilderness upon the plain from the tribe of Reuben, and Ramoth in Gilead from the tribe of Gad, and Golan in Bashan from the tribe of Manasseh.

⁹These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel and for the stranger who sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood until he stood before the congregation.

21Then came near the heads of the fathers of the Levites unto Eleazar the priest, and unto Joshua the son of Nun, and unto the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel.

²And they spoke unto them at Shiloh in the land of Canaan, saying, "The LORD commanded by the hand of Moses to give us cities to dwell in, with the suburbs thereof for our cattle."

³And the children of Israel gave unto the Levites out of their inheritance, at the commandment of the LORD, these cities and their suburbs:

⁴And the lot came out for the families of the Kohathites. And the children of Aaron the priest, who were of the Levites, had by lot from the tribe of Judah, and from the tribe of Simeon, and from the tribe of Benjamin thirteen cities.

⁵And the rest of the children of Kohath had by lot from the families of the tribe of Ephraim, and from the tribe of Dan, and from the halftribe of Manasseh ten cities.

⁶And the children of Gershon had by lot from the families of the tribe of Issachar, and from the tribe of Asher, and from the tribe of Naphtali, and from the halftribe of Manasseh in Bashan thirteen cities.

⁷The children of Merari by their families had from the tribe of Reuben, and from the tribe of Gad, and from the tribe of Zebulun twelve cities.

⁸And the children of Israel gave by lot unto the Levites these cities with their suburbs, as the LORD commanded by the hand of Moses.

⁹And they gave from the tribe of the children of Judah, and from the tribe of the children of Simeon these cities which are here mentioned by name,

¹⁰which the children of Aaron, being of the families of the Kohathites, who were of the children of Levi, had, for theirs was the first lot.

¹¹And they gave them the city of Arba (the father of Anak), which city is Hebron, in the hill country of Judah, with the suburbs thereof round about it.

¹²But the fields of the city and the villages thereof gave they to Caleb the son of Jephunneh for his possession.

¹³Thus they gave to the children of Aaron, the priest, Hebron with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Libnah with her suburbs,

¹⁴and Jattir with her suburbs, and Eshtemoa with her suburbs,

¹⁵and Holon with her suburbs, and Debir with her suburbs,

¹⁶and Ain with her suburbs, and Juttah with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs: nine cities from those two tribes.

¹⁷And from the tribe of Benjamin, Gibeon with her suburbs, Geba with her suburbs,

¹⁸Anathoth with her suburbs, and Almon with her suburbs: four cities.

¹⁹All the cities of the children of Aaron, the priests, were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

²⁰And the families of the children of Kohath, the Levites who remained of the children of Kohath, even they had the cities of their lot from the tribe of Ephraim.

²¹For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in Mount Ephraim to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Gezer with her suburbs,

²²and Kibzaim with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs: four cities.

²³And from the tribe of Dan, Eltekeh with her suburbs, Gibbethon with her suburbs,

²⁴Aijalon with her suburbs, Gathrimmon with her suburbs: four cities.

²⁵And from the halftribe of Manasseh, Tanach with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs: two cities.

²⁶All the cities were ten with their suburbs for the families of the children of Kohath who remained.

²⁷And unto the children of Gershon, of the families of the Levites, from the other halftribe of Manasseh they gave Golan in Bashan with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer; and Beeshterah with her suburbs: two cities.

²⁸And from the tribe of Issachar, Kishion with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,

²⁹Jarmuth with her suburbs, Engannim with her suburbs: four cities.

³⁰And from the tribe of Asher, Mishal with her suburbs, Abdon with her suburbs,

³¹Helkath with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs: four cities.

³²And from the tribe of Naphtali, Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Hammothdor with her suburbs, and Kartan with her suburbs: three cities.

³³All the cities of the Gershonites according to their families were thirteen cities with their suburbs.

³⁴And unto the families of the children of Merari, the rest of the Levites, from the tribe of Zebulun, Jokneam with her suburbs, and Kartah with her suburbs,

³⁵Dimnah with her suburbs, Nahalal with her suburbs: four cities.

³⁶And from the tribe of Reuben, Bezer with her suburbs, and Jahazah with her suburbs,

³⁷Kedemoth with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs: four cities.

³⁸And from the tribe of Gad, Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs to be a city of refuge for the slayer, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

³⁹Heshbon with her suburbs, Jazer with her suburbs: four cities in all.

⁴⁰So all the cities for the children of Merari by their families, who were remaining of the families of the Levites, were by their lot twelve cities.

⁴¹All the cities of the Levites within the possession of the children of Israel were forty and eight cities with their suburbs.

⁴²These cities were every one with their suburbs round about them; thus were all these cities.

⁴³And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which He swore to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it and dwelt therein.

⁴⁴And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that He swore unto their fathers. And there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand.

⁴⁵There failed not aught of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel. All came to pass.

22Then Joshua called the Reubenites and the Gadites and the halftribe of Manasseh,

²and said unto them, "Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you.

³Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God.

⁴And now the LORD your God hath given rest unto your brethren, as He promised them. Therefore now return ye, and get you unto your tents and unto the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan.

⁵But take diligent heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD charged you: to love the LORD your God, and to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul."

⁶So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went unto their tents.

⁷Now to one half of the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but unto the other half thereof gave Joshua among their brethren on this side of the Jordan westward. And when Joshua sent them away also unto their tents, then he blessed them

⁸and he spoke unto them, saying, "Return with much riches unto your tents, and with very much cattle, with silver, and with gold, and with brass, and with iron, and with very much raiment. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren."

⁹And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the halftribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel out of Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go unto the country of Gilead to the land of their possession, which they possessed according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

¹⁰And when they came unto the borders of the Jordan that are in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the halftribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, a great altar to see to.

¹¹And the children of Israel heard say: "Behold, the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the halftribe of Manasseh have built an altar over against the land of Canaan in the borders of the Jordan, at the passage of the children of Israel."

¹²And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh to go up to war against them.

¹³And the children of Israel sent unto the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the halftribe of Manasseh into the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest

¹⁴and with him ten princes, of each chief house a prince throughout all the tribes of Israel; and each one was a head of the house of their fathers among the thousands of Israel.

¹⁵And they came unto the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the halftribe of Manasseh, unto the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying,

¹⁶"Thus saith the whole congregation of the LORD: 'What trespass is this that ye have committed against the God of Israel to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that ye have built yourselves an altar, that ye might rebel this day against the LORD?

¹⁷Is the iniquity of Peor too little for us, from which we are not cleansed until this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD,

¹⁸but that ye must turn away this day from following the LORD? And it will be, seeing ye rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow He will be wroth with the whole congregation of Israel.

¹⁹Notwithstanding, if the land of your possession be unclean, then pass ye over unto the land of the possession of the LORD wherein the LORD'S tabernacle dwelleth, and take possession among us; but rebel not against the LORD, nor rebel against us in building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the LORD our God.

²⁰Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man perished not alone in his iniquity.'"

²¹Then the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the halftribe of Manasseh answered and said unto the heads of the thousands of Israel,

²²"The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, He knoweth, and Israel he shall know! If it be in rebellion or if in transgression against the LORD (save us not this day)

²³that we have built us an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer thereon burnt offering or meat offering, or if to offer peace offerings thereon, let the LORD Himself require it.

²⁴And if we have not rather done it for fear of this thing, saying, 'In time to come your children might speak unto our children, saying, "What have ye to do with the LORD God of Israel?

²⁵For the LORD hath made the Jordan a border between us and you, ye children of Reuben and children of Gad. Ye have no part in the LORD." So shall your children make our children cease from fearing the LORD.'

²⁶Therefore we said, 'Let us now prepare to build us an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice,

²⁷but that it may be a witness between us and you and our generations after us, that we might do the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings and with our sacrifices and with our peace offerings, that your children may not say to our children in time to come, "Ye have no part in the LORD."'

²⁸Therefore we said that it shall be, when they should so say to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say again, 'Behold the pattern of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices, but it is a witness between us and you.'

²⁹God forbid that we should rebel against the LORD and turn this day from following the LORD to build an altar for burnt offerings, for meat offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the LORD our God that is before His tabernacle."

³⁰And when Phinehas the priest and the princes of the congregation and heads of the thousands of Israel who were with him heard the words that the children of Reuben and the children of Gad and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them.

³¹And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said unto the children of Reuben and to the children of Gad and to the children of Manasseh: "This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because ye have not committed this trespass against the LORD. Now ye have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD."

³²And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the princes, returned from the children of Reuben and from the children of Gad out of the land of Gilead unto the land of Canaan to the children of Israel, and brought them word again.

³³And the thing pleased the children of Israel; and the children of Israel blessed God, and did not intend to go up against them in battle to destroy the land wherein the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt.

³⁴And the children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar Ed [that is, A witness], "For it shall be a witness between us that the LORD is God."

23And it came to pass, a long time after the LORD had given rest unto Israel from all their enemies round about, that Joshua waxed old and stricken in age.

²And Joshua called for all Israel, and for their elders, and for their heads, and for their judges, and for their officers, and said unto them, "I am old and stricken in age.

³And ye have seen all that the LORD your God hath done unto all these nations because of you, for the LORD your God is He that hath fought for you.

⁴Behold, I have divided unto you by lot these nations that remain to be an inheritance for your tribes, from the Jordan, with all the nations that I have cut off, even unto the Great Sea westward.

⁵And the LORD your God, He shall expel them from before you and drive them from out of your sight; and ye shall possess their land, as the LORD your God hath promised unto you.

⁶Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;

⁷that ye come not among these nations, these that remain among you, neither make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause any to swear by them, neither serve them nor bow yourselves unto them.

⁸But cleave unto the LORD your God, as ye have done unto this day.

⁹For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong; but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day.

¹⁰One man of you shall chase a thousand; for the LORD your God, He it is that fighteth for you, as He hath promised you.

¹¹Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.

¹²Or else, if ye do in any wise go back and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them and go in unto them and they to you,

¹³know for a certainty that the LORD your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you, but they shall be snares and traps unto you and scourges in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you.

¹⁴"And behold, this day I am going the way of all the earth. And ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the LORD your God spoke concerning you: all have come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

¹⁵Therefore it shall come to pass that, as all good things have come upon you which the LORD your God promised you, so shall the LORD bring upon you all evil things until He have destroyed you from off this good land which the LORD your God hath given you:

¹⁶when ye have transgressed the covenant of the LORD your God which He commanded you, and have gone and served other gods and bowed yourselves to them, then shall the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which He hath given unto you."

24And Joshua gathered all the tribes of Israel to Shechem, and called for the elders of Israel and for their heads and for their judges and for their officers; and they presented themselves before God.

²And Joshua said unto all the people, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'Your fathers dwelt on the other side of the river in old time, even Terah, the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor; and they served other gods.

³And I took your father Abraham from the other side of the river and led him throughout all the land of Canaan, and multiplied his seed and gave him Isaac.

⁴And I gave unto Isaac Jacob and Esau; and I gave unto Esau Mount Seir to possess it, but Jacob and his children went down into Egypt.

⁵I sent Moses also and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt, according to that which I did among them; and afterward I brought you out.

⁶And I brought your fathers out of Egypt; and ye came unto the sea, and the Egyptians pursued after your fathers with chariots and horsemen unto the Red Sea.

⁷And when they cried unto the LORD, He put darkness between you and the Egyptians, and brought the sea upon them and covered them. And your eyes have seen what I have done in Egypt; and ye dwelt in the wilderness a long season.

⁸And I brought you into the land of the Amorites, who dwelt on the other side of the Jordan. And they fought with you; and I gave them into your hand, that ye might possess their land, and I destroyed them from before you.

⁹Then Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, arose and warred against Israel, and sent and called Balaam the son of Beor to curse you.

¹⁰But I would not hearken unto Balaam. Therefore he blessed you still; so I delivered you out of his hand.

¹¹And ye went over the Jordan and came unto Jericho; and the men of Jericho fought against you -- the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Girgashites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. And I delivered them into your hand.

¹²And I sent the hornet before you which drove them out from before you, even the two kings of the Amorites, but not with thy sword nor with thy bow.

¹³And I have given you a land for which ye did not labor and cities which ye built not, and ye dwell in them. Of the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted not do ye eat.'

¹⁴"Now therefore, fear the LORD, and serve Him in sincerity and in truth; and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the river and in Egypt, and serve ye the LORD.

¹⁵And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land ye dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

¹⁶And the people answered and said, "God forbid that we should forsake the LORD to serve other gods;

¹⁷for the LORD our God, He it is that brought us up and our fathers out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, and who did those great signs in our sight, and preserved us in all the way wherein we went and among all the people through whom we passed.

¹⁸And the LORD drove out from before us all the people, even the Amorites who dwelt in the land. Therefore will we also serve the LORD, for He is our God."

¹⁹And Joshua said unto the people, "Ye cannot serve the LORD, for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God; He will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins:

²⁰if ye forsake the LORD and serve strange gods, then He will turn and do you hurt, and consume you after He hath done you good."

²¹And the people said unto Joshua, "Nay; but we will serve the LORD."

²²And Joshua said unto the people, "Ye are witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen for yourselves the LORD to serve Him." And they said, "We are witnesses."

²³"Now therefore put away," said he, "the strange gods which are among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel."

²⁴And the people said unto Joshua, "The LORD our God will we serve, and His voice will we obey."

²⁵So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day, and set them a statute and an ordinance in Shechem.

²⁶And Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God, and took a great stone and set it up there under an oak that was by the sanctuary of the LORD.

²⁷And Joshua said unto all the people, "Behold, this stone shall be a witness unto us, for it hath heard all the words of the LORD which He spoke unto us. It shall be therefore a witness unto you, lest ye deny your God."

²⁸So Joshua let the people depart, every man unto his inheritance.

²⁹And it came to pass after these things that Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.

³⁰And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathserah, which is in Mount Ephraim, on the north side of the Hill of Gaash.

³¹And Israel served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua and who had known all the works of the LORD, that He had done for Israel.

³²And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of silver. And it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

³³And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son, which was given him in Mount Ephraim.

1Now after the death of Joshua it came to pass that the children of Israel asked the LORD, saying, "Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?"

²And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up. Behold, I have delivered the land into his hand."

³And Judah said unto Simeon his brother, "Come up with me into my allotment, that we may fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go with thee into thy lot." So Simeon went with him.

⁴And Judah went up; and the LORD delivered the Canaanites and the Perizzites into their hand, and they slew of them in Bezek ten thousand men.

⁵And they found Adonibezek in Bezek; and they fought against him, and they slew the Canaanites and the Perizzites.

⁶But Adonibezek fled; and they pursued after him and caught him, and cut off his thumbs and his great toes.

⁷And Adonibezek said, "Threescore and ten kings, having their thumbs and their great toes cut off, gathered their meat under my table. As I have done, so God hath requited me." And they brought him to Jerusalem, and there he died.

⁸Now the children of Judah had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it and smitten it with the edge of the sword and set the city on fire.

⁹And afterward the children of Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites who dwelt in the mountain and in the South and in the valley.

¹⁰And Judah went against the Canaanites who dwelt in Hebron (now the name of Hebron before was Kirjatharba), and they slew Sheshai and Ahiman and Talmai.

¹¹And from thence he went against the inhabitants of Debir (and the name of Debir before was Kirjathsepher).

¹²And Caleb said, "He that smiteth Kirjathsepher and taketh it, to him will I give Achsah my daughter for a wife."

¹³And Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter for a wife.

¹⁴And it came to pass, when she came to him, that she moved him to ask of her father a field; and she alighted from her ass, and Caleb said unto her, "What wilt thou?"

¹⁵And she said unto him, "Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me a south land. Give me also springs of water." And Caleb gave her the upper springs and the nether springs.

¹⁶And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the Wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.

¹⁷And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they slew the Canaanites who inhabited Zephath and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah.

¹⁸Also Judah took Gaza with the regions thereof, and Ashkelon with the regions thereof, and Ekron with the region thereof.

¹⁹And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain, but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley because they had chariots of iron.

²⁰And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses said; and he expelled from thence the three sons of Anak.

²¹And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who inhabited Jerusalem, but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem unto this day.

²²And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Bethel; and the LORD was with them.

²³And the house of Joseph sent to descry Bethel. (Now the name of the city before was Luz.)

²⁴And the spies saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him, "Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will show thee mercy."

²⁵And when he showed them the entrance into the city, they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let go the man and all his family.

²⁶And the man went into the land of the Hittites and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz, which is the name thereof unto this day.

²⁷Neither did Manasseh drive out the inhabitants of Bethshean and her towns, nor Taanach and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and her towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and her towns; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land.

²⁸And it came to pass, when Israel was strong, that they put the Canaanites to tribute, and did not utterly drive them out.

²⁹Neither did Ephraim drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer, but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them.

³⁰Neither did Zebulun drive out the inhabitants of Kitron nor the inhabitants of Nahalol, but the Canaanites dwelt among them and became tributaries.

³¹Neither did Asher drive out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Sidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob;

³²but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land, for they did not drive them out.

³³Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants of Bethshemesh nor the inhabitants of Bethanath, but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land. Nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became tributaries unto them.

³⁴And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain, for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley.

³⁵But the Amorites would dwell in Mount Heres in Aijalon and in Shaalbim; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributaries.

³⁶And the border of the Amorites was from the going up to Akrabbim, from the rock and upward.

2And an angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, "I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I swore unto your fathers; and I said, 'I will never break My covenant with you.

²And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars.' But ye have not obeyed My voice. Why have ye done this?

³Therefore I also said, 'I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.'"

⁴And it came to pass, when the angel of the LORD spoke these words unto all the children of Israel, that the people lifted up their voice and wept.

⁵And they called the name of that place Bochim [that is, Weepers], and they sacrificed there unto the LORD.

⁶And when Joshua had let the people go, the children of Israel went every man unto his inheritance to possess the land.

⁷And the people served the LORD all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great works of the LORD that He did for Israel.

⁸And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died, being a hundred and ten years old.

⁹And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.

¹⁰And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers, and there arose another generation after them who knew not the LORD nor yet the works which He had done for Israel.

¹¹And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baalim.

¹²And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, the gods of the people who were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger.

¹³And they forsook the LORD and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

¹⁴And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He delivered them into the hands of despoilers who despoiled them, and He sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies.

¹⁵Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the LORD was against them for evil, as the LORD had said, and as the LORD had sworn unto them; and they were greatly distressed.

¹⁶Nevertheless the LORD raised up judges, who delivered them out of the hand of those who despoiled them.

¹⁷And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods, and bowed themselves unto them. They turned quickly out of the way which their fathers walked in, obeying the commandments of the LORD; but they did not so.

¹⁸And when the LORD raised them up judges, then the LORD was with the judge and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the judge; for the LORD was moved to repent because of their groanings by reason of those who oppressed them and vexed them.

¹⁹And it came to pass, when the judge was dead, that they returned and corrupted themselves more than their fathers in following other gods, to serve them and to bow down unto them. They ceased not from their own doings nor from their stubborn way.

²⁰And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel; and He said, "Because this people hath transgressed My covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto My voice,

²¹I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died,

²²that through them I may test Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not."

²³Therefore the LORD left those nations without driving them out hastily, neither delivered He them into the hand of Joshua.

3Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to test Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan

²(only so that the generations of the children of Israel might know to teach them war, at least such as before knew nothing thereof),

³namely: five lords of the Philistines, and all the Canaanites, and the Sidonians, and the Hivites who dwelt in Mount Lebanon, from Mount Baalhermon unto the entrance of Hamath.

⁴And they were to test Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which He commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

⁵And the children of Israel dwelt among the Canaanites, Hittites, and Amorites, and Perizzites, and Hivites, and Jebusites.

⁶And they took their daughters to be their wives, and gave their daughters to their sons, and served their gods.

⁷And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and forgot the LORD their God, and served the Baalim and the Asherahs.

⁸Therefore the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hand of Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Chushanrishathaim eight years.

⁹And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb's younger brother.

¹⁰And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him, and he judged Israel and went out to war; and the LORD delivered Chushanrishathaim, king of Mesopotamia, into his hand. And his hand prevailed against Chushanrishathaim;

¹¹and the land had rest forty years, and Othniel the son of Kenaz died.

¹²And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹³And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.

¹⁴So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.

¹⁵But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded; and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.

¹⁶But Ehud made himself a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he girded it under his raiment upon his right thigh.

¹⁷And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab. And Eglon was a very fat man.

¹⁸And when he had made an end of offering the present, he sent away the people who bore the present.

¹⁹But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal and said, "I have a secret errand unto thee, O king," who said, "Keep silence!" And all who stood by him went out from him.

²⁰And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlor, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, "I have a message from God unto thee." And he arose out of his seat.

²¹And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly.

²²And the haft also went in after the blade, and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

²³Then Ehud went forth through the porch and shut the doors of the parlor upon him, and locked them.

²⁴When he had gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlor were locked, they said, "Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber."

²⁵And they tarried till they were ashamed; and behold, he opened not the doors of the parlor. Therefore they took a key and opened them; and behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.

²⁶And Ehud escaped while they tarried, and passed beyond the quarries and escaped unto Seirah.

²⁷And it came to pass, when he had come, that he blew a trumpet in the mountain of Ephraim; and the children of Israel went down with him from the mount, and he before them.

²⁸And he said unto them, "Follow after me, for the LORD hath delivered your enemies the Moabites into your hand." And they went down after him, and took the fords of the Jordan toward Moab, and suffered not a man to pass over.

²⁹And they slew of Moab at that time about ten thousand men, all lusty and all men of valor; and there escaped not a man.

³⁰So Moab was subdued that day under the hand of Israel. And the land had rest fourscore years.

³¹And after him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who slew of the Philistines six hundred men with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.

4And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD when Ehud was dead.

²And the LORD sold them into the hand of Jabin king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor, the captain of whose host was Sisera, who dwelt in Harosheth of the Gentiles.

³And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD; for he had nine hundred chariots of iron, and twenty years he mightily oppressed the children of Israel.

⁴And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, judged Israel at that time.

⁵And she dwelt under the palm tree of Deborah between Ramah and Bethel in Mount Ephraim, and the children of Israel came up to her for judgment.

⁶And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedeshnaphtali, and said unto him, "Hath not the LORD God of Israel commanded, saying, 'Go and draw near Mount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men of the children of Naphtali and of the children of Zebulun;

⁷and I will draw unto thee Sisera, the captain of Jabin's army, with his chariots and his multitude to the River Kishon; and I will deliver him into thine hand'?"

⁸And Barak said unto her, "If thou wilt go with me, then I will go; but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go."

⁹And she said, "I will surely go with thee. Notwithstanding, the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honor, for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman." And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh.

¹⁰And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh, and he went up with ten thousand men at his heels; and Deborah went up with him.

¹¹(Now Heber the Kenite, who was of the children of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses, had severed himself from the Kenites and pitched his tent unto the plain of Zaanaim, which is by Kedesh.)

¹²And they showed Sisera that Barak the son of Abinoam had gone up to Mount Tabor.

¹³And Sisera gathered together all his chariots, even nine hundred chariots of iron, and all the people who were with him, from Harosheth of the Gentiles unto the river of Kishon.

¹⁴And Deborah said unto Barak, "Up! For this is the day in which the LORD hath delivered Sisera into thine hand. Has not the LORD gone out before thee?" So Barak went down from Mount Tabor, and ten thousand men after him.

¹⁵And the LORD discomfited Sisera and all his chariots and all his host with the edge of the sword before Barak, so that Sisera alighted down off his chariot and fled away on his feet.

¹⁶But Barak pursued after the chariots and after the host unto Harosheth of the Gentiles; and all the host of Sisera fell upon the edge of the sword, and there was not a man left.

¹⁷However Sisera fled away on his feet to the tent of Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite, for there was peace between Jabin the king of Hazor and the house of Heber the Kenite.

¹⁸And Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, "Turn in, my lord, turn in to me. Fear not." And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle.

¹⁹And he said unto her, "Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty." And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him.

²⁰Again he said unto her, "Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and inquire of thee and say, 'Is there any man here?' that thou shalt say, 'No.'"

²¹Then Jael, Heber's wife, took a nail of the tent and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground; for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died.

²²And behold, as Barak pursued Sisera, Jael came out to meet him and said unto him, "Come, and I will show thee the man whom thou seekest." And when he came into her tent, behold, Sisera lay dead, and the nail was in his temples.

²³So God subdued on that day Jabin the king of Canaan before the children of Israel.

²⁴And the hand of the children of Israel prospered, and prevailed against Jabin the king of Canaan, until they had destroyed Jabin king of Canaan.

5Then sang Deborah and Barak, the son of Abinoam, on that day, saying:

²"Praise ye the LORD for the avenging of Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves.

³"Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes. I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.

⁴"LORD, when Thou wentest out of Seir, when Thou marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled and the heavens dropped, the clouds also dropped water.

⁵The mountains melted from before the LORD, even that Sinai, from before the LORD God of Israel.

⁶"In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the highways were unoccupied, and the travelers walked through byways.

⁷The inhabitants of the villages ceased, they ceased in Israel, until I, Deborah, arose, I arose a mother in Israel.

⁸They chose new gods; then was war in the gates. Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?

⁹My heart is toward the governors of Israel that offered themselves willingly among the people. Bless ye the LORD.

¹⁰"Speak, ye that ride on white asses, ye that sit in judgment and walk by the way.

¹¹They that are delivered from the noise of archers in the places of drawing water, there shall they rehearse the righteous acts of the LORD, even the righteous acts toward the inhabitants of His villages in Israel. Then shall the people of the LORD go down to the gates.

¹²"Awake, awake, Deborah! Awake, awake, utter a song! Arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive, thou son of Abinoam.

¹³"Then He made him that remaineth have dominion over the nobles among the people; the LORD made me have dominion over the mighty.

¹⁴Out of Ephraim was there a root of them against Amalek; after thee, Benjamin, among thy people; out of Machir came down governors, and out of Zebulun they that handle the pen of the writer.

¹⁵And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah, even Issachar, and also Barak; he was sent on foot into the valley. In the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.

¹⁶Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks? In the divisions of Reuben there were great searchings of heart.

¹⁷Gilead abode beyond the Jordan; and why did Dan remain in ships? Asher continued on the seashore and abode in his sheltered coves.

¹⁸Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeopardized their lives unto the death in the high places of the field.

¹⁹"The kings came and fought; then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of money.

²⁰They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera.

²¹The river of Kishon swept them away, that ancient river, the river Kishon. O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength!

²²Then were the horsehoofs broken by the means of the prancings, the prancings of their mighty ones.

²³"'Curse ye Meroz,' said the angel of the LORD; 'curse ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof, because they came not to the help of the LORD, to the help of the LORD against the mighty.'

²⁴"Blessed above women shall Jael the wife of Heber the Kenite be; blessed shall she be above women in the tent.

²⁵He asked water, and she gave him milk; she brought forth butter in a lordly dish.

²⁶She put her hand to the nail, and her right hand to the workmen's hammer. And with the hammer she smote Sisera; she smote off his head, when she had pierced and stricken through his temples.

²⁷At her feet he bowed, he fell, he lay down; at her feet he bowed, he fell; where he bowed, there he fell down dead.

²⁸"The mother of Sisera looked out at a window, and cried through the lattice: 'Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariots?'

²⁹Her wise ladies answered her, yea, she returned answer to herself:

³⁰'Have they not sped? Have they not divided the prey: to every man a damsel or two, to Sisera a prey of divers colors, a prey of divers colors of needlework, of divers colors of needlework on both sides, meet for the necks of them that take the spoil?'

³¹"So let all Thine enemies perish, O LORD! But let them that love Him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his might." And the land had rest forty years.

6And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

²And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel; and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made for themselves the dens which are in the mountains and caves and strongholds.

³And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the East, even they came up against them.

⁴And they encamped against them and destroyed the increase of the earth till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep nor ox nor ass.

⁵For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude, for both they and their camels were without number; and they entered into the land to destroy it.

⁶And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites, and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

⁷And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,

⁸that the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, who said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

⁹and I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all who oppressed you, and drove them out from before you, and gave you their land.

¹⁰And I said unto you: 'I am the LORD your God. Fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell.' But ye have not obeyed My voice."

¹¹And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite; and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the wine press to hide it from the Midianites.

¹²And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him and said unto him, "The LORD is with thee, thou mighty man of valor."

¹³And Gideon said unto him, "Oh my lord, if the LORD be with us, why then has all this befallen us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, 'Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt?' But now the LORD hath forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites."

¹⁴And the LORD looked upon him, and said, "Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites. Have not I sent thee?"

¹⁵And he said unto Him, "Oh my Lord, with what shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house."

¹⁶And the LORD said unto him, "Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man."

¹⁷And he said unto Him, "If now I have found grace in Thy sight, then show me a sign that Thou talkest with me.

¹⁸Depart not hence, I pray Thee, until I come unto Thee and bring forth my present and set it before Thee." And He said, "I will tarry until thou come again."

¹⁹And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour. The flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak and presented it.

²⁰And the angel of God said unto him, "Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth." And he did so.

²¹Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

²²And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face."

²³And the LORD said unto him, "Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die."

²⁴Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD and called it Jehovahshalom [that is, The Lord send peace]. Unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

²⁵And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, "Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the Asherah pole that is by it;

²⁶and build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock in the ordered place, and take the second bullock and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the Asherah pole which thou shalt cut down."

²⁷Then Gideon took ten men of his servants and did as the LORD had said unto him. And so it was, because he feared his father's household and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, so that he did it by night.

²⁸And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down and the Asherah pole was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

²⁹And they said one to another, "Who hath done this thing?" And when they inquired and asked, they said, "Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing."

³⁰Then the men of the city said unto Joash, "Bring out thy son, that he may die, because he hath cast down the altar of Baal and because he hath cut down the Asherah pole that was by it."

³¹And Joash said unto all who stood against him, "Will ye plead for Baal? Will ye save him? He that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning. If he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar."

³²Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, "Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar."

³³Then all the Midianites and the Amalekites and the children of the East were gathered together, and went over and pitched camp in the Valley of Jezreel.

³⁴But the Spirit of the LORD came upon Gideon, and he blew a trumpet; and the Abiezrites were gathered after him.

³⁵And he sent messengers throughout all Manasseh, who also were gathered after him; and he sent messengers unto Asher and unto Zebulun and unto Naphtali, and they came up to meet them.

³⁶And Gideon said unto God, "If Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said--

³⁷behold, I will put a fleece of wool on the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that Thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as Thou hast said."

³⁸And it was so; for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wrung the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.

³⁹And Gideon said unto God, "Let not Thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once. Let me prove, I pray Thee, but this once with the fleece: Let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew."

⁴⁰And God did so that night; for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground.

7Then Jerubbaal (who is Gideon) and all the people who were with him, rose up early and pitched camp beside the well of Harod, so that the host of the Midianites were on the north side of them by the hill of Moreh in the valley.

²And the LORD said unto Gideon, "The people who are with thee are too many for Me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, 'Mine own hand hath saved me.'

³Now therefore go, proclaim in the ears of the people, saying, 'Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from Mount Gilead.'" And there returned of the people twenty and two thousand, and there remained ten thousand.

⁴And the LORD said unto Gideon, "The people are yet too many. Bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there. And it shall be that of whom I say unto thee, 'This shall go with thee,' the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, 'This shall not go with thee,' the same shall not go."

⁵So he brought down the people unto the water; and the LORD said unto Gideon, "Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink."

⁶And the number of those who lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, was three hundred men; but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.

⁷And the LORD said unto Gideon, "By the three hundred men who lapped will I save you and deliver the Midianites into thine hand, and let all the other people go every man unto his place."

⁸So the people took victuals in their hand, and their trumpets; and he sent all the rest of Israel every man unto his tent, and retained those three hundred men. And the host of Midian was beneath him in the valley.

⁹And it came to pass the same night that the LORD said unto him, "Arise, get thee down unto the host, for I have delivered it into thine hand.

¹⁰But if thou fear to go down, go thou with Purah thy servant down to the host,

¹¹and thou shalt hear what they say; and afterward shall thine hands be strengthened to go down unto the host." Then went he down with Purah his servant unto the outside of the armed men who were in the host.

¹²And the Midianites and the Amalekites and all the children of the East lay along in the valley like grasshoppers for multitude; and their camels were without number, as the sand by the seaside for multitude.

¹³And when Gideon had come, behold, there was a man who told a dream unto his fellow, and said, "Behold, I dreamed a dream; and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the host of Midian and came unto a tent, and smote it so that it fell, and overturned it so that the tent lay flat."

¹⁴And his fellow answered and said, "This is nothing else save the sword of Gideon the son of Joash, a man of Israel, for into his hand hath God delivered Midian and all the host."

¹⁵And it was so, when Gideon heard the telling of the dream and the interpretation thereof, that he worshiped, and returned into the host of Israel and said, "Arise, for the LORD hath delivered into your hand the host of Midian."

¹⁶And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man's hand, with empty pitchers and lamps within the pitchers.

¹⁷And he said unto them, "Look on me and do likewise; and behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that as I do, so shall ye do.

¹⁸When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp and say, 'The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!'"

¹⁹So Gideon and the hundred men who were with him came unto the outside of the camp in the beginning of the middle watch, and they had but newly set the watch; and they blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers that were in their hands.

²⁰And the three companies blew the trumpets and broke the pitchers, and held the lamps in their left hands and the trumpets in their right hands to blow therewith, and they cried, "The sword of the LORD and of Gideon!"

²¹And they stood every man in his place round about the camp, and all the host ran and cried and fled.

²²And the three hundred blew the trumpets; and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout all the host; and the host fled to Bethshittah towards Zererah and to the border of Abelmeholah unto Tabbath.

²³And the men of Israel gathered themselves together out of Naphtali and out of Asher and out of all Manasseh, and pursued after the Midianites.

²⁴And Gideon sent messengers throughout all Mount Ephraim, saying, "Come down against the Midianites, and take before them the waters unto Bethbarah and the Jordan." Then all the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together, and took the waters unto Bethbarah and the Jordan.

²⁵And they took two princes of the Midianites, Oreb and Zeeb; and they slew Oreb upon the rock of Oreb, and Zeeb they slew at the wine press of Zeeb, and pursued Midian, and brought the heads of Oreb and Zeeb to Gideon on the other side of the Jordan.

8And the men of Ephraim said unto him, "Why hast thou served us thus, that thou called us not when thou wentest to fight with the Midianites?" And they chided him sharply.

²And he said unto them, "What have I done now in comparison with you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?

³God hath delivered into your hands the princes of Midian, Oreb and Zeeb. And what was I able to do in comparison with you?" Then their anger was abated toward him when he had said that.

⁴And Gideon came to the Jordan and passed over, he and the three hundred men who were with him, faint, yet pursuing them.

⁵And he said unto the men of Succoth, "Give, I pray you, loaves of bread unto the people who follow me, for they are faint, and I am pursuing after Zebah and Zalmunna, kings of Midian."

⁶And the princes of Succoth said, "Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thine army?"

⁷And Gideon said, "Therefore when the LORD hath delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into mine hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers."

⁸And he went up thence to Penuel and spoke unto them likewise, and the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered him.

⁹And he spoke also unto the men of Penuel, saying, "When I come again in peace, I will break down this tower."

¹⁰Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the East; for there fell a hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword.

¹¹And Gideon went up by the way of those who dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host; for the host was secure.

¹²And when Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued after them and took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and discomfited all the host.

¹³And Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle before the sun was up,

¹⁴and caught a young man of the men of Succoth and inquired of him; and he wrote down for him the princes of Succoth and the elders thereof, even threescore and seventeen men.

¹⁵And he came unto the men of Succoth and said, "Behold Zebah and Zalmunna, with whom ye did upbraid me, saying, 'Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in thine hand, that we should give bread unto thy men who are weary?'"

¹⁶And he took the elders of the city and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.

¹⁷And he beat down the tower of Penuel, and slew the men of the city.

¹⁸Then said he unto Zebah and Zalmunna, "What manner of men were they whom ye slew at Tabor?" And they answered, "As thou art, so were they; each one resembled the children of a king."

¹⁹And he said, "They were my brethren, even the sons of my mother. As the LORD liveth, if ye had saved them alive, I would not slay you."

²⁰And he said unto Jether his firstborn, "Up, and slay them." But the youth drew not his sword; for he feared, because he was yet a youth.

²¹Then Zebah and Zalmunna said, "Rise thou, and fall upon us; for as the man is, so is his strength." And Gideon arose and slew Zebah and Zalmunna, and took away the ornaments that were on their camels' necks.

²²Then the men of Israel said unto Gideon, "Rule thou over us, both thou and thy son and thy son's son also; for thou hast delivered us from the hand of Midian."

²³And Gideon said unto them, "I will not rule over you, neither shall my son rule over you: the LORD shall rule over you."

²⁴And Gideon said unto them, "I would make a request of you, that ye would give me every man the earrings from his spoil." (For they had golden earrings, because they were Ishmaelites.)

²⁵And they answered, "We will willingly give them." And they spread a garment, and cast therein every man the earrings from his spoil.

²⁶And the weight of the golden earrings that he requested was a thousand and seven hundred shekels of gold, besides ornaments and collars and purple raiment that were on the kings of Midian, and besides the chains that were about their camels' necks.

²⁷And Gideon made an ephod thereof and put it in his city, even in Ophrah. And all Israel went thither a whoring after it, which thing became a snare unto Gideon and to his house.

²⁸Thus was Midian subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted up their heads no more. And the country was in quietness forty years in the days of Gideon.

²⁹And Jerubbaal the son of Joash went and dwelt in his own house.

³⁰And Gideon had threescore and ten sons of his body begotten, for he had many wives.

³¹And his concubine who was in Shechem also bore him a son, whose name he called Abimelech.

³²And Gideon the son of Joash died at a good old age, and was buried in the sepulcher of Joash his father in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

³³And it came to pass, as soon as Gideon was dead, that the children of Israel turned again and went a whoring after the Baalim, and made Baalberith their god.

³⁴And the children of Israel remembered not the LORD their God, who had delivered them out of the hands of all their enemies on every side;

³⁵neither showed they kindness to the house of Jerubbaal (namely, Gideon), according to all the goodness which he had shown unto Israel.

9And Abimelech the son of Jerubbaal went to Shechem unto his mother's brethren, and communed with them and with all the family of the house of his mother's father, saying,

²"Speak, I pray you, in the ears of all the men of Shechem: 'Which is better for you, either that all the sons of Jerubbaal, which are threescore and ten persons, reign over you, or that one reign over you?' Remember also that I am your bone and your flesh."

³And his mother's brethren spoke of him in the ears of all the men of Shechem all these words; and their hearts inclined to follow Abimelech, for they said, "He is our brother."

⁴And they gave him threescore and ten pieces of silver out of the house of Baalberith, with which Abimelech hired vain and light persons, who followed him.

⁵And he went unto his father's house at Ophrah and slew his brethren the sons of Jerubbaal, being threescore and ten persons, upon one stone. Notwithstanding, yet Jotham the youngest son of Jerubbaal was left, for he hid himself.

⁶And all the men of Shechem gathered together, and all the house of Bethmillo, and went and made Abimelech king by the plain of the pillar that was in Shechem.

⁷And when they told it to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and lifted up his voice and cried, and said unto them, "Hearken unto me, ye men of Shechem, that God may hearken unto you.

⁸The trees went forth once to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, 'Reign thou over us.'

⁹But the olive tree said unto them, 'Should I leave my fatness, withwhich by me they honor God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

¹⁰And the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come thou, and reign over us.'

¹¹But the fig tree said unto them, 'Should I forsake my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

¹²Then said the trees unto the vine, 'Come thou, and reign over us.'

¹³And the vine said unto them, 'Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?'

¹⁴Then said all the trees unto the bramble, 'Come thou, and reign over us.'

¹⁵And the bramble said unto the trees, 'If in truth ye anoint me king over you, then come and put your trust in my shadow; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

¹⁶"Now therefore, if ye have done truly and sincerely in that ye have made Abimelech king, and if ye have dealt well with Jerubbaal and his house, and have done unto him according to the deserving of his hands

¹⁷(for my father fought for you, and ventured his life far, and delivered you out of the hand of Midian;

¹⁸and ye have risen up against my father's house this day and have slain his sons, threescore and ten persons, upon one stone, and have made Abimelech, the son of his maidservant, king over the men of Shechem, because he is your brother),

¹⁹if ye then have dealt truly and sincerely with Jerubbaal and with his house this day, then rejoice ye in Abimelech, and let him also rejoice in you.

²⁰But if not, let fire come out from Abimelech, and devour the men of Shechem and the house of Bethmillo; and let fire come out from the men of Shechem and from the house of Bethmillo, and devour Abimelech."

²¹And Jotham ran away and fled, and went to Beer and dwelt there for fear of Abimelech his brother.

²²When Abimelech had reigned three years over Israel,

²³then God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the men of Shechem; and the men of Shechem dealt treacherously with Abimelech,

²⁴that the cruelty done to the threescore and ten sons of Jerubbaal might come, and their blood be laid upon Abimelech their brother, who slew them, and upon the men of Shechem, who aided him in the killing of his brethren.

²⁵And the men of Shechem set liersinwait for him in the top of the mountains, and they robbed all who came along that way by them; and it was told Abimelech.

²⁶And Gaal the son of Ebed came with his brethren and went over to Shechem, and the men of Shechem put their confidence in him.

²⁷And they went out into the fields, and gathered their vineyards, and trod the grapes, and made merry, and went into the house of their god, and ate and drank and cursed Abimelech.

²⁸And Gaal the son of Ebed said, "Who is Abimelech, and who is Shechem, that we should serve him? Is not he the son of Jerubbaal, and Zebul his officer? Serve the men of Hamor the father of Shechem. For why should we serve him?

²⁹And would to God this people were under my hand! Then would I remove Abimelech." And he said to Abimelech, "Increase thine army, and come out!"

³⁰And when Zebul the ruler of the city heard the words of Gaal the son of Ebed, his anger was kindled.

³¹And he sent messengers unto Abimelech privily, saying, "Behold, Gaal the son of Ebed and his brethren have come to Shechem; and behold, they fortify the city against thee.

³²Now therefore, up by night, thou and the people who are with thee, and lie in wait in the field.

³³And it shall be that in the morning, as soon as the sun is up, thou shalt rise early and set upon the city; and behold, when he and the people who are with him come out against thee, then mayest thou do to them as thou shalt find occasion."

³⁴And Abimelech rose up, and all the people that were with him, by night, and they lay in wait against Shechem in four companies.

³⁵And Gaal the son of Ebed went out and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and Abimelech rose up, and the people who were with him, from lying in wait.

³⁶And when Gaal saw the people, he said to Zebul, "Behold, there come people down from the top of the mountains." And Zebul said unto him, "Thou seest the shadow of the mountains as if they were men."

³⁷And Gaal spoke again and said, "See, there come people down by the middle of the land, and another company come along by the plain of Meonenim."

³⁸Then said Zebul unto him, "Where now is thy mouth, wherewith thou saidst, 'Who is Abimelech, that we should serve him?' Are not these the people whom thou hast despised? Go out, I pray now, and fight with them."

³⁹And Gaal went out before the men of Shechem, and fought with Abimelech.

⁴⁰And Abimelech chased him, and he fled before him; and many were overthrown and wounded, even unto the entrance of the gate.

⁴¹And Abimelech dwelt at Arumah; and Zebul thrust out Gaal and his brethren, that they should not dwell in Shechem.

⁴²And it came to pass on the morrow that the people went out into the field, and they told Abimelech.

⁴³And he took the people and divided them into three companies, and lay in wait in the field, and looked, and behold, the people had come forth out of the city; and he rose up against them and smote them.

⁴⁴And Abimelech and the company that was with him rushed forward, and stood in the entrance of the gate of the city; and the two other companies ran upon all the people who were in the fields and slew them.

⁴⁵And Abimelech fought against the city all that day; and he took the city, and slew the people who were therein, and beat down the city and sowed it with salt.

⁴⁶And when all the men of the tower of Shechem heard that, they entered into a stronghold of the house of the god Berith.

⁴⁷And it was told Abimelech that all the men of the tower of Shechem were gathered together.

⁴⁸And Abimelech went up to Mount Zalmon, he and all the people who were with him; and Abimelech took an ax in his hand and cut down a bough from the trees, and took it and laid it on his shoulder, and said unto the people who were with him, "What ye have seen me do, make haste and do as I have done."

⁴⁹And all the people likewise cut down every man his bough and followed Abimelech, and put them to the stronghold, and set the stronghold on fire upon them, so that all the men of the tower of Shechem died also, about a thousand men and women.

⁵⁰Then went Abimelech to Thebez, and encamped against Thebez and took it.

⁵¹But there was a strong tower within the city, and thither fled all the men and women and all those of the city, and shut it to them and went up to the top of the tower.

⁵²And Abimelech came unto the tower and fought against it, and went hard unto the door of the tower to burn it with fire.

⁵³And a certain woman cast a piece of a millstone upon Abimelech's head and broke his skull.

⁵⁴Then he called hastily unto the young man, his armorbearer, and said unto him, "Draw thy sword and slay me, that men say not of me, 'A woman slew him.'" And his young man thrust him through, and he died.

⁵⁵And when the men of Israel saw that Abimelech was dead, they departed every man unto his place.

⁵⁶Thus God repaid the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father in slaying his seventy brethren.

⁵⁷And all the evil of the men of Shechem God returned upon their heads, and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal.

10And after Abimelech there arose to defend Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he dwelt in Shamir in Mount Ephraim.

²And he judged Israel twenty and three years, and died and was buried in Shamir.

³And after him arose Jair, a Gileadite, and judged Israel twenty and two years.

⁴And he had thirty sons who rode on thirty ass colts; and they had thirty cities, which are called Havothjair [the villages of Jair] unto this day, which are in the land of Gilead.

⁵And Jair died, and was buried in Camon.

⁶And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served the Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD and served not Him.

⁷And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and He sold them into the hands of the Philistines and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

⁸And that year they vexed and oppressed the children of Israel eighteen years -- all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.

⁹Moreover the children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah and against Benjamin and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was sore distressed.

¹⁰And the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, saying, "We have sinned against Thee, both because we have forsaken our God and also served the Baalim."

¹¹And the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "Did not I deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon and from the Philistines?

¹²The Sidonians also and the Amalekites and the Maonites oppressed you; and ye cried to Me, and I delivered you out of their hand.

¹³Yet ye have forsaken Me and served other gods: therefore I will deliver you no more.

¹⁴Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen. Let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

¹⁵And the children of Israel said unto the LORD, "We have sinned! Do Thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto Thee. Deliver us only, we pray Thee, this day."

¹⁶And they put away the strange gods from among them and served the LORD; and His soul was grieved for the misery of Israel.

¹⁷Then the children of Ammon were gathered together and encamped in Gilead. And the children of Israel assembled themselves together and encamped in Mizpah.

¹⁸And the people and princes of Gilead said one to another, "What man is he that will begin to fight against the children of Ammon? He shall be head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

11Now Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty man of valor, but he was the son of a harlot; and Gilead begot Jephthah.

²And Gilead's wife bore him sons; and his wife's sons grew up, and they thrust out Jephthah and said unto him, "Thou shalt not inherit in our father's house, for thou art the son of a strange woman."

³Then Jephthah fled from his brethren and dwelt in the land of Tob; and there were gathered vain men to Jephthah, and went out with him.

⁴And it came to pass in process of time that the children of Ammon made war against Israel.

⁵And it was so, that when the children of Ammon made war against Israel, the elders of Gilead went to fetch Jephthah out of the land of Tob.

⁶And they said unto Jephthah, "Come, and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon."

⁷And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, "Did not ye hate me, and expel me out of my father's house? And why have ye come unto me now when ye are in distress?"

⁸And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, "Therefore we turn again to thee now, that thou mayest go with us and fight against the children of Ammon, and be our head over all the inhabitants of Gilead."

⁹And Jephthah said unto the elders of Gilead, "If ye bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the LORD deliver them before me, shall I be your head?"

¹⁰And the elders of Gilead said unto Jephthah, "The LORD be witness between us if we do not so, according to thy words."

¹¹Then Jephthah went with the elders of Gilead, and the people made him head and captain over them; and Jephthah uttered all his words before the LORD in Mizpah.

¹²And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying, "What hast thou to do with me, that thou hast come against me to fight in my land?"

¹³And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah, "Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from Arnon even unto Jabbok and unto the Jordan. Now therefore restore those lands again peaceably."

¹⁴And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon,

¹⁵and said unto him, "Thus saith Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon;

¹⁶but when Israel came up from Egypt, and walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea and came to Kadesh,

¹⁷then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying, 'Let me, I pray thee, pass through thy land.' But the king of Edom would not hearken thereto. And in like manner they sent unto the king of Moab, but he would not consent; and Israel abode in Kadesh.

¹⁸Then they went along through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab and pitched camp on the other side of Arnon, but came not within the border of Moab; for Arnon was the border of Moab.

¹⁹And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him, 'Let us pass, we pray thee, through thy land into my place.'

²⁰But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his borders; but Sihon gathered all his people together and pitched camp in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

²¹And the LORD God of Israel delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them. So Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

²²And they possessed all the borders of the Amorites, from Arnon even unto Jabbok and from the wilderness even unto the Jordan.

²³"So now the LORD God of Israel hath dispossessed the Amorites from before His people Israel. And shouldest thou possess it?

²⁴Wilt not thou possess that which Chemosh thy god giveth thee to possess? So whomsoever the LORD our God shall drive out from before us, them will we possess.

²⁵And now art thou any thing better than Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever strive against Israel, or did he ever fight against them

²⁶while Israel dwelt in Heshbon and her towns, and in Aroer and her towns, and in all the cities that are along by the borders of Arnon, three hundred years? Why therefore did ye not recover them within that time?

²⁷Therefore I have not sinned against thee, but thou doest me wrong to war against me. The LORD, the Judge, be judge this day between the children of Israel and the children of Ammon."

²⁸However the king of the children of Ammon hearkened not unto the words of Jephthah which he sent him.

²⁹Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah, and he passed over Gilead and Manasseh, and passed over Mizpah of Gilead; and from Mizpah of Gilead he passed over unto the children of Ammon.

³⁰And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, "If Thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,

³¹then it shall be that whatsoever cometh forth from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering."

³²So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon to fight against them, and the LORD delivered them into his hands.

³³And he smote them from Aroer even till thou come to Minnith, even twenty cities, and unto the plain of the vineyards with a very great slaughter. Thus the children of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel.

³⁴And Jephthah came to Mizpah unto his house, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances; and she was his only child. Besides her he had neither son nor daughter.

³⁵And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, "Alas, my daughter! Thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me; for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back."

³⁶And she said unto him, "My father, if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the LORD, do to me according to that which hath proceeded out of thy mouth, forasmuch as the LORD hath taken vengeance for thee on thine enemies, even of the children of Ammon."

³⁷And she said unto her father, "Let this thing be done for me: let me alone two months, that I may go up and down upon the mountains and bewail my virginity, I and my fellows."

³⁸And he said, "Go." And he sent her away for two months; and she went with her companions, and bewailed her virginity upon the mountains.

³⁹And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed; and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel

⁴⁰that the daughters of Israel went yearly to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite four days in a year.

12And the men of Ephraim gathered themselves together and went northward, and said unto Jephthah, "Why passed thou over to fight against the children of Ammon, and didst not call us to go with thee? We will burn thine house upon thee with fire."

²And Jephthah said unto them, "I and my people were at great strife with the children of Ammon; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out of their hands.

³And when I saw that ye delivered me not, I put my life in my hands and passed over against the children of Ammon, and the LORD delivered them into my hand. Why then have ye come up unto me this day to fight against me?"

⁴Then Jephthah gathered together all the men of Gilead and fought with Ephraim; and the men of Gilead smote Ephraim, because they said, "Ye Gileadites are fugitives of Ephraim among the Ephraimites and among the Manassites."

⁵And the Gileadites seized the passages of the Jordan before the Ephraimites; and it was so, that when those Ephraimites who had escaped said, "Let me go over," that the men of Gilead said unto him, "Art thou an Ephraimite?" If he said, "Nay,"

⁶then said they unto him, "Say now Shibboleth." And he said "Sibboleth," for he could not frame to pronounce it right. Then they took him and slew him at the passages of the Jordan; and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.

⁷And Jephthah judged Israel six years. Then died Jephthah the Gileadite, and was buried in one of the cities of Gilead.

⁸And after him Ibzan of Bethlehem judged Israel.

⁹And he had thirty sons, and thirty daughters whom he sent abroad, and took in thirty daughters from abroad for his sons. And he judged Israel seven years.

¹⁰Then died Ibzan, and was buried at Bethlehem.

¹¹And after him Elon, a Zebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel ten years.

¹²And Elon the Zebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.

¹³And after him Abdon the son of Hillel, a Pirathonite, judged Israel.

¹⁴And he had forty sons and thirty grandsons, who rode on threescore and ten ass colts; and he judged Israel eight years.

¹⁵And Abdon the son of Hillel the Pirathonite died, and was buried in Pirathon in the land of Ephraim, in the mount of the Amalekites.

13And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and the LORD delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years.

²And there was a certain man of Zorah, of the family of the Danites, whose name was Manoah; and his wife was barren and bore not.

³And the angel of the LORD appeared unto the woman and said unto her, "Behold now, thou art barren and bearest not; but thou shalt conceive and bear a son.

⁴Now therefore beware, I pray thee, and drink not wine nor strong drink, and eat not any unclean thing.

⁵For, lo, thou shalt conceive and bear a son; and no razor shall come on his head, for the child shall be a Nazirite unto God from the womb. And he shall begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

⁶Then the woman came and told her husband, saying, "A man of God came unto me, and his countenance was like the countenance of an angel of God, very fearsome; but I asked him not from whence he was, neither told he me his name.

⁷But he said unto me, 'Behold, thou shalt conceive and bear a son. And now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing; for the child shall be a Nazirite to God from the womb to the day of his death.'"

⁸Then Manoah entreated the LORD, and said, "O my Lord, let the man of God which Thou didst send come again unto us and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born."

⁹And God hearkened to the voice of Manoah, and the angel of God came again unto the woman as she sat in the field; but Manoah her husband was not with her.

¹⁰And the woman made haste and ran, and showed her husband and said unto him, "Behold, the man hath appeared unto me, that came unto me the other day."

¹¹And Manoah arose and went after his wife, and came to the man and said unto him, "Art thou the man that spokest unto the woman?" And he said, "I am."

¹²And Manoah said, "Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him?"

¹³And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, "Of all that I said unto the woman let her beware.

¹⁴She may not eat of any thing that cometh of the vine, neither let her drink wine or strong drink, nor eat any unclean thing. All that I commanded her let her observe."

¹⁵And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, "I pray thee, let us detain thee until we shall have made ready a kid for thee."

¹⁶And the angel of the LORD said unto Manoah, "Though thou detain me, I will not eat of thy bread; and if thou wilt offer a burnt offering, thou must offer it unto the LORD." For Manoah knew not that he was an angel of the LORD.

¹⁷And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD, "What is thy name, that when thy sayings come to pass we may do thee honor?"

¹⁸And the angel of the LORD said unto him, "Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?"

¹⁹So Manoah took a kid with a meat offering, and offered it upon a rock unto the LORD; and the angel did wondrously, and Manoah and his wife looked on.

²⁰For it came to pass, when the flame went up toward heaven from off the altar, that the angel of the LORD ascended in the flame of the altar. And Manoah and his wife looked on it, and fell on their faces to the ground.

²¹But the angel of the LORD appeared no more to Manoah and to his wife. Then Manoah knew that he was an angel of the LORD.

²²And Manoah said unto his wife, "We shall surely die, because we have seen God."

²³But his wife said unto him, "If the LORD were pleased to kill us, He would not have received a burnt offering and a meat offering at our hands, neither would He have shown us all these things nor would He, as at this time, have told us such things as these."

²⁴And the woman bore a son, and called his name Samson; and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him.

²⁵And the Spirit of the LORD began to move him at times in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol.

14And Samson went down to Timnah, and saw a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines.

²And he came up and told his father and his mother, and said, "I have seen a woman in Timnah of the daughters of the Philistines. Now therefore get her for me for a wife."

³Then his father and his mother said unto him, "Is there not a woman among the daughters of thy brethren or among all my people, that thou goest to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?" And Samson said unto his father, "Get her for me, for she pleaseth me well."

⁴But his father and his mother knew not that it was because of the LORD, and that He sought an occasion against the Philistines. For at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel.

⁵Then went Samson and his father and his mother down to Timnah, and came to the vineyards of Timnah; and behold, a young lion roared against him.

⁶And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand; but he told not his father or his mother what he had done.

⁷And he went down and talked with the woman, and she pleased Samson well.

⁸And after a time he returned to take her, and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion; and behold, there was a swarm of bees and honey in the carcass of the lion.

⁹And he took thereof in his hands and went on eating, and came to his father and mother; and he gave to them, and they ate. But he told them not that he had taken the honey out of the carcass of the lion.

¹⁰So his father went down unto the woman; and Samson made there a feast, for so used the young men to do.

¹¹And it came to pass, when they saw him, that they brought thirty companions to be with him.

¹²And Samson said unto them, "I will now put forth a riddle unto you. If ye can with certainty explain it to me within the seven days of the feast and find it out, then I will give you thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments;

¹³but if ye cannot explain it to me, then shall ye give me thirty shirts and thirty changes of garments." And they said unto him, "Put forth thy riddle, that we may hear it."

¹⁴And he said unto them, "Out of the eater came forth meat, and out of the strong came forth sweetness." And they could not in three days expound the riddle.

¹⁵And it came to pass on the seventh day that they said unto Samson's wife, "Entice thy husband, that he may explain unto us the riddle, lest we burn thee and thy father's house with fire. Have ye called us to take what we have? Is it not so?"

¹⁶And Samson's wife wept before him, and said, "Thou dost but hate me, and lovest me not. Thou hast put forth a riddle unto the children of my people, and hast not told it me." And he said unto her, "Behold, I have not told it to my father nor my mother, and shall I tell it to thee?"

¹⁷And she wept before him the seven days while their feast lasted. And it came to pass on the seventh day that he told her, because she pressed sorely upon him; and she told the riddle to the children of her people.

¹⁸And the men of the city said unto him on the seventh day before the sun went down: "What is sweeter than honey? And what is stronger than a lion?" And he said unto them, "If ye had not plowed with my heifer, ye would not have found out my riddle."

¹⁹And the Spirit of the LORD came upon him; and he went down to Ashkelon, and slew thirty men of them and took their apparel, and gave changes of garments unto those who expounded the riddle. And his anger was kindled, and he went up to his father's house.

²⁰But Samson's wife was given to his companion, whom he had used as his friend.

15But it came to pass within a while after, in the time of wheat harvest, that Samson visited his wife with a kid; and he said, "I will go in to my wife into the chamber." But her father would not suffer him to go in.

²And her father said, "I verily thought that thou hadst utterly hated her. Therefore I gave her to thy companion. Is not her younger sister fairer than she? Take her, I pray thee, instead of her."

³And Samson said concerning them, "Now shall I be more blameless than the Philistines, though I do them a displeasure."

⁴And Samson went and caught three hundred foxes, and took firebrands, and turned tail to tail, and put a firebrand in the midst between two tails.

⁵And when he had set the brands on fire, he let them go into the standing corn of the Philistines, and burned up both the shocks and also the standing corn, with the vineyards and olives.

⁶Then the Philistines said, "Who hath done this?" And they answered, "Samson, the son-in-law of the Timnite, because he had taken his wife and given her to his companion." And the Philistines came up and burned her and her father with fire.

⁷And Samson said unto them, "Though ye have done this, yet will I be avenged of you, and after that I will cease";

⁸and he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter. And he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock of Etam.

⁹Then the Philistines went up and pitched camp in Judah, and spread themselves in Lehi.

¹⁰And the men of Judah said, "Why have ye come up against us?" And they answered, "To bind Samson have we come up, to do to him as he hath done to us."

¹¹Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock of Etam, and said to Samson, "Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? What is this that thou hast done unto us?" And he said unto them, "As they did unto me, so have I done unto them."

¹²And they said unto him, "We have come down to bind thee, that we may deliver thee into the hand of the Philistines." And Samson said unto them, "Swear unto me that ye will not fall upon me yourselves."

¹³And they spoke unto him, saying, "No, but we will bind thee fast and deliver thee into their hand; but surely we will not kill thee." And they bound him with two new cords, and brought him up from the rock.

¹⁴And when he came unto Lehi, the Philistines shouted against him. And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him; and the cords that were upon his arms became as flax that was burned with fire, and his bands loosed from off his hands.

¹⁵And he found a new jawbone of an ass, and put forth his hand and took it, and slew a thousand men therewith.

¹⁶And Samson said, "With the jawbone of an ass, heaps upon heaps, with the jaw of an ass have I slain a thousand men."

¹⁷And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking, that he cast away the jawbone out of his hand, and called that place Ramathlehi [that is, The lifting up of the jawbone].

¹⁸And he was sore athirst, and called on the LORD and said, "Thou hast given this great deliverance into the hand of Thy servant. And now shall I die for thirst and fall into the hand of the uncircumcised?"

¹⁹But God cleaved a hollow place that was in the jaw, and there came water thereout; and when he had drunk, his spirit came again and he revived. Therefore he called the name thereof Enhakkore [that is, The well of him that called or cried], which is in Lehi unto this day.

²⁰And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years.

16Then went Samson to Gaza and saw there a harlot, and went in unto her.

²And it was told the Gazites, saying, "Samson has come hither." And they compassed him in, and lay in wait for him all night in the gate of the city, and were quiet all the night, saying, "In the morning when it is day, we shall kill him."

³And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight and took the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders and carried them up to the top of a hill that is before Hebron.

⁴And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah.

⁵And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her and said unto her, "Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him; and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver."

⁶And Delilah said to Samson, "Tell me, I pray thee, wherein thy great strength lieth, and wherewith thou mightest be bound to afflict thee."

⁷And Samson said unto her, "If they bind me with seven green withes that were never dried, then shall I be weak and be as another man."

⁸Then the lords of the Philistines brought up to her seven green withes which had not been dried, and she bound him with them.

⁹Now there were men lying in wait, abiding with her in the chamber. And she said unto him, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he broke the withes as a thread of tow is broken when it toucheth the fire. So his strength was not known.

¹⁰And Delilah said unto Samson, "Behold, thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Now tell me, I pray thee, wherewith thou mightest be bound."

¹¹And he said unto her, "If they bind me fast with new ropes wherewith work hath not been done, then shall I be weak and be as another man."

¹²Delilah therefore took new ropes and bound him therewith, and said unto him, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And there were liersinwait abiding in the chamber. And he broke them from off his arms like a thread.

¹³And Delilah said unto Samson, "Hitherto thou hast mocked me and told me lies. Tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound." And he said unto her, "If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web."

¹⁴And she fastened it with the pin, and said unto him, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he awakened out of his sleep, and went away with the pin of the beam and with the web.

¹⁵And she said unto him, "How canst thou say, 'I love thee,' when thine heart is not with me? Thou hast mocked me these three times, and hast not told me wherein thy great strength lieth."

¹⁶And it came to pass, when she pressed him daily with her words and urged him, so that his soul was vexed unto death,

¹⁷that he told her all his heart and said unto her, "There hath not come a razor upon mine head, for I have been a Nazirite unto God from my mother's womb. If I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak and be like any other man."

¹⁸And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, "Come up this once, for he hath shown me all his heart." Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her and brought money in their hand.

¹⁹And she made him sleep upon her knees. And she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him.

²⁰And she said, "The Philistines be upon thee, Samson." And he awoke out of his sleep and said, "I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself." And he knew not that the LORD had departed from him.

²¹But the Philistines took him and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grinding in the prison house.

²²However the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.

²³Then the lords of the Philistines gathered together to offer a great sacrifice unto Dagon their god and to rejoice, for they said, "Our god hath delivered Samson our enemy into our hand!"

²⁴And when the people saw him, they praised their god; for they said, "Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country who slew many of us."

²⁵And it came to pass, when their hearts were merry, that they said, "Call for Samson, that he may make sport for us." And they called for Samson out of the prison house, and they made sport of him and they set him between the pillars.

²⁶And Samson said unto the lad who held him by the hand, "Suffer me that I may feel the pillars whereupon the house standeth, that I may lean upon them."

²⁷Now the house was full of men and women, and all the lords of the Philistines were there; and there were upon the roof about three thousand men and women who beheld while they made sport of Samson.

²⁸And Samson called unto the LORD and said, "O Lord GOD, remember me, I pray Thee, and strengthen me, I pray Thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged on the Philistines for my two eyes."

²⁹And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars upon which the house stood and on which it was borne up, the one with his right hand and the other with his left.

³⁰And Samson said, "Let me die with the Philistines." And he bowed himself with all his might; and the house fell upon the lords, and upon all the people who were therein. So the dead which he slew at his death were more than those whom he slew in his life.

³¹Then his brethren and all the house of his father came down and took him, and brought him up and buried him between Zorah and Eshtaol in the burying place of Manoah his father. And he judged Israel twenty years.

17And there was a man of Mount Ephraim, whose name was Micah.

²And he said unto his mother, "The eleven hundred shekels of silver that were taken from thee, about which thou cursed and spokest of also in mine ears, behold, the silver is with me; I took it." And his mother said, "Blessed be thou of the LORD, my son."

³And when he had restored the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, his mother said, "I had wholly dedicated the silver unto the LORD from my hand for my son to make a graven image and a molten image. Now therefore I will restore it unto thee."

⁴Yet he restored the money unto his mother. And his mother took two hundred shekels of silver and gave them to a founder, who made thereof a graven image and a molten image; and they were in the house of Micah.

⁵And the man Micah had a house of gods, and made an ephod and teraphim, and consecrated one of his sons, who became his priest.

⁶(In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes.)

⁷And there was a young man out of Bethlehem in Judah of the family of Judah, who was a Levite, and he sojourned there.

⁸And the man departed out of the city from Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where he could find a place; and he came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, as he journeyed.

⁹And Micah said unto him, "From whence comest thou?" And he said unto him, "I am a Levite of Bethlehem in Judah, and I go to sojourn where I may find a place."

¹⁰And Micah said unto him, "Dwell with me and be unto me a father and a priest, and I will give thee ten shekels of silver by the year, and a suit of apparel and thy victuals." So the Levite went in.

¹¹And the Levite was content to dwell with the man, and the young man was unto him as one of his sons.

¹²And Micah consecrated the Levite; and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah.

¹³Then said Micah, "Now know I that the LORD will do me good, seeing I have a Levite as my priest."

18In those days there was no king in Israel; and in those days the tribe of the Danites sought for themselves an inheritance to dwell in, for until that day all their inheritance had not fallen unto them among the tribes of Israel.

²And the children of Dan sent of their family five men from their borders, men of valor from Zorah and from Eshtaol, to spy out the land and to search it. And they said unto them, "Go, search the land," who, when they came to Mount Ephraim to the house of Micah, they lodged there.

³When they were by the house of Micah, they knew the voice of the young man, the Levite; and they turned in thither and said unto him, "Who brought thee hither? And what makest thou in this place? And what hast thou here?"

⁴And he said unto them, "Thus and thus dealeth Micah with me and hath hired me, and I am his priest."

⁵And they said unto him, "Ask counsel, we pray thee, of God, that we may know whether our way which we go shall be prosperous."

⁶And the priest said unto them, "Go in peace. Your way wherein ye go is before the LORD."

⁷Then the five men departed and came to Laish, and saw the people who were therein, how they dwelt free from care, after the manner of the Sidonians, quiet and secure. And there was no magistrate in the land who might put them to shame in any thing, and they were far from the Sidonians and had no business with any man.

⁸And they came unto their brethren to Zorah and Eshtaol; and their brethren said unto them, "What say ye?"

⁹And they said, "Arise, that we may go up against them; for we have seen the land, and behold, it is very good. And are ye still? Be not slothful to go and to enter to possess the land.

¹⁰When ye go, ye shall come unto a people secure and to a large land. For God hath given it into your hands, a place where there is no want of any thing that is in the earth."

¹¹And there went from thence of the family of the Danites, out of Zorah and out of Eshtaol, six hundred men appointed with weapons of war.

¹²And they went up and pitched camp in Kirjathjearim in Judah. Therefore they called that place Mahanehdan unto this day; behold, it is behind Kirjathjearim.

¹³And they passed from thence unto Mount Ephraim and came unto the house of Micah.

¹⁴Then answered the five men who went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, "Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod and teraphim, and a graven image and a molten image? Now therefore consider what ye have to do."

¹⁵And they turned in that direction, and came to the house of the young man, the Levite, even unto the house of Micah, and saluted him.

¹⁶And the six hundred men appointed with their weapons of war, who were of the children of Dan, stood by the entrance of the gate.

¹⁷And the five men who went to spy out the land went up and came in thither, and took the graven image and the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image; and the priest stood in the entrance of the gate with the six hundred men who were appointed with weapons of war.

¹⁸And these went into Micah's house and fetched the carved image, the ephod and the teraphim and the molten image. Then said the priest unto them, "What do ye?"

¹⁹And they said unto him, "Hold thy peace. Lay thine hand upon thy mouth and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest. Is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a family in Israel?"

²⁰And the priest's heart was glad; and he took the ephod and the teraphim and the graven image, and went in the midst of the people.

²¹So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and their baggage in front of them.

²²And when they were a good way from the house of Micah, the men who were in the houses near to Micah's house were gathered together and overtook the children of Dan.

²³And they cried unto the children of Dan; and they turned their faces and said unto Micah, "What aileth thee, that thou comest with such a company?"

²⁴And he said, "Ye have taken away my gods which I made and the priest, and ye have gone away. And what have I more? And what is this that ye say unto me, 'What aileth thee?'"

²⁵And the children of Dan said unto him, "Let not thy voice be heard among us, lest angry fellows run upon thee and thou lose thy life with the lives of thy household."

²⁶And the children of Dan went their way; and when Micah saw that they were too strong for him, he turned and went back unto his house.

²⁷And they took the things which Micah had made and the priest whom he had, and came unto Laish, unto a people who were at quiet and secure; and they smote them with the edge of the sword and burned the city with fire.

²⁸And there was no deliverer, because it was far from Sidon, and they had no business with any man; and it was in the valley that lieth by Bethrehob. And they built a city and dwelt therein;

²⁹and they called the name of the city Dan, after the name of Dan their father, who was born unto Israel. However, the name of the city was Laish at the first.

³⁰And the children of Dan set up the graven image; and Jonathan, the son of Gershom, the son of Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day of the captivity of the land.

³¹And they set up for themselves Micah's graven image which he made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh.

19And it came to pass in those days, when there was no king in Israel, that there was a certain Levite sojourning on the side of Mount Ephraim, who took to him a concubine out of Bethlehem in Judah.

²And his concubine played the whore against him, and went away from him unto her father's house to Bethlehem in Judah, and was there four whole months.

³And her husband arose and went after her to speak friendly unto her and to bring her back, having his servant with him and a couple of asses. And she brought him into her father's house; and when the father of the damsel saw him, he rejoiced to meet him.

⁴And his father-in-law, the damsel's father, entertained him, and he tarried with him three days; so they ate and drank and lodged there.

⁵And it came to pass on the fourth day, when they arose early in the morning, that he rose up to depart; and the damsel's father said unto his son-in-law, "Comfort thine heart with a morsel of bread, and afterward go your way."

⁶And they sat down and ate and drank both of them together; for the damsel's father had said unto the man, "Be content, I pray thee, and tarry all night, and let thine heart be merry."

⁷And when the man rose up to depart, his father-in-law urged him; therefore he lodged there again.

⁸And he arose early in the morning on the fifth day to depart; and the damsel's father said, "Comfort thine heart, I pray thee." And they tarried until afternoon, and they ate both of them.

⁹And when the man rose up to depart, he and his concubine and his servant, his father-in-law, the damsel's father, said unto him, "Behold, now the day draweth toward evening. I pray you tarry all night. Behold, the day groweth to an end. Lodge here, that thine heart may be merry; and tomorrow get you early on your way, that thou mayest go home."

¹⁰But the man would not tarry that night, but he rose up and departed, and came opposite Jebus, which is Jerusalem. And there were with him two asses saddled. His concubine also was with him.

¹¹And when they were by Jebus, the day was far spent; and the servant said unto his master, "Come, I pray thee, and let us turn in into this city of the Jebusites and lodge in it."

¹²And his master said unto him, "We will not turn aside hither into the city of a stranger that is not of the children of Israel. We will pass over to Gibeah."

¹³And he said unto his servant, "Come, and let us draw near to one of these places to lodge all night, in Gibeah or in Ramah."

¹⁴And they passed on and went their way; and the sun went down upon them when they were by Gibeah, which belongeth to Benjamin.

¹⁵And they turned aside thither to go in and to lodge in Gibeah; and when he went in, he sat down in a street of the city, for there was no man who took them into his house for lodging.

¹⁶And behold, there came an old man from his work out of the field at evening, who was also of Mount Ephraim; and he sojourned in Gibeah, but the men of the place were Benjamites.

¹⁷And when he had lifted up his eyes, he saw a wayfaring man in the street of the city; and the old man said, "Whither goest thou? And from whence comest thou?"

¹⁸And he said unto him, "We are passing from Bethlehem in Judah toward the side of Mount Ephraim; from thence am I. And I went to Bethlehem in Judah, but I am now going to the house of the LORD; and there is no man who receiveth me to his house.

¹⁹Yet there is both straw and provender for our asses, and there is bread and wine also for me and for thy handmaid and for the young man who is with thy servants. There is no want of any thing."

²⁰And the old man said, "Peace be with thee. Howsoever, let all thy wants lie upon me. Only lodge not in the street."

²¹So he brought him into his house, and gave provender unto the asses; and they washed their feet, and ate and drank.

²²Now as they were making their hearts merry, behold, the men of the city, certain sons of Belial, beset the house round about and beat at the door, and spoke to the master of the house, the old man, saying, "Bring forth the man who came into thine house, that we may know him."

²³And the man, the master of the house, went out unto them and said unto them, "Nay, my brethren! Nay, I pray you, do not so wickedly! Seeing that this man has come into mine house, do not this folly.

²⁴Behold, here is my daughter, a maiden, and his concubine. Them I will bring out now, and humble ye them and do with them what seemeth good unto you; but unto this man do not so vile a thing!"

²⁵But the men would not hearken to him. So the man took his concubine and brought her forth unto them, and they knew her and abused her all the night until the morning; and when the day began to spring, they let her go.

²⁶Then came the woman in the dawning of the day, and fell down at the door of the man's house where her lord was, till it was light.

²⁷And her lord rose up in the morning, and opened the doors of the house, and went out to go his way; and behold, the woman, his concubine, had fallen down at the door of the house, and her hands were upon the threshold.

²⁸And he said unto her, "Up, and let us be going." But none answered. Then the man took her up upon an ass, and the man rose up and went unto his place.

²⁹And when he had come into his house, he took a knife and laid hold on his concubine and divided her, together with her bones, into twelve pieces, and sent her into all the regions of Israel.

³⁰And it was so, that all who saw it said, "There was no such deed done nor seen from the day that the children of Israel came up out of the land of Egypt until this day. Consider it, take counsel, and speak your minds."

20Then all the children of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba with the land of Gilead, unto the LORD in Mizpah.

²And the chief of all the people, even of all the tribes of Israel, presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God, four hundred thousand footmen who drew the sword.

³(Now the children of Benjamin heard that the children of Israel had gone up to Mizpah.) Then said the children of Israel, "Tell us, how was this wickedness?"

⁴And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was slain, answered and said, "I came into Gibeah that belongeth to Benjamin, I and my concubine, to lodge.

⁵And the men of Gibeah rose against me, and beset the house round about upon me by night, and thought to have slain me; and my concubine have they forced, so that she is dead.

⁶And I took my concubine, and cut her in pieces, and sent her throughout all the country of the inheritance of Israel; for they have committed lewdness and folly in Israel.

⁷Behold, ye are all children of Israel. Give here your advice and counsel."

⁸And all the people arose as one man, saying, "We will not any of us go to his tent, neither will we any of us turn into his house.

⁹But now this shall be the thing which we will do to Gibeah: We will go up by lot against it;

¹⁰and we will take ten men out of a hundred throughout all the tribes of Israel, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to fetch victuals for the people, that they may do, when they come to Gibeah of Benjamin, according to all the folly that they have wrought in Israel."

¹¹So all the men of Israel were gathered against the city, knit together as one man.

¹²And the tribes of Israel sent men through all the tribe of Benjamin, saying, "What wickedness is this that is done among you?

¹³Now therefore, deliver us the men, the children of Belial, who are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death and put away evil from Israel." But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren, the children of Israel;

¹⁴but the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together out of the cities unto Gibeah to go out to battle against the children of Israel.

¹⁵And the children of Benjamin were numbered at that time out of the cities twenty and six thousand men who drew the sword, besides the inhabitants of Gibeah, who were numbered seven hundred chosen men.

¹⁶Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen men, lefthanded. Every one could sling stones at a hairbreadth and not miss.

¹⁷And the men of Israel, besides Benjamin, were numbered four hundred thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of war.

¹⁸And the children of Israel arose and went up to the house of God, and asked counsel of God and said, "Which of us shall go up first to the battle against the children of Benjamin?" And the LORD said, "Judah shall go up first."

¹⁹And the children of Israel rose up in the morning and encamped against Gibeah.

²⁰And the men of Israel went out to battle against Benjamin, and the men of Israel put themselves in array to fight against them at Gibeah.

²¹And the children of Benjamin came forth out of Gibeah, and destroyed down to the ground of the Israelites that day twenty and two thousand men.

²²And the people, the men of Israel, encouraged themselves and set up again in battle array in the place where they put themselves in array the first day.

²³And the children of Israel went up and wept before the LORD until evening, and asked counsel of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up again to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother?" And the LORD said, "Go up against him."

²⁴And the children of Israel came near against the children of Benjamin the second day.

²⁵And Benjamin went forth against them out of Gibeah the second day, and destroyed down to the ground of the children of Israel again eighteen thousand men; all these drew the sword.

²⁶Then all the children of Israel and all the people went up, and came unto the house of God and wept, and sat there before the LORD and fasted that day until evening, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

²⁷And the children of Israel inquired of the LORD (for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,

²⁸and Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, stood before it in those days), saying, "Shall I yet again go out to battle against the children of Benjamin, my brother, or shall I cease?" And the LORD said, "Go up, for tomorrow I will deliver them into thine hand."

²⁹And Israel set liersinwait round about Gibeah.

³⁰And the children of Israel went up against the children of Benjamin on the third day, and put themselves in array against Gibeah, as at other times.

³¹And the children of Benjamin went out against the people, and were drawn away from the city; and they began to smite some of the people and kill, as at other times, in the highways (of which one goeth up to the house of God and the other to Gibeah in the field), about thirty men of Israel.

³²And the children of Benjamin said, "They are smitten down before us, as at the first." But the children of Israel said, "Let us flee and draw them from the city unto the highways."

³³And all the men of Israel rose up out of their place, and put themselves in array at Baaltamar; and the liersinwait of Israel came forth out of their places, even out of the meadows of Gibeah.

³⁴And there came against Gibeah ten thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and the battle was sore; but they knew not that evil was near them.

³⁵And the LORD smote Benjamin before Israel; and the children of Israel destroyed of the Benjamites that day twenty and five thousand and a hundred men; all these drew the sword.

³⁶So the children of Benjamin saw that they were smitten; for the men of Israel gave way to the Benjamites, because they trusted in the liersinwait whom they had set against Gibeah.

³⁷And the liersinwait hastened and rushed upon Gibeah; and the liersinwait drew themselves along, and smote all the city with the edge of the sword.

³⁸Now there was an appointed sign between the men of Israel and the liersinwait that they should make a great flame with smoke rise up out of the city.

³⁹And when the men of Israel retired in the battle, Benjamin began to smite and kill of the men of Israel about thirty persons; for they said, "Surely they are smitten down before us, as in the first battle."

⁴⁰But when the flame began to arise up out of the city with a pillar of smoke, the Benjamites looked behind them, and behold, the flame of the city ascended up to heaven.

⁴¹And when the men of Israel turned again, the men of Benjamin were amazed; for they saw that evil had come upon them.

⁴²Therefore they turned their backs before the men of Israel unto the way of the wilderness, but the battle overtook them; and those who came out of the cities they destroyed in the midst of them.

⁴³Thus they enclosed the Benjamites round about, and chased them and trod them down with ease opposite Gibeah toward the sunrising.

⁴⁴And there fell of Benjamin eighteen thousand men. All these were men of valor.

⁴⁵And they turned and fled toward the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon; and they gleaned of them in the highways five thousand men, and pursued hard after them unto Gidom and slew two thousand men of them.

⁴⁶So all who fell that day of Benjamin were twenty and five thousand men who drew the sword. All these were men of valor.

⁴⁷But six hundred men turned and fled to the wilderness unto the rock of Rimmon, and abode in the rock of Rimmon four months.

⁴⁸And the men of Israel turned again upon the children of Benjamin and smote them with the edge of the sword, as well the men of every city and the beast, and all that came to hand. Also they set on fire all the cities that they came to.

21Now the men of Israel had sworn in Mizpah, saying, "There shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin for a wife."

²And the people came to the house of God, and remained there till evening before God, and lifted up their voices and wept sorely,

³and said, "O LORD God of Israel, why has this come to pass in Israel, that there should be today one tribe lacking in Israel?"

⁴And it came to pass on the morrow that the people rose early and built there an altar, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings.

⁵And the children of Israel said, "Who is there among all the tribes of Israel who came not up with the congregation unto the LORD?" For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpah, saying, "He shall surely be put to death."

⁶And the children of Israel repented for Benjamin their brother and said, "There is one tribe cut off from Israel this day.

⁷What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing we have sworn by the LORD that we will not give them from our daughters for wives?"

⁸And they said, "What one is there of the tribes of Israel who came not up to Mizpah to the LORD?" And behold, there came none to the camp from Jabeshgilead to the assembly.

⁹For the people were numbered, and behold, there were none of the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead there.

¹⁰And the congregation sent thither twelve thousand men of the most valiant and commanded them, saying, "Go and smite the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead with the edge of the sword, along with the women and the children.

¹¹And this is the thing that ye shall do: Ye shall utterly destroy every male and every woman that hath lain with a man."

¹²And they found among the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead four hundred young virgins who had known no man by lying with any male; and they brought them unto the camp to Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan.

¹³And the whole congregation sent some to speak to the children of Benjamin who were at the rock of Rimmon and to proclaim peace unto them.

¹⁴And Benjamin came again at that time, and they gave them wives whom they had saved alive from the women of Jabeshgilead; and yet so they sufficed them not.

¹⁵And the people repented for Benjamin, because the LORD had made a breach in the tribes of Israel.

¹⁶Then the elders of the congregation said, "What shall we do for wives for those who remain, seeing the women are destroyed out of Benjamin?"

¹⁷And they said, "There must be an inheritance for those who have escaped of Benjamin, that a tribe be not destroyed out of Israel.

¹⁸However that be, we may not give them wives from our daughters; for the children of Israel have sworn, saying, 'Cursed be he that giveth a wife to Benjamin.'"

¹⁹Then they said, "Behold, there is a feast of the LORD in Shiloh yearly in a place which is on the north side of Bethel, on the east side of the highway that goeth up from Bethel to Shechem, and on the south of Lebonah."

²⁰Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, "Go and lie in wait in the vineyards,

²¹and see. And behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards and catch you every man his wife from the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.

²²And it shall be, when their fathers or their brethren come unto us to complain, that we will say unto them, 'Be favorable unto them for our sakes, because we reserved not to each man his wife in the war; for ye did not give unto them at this time, that ye should be guilty.'"

²³And the children of Benjamin did so, and took for themselves wives according to their number from those who danced whom they caught; and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.

²⁴And the children of Israel departed from thence at that time, every man to his tribe and to his family; and they went out from thence every man to his inheritance.

²⁵In those days there was no king in Israel; every man did that which was right in his own eyes.

1Now there was a certain man of Ramathaimzophim, of Mount Ephraim, and his name was Elkanah the son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite.

²And he had two wives: the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah. And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children.

³And this man went up out of his city yearly to worship and to sacrifice unto the LORD of hosts in Shiloh. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, the priests of the LORD, were there.

⁴And when the time was that Elkanah offered, he gave to Peninnah his wife and to all her sons and her daughters, portions.

⁵But unto Hannah he gave a double portion, for he loved Hannah; but the LORD had shut up her womb.

⁶And her adversary also provoked her sorely to make her fret, because the LORD had shut up her womb.

⁷And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the LORD, so she provoked her; therefore she wept and did not eat.

⁸Then said Elkanah her husband to her, "Hannah, why weepest thou? And why eatest thou not? And why is thy heart grieved? Am not I better to thee than ten sons?"

⁹So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh and after they had drunk. (Now Eli the priest sat upon a seat by a post of the temple of the LORD.)

¹⁰And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD and wept sorely.

¹¹And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thine handmaid, and remember me and not forget Thine handmaid, but wilt give unto Thine handmaid a manchild, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head."

¹²And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the LORD, that Eli observed her mouth.

¹³Now Hannah spoke in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard. Therefore Eli thought she had been drunken.

¹⁴And Eli said unto her, "How long wilt thou be drunken? Put away thy wine from thee."

¹⁵And Hannah answered and said, "No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit. I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the LORD.

¹⁶Count not thine handmaid as a daughter of Belial, for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto."

¹⁷Then Eli answered and said, "Go in peace; and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of Him."

¹⁸And she said, "Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight." So the woman went her way and ate, and her countenance was no more sad.

¹⁹And they rose up in the morning early and worshiped before the LORD, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah his wife, and the LORD remembered her.

²⁰Therefore it came to pass, when the time had come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bore a son and called his name Samuel [that is, Asked of God], saying, "Because I have asked him of the LORD."

²¹And the man Elkanah and all his house went up to offer unto the LORD the yearly sacrifice and his vow.

²²But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, "I will not go up until the child is weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the LORD and there abide for ever."

²³And Elkanah her husband said unto her, "Do what seemeth to thee good. Tarry until thou have weaned him, only the LORD establish His word." So the woman remained, and gave her son suck until she weaned him.

²⁴And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks and one ephah of flour and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the LORD in Shiloh; and the child was young.

²⁵And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.

²⁶And she said, "Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman who stood by thee here, praying unto the LORD.

²⁷For this child I prayed, and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of Him.

²⁸Therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD." And he worshiped the LORD there.

2And Hannah prayed and said, "My heart rejoiceth in the LORD; mine horn is exalted in the LORD. My mouth is enlarged over mine enemies, because I rejoice in Thy salvation.

²There is none holy as the LORD, for there is none besides Thee; neither is there any rock like our God.

³Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogance come out of your mouth; for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.

⁴"The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.

⁵They that were full have hired out themselves for bread, and they that were hungry ceased hungering, so that the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.

⁶"The LORD killeth and maketh alive; He bringeth down to the grave and bringeth up.

⁷The LORD maketh poor and maketh rich; He bringeth low and lifteth up.

⁸He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes and to make them inherit the throne of glory. For the pillars of the earth are the LORD'S, and He hath set the world upon them.

⁹"He will keep the feet of His saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.

¹⁰The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall He thunder upon them. The LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and He shall give strength unto His king and exalt the horn of His anointed."

¹¹And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child ministered unto the LORD before Eli the priest.

¹²Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.

¹³And the priests' custom with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was boiling, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand.

¹⁴And he struck it into the pan or kettle, or caldron or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites who came thither.

¹⁵Also before they burned the fat, the priest's servant came and said to the man who sacrificed, "Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have boiled flesh from thee, but raw."

¹⁶And if any man said unto him, "Let them not fail to burn the fat presently and then take as much as thy soul desireth," then he would answer him, "Nay, but thou shalt give it to me now; and if not, I will take it by force."

¹⁷Therefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD, for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

¹⁸But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.

¹⁹Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

²⁰And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, "The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD." And they went unto their own home.

²¹And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.

²²Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

²³And he said unto them, "Why do ye such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all this people.

²⁴Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear. Ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.

²⁵If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him. But if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him?" Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

²⁶And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favor both with the LORD and also with men.

²⁷And there came a man of God unto Eli and said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh's house?

²⁸And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest, to offer upon Mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Me? And did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire from the children of Israel?

²⁹Why kick ye at My sacrifice and at Mine offering which I have commanded in My habitation, and honorest thy sons above Me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel My people?'

³⁰Therefore the LORD God of Israel saith: 'I said indeed that thy house and the house of thy father should walk before Me for ever.' But now the LORD saith, 'Be it far from Me; for them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed.

³¹Behold, the days come that I will cut off thine arm and the arm of thy father's house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.

³²And thou shalt see an enemy in My habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel; and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.

³³And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from Mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes and to grieve thine heart; and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age.

³⁴And this shall be a sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas: in one day they shall die, both of them.

³⁵And I will raise Me up a faithful priest who shall do according to that which is in Mine heart and in My mind; and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before Mine anointed for ever.

³⁶And it shall come to pass that every one that is left in thine house shall come and bow down to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, "Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests' offices, that I may eat a piece of bread."'"

3And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.

²And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was lying down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim so that he could not see,

³and ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the LORD where the ark of God was, and Samuel was lying down to sleep,

⁴that the LORD called Samuel; and he answered, "Here am I."

⁵And he ran unto Eli and said, "Here am I, for thou called me." And he said, "I called not; lie down again." And he went and lay down.

⁶And the LORD called yet again, "Samuel." And Samuel arose and went to Eli and said, "Here am I, for thou didst call me." And he answered, "I called not, my son; lie down again."

⁷Now Samuel did not yet know the LORD, neither was the word of the LORD yet revealed unto him.

⁸And the LORD called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli and said, "Here am I, for thou didst call me." And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.

⁹Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, "Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He call thee, that thou shalt say, 'Speak, LORD, for Thy servant heareth.'" So Samuel went and lay down in his place.

¹⁰And the LORD came and stood, and called as at other times, "Samuel, Samuel." Then Samuel answered, "Speak, for Thy servant heareth."

¹¹And the LORD said to Samuel, "Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both the ears of every one who heareth it shall tingle.

¹²In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house. When I begin, I will also make an end;

¹³for I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth, because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.

¹⁴And therefore I have sworn unto the house of Eli that the iniquity of Eli's house shall not be purged with sacrifice nor offering, for ever."

¹⁵And Samuel lay until the morning, and opened the doors of the house of the LORD. And Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.

¹⁶Then Eli called Samuel and said, "Samuel, my son." And he answered, "Here am I."

¹⁷And he said, "What is the thing that the LORD hath said unto thee? I pray thee, hide it not from me. God do so to thee, and more also, if thou hide any word from me of all the things that He said unto thee."

¹⁸And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him. And he said, "It is the LORD. Let Him do what seemeth to Him good."

¹⁹And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground.

²⁰And all Israel from Dan even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD.

²¹And the LORD appeared again in Shiloh, for the LORD revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh by the word of the LORD.

4And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and pitched camp beside Ebenezer; and the Philistines pitched in Aphek.

²And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel; and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines, and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

³And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, "Why hath the LORD smitten us today before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies."

⁴So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

⁵And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again.

⁶And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, "What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews?" And they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

⁷And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, "God has come into the camp!" And they said, "Woe unto us! For there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

⁸Woe unto us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty gods? These are the gods who smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

⁹Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye be not servants unto the Hebrews, as they have been to you. Acquit yourselves like men, and fight!"

¹⁰And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

¹¹And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

¹²And there ran a man of Benjamin from the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent and with earth upon his head.

¹³And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the wayside watching; for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city and told it, all the city cried out.

¹⁴And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, "What meaneth the noise of this tumult?" And the man came in hastily and told Eli.

¹⁵Now Eli was ninety and eight years old, and his eyes were dim so that he could not see.

¹⁶And the man said unto Eli, "I am he that came from the army, and I fled today from the army." And he said, "What is done there, my son?"

¹⁷And the messenger answered and said, "Israel has fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people; and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken."

¹⁸And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke and he died; for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

¹⁹And his daughter-in-law, Phinehas' wife, was with child, soon to be delivered. And when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law and her husband were dead, she bowed herself and travailed, for her pains came upon her.

²⁰And about the time of her death the women who stood by her said unto her, "Fear not, for thou hast borne a son." But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

²¹And she named the child Ichabod [that is, Where is the glory?], saying, "The glory has departed from Israel"--because the ark of God was taken and because of her father-in-law and her husband.

²²And she said, "The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God is taken."

5And the Philistines took the ark of God and brought it from Ebenezer unto Ashdod.

²When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon and set it by Dagon.

³And when those of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the LORD. And they took Dagon and set him in his place again.

⁴And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon had fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him.

⁵Therefore neither the priests of Dagon nor any who come into Dagon's house tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.

⁶But the hand of the LORD was heavy upon those of Ashdod, and He destroyed them and smote them with hemorrhoids, even Ashdod and the borders thereof.

⁷And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, "The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us, for his hand is sore upon us and upon Dagon our god."

⁸They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them and said, "What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel?" And they answered, "Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath." And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.

⁹And it was so that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the LORD was against the city with a very great destruction; and He smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had hemorrhoids in their secret parts.

¹⁰Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, "They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us to slay us and our people."

¹¹So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines and said, "Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people." For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.

¹²And the men who died not were smitten with the hemorrhoids; and the cry of the city went up to heaven.

6And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months.

²And the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners, saying, "What shall we do to the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we shall send it to his place."

³And they said, "If ye send away the ark of the God of Israel, send it not empty; but in any wise return him a trespass offering. Then ye shall be healed, and it shall be known to you why his hand is not removed from you."

⁴Then said they, "What shall be the trespass offering which we shall return to him?" They answered, "Five golden hemorrhoids and five golden mice, according to the number of the lords of the Philistines; for one plague was on you all and on your lords.

⁵Therefore ye shall make images of your hemorrhoids and images of your mice that mar the land, and ye shall give glory unto the God of Israel. Perhaps he will lighten his hand from you and from your gods and from your land.

⁶Why then do ye harden your hearts as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? When he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed?

⁷Now therefore make a new cart, and take two milk cows on which there hath come no yoke, and tie the cows to the cart and bring their calves home from them.

⁸And take the ark of the LORD and lay it upon the cart; and put the jewels of gold, which ye return to him for a trespass offering, in a coffer by the side thereof; and send it away, that it may go.

⁹And see: If it goeth up by the way of his own coast to Bethshemesh, then he hath done us this great evil. But if not, then we shall know that it is not his hand that smote us; it was a chance that happened to us."

¹⁰And the men did so; and took two milk cows and tied them to the cart, and shut up their calves at home.

¹¹And they laid the ark of the LORD upon the cart, and the coffer with the mice of gold and the images of their hemorrhoids.

¹²And the cows took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.

¹³And they of Bethshemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley; and they lifted up their eyes and saw the ark, and rejoiced to see it.

¹⁴And the cart came into the field of Joshua, a Bethshemite, and stood there where there was a great stone. And they cleaved the wood of the cart and offered the cows as a burnt offering unto the LORD.

¹⁵And the Levites took down the ark of the LORD and the coffer that was with it, wherein the jewels of gold were, and put them on the great stone; and the men of Bethshemesh offered burnt offerings and sacrificed sacrifices the same day unto the LORD.

¹⁶And when the five lords of the Philistines had seen it, they returned to Ekron the same day.

¹⁷And these are the golden hemorrhoids which the Philistines returned for a trespass offering unto the LORD: for Ashdod one, for Gaza one, for Ashkelon one, for Gath one, for Ekron one;

¹⁸and the golden mice, according to the number of all the cities of the Philistines belonging to the five lords, both of fortified cities and of country villages, even unto the great stone of Abel whereon they set down the ark of the LORD, which stone remaineth unto this day in the field of Joshua, the Bethshemite.

¹⁹And He smote the men of Bethshemesh, because they had looked into the ark of the LORD; even He smote of the people fifty thousand and threescore and ten men. And the people lamented because the LORD had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter.

²⁰And the men of Bethshemesh said, "Who is able to stand before this holy LORD God? And to whom shall He go up from us?"

²¹And they sent messengers to the inhabitants of Kirjathjearim, saying, "The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD. Come ye down and fetch it up to you."

7And the men of Kirjathjearim came and fetched up the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab on the hill, and sanctified Eleazar his son to keep the ark of the LORD.

²And it came to pass, while the ark remained in Kirjathjearim, that the time was long, for it was twenty years; and all the house of Israel lamented after the LORD.

³And Samuel spoke unto all the house of Israel, saying, "If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD and serve Him only; and He will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines."

⁴Then the children of Israel put away the Baalim and Ashtaroth, and served the LORD only.

⁵And Samuel said, "Gather all Israel to Mizpah, and I will pray for you unto the LORD."

⁶And they gathered together at Mizpah, and drew water and poured it out before the LORD, and fasted on that day, and said there, "We have sinned against the LORD." And Samuel judged the children of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together at Mizpah, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.

⁸And the children of Israel said to Samuel, "Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that He will save us out of the hand of the Philistines."

⁹And Samuel took a sucking lamb and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the LORD; and Samuel cried unto the LORD for Israel, and the LORD heard him.

¹⁰And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel; but the LORD thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines and discomfited them, and they were smitten before Israel.

¹¹And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah, and pursued the Philistines and smote them until they came under Bethcar.

¹²Then Samuel took a stone and set it between Mizpah and Shen, and called the name of it Ebenezer [that is, The stone of help], saying, "Hitherto hath the LORD helped us."

¹³So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the border of Israel; and the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.

¹⁴And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the borders thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.

¹⁵And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life.

¹⁶And he went from year to year in circuit to Bethel and Gilgal and Mizpah, and judged Israel in all those places.

¹⁷And his return was to Ramah, for there was his house; and there he judged Israel, and there he built an altar unto the LORD.

8And it came to pass when Samuel was old that he made his sons judges over Israel.

²Now the name of his firstborn was Joel, and the name of his second, Abijah; they were judges in Beersheba.

³And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre and took bribes and perverted judgment.

⁴Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel at Ramah

⁵and said unto him, "Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways. Now make us a king to judge us, like all the nations."

⁶But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, "Give us a king to judge us." And Samuel prayed unto the LORD.

⁷And the LORD said unto Samuel, "Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee; for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

⁸According to all the works which they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt even unto this day, wherewith they have forsaken Me and served other gods, so do they also unto thee.

⁹Now therefore hearken unto their voice. However, yet protest solemnly unto them and show them the ways of the king that shall reign over them."

¹⁰And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the people who asked of him a king.

¹¹And he said, "This will be the manner of the king who shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for himself, for his chariots and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots.

¹²And he will appoint him captains over thousands and captains over fifties, and will set them to till his ground and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war and instruments of his chariots.

¹³And he will take your daughters to be confectioners and to be cooks and to be bakers.

¹⁴And he will take your fields and your vineyards and your olive yards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants.

¹⁵And he will take a tenth of your seed and of your vineyards, and give to his officers and to his servants.

¹⁶And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work.

¹⁷He will take a tenth of your sheep; and ye shall be his servants.

¹⁸And ye shall cry out on that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day."

¹⁹Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel, and they said, "Nay; but we will have a king over us,

²⁰that we also may be like all the nations, and that our king may judge us and go out before us and fight our battles."

²¹And Samuel heard all the words of the people, and he recounted them in the ears of the LORD.

²²And the LORD said to Samuel, "Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king." And Samuel said unto the men of Israel, "Go ye every man unto his city."

9Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power.

²And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly; and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he. From his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people.

³And the asses of Kish, Saul's father, were lost. And Kish said to Saul his son, "Take now one of the servants with thee, and arise, go seek the asses."

⁴And he passed through Mount Ephraim and passed through the land of Shalisha, but they found them not. Then they passed through the land of Shaalim, and there they were not; and he passed through the land of the Benjamites, but they found them not.

⁵And when they had come to the land of Zuph, Saul said to his servant who was with him, "Come, and let us return, lest my father leave caring for the asses and take thought for us."

⁶And he said unto him, "Behold now, there is in this city a man of God, and he is an honorable man. All that he saith cometh surely to pass. Now let us go thither. Perhaps he can show us our way that we should go."

⁷Then said Saul to his servant, "But behold, if we go, what shall we bring the man? For the bread is spent in our vessels and there is not a present to bring to the man of God. What have we?"

⁸And the servant answered Saul again and said, "Behold, I have here at hand a fourth part of a shekel of silver. That will I give to the man of God to tell us our way."

⁹(Before this in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, thus he spoke: "Come, and let us go to the seer"; for he that is now called a prophet was formerly called a seer.)

¹⁰Then said Saul to his servant, "Well said; come, let us go." So they went unto the city where the man of God was.

¹¹And as they went up the hill to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said unto them, "Is the seer here?"

¹²And they answered them and said, "He is; behold, he is before you. Make haste now, for he came today to the city; for there is a sacrifice of the people today on the high place.

¹³As soon as ye have come into the city, ye shall straightway find him before he go up to the high place to eat; for the people will not eat until he come, because he doth bless the sacrifice; and afterwards they eat that are bidden. Now therefore get you up, for about this time ye shall find him."

¹⁴And they went up into the city; and when they had come into the city, behold, Samuel came out toward them to go up to the high place.

¹⁵Now the LORD had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying,

¹⁶"Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over My people Israel, that he may save My people out of the hand of the Philistines; for I have looked upon My people, because their cry has come unto Me."

¹⁷And when Samuel saw Saul, the LORD said unto him, "Behold the man whom I spoke to thee of! This same shall reign over My people."

¹⁸Then Saul drew near to Samuel in the gate, and said, "Tell me, I pray thee, where the seer's house is."

¹⁹And Samuel answered Saul and said, "I am the seer. Go up before me unto the high place; for ye shall eat with me today, and tomorrow I will let thee go and will tell thee all that is in thine heart.

²⁰And as for thine asses that were lost three days ago, set not thy mind on them, for they are found. And on whom is all the desire of Israel? Is it not on thee and on all thy father's house?"

²¹And Saul answered and said, "Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel, and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? Why then speakest thou so to me?"

²²And Samuel took Saul and his servant and brought them into the hall, and made them sit in the chiefest place among those who were bidden, who were about thirty persons.

²³And Samuel said unto the cook, "Bring the portion which I gave thee, of which I said unto thee, 'Set it by thee.'"

²⁴And the cook took up the shoulder and that which was upon it, and set it before Saul. And Samuel said, "Behold that which is left! Set it before thee and eat; for unto this time hath it been kept for thee since I said, 'I have invited the people.'" So Saul ate with Samuel that day.

²⁵And when they had come down from the high place into the city, Samuel communed with Saul upon the top of the house.

²⁶And they arose early. And it came to pass about the dawn of the day that Samuel called Saul to the top of the house, saying, "Up, that I may send thee away." And Saul arose, and they went out both of them, he and Samuel, abroad.

²⁷And as they were going down to the end of the city, Samuel said to Saul, "Bid the servant pass on before us." (And he passed on.) "But stand thou still a while, that I may show thee the word of God."

10Then Samuel took a vial of oil and poured it upon his head, and kissed him and said, "Is it not because the LORD hath anointed thee to be captain over His inheritance?

²When thou art departed from me today, then thou shalt find two men by Rachel's sepulcher in the border of Benjamin at Zelzah; and they will say unto thee, 'The asses which thou wentest to seek are found. And lo, thy father hath left the care of the asses and sorroweth for you, saying, "What shall I do for my son?"'

³Then shalt thou go on forward from thence, and thou shalt come to the plain of Tabor; and there shall meet thee three men going up to God at Bethel, one carrying three kids and another carrying three loaves of bread and another carrying a bottle of wine.

⁴And they will salute thee and give thee two loaves of bread, which thou shalt receive from their hands.

⁵After that thou shalt come to the hill of God, where is the garrison of the Philistines; and it shall come to pass, when thou art come thither to the city, that thou shalt meet a company of prophets coming down from the high place with a psaltery and a taboret and a pipe and a harp before them; and they shall prophesy.

⁶And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them and shalt be turned into another man.

⁷And let it be, when these signs have come unto thee, that thou do as the occasion serve thee; for God is with thee.

⁸And thou shalt go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down unto thee to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice sacrifices of peace offerings. Seven days shalt thou tarry, till I come to thee and show thee what thou shalt do."

⁹And it was so that, when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart; and all those signs came to pass that day.

¹⁰And when they came thither to the hill, behold, a company of prophets met him; and the Spirit of God came upon him, and he prophesied among them.

¹¹And it came to pass when all who knew him before saw that, behold, he prophesied among the prophets, then the people said one to another, "What is this that has come unto the son of Kish? Is Saul also among the prophets?"

¹²And one of the same place answered and said, "But who is their father?" Therefore it became a proverb: "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

¹³And when he had made an end of prophesying, he came to the high place.

¹⁴And Saul's uncle said unto him and to his servant, "Whither went ye?" And he said, "To seek the asses; and when we saw that they were nowhere, we came to Samuel."

¹⁵And Saul's uncle said, "Tell me, I pray thee, what Samuel said unto you."

¹⁶And Saul said unto his uncle, "He told us plainly that the asses were found." But of the matter of the kingdom, whereof Samuel spoke, he told him not.

¹⁷And Samuel called the people together unto the LORD at Mizpah,

¹⁸and said unto the children of Israel, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'I brought up Israel out of Egypt, and delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians and out of the hand of all kingdoms and from them that oppressed you.'

¹⁹And ye have this day rejected your God, who Himself saved you out of all your adversities and your tribulations, and ye have said unto Him, 'Nay, but set a king over us.' Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and by your thousands."

²⁰And when Samuel had caused all the tribes of Israel to come near, the tribe of Benjamin was taken.

²¹When he had caused the tribe of Benjamin to come near by their families, the family of Matri was taken, and Saul the son of Kish was taken; and when they sought him, he could not be found.

²²Therefore they inquired of the LORD further if the man should yet come thither. And the LORD answered, "Behold, he hath hid himself among the supplies."

²³And they ran and fetched him thence; and when he stood among the people, he was higher than any of the people from his shoulders and upward.

²⁴And Samuel said to all the people, "See ye him whom the LORD hath chosen, that there is none like him among all the people?" And all the people shouted and said, "God save the king!"

²⁵Then Samuel told the people the manner of the kingdom, and wrote it in a book and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, every man to his house.

²⁶And Saul also went home to Gibeah. And there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched.

²⁷But the children of Belial said, "How shall this man save us?" And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

11Then Nahash the Ammonite came up and encamped against Jabeshgilead; and all the men of Jabesh said unto Nahash, "Make a covenant with us, and we will serve thee."

²And Nahash the Ammonite answered them, "On this condition will I make a covenant with you: that I may thrust out all your right eyes and lay it for a reproach upon all Israel."

³And the elders of Jabesh said unto him, "Give us seven days' respite, that we may send messengers unto all the regions of Israel. And then, if there be no man to save us, we will come out to thee."

⁴Then came the messengers to Gibeah of Saul and told the tidings in the ears of the people, and all the people lifted up their voices and wept.

⁵And behold, Saul came after the herd out of the field; and Saul said, "What aileth the people that they weep?" And they told him the tidings of the men of Jabesh.

⁶And the Spirit of God came upon Saul when he heard those tidings, and his anger was kindled greatly.

⁷And he took a yoke of oxen and hewed them in pieces, and sent them throughout all the regions of Israel by the hands of messengers, saying, "Whosoever cometh not forth after Saul and after Samuel, so shall it be done unto his oxen." And the fear of the LORD fell on the people, and they came out with one consent.

⁸And when he numbered them in Bezek, the children of Israel were three hundred thousand and the men of Judah thirty thousand.

⁹And they said unto the messengers who came, "Thus shall ye say unto the men of Jabeshgilead, 'Tomorrow, by the time the sun is hot, ye shall have help.'" And the messengers came and showed it to the men of Jabesh, and they were glad.

¹⁰Therefore the men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out unto you, and ye shall do with us all that seemeth good unto you."

¹¹And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day; and it came to pass that those who remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together.

¹²And the people said unto Samuel, "Who is he that said, 'Shall Saul reign over us?' Bring the men, that we may put them to death."

¹³And Saul said, "There shall not a man be put to death this day, for today the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel."

¹⁴Then said Samuel to the people, "Come, and let us go to Gilgal and renew the kingdom there."

¹⁵And all the people went to Gilgal, and there they made Saul king before the LORD in Gilgal. And there they sacrificed sacrifices of peace offerings before the LORD; and there Saul and all the men of Israel rejoiced greatly.

12And Samuel said unto all Israel, "Behold, I have hearkened unto your voice in all that ye said unto me and have made a king over you;

²and now, behold, the king walketh before you. And I am old and grayheaded, and behold, my sons are with you; and I have walked before you from my childhood unto this day.

³Behold, here I am! Witness against me before the LORD and before His anointed. Whose ox have I taken, or whose ass have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded? Whom have I oppressed, or from whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? And I will restore it to you."

⁴And they said, "Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught from any man's hand."

⁵And he said unto them, "The LORD is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day, that ye have not found aught in my hand." And they answered, "He is witness."

⁶And Samuel said unto the people, "It is the LORD who advanced Moses and Aaron, and who brought your fathers up out of the land of Egypt.

⁷Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the LORD concerning all the righteous acts of the LORD which He did to you and to your fathers.

⁸When Jacob had come into Egypt and your fathers cried unto the LORD, then the LORD sent Moses and Aaron, who brought forth your fathers out of Egypt and made them dwell in this place.

⁹And when they forgot the LORD their God, He sold them into the hand of Sisera, captain of the host of Hazor, and into the hand of the Philistines, and into the hand of the king of Moab, and they fought against them.

¹⁰And they cried unto the LORD and said, 'We have sinned, because we have forsaken the LORD and have served the Baalim and Ashtaroth; but now deliver us out of the hand of our enemies, and we will serve Thee.'

¹¹And the LORD sent Jerubbaal, and Bedan, and Jephthah, and Samuel, and delivered you out of the hand of your enemies on every side, and ye dwelt safe.

¹²And when ye saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, ye said unto me, 'Nay, but a king shall reign over us,' when the LORD your God was your king.

¹³Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen and whom ye have desired! And behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.

¹⁴If ye will fear the LORD and serve Him and obey His voice and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king who reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God.

¹⁵But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.

¹⁶Now therefore stand and see this great thing which the LORD will do before your eyes.

¹⁷Is it not wheat harvest today? I will call unto the LORD, and He shall send thunder and rain, that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking for yourselves a king."

¹⁸So Samuel called unto the LORD, and the LORD sent thunder and rain that day; and all the people greatly feared the LORD and Samuel.

¹⁹And all the people said unto Samuel, "Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not. For we have added unto all our sins this evil: to ask for us a king."

²⁰And Samuel said unto the people, "Fear not. Ye have done all this wickedness; yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart.

²¹And turn ye not aside; for then should ye go after vain things which cannot profit nor deliver, for they are vain.

²²For the LORD will not forsake His people for His great name's sake, because it hath pleased the LORD to make you His people.

²³Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.

²⁴Only fear the LORD, and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He hath done for you.

²⁵But if ye shall still do wickedly, ye shall be consumed, both ye and your king."

13Saul reigned one year; and when he had reigned two years over Israel,

²Saul chose for himself three thousand men of Israel, whereof two thousand were with Saul in Michmash and on Mount Bethel, and a thousand were with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin; and the rest of the people he sent every man to his tent.

³And Jonathan smote the garrison of the Philistines that was in Geba, and the Philistines heard of it. And Saul blew the trumpet throughout all the land, saying, "Let the Hebrews hear!"

⁴And all Israel heard it said that Saul had smitten a garrison of the Philistines, and that Israel also was held in abomination by the Philistines. And the people were called together after Saul to Gilgal.

⁵And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the seashore in multitude. And they came up and pitched camp in Michmash, eastward from Bethaven.

⁶When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait (for the people were distressed), then the people hid themselves in caves and in thickets and in rocks and in high places and in pits.

⁷And some of the Hebrews went over the Jordan to the land of Gad and Gilead. As for Saul, he was yet in Gilgal, and all the people followed him trembling.

⁸And he tarried seven days, according to the set time that Samuel had appointed; but Samuel came not to Gilgal, and the people were scattered from him.

⁹And Saul said, "Bring hither a burnt offering to me and peace offerings." And he offered the burnt offering.

¹⁰And it came to pass that as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, behold, Samuel came; and Saul went out to meet him, that he might salute him.

¹¹And Samuel said, "What hast thou done?" And Saul said, "Because I saw that the people were scattered from me, and that thou camest not within the days appointed, and that the Philistines gathered themselves together at Michmash,

¹²therefore said I, 'The Philistines will come down now upon me to Gilgal, and I have not made supplication unto the LORD.' I forced myself therefore, and offered a burnt offering."

¹³And Samuel said to Saul, "Thou hast done foolishly. Thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God which He commanded thee, for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever.

¹⁴But now thy kingdom shall not continue. The LORD hath sought Him a man after His own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over His people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee."

¹⁵And Samuel arose, and went up from Gilgal unto Gibeah of Benjamin. And Saul numbered the people who were present with him, about six hundred men.

¹⁶And Saul and Jonathan his son and the people who were present with them abode in Gibeah of Benjamin; but the Philistines encamped in Michmash.

¹⁷And the despoilers came out of the camp of the Philistines in three companies: one company turned unto the way that leadeth to Ophrah, unto the land of Shual,

¹⁸and another company turned the way to Bethhoron, and another company turned to the way of the border that looketh to the Valley of Zeboim toward the wilderness.

¹⁹Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said, "Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears."

²⁰But all the Israelites went down to the Philistines to sharpen every man his plowshare and his coulter and his ax and his mattock.

²¹Yet they had a file for the mattocks and for the coulters and for the forks and for the axes, and to sharpen the goads.

²²So it came to pass on the day of battle that there was neither sword nor spear found in the hand of any of the people who were with Saul and Jonathan, but with Saul and with Jonathan his son were they found.

²³And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the passage of Michmash.

14Now it came to pass upon a day that Jonathan, the son of Saul, said unto the young man who bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side." But he told not his father.

²And Saul tarried in the outermost part of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron. And the people who were with him were about six hundred men,

³and Ahijah the son of Ahitub, Ichabod's brother, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the LORD'S priest in Shiloh, wearing an ephod. And the people knew not that Jonathan was gone.

⁴And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines' garrison, there was a sharp rock on one side and a sharp rock on the other side; and the name of the one was Bozez, and the name of the other Seneh.

⁵The forefront of the one was situated northward over against Michmash and the other southward over against Gibeah.

⁶And Jonathan said to the young man who bore his armor, "Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised. It may be that the LORD will work for us, for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few."

⁷And his armorbearer said unto him, "Do all that is in thine heart. Turn thee; behold, I am with thee, according to thy heart."

⁸Then said Jonathan, "Behold, we will pass over unto these men, and we will disclose ourselves unto them.

⁹If they say thus unto us, 'Tarry until we come to you,' then we will stand still in our place and will not go up unto them.

¹⁰But if they say thus, 'Come up unto us,' then we will go up; for the LORD hath delivered them into our hand, and this shall be a sign unto us."

¹¹And both of them revealed themselves unto the garrison of the Philistines; and the Philistines said, "Behold, the Hebrews come forth out of the holes where they had hid themselves."

¹²And the men of the garrison answered Jonathan and his armorbearer, and said, "Come up to us, and we will show you a thing." And Jonathan said unto his armorbearer, "Come up after me, for the LORD hath delivered them into the hand of Israel."

¹³And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armorbearer after him. And they fell before Jonathan, and his armorbearer slew after him.

¹⁴And that first slaughter which Jonathan and his armorbearer made was about twenty men within, as it were, a half acre of land which a yoke of oxen might plow.

¹⁵And there was trembling in the host, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the despoilers also trembled, and the earth quaked; so it was a very great trembling.

¹⁶And the watchmen of Saul in Gibeah of Benjamin looked; and behold, the multitude melted away, and they went on beating down one another.

¹⁷Then said Saul unto the people who were with him, "Number now, and see who is gone from us." And when they had numbered, behold, Jonathan and his armorbearer were not there.

¹⁸And Saul said unto Ahijah, "Bring hither the ark of God." For the ark of God was at that time with the children of Israel.

¹⁹And it came to pass, while Saul talked unto the priest, that the noise that was in the host of the Philistines went on and increased; and Saul said unto the priest, "Withdraw thine hand."

²⁰And Saul and all the people who were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle; and behold, every man's sword was against his fellow, and there was a very great discomfiture.

²¹Moreover the Hebrews who were with the Philistines before that time, who went up with them into the camp from the country round about, even they also turned to be with the Israelites who were with Saul and Jonathan.

²²Likewise all the men of Israel who had hidden themselves on Mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle.

²³So the LORD saved Israel that day, and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.

²⁴And the men of Israel were distressed that day, for Saul had adjured the people, saying, "Cursed be the man who eateth any food until evening, that I may be avenged on mine enemies." So none of the people tasted any food.

²⁵And all they of the land came to a woods, and there was honey upon the ground.

²⁶And when the people had come into the woods, behold, the honey dropped; but no man put his hand to his mouth, for the people feared the oath.

²⁷But Jonathan heard not when his father charged the people with the oath. Therefore he put forth the end of the rod that was in his hand and dipped it in a honeycomb and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes were enlightened.

²⁸Then answered one of the people and said, "Thy father strictly charged the people with an oath, saying, 'Cursed be the man who eateth any food this day.'" And the people were faint.

²⁹Then said Jonathan, "My father hath troubled the land. See, I pray you, how mine eyes have been enlightened because I tasted a little of this honey.

³⁰How much more, if perhaps the people had eaten freely today of the spoil of their enemies which they found? For would there not have been now a much greater slaughter among the Philistines?"

³¹And they smote the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon; and the people were very faint.

³²And the people flew upon the spoil, and took sheep and oxen and calves, and slew them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood.

³³Then they told Saul, saying, "Behold, the people sin against the LORD in that they eat with the blood." And he said, "Ye have transgressed! Roll a great stone unto me this day."

³⁴And Saul said, "Disperse yourselves among the people and say unto them, 'Bring me hither every man his ox and every man his sheep, and slay them here and eat; and sin not against the LORD in eating with the blood.'" And all the people brought every man his ox with him that night, and slew them there.

³⁵And Saul built an altar unto the LORD; the same was the first altar that he built unto the LORD.

³⁶And Saul said, "Let us go down after the Philistines by night and despoil them until the morning light, and let us not leave a man of them." And they said, "Do whatsoever seemeth good unto thee." Then said the priest, "Let us draw near hither unto God."

³⁷And Saul asked counsel of God: "Shall I go down after the Philistines? Wilt Thou deliver them into the hand of Israel?" But He answered him not that day.

³⁸And Saul said, "Draw ye near hither, all the chief of the people, and know and see wherein this sin hath been this day.

³⁹For, as the LORD liveth who saveth Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die." But there was not a man among all the people who answered him.

⁴⁰Then said he unto all Israel, "Be ye on one side, and I and Jonathan my son will be on the other side." And the people said unto Saul, "Do what seemeth good unto thee."

⁴¹Therefore Saul said unto the LORD God of Israel, "Give a perfect lot." And Saul and Jonathan were taken, but the people escaped.

⁴²And Saul said, "Cast lots between me and Jonathan my son." And Jonathan was taken.

⁴³Then Saul said to Jonathan, "Tell me what thou hast done." And Jonathan told him and said, "I did but taste a little honey with the end of the rod that was in mine hand, and lo, I must die."

⁴⁴And Saul answered, "God do so and more also; for thou shalt surely die, Jonathan."

⁴⁵And the people said unto Saul, "Shall Jonathan die, who hath wrought this great salvation in Israel? God forbid! As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of his head fall to the ground, for he hath wrought with God this day." So the people rescued Jonathan, that he died not.

⁴⁶Then Saul went up from following the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place.

⁴⁷So Saul took the kingship over Israel and fought against all his enemies on every side: against Moab, and against the children of Ammon, and against Edom, and against the kings of Zobah, and against the Philistines; and whithersoever he turned himself, he vexed them.

⁴⁸And he gathered a host and smote the Amalekites, and delivered Israel out of the hands of those who despoiled them.

⁴⁹Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan and Ishui and Malchishua; and the names of his two daughters were these: the name of the firstborn, Merab, and the name of the younger, Michal.

⁵⁰And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz; and the name of the captain of his host was Abner, the son of Ner, Saul's uncle.

⁵¹And Kish was the father of Saul, and Ner the father of Abner was the son of Abiel.

⁵²And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul; and when Saul saw any strong man or any valiant man, he took him unto him.

15Samuel also said unto Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint thee to be king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore hearken thou unto the voice of the words of the LORD.

²Thus saith the LORD of hosts: 'I remember that which Amalek did to Israel, how he lay in wait for him on the way when he came up from Egypt.

³Now go and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass.'"

⁴And Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen and ten thousand men of Judah.

⁵And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley.

⁶And Saul said unto the Kenites, "Go, depart, get you down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for ye showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites.

⁷And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah until thou comest to Shur, which is over against Egypt.

⁸And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

⁹But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep and of the oxen, and of the fatlings and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them; but every thing that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.

¹⁰Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

¹¹"I repent that I have set up Saul to be king, for he has turned back from following Me and hath not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried unto the LORD all night.

¹²And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set him up a place, and has gone about and passed on and gone down to Gilgal."

¹³And Samuel came to Saul; and Saul said unto him, "Blessed be thou of the LORD. I have performed the commandment of the LORD."

¹⁴And Samuel said, "What meaneth then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?"

¹⁵And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God, and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

¹⁶Then Samuel said unto Saul, "Stay, and I will tell thee what the LORD hath said to me this night." And he said unto him, "Say on."

¹⁷And Samuel said, "When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king over Israel?

¹⁸And the LORD sent thee on a journey and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.'

¹⁹Why then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst leap upon the spoil and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?"

²⁰And Saul said unto Samuel, "Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.

²¹But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal."

²²And Samuel said, "Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.

²³For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, He hath also rejected thee from being king."

²⁴And Saul said unto Samuel, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and thy words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice.

²⁵Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD."

²⁶And Samuel said unto Saul, "I will not return with thee; for thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being king over Israel."

²⁷And as Samuel turned about to go away, he laid hold upon the skirt of his mantle, and it rent.

²⁸And Samuel said unto him, "The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbor of thine, who is better than thou.

²⁹And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor repent; for He is not a man, that He should repent."

³⁰Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD thy God."

³¹So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD.

³²Then said Samuel, "Bring ye hither to me Agag, the king of the Amalekites." And Agag came unto him charily; and Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past."

³³And Samuel said, "As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women." And Samuel hewed Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

³⁴Then Samuel went to Ramah; and Saul went up to his house to Gibeah of Saul.

³⁵And Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul; and the LORD repented that He had made Saul king over Israel.

16And the LORD said unto Samuel, "How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill thine horn with oil, and go. I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided Me a king among his sons."

²And Samuel said, "How can I go? If Saul hear it, he will kill me." And the LORD said, "Take a heifer with thee, and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.'

³And call Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show thee what thou shalt do; and thou shalt anoint unto Me him whom I name unto thee."

⁴And Samuel did that which the LORD spoke, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, "Comest thou peaceably?"

⁵And he said, "Peaceably; I have come to sacrifice unto the LORD. Sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice." And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.

⁶And it came to pass, when they had come, that he looked on Eliab and said, "Surely the LORD'S anointed is before Him."

⁷But the LORD said unto Samuel, "Look not on his countenance or on the height of his stature, because I have refused him; for the LORD seeth not as man seeth. For man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."

⁸Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel. And he said, "Neither hath the LORD chosen this."

⁹Then Jesse made Shammah to pass by. And he said, "Neither hath the LORD chosen this."

¹⁰Again, Jesse made seven of his sons to pass before Samuel. And Samuel said unto Jesse, "The LORD hath not chosen these."

¹¹And Samuel said unto Jesse, "Are here all thy children?" And he said, "There remaineth yet the youngest, and behold, he keepeth the sheep." And Samuel said unto Jesse, "Send and fetch him, for we will not sit down till he come hither."

¹²And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and altogether of a beautiful countenance and goodly to look upon. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."

¹³Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brethren; and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.

¹⁴But the Spirit of the LORD departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD troubled him.

¹⁵And Saul's servants said unto him, "Behold now, an evil spirit from God troubleth thee.

¹⁶Let our lord now command thy servants, who are before thee, to seek out a man who is a skillful player on the harp; and it shall come to pass, when the evil spirit from God is upon thee, that he shall play with his hand, and thou shalt be well."

¹⁷And Saul said unto his servants, "Provide me now a man whocan play well, and bring him to me."

¹⁸Then answered one of the servants and said, "Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite who is skillful in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him."

¹⁹Therefore Saul sent messengers unto Jesse and said, "Send me David thy son, who is with the sheep."

²⁰And Jesse took an ass laden with bread and a bottle of wine and a kid, and sent them by David his son unto Saul.

²¹And David came to Saul and stood before him; and he loved him greatly, and he became his armorbearer.

²²And Saul sent to Jesse, saying, "Let David, I pray thee, stand before me, for he hath found favor in my sight."

²³And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took a harp and played with his hand; so Saul was refreshed and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

17Now the Philistines gathered together their armies for battle and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched camp between Shochoh and Azekah in Ephesdammim.

²And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together and pitched camp by the Valley of Elah, and set up in battle array against the Philistines.

³And the Philistines stood on a mountain on one side and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side, and there was a valley between them.

⁴And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.

⁵And he had a helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.

⁶And he had greaves of brass upon his legs and a buckler of brass between his shoulders.

⁷And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam, and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron; and one bearing a shield went before him.

⁸And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel and said unto them, "Why have ye come out to set up in battle array? Am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? Choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.

⁹If he be able to fight with me and to kill me, then will we be your servants; but if I prevail against him and kill him, then shall ye be our servants and serve us."

¹⁰And the Philistine said, "I defy the armies of Israel this day! Give me a man, that we may fight together!"

¹¹When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly afraid.

¹²Now David was the son of that Ephrathite of Bethlehemjudah whose name was Jesse and who had eight sons; and Jesse went among men as an old man in the days of Saul.

¹³And the three eldest sons of Jesse went and followed Saul to the battle; and the names of his three sons who went to the battle were Eliab the firstborn, and next unto him Abinadab, and the third Shammah.

¹⁴And David was the youngest; and the three eldest followed Saul,

¹⁵but David went and returned from Saul to feed his father's sheep at Bethlehem.

¹⁶And the Philistine drew near morning and evening, and presented himself forty days.

¹⁷And Jesse said unto David his son, "Take now for thy brethren an ephah of this parched corn and these ten loaves, and run to the camp to thy brethren;

¹⁸and carry these ten cheeses unto the captain of their thousand, and look how thy brethren fare, and take their pledge."

¹⁹Now Saul and they and all the men of Israel were in the Valley of Elah, fighting with the Philistines.

²⁰And David rose up early in the morning and left the sheep with a keeper, and took and went as Jesse had commanded him; and he came to the trench as the host was going forth to the fight and was shouting for the battle.

²¹For Israel and the Philistines had set up in battle array, army against army.

²²And David left his baggage in the hand of the keeper of the baggage, and ran unto the army, and came and saluted his brethren.

²³And as he talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spoke according to the same words; and David heard them.

²⁴And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him and were sore afraid.

²⁵And the men of Israel said, "Have ye seen this man who has come up? Surely, to defy Israel has he come up; and it shall be that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel."

²⁶And David spoke to the men who stood by him, saying, "What shall be done to the man who killeth this Philistine and taketh away the reproach from Israel? For who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?"

²⁷And the people answered him in this manner, saying, "So shall it be done to the man who killeth him."

²⁸And Eliab, his eldest brother, heard when he spoke unto the men; and Eliab's anger was kindled against David and he said, "Why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride and the willfulness of thine heart, for thou hast come down that thou mightest see the battle."

²⁹And David said, "What have I now done? Is there not a cause?"

³⁰And he turned from him toward another and spoke in the same manner; and the people answered him again in the former manner.

³¹And when the words were heard which David spoke, they recounted them before Saul; and he sent for him.

³²And David said to Saul, "Let no man's heart fail because of him. Thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine."

³³And Saul said to David, "Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him; for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth."

³⁴And David said unto Saul, "Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion and a bear and took a lamb out of the flock;

³⁵and I went out after him and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth. And when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and smote him, and slew him.

³⁶Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God."

³⁷David said moreover, "The LORD who delivered me out of the paw of the lion and out of the paw of the bear, He will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine." And Saul said unto David, "Go, and the LORD be with thee."

³⁸And Saul armed David with his armor, and he put a helmet of brass upon his head; also he armed him with a coat of mail.

³⁹And David girded his sword upon his armor, and he attempted to go, for he had not tested it. And David said unto Saul, "I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them." And David put them off him.

⁴⁰And he took his staff in his hand, and chose for himself five smooth stones out of the brook and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a pouch, and his sling was in his hand; and he drew near to the Philistine.

⁴¹And the Philistine came on and drew near unto David, and the man who bore the shield went before him.

⁴²And when the Philistine looked about and saw David, he disdained him; for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.

⁴³And the Philistine said unto David, "Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves?" And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

⁴⁴And the Philistine said to David, "Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air and to the beasts of the field."

⁴⁵Then said David to the Philistine, "Thou comest to me with a sword and with a spear and with a shield; but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied.

⁴⁶This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand. And I will smite thee and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcasses of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

⁴⁷And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the LORD'S, and He will give you into our hands."

⁴⁸And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose and came and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine.

⁴⁹And David put his hand in his bag and took thence a stone, and slung it and smote the Philistine in his forehead, so that the stone sunk into his forehead. And he fell upon his face to the earth.

⁵⁰So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David.

⁵¹Therefore David ran and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled.

⁵²And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines until thou come to the valley and to the gates of Ekron. And the wounded of the Philistines fell down by the way to Shaaraim, even unto Gath and unto Ekron.

⁵³And the children of Israel returned from chasing after the Philistines, and they despoiled their tents.

⁵⁴And David took the head of the Philistine and brought it to Jerusalem, but he put his armor in his tent.

⁵⁵And when Saul saw David go forth against the Philistine, he said unto Abner, the captain of the host, "Abner, whose son is this youth?" And Abner said, "As thy soul liveth, O king, I cannot tell."

⁵⁶And the king said, "Inquire thou whose son the stripling is."

⁵⁷And as David returned from the slaughter of the Philistine, Abner took him, and brought him before Saul with the head of the Philistine in his hand.

⁵⁸And Saul said to him, "Whose son art thou, thou young man?" And David answered, "I am the son of thy servant Jesse the Bethlehemite."

18And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

²And Saul took him that day and would let him go home no more to his father's house.

³Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul.

⁴And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle.

⁵And David went out whithersoever Saul sent him, and behaved himself wisely; and Saul set him over the men of war, and he was accepted in the sight of all the people and also in the sight of Saul's servants.

⁶And it came to pass as they came, when David was returning from the slaughter of the Philistine, that the women came out of all cities of Israel, singing and dancing, to meet King Saul, with taborets, with joy, and with instruments of music.

⁷And the women answered one another as they played, and said, "Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands."

⁸And Saul was very wroth, and the saying displeased him; and he said, "They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me they have ascribed but thousands. And what can he have more but the kingdom?"

⁹And Saul eyed David from that day and forward.

¹⁰And it came to pass on the morrow that the evil spirit from God came upon Saul, and he prophesied in the midst of the house. And David played with his hand, as at other times. And there was a javelin in Saul's hand;

¹¹and Saul cast the javelin, for he said, "I will smite David even to the wall with it." And David escaped out of his presence twice.

¹²And Saul was afraid of David, because the LORD was with him and had departed from Saul.

¹³Therefore Saul removed him from him, and made him his captain over a thousand; and he went out and came in before the people.

¹⁴And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him.

¹⁵Therefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him.

¹⁶But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.

¹⁷And Saul said to David, "Behold my elder daughter Merab; her will I give thee for a wife. Only be thou valiant for me, and fight the LORD'S battles." For Saul said, "Let not mine hand be upon him, but let the hand of the Philistines be upon him."

¹⁸And David said unto Saul, "Who am I? And what is my life or my father's family in Israel, that I should be son-in-law to the king?"

¹⁹But it came to pass at the time when Merab, Saul's daughter, should have been given to David that she was given unto Adriel the Meholathite for a wife.

²⁰And Michal, Saul's daughter, loved David; and they told Saul, and the thing pleased him.

²¹And Saul said, "I will give her to him, that she may be a snare to him and that the hand of the Philistines may be against him." Therefore Saul said to David, "Thou shalt this day be my son-in-law through one of the two."

²²And Saul commanded his servants, saying, "Commune with David secretly and say, 'Behold, the king hath delight in thee, and all his servants love thee. Now therefore be the king's son-in-law.'"

²³And Saul's servants spoke those words in the ears of David. And David said, "Seemeth it to you a light thing to be a king's son-in-law, seeing that I am a poor man and lightly esteemed?"

²⁴And the servants of Saul told him, saying, "In this manner spoke David."

²⁵And Saul said, "Thus shall ye say to David: 'The king desireth not any dowry but a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king's enemies.'" But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines.

²⁶And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king's son-in-law; and the days were not expired.

²⁷Therefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full measure to the king, that he might be the king's son-in-law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter for a wife.

²⁸And Saul saw and knew that the LORD was with David and that Michal, Saul's daughter, loved him.

²⁹And Saul was yet the more afraid of David, and Saul became David's enemy continually.

³⁰Then the princes of the Philistines went forth. And it came to pass, after they went forth, that David behaved himself more wisely than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was much esteemed.

19And Saul spoke to Jonathan his son and to all his servants, that they should kill David.

²But Jonathan, Saul's son, delighted much in David; and Jonathan told David, saying, "Saul my father seeketh to kill thee. Now therefore, I pray thee, take heed to thyself until the morning, and abide in a secret place and hide thyself.

³And I will go out and stand beside my father in the field where thou art, and I will commune with my father about thee; and what I see, that I will tell thee."

⁴And Jonathan spoke well of David unto Saul his father, and said unto him, "Let not the king sin against his servant, against David, because he hath not sinned against thee and because his works have been toward thee very good.

⁵For he put his life in his hands and slew the Philistine, and the LORD wrought a great salvation for all Israel. Thou sawest it and didst rejoice. Why then wilt thou sin against innocent blood, to slay David without a cause?"

⁶And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan; and Saul swore, "As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain."

⁷And Jonathan called David, and Jonathan showed him all those things. And Jonathan brought David to Saul, and he was in his presence as in times past.

⁸And there was war again. And David went out and fought with the Philistines, and slew them with a great slaughter, and they fled from him.

⁹And the evil spirit from the LORD was upon Saul as he sat in his house with his javelin in his hand. And David played music with his hand.

¹⁰And Saul sought to smite David even to the wall with the javelin; but he slipped away out of Saul's presence, and he smote the javelin into the wall. And David fled and escaped that night.

¹¹Saul also sent messengers unto David's house to watch him and to slay him in the morning. And Michal, David's wife, told him, saying, "If thou save not thy life tonight, tomorrow thou shalt be slain."

¹²So Michal let David down through a window; and he went and fled, and escaped.

¹³And Michal took an image and laid it in the bed, and put a pillow of goats' hair for its head, and covered it with a cloth.

¹⁴And when Saul sent messengers to take David, she said, "He is sick."

¹⁵And Saul sent the messengers again to see David, saying, "Bring him up to me in the bed, that I may slay him."

¹⁶And when the messengers had come in, behold, there was an image in the bed with a pillow of goats' hair for his bolster.

¹⁷And Saul said unto Michal, "Why hast thou deceived me so, and sent away mine enemy, that he is escaped?" And Michal answered Saul, "He said unto me, 'Let me go: Why should I kill thee?'"

¹⁸So David fled and escaped, and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had done to him. And he and Samuel went and dwelt in Naioth.

¹⁹And it was told Saul, saying, "Behold, David is at Naioth in Ramah."

²⁰And Saul sent messengers to take David; and when they saw the company of the prophets prophesying, and Samuel standing as appointed over them, the Spirit of God was upon the messengers of Saul, and they also prophesied.

²¹And when it was told to Saul, he sent other messengers, and they prophesied likewise. And Saul sent messengers again the third time, and they prophesied also.

²²Then went he also to Ramah, and came to a great well that is in Sechu; and he asked and said, "Where are Samuel and David?" And one said, "Behold, they are at Naioth in Ramah."

²³And he went thither to Naioth in Ramah; and the Spirit of God was upon him also, and he went on and prophesied until he came to Naioth in Ramah.

²⁴And he stripped off his clothes also and prophesied before Samuel in like manner, and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, "Is Saul also among the prophets?"

20And David fled from Naioth in Ramah, and came and said before Jonathan, "What have I done? What is mine iniquity? And what is my sin before thy father, that he seeketh my life?"

²And he said unto him, "God forbid! Thou shalt not die. Behold, my father will do nothing either great or small but that he will show it to me. And why should my father hide this thing from me? It is not so."

³And David swore moreover and said, "Thy father certainly knoweth that I have found grace in thine eyes, and he saith, 'Let not Jonathan know this, lest he be grieved.' But truly as the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death."

⁴Then said Jonathan unto David, "Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee."

⁵And David said unto Jonathan, "Behold, tomorrow is the new moon, and I should not fail to sit with the king at meat; but let me go, that I may hide myself in the field unto the third day at evening.

⁶If thy father at all miss me, then say, 'David earnestly asked leave of me, that he might run to Bethlehem, his city; for there is a yearly sacrifice there for all the family.'

⁷If he say thus, 'It is well,' thy servant shall have peace; but if he be very wroth, then be sure that evil is determined by him.

⁸Therefore thou shalt deal kindly with thy servant, for thou hast brought thy servant into a covenant of the LORD with thee. Notwithstanding, if there be in me iniquity, slay me thyself; for why shouldest thou bring me to thy father?"

⁹And Jonathan said, "Far be it from thee; for if I knew certainly that evil were determined by my father to come upon thee, then would not I tell it to thee?"

¹⁰Then said David to Jonathan, "Who shall tell me? Or what if thy father answer thee roughly?"

¹¹And Jonathan said unto David, "Come, and let us go out into the field." And they went out both of them into the field.

¹²And Jonathan said unto David, "By the LORD the God of Israel, when I have sounded out my father about tomorrow any time, or the third day, and behold, if there be good toward David, and I then send not unto thee and show it to thee,

¹³the LORD do so and much more to Jonathan. But if it please my father to do thee evil, then I will show it to thee and send thee away, that thou mayest go in peace; and the LORD be with thee, as He hath been with my father.

¹⁴And thou shalt not only show me the kindness of the LORD while yet I live, that I die not,

¹⁵but also thou shalt not cut off thy kindness from my house for ever -- no, not when the LORD hath cut off the enemies of David every one from the face of the earth."

¹⁶So Jonathan made a covenant with the house of David, saying, "Let the LORD even require it at the hand of David's enemies."

¹⁷And Jonathan caused David to swear again, because he loved him; for he loved him as he loved his own soul.

¹⁸Then Jonathan said to David, "Tomorrow is the new moon, and thou shalt be missed because thy seat will be empty.

¹⁹And when thou hast stayed three days, then thou shalt go down quickly and come to the place where thou didst hide thyself when the business was in hand, and shalt remain by the stone Ezel.

²⁰And I will shoot three arrows on the side thereof, as though I shot at a mark.

²¹And behold, I will send a lad, saying, 'Go, find the arrows.' If I expressly say unto the lad, 'Behold, the arrows are on this side of thee; take them,' then come thou, for there is peace to thee and no hurt, as the LORD liveth.

²²But if I say thus unto the young man, 'Behold, the arrows are beyond thee,' go thy way; for the LORD hath sent thee away.

²³And concerning the matter which thou and I have spoken of, behold, the LORD be witness between thee and me for ever."

²⁴So David hid himself in the field; and when the new moon had come, the king sat down to eat meat.

²⁵And the king sat upon his seat as at other times, even upon a seat by the wall; and Jonathan arose, and Abner sat by Saul's side, and David's place was empty.

²⁶Nevertheless Saul spoke not any thing that day, for he thought, "Something hath befallen him. He is not clean, surely he is not clean."

²⁷And it came to pass on the morrow, which was the second day of the month, that David's place was empty. And Saul said unto Jonathan his son, "Why cometh not the son of Jesse to meat, neither yesterday nor today?"

²⁸And Jonathan answered Saul, "David earnestly asked leave of me to go to Bethlehem."

²⁹And he said, 'Let me go, I pray thee, for our family hath a sacrifice in the city, and my brother, he hath commanded me to be there. And now, if I have found favor in thine eyes, let me get away, I pray thee, and see my brethren.' Therefore he cometh not unto the king's table."

³⁰Then Saul's anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him, "Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness?

³¹For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Therefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die."

³²And Jonathan answered Saul his father and said unto him, "Why shall he be slain? What hath he done?"

³³And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him, whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined by his father to slay David.

³⁴So Jonathan arose from the table in fierce anger, and ate no meat the second day of the month; for he was grieved for David, because his father had done him shame.

³⁵And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David, and a little lad with him.

³⁶And he said unto his lad, "Run, find now the arrows which I shoot." And as the lad ran, he shot an arrow beyond him.

³⁷And when the lad had come to the place of the arrow which Jonathan had shot, Jonathan cried after the lad and said, "Is not the arrow beyond thee?"

³⁸And Jonathan cried after the lad, "Make speed, haste, stay not." And Jonathan's lad gathered up the arrows and came to his master.

³⁹But the lad knew not anything. Only Jonathan and David knew the matter.

⁴⁰And Jonathan gave his weapons unto his lad and said unto him, "Go, carry them to the city."

⁴¹And as soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of a place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground and bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another and wept one with another, but David more.

⁴²And Jonathan said to David, "Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, 'The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed for ever.'" And he arose and departed; and Jonathan went into the city.

21Then came David to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech was afraid at the meeting of David, and said unto him, "Why art thou alone, and no man with thee?"

²And David said unto Ahimelech the priest, "The king hath commanded me a business, and hath said unto me, 'Let no man know anything of the business about which I send thee and what I have commanded thee.' And I have appointed my servants to such and such a place.

³Now therefore, what is under thine hand? Give me five loaves of bread in mine hand, or what there is present."

⁴And the priest answered David and said, "There is no common bread under mine hand; but there is hallowed bread, if at least the young men have kept themselves from women."

⁵And David answered the priest and said unto him, "Of a truth women have been kept from us about these three days since I came out; and the vessels of the young men are holy and the bread is in a manner common, yea, though it were sanctified this day in the vessel."

⁶So the priest gave him hallowed bread; for there was no bread there but the showbread that was taken from before the LORD, to put hot bread in the day when it was taken away.

⁷Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg, an Edomite, the chiefest of the herdsmen who belonged to Saul.

⁸And David said unto Ahimelech, "And is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? For I have neither brought my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business required haste."

⁹And the priest said, "The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom thou slewest in the Valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou wilt take that, take it; for there is no other save that here." And David said, "There is none like that; give it to me."

¹⁰And David arose and fled that day for fear of Saul, and went to Achish the king of Gath.

¹¹And the servants of Achish said unto him, "Is not this David the king of the land? Did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, 'Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"

¹²And David laid up these words in his heart, and was sore afraid of Achish the king of Gath.

¹³And he changed his behavior before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard.

¹⁴Then said Achish unto his servants, "Lo, ye see the man is mad. Why then have ye brought him to me?

¹⁵Have I need of mad men, that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence? Shall this fellow come into my house?"

22David therefore departed thence and escaped to the cave of Adullam; and when his brethren and all his father's house heard it, they went down thither to him.

²And every one who was in distress, and every one who was in debt, and every one who was discontented, gathered themselves unto him. And he became a captain over them, and there were with him about four hundred men.

³And David went thence to Mizpeh of Moab; and he said unto the king of Moab, "Let my father and my mother, I pray thee, come forth and be with you, till I know what God will do for me."

⁴And he brought them before the king of Moab, and they dwelt with him all the while that David was in the stronghold.

⁵And the prophet Gad said unto David, "Abide not in the stronghold. Depart, and get thee into the land of Judah." Then David departed and came into the forest of Hereth.

⁶When Saul heard that David was discovered and the men who were with him (now Saul abode in Gibeah under a tree in Ramah, having his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him),

⁷then Saul said unto his servants who stood about him, "Hear now, ye Benjamites! Will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, and make you all captains of thousands and captains of hundreds,

⁸that all of you have conspired against me, and there is none who showeth me that my son hath made a league with the son of Jesse; and there is none of you that is sorry for me, or showeth unto me that my son hath stirred up my servant against me to lie in wait, as at this day?"

⁹Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who was set over the servants of Saul, and said, "I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub.

¹⁰And he inquired of the LORD for him, and gave him victuals, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

¹¹Then the king sent to call Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were in Nob; and they came all of them to the king.

¹²And Saul said, "Hear now, thou son of Ahitub." And he answered, "Here I am, my lord."

¹³And Saul said unto him, "Why have ye conspired against me, thou and the son of Jesse, in that thou hast given him bread and a sword and hast inquired of God for him, that he should rise against me to lie in wait, as at this day?"

¹⁴Then Ahimelech answered the king and said, "And who is so faithful among all thy servants as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and goeth at thy bidding, and is honorable in thine house?

¹⁵Did I then begin to inquire of God for him? Be it far from me. Let not the king impute anything unto his servant, nor to all the house of my father; for thy servant knew nothing of all this, less or more."

¹⁶And the king said, "Thou shalt surely die, Ahimelech, thou and all thy father's house."

¹⁷And the king said unto the footmen who stood about him, "Turn and slay the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and because they knew when he fled and did not show it to me." But the servants of the king would not put forth their hand to fall upon the priests of the LORD.

¹⁸And the king said to Doeg, "Turn thou and fall upon the priests." And Doeg the Edomite turned and he fell upon the priests, and slew on that day fourscore and five persons who wore a linen ephod.

¹⁹And Nob, the city of the priests, smote he with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and sucklings, and oxen and asses and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

²⁰And one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.

²¹And Abiathar showed David that Saul had slain the LORD'S priests.

²²And David said unto Abiathar, "I knew it that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of thy father's house.

²³Abide thou with me; fear not. For he that seeketh my life seeketh thy life, but with me thou shalt be in safekeeping."

23Then they told David, saying, "Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing floors."

²Therefore David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go and smite these Philistines?" And the LORD said unto David, "Go and smite the Philistines, and save Keilah."

³And David's men said unto him, "Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?"

⁴Then David inquired of the LORD yet again. And the LORD answered him and said, "Arise, go down to Keilah; for I will deliver the Philistines into thine hand."

⁵So David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines, and brought away their cattle and smote them with a great slaughter. So David saved the inhabitants of Keilah.

⁶And it came to pass, when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David at Keilah, that he came down with an ephod in his hand.

⁷And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, "God hath delivered him into mine hand, for he is shut in by entering into a town that hath gates and bars."

⁸And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.

⁹And David knew that Saul secretly practiced mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring hither the ephod."

¹⁰Then said David, "O LORD God of Israel, Thy servant hath certainly heard that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah to destroy the city for my sake.

¹¹Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down, as Thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I beseech Thee, tell Thy servant." And the LORD said, "He will come down."

¹²Then said David, "Will the men of Keilah deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul?" And the LORD said, "They will deliver thee up."

¹³Then David and his men, who were about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went whithersoever they could go. And it was told Saul that David had escaped from Keilah; and he forbore to go forth.

¹⁴And David abode in the wilderness in strongholds and remained on a mountain in the Wilderness of Ziph. And Saul sought him every day, but God delivered him not into his hand.

¹⁵And David saw that Saul had come out to seek his life; and David was in the Wilderness of Ziph in a wood.

¹⁶And Jonathan, Saul's son, arose and went to David into the wood, and strengthened his hand in God.

¹⁷And he said unto him, "Fear not, for the hand of Saul my father shall not find thee. And thou shalt be king over Israel, and I shall be next unto thee; and that also Saul my father knoweth."

¹⁸And the two made a covenant before the LORD; and David abode in the wood, and Jonathan went to his house.

¹⁹Then came up the Ziphites to Saul to Gibeah, saying, "Doth not David hide himself with us in strongholds in the wood, on the hill of Hachilah, which is on the south of Jeshimon?

²⁰Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king's hand."

²¹And Saul said, "Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me.

²²Go, I pray you, prepare yet, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who hath seen him there; for it is told me that he dealeth very subtly.

²³See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hideth himself, and come ye again to me with the certainty, and I will go with you. And it shall come to pass, if he be in the land, that I will search him out throughout all the thousands of Judah."

²⁴And they arose and went to Ziph before Saul. But David and his men were in the Wilderness of Maon, in the plain on the south of Jeshimon.

²⁵Saul also and his men went to seek him. And they told David, whereupon he came down to a rock, and abode in the Wilderness of Maon. And when Saul heard that, he pursued after David in the Wilderness of Maon.

²⁶And Saul went on this side of the mountain, and David and his men on that side of the mountain; and David made haste to get away for fear of Saul, for Saul and his men compassed David and his men round about to take them.

²⁷But there came a messenger unto Saul, saying, "Hasten thee and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land."

²⁸Therefore Saul returned from pursuing after David and went against the Philistines. Therefore they called that place Selahammahlekoth [that is, The rock of divisions].

²⁹And David went up from thence and dwelt in strongholds at Engedi.

24And it came to pass, when Saul had returned from following the Philistines, that it was told him, saying, "Behold, David is in the Wilderness of Engedi."

²Then Saul took three thousand chosen men out of all Israel, and went to seek David and his men upon the Rocks of the Wild Goats.

³And he came to the sheepcotes by the way, where there was a cave; and Saul went in to relieve himself, and David and his men remained in the recesses of the cave.

⁴And the men of David said unto him, "Behold the day of which the LORD said unto thee, 'Behold, I will deliver thine enemy into thine hand, that thou mayest do to him as it shall seem good unto thee.'" Then David arose and cut off the skirt of Saul's robe privily.

⁵And it came to pass afterward that David's heart smote him because he had cut off Saul's skirt.

⁶And he said unto his men, "The LORD forbid that I should do this thing unto my master, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch forth mine hand against him, seeing he is the anointed of the LORD."

⁷So David stayed his servants with these words, and suffered them not to rise against Saul. But Saul rose up out of the cave and went on his way.

⁸David also arose afterward, and went out of the cave and cried after Saul, saying, "My lord the king." And when Saul looked behind him, David stooped with his face to the earth and bowed himself.

⁹And David said to Saul, "Why hearest thou men's words, saying, 'Behold, David seeketh thy hurt?'

¹⁰Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the LORD had delivered thee today into mine hand in the cave, and some bade me kill thee. But mine eye spared thee, and I said, 'I will not put forth mine hand against my lord, for he is the LORD'S anointed.'

¹¹Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in mine hand, and I have not sinned against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it.

¹²The LORD judge between me and thee, and the LORD avenge me of thee; but mine hand shall not be upon thee.

¹³As saith the proverb of the ancients, 'Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked.' But mine hand shall not be upon thee.

¹⁴After whom has the king of Israel come out? After whom dost thou pursue? After a dead dog, after a flea!

¹⁵The LORD therefore be judge, and judge between me and thee; and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thine hand."

¹⁶And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" And Saul lifted up his voice and wept.

¹⁷And he said to David, "Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil.

¹⁸And thou hast shown this day how thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killed me not.

¹⁹For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? Therefore the LORD reward thee good for what thou hast done unto me this day.

²⁰And now, behold, I know well that thou shalt surely be king, and that the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thine hand.

²¹Swear now therefore unto me by the LORD that thou wilt not cut off my seed after me, and that thou wilt not destroy my name out of my father's house."

²²And David swore unto Saul. And Saul went home, but David and his men got themselves up unto the stronghold.

25And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose and went down to the Wilderness of Paran.

²And there was a man in Maon whose possessions were in Carmel. And the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats; and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.

³Now the name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife, Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance; but the man was churlish and evil in his doings, and he was of the house of Caleb.

⁴And David heard in the wilderness that Nabal was shearing his sheep.

⁵And David sent out ten young men, and David said unto the young men, "Get you up to Carmel and go to Nabal, and greet him in my name.

⁶And thus shall ye say to him that liveth in prosperity: 'Peace be both to thee, and peace be to thine house, and peace be unto all that thou hast.

⁷And now I have heard that thou hast shearers. Now thy shepherds who were with us, we hurt them not, neither was there aught missing from them all the while they were in Carmel.

⁸Ask thy young men and they will show thee. Therefore let the young men find favor in thine eyes, for we come in a good day. Give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants and to thy son David.'"

⁹And when David's young men came, they spoke to Nabal according to all those words in the name of David, and ceased.

¹⁰And Nabal answered David's servants and said, "Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away every man from his master.

¹¹Shall I then take my bread and my water and my slaughter that I have killed for my shearers, and give it unto men whom I know not from whence they are?"

¹²So David's young men turned their way and went again, and came and told him all those sayings.

¹³And David said unto his men, "Gird ye on every man his sword." And they girded on every man his sword, and David also girded on his sword. And there went up after David about four hundred men, and two hundred stayed by the supplies.

¹⁴But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal's wife, saying, "Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; and he railed at them.

¹⁵But the men were very good unto us and we were not hurt, neither missed we anything as long as we were occupied with them when we were in the fields.

¹⁶They were a wall for us both by night and day all the while we were with them keeping the sheep.

¹⁷Now therefore, know and consider what thou wilt do, for evil is determined against our master and against all his household. For he is such a son of Belial, that a man cannot speak to him."

¹⁸Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of parched corn, and a hundred clusters of raisins, and two hundred cakes of figs, and laid them on asses.

¹⁹And she said unto her servants, "Go on before me; behold, I come after you." But she told not her husband Nabal.

²⁰And it was so, as she rode on the ass, that she came down by the covert of the hill; and behold, David and his men came down toward her, and she met them.

²¹Now David had said, "Surely in vain have I kept all that this fellow hath in the wilderness, so that nothing was missed of all that pertained unto him; and he hath requited me evil for good.

²²So, and more also, do God unto the enemies of David if I leave of all that pertain to him by the morning light any that urinates against the wall."

²³And when Abigail saw David, she hastened and alighted from the ass, and fell before David on her face and bowed herself to the ground,

²⁴and fell at his feet and said, "Upon me, my lord, upon me let this iniquity be; and let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak in thine audience, and hear the words of thine handmaid.

²⁵Let not my lord, I pray thee, regard this man of Belial, even Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him. But I, thine handmaid, saw not the young men of my lord whom thou didst send.

²⁶Now therefore, my lord, as the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, seeing the LORD hath withheld thee from coming to shed blood and from avenging thyself with thine own hand, now let thine enemies and those who seek evil for my lord be as Nabal.

²⁷And now this blessing which thine handmaid hath brought unto my lord, let it even be given unto the young men who follow my lord.

²⁸I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid; for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house, because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.

²⁹Yet a man has risen to pursue thee and to seek thy soul. But the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of life with the LORD thy God; and the souls of thine enemies, them shall He sling out, as out of the middle of a sling.

³⁰And it shall come to pass, when the LORD shall have done to my lord according to all the good that He hath spoken concerning thee and shall have appointed thee ruler over Israel,

³¹that this shall be no grief unto thee, nor offense of heart unto my lord, either that thou hast shed blood causelessly or that my lord hath avenged himself. But when the LORD shall have dealt well with my lord, then remember thine handmaid."

³²And David said to Abigail: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who sent thee this day to meet me!

³³And blessed be thy advice and blessed be thou, who hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood and from avenging myself with mine own hand.

³⁴For in very deed, as the LORD God of Israel liveth, who hath kept me back from hurting thee, unless thou hadst hastened and come to meet me, surely there had not been left unto Nabal by the morning light any who urinates against the wall."

³⁵So David received from her hand that which she had brought him, and said unto her, "Go up in peace to thine house. See, I have hearkened to thy voice and have accepted thy person."

³⁶And Abigail came to Nabal; and behold, he held a feast in his house like the feast of a king. And Nabal's heart was merry within him, for he was very drunken; therefore she told him nothing, less or more, until the morning light.

³⁷But it came to pass in the morning, when the wine had gone out of Nabal and his wife had told him these things, that his heart died within him and he became as a stone.

³⁸And it came to pass about ten days after that the LORD smote Nabal, so that he died.

³⁹And when David heard that Nabal was dead, he said, "Blessed be the LORD who hath pleaded the cause of my reproach from the hand of Nabal, and hath kept His servant from evil; for the LORD hath returned the wickedness of Nabal upon his own head." And David sent and communed with Abigail, to take her to him as wife.

⁴⁰And when the servants of David had come to Abigail at Carmel, they spoke unto her, saying, "David sent us unto thee to take thee to him as wife."

⁴¹And she arose and bowed herself on her face to the earth, and said, "Behold, let thine handmaid be a servant to wash the feet of the servants of my lord."

⁴²And Abigail hastened and arose, and rode upon an ass, with five damsels of hers who went after her; and she went after the messengers of David, and became his wife.

⁴³David also took Ahinoam of Jezreel, and they were also both of them his wives.

⁴⁴But Saul had given Michal his daughter, David's wife, to Palti the son of Laish, who was from Gallim.

26And the Ziphites came unto Saul at Gibeah, saying, "Doth not David hide himself in the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon?"

²Then Saul arose and went down to the Wilderness of Ziph, having three thousand chosen men of Israel with him, to seek David in the Wilderness of Ziph.

³And Saul pitched camp on the hill of Hachilah, which is before Jeshimon, by the road. But David abode in the wilderness, and he saw that Saul came after him into the wilderness.

⁴David therefore sent out spies, and understood that Saul had come indeed.

⁵And David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched camp. And David beheld the place where Saul lay, and Abner the son of Ner, the captain of his host; and Saul lay in the entrenchment, and the people pitched round about him.

⁶Then answered David and said to Ahimelech the Hittite and to Abishai the son of Zeruiah, brother of Joab, saying, "Who will go down with me to Saul into the camp?" And Abishai said, "I will go down with thee."

⁷So David and Abishai came to the people by night. And behold, Saul lay sleeping within the entrenchment, and his spear stuck in the ground at his bolster; but Abner and the people lay round about him.

⁸Then said Abishai to David, "God hath delivered thine enemy into thine hand this day. Now therefore let me smite him, I pray thee, with the spear even to the earth at once, and I will not smite him the second time."

⁹And David said to Abishai, "Destroy him not, for who can stretch forth his hand against the LORD'S anointed and be guiltless?"

¹⁰David said furthermore, "As the LORD liveth, the LORD shall smite him, or his day shall come to die, or he shall descend into battle and perish.

¹¹The LORD forbid that I should stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed; but, I pray thee, take thou now the spear that is at his bolster, and the cruse of water, and let us go."

¹²So David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul's bolster, and they got away. And no man saw it nor knew it, neither awakened; for they were all asleep, because a deep sleep from the LORD had fallen upon them.

¹³Then David went over to the other side and stood on the top of a hill afar off, a great space being between them.

¹⁴And David cried to the people and to Abner the son of Ner, saying, "Answerest thou not, Abner?" Then Abner answered and said, "Who art thou that criest to the king?"

¹⁵And David said to Abner, "Art not thou a valiant man? And who is like to thee in Israel? Why then hast thou not kept thy lord the king? For there came in one of the people to destroy the king thy lord.

¹⁶This thing is not good that thou hast done. As the LORD liveth, ye are worthy to die, because ye have not kept your master, the LORD'S anointed. And now see where the king's spear is, and the cruse of water that was at his bolster."

¹⁷And Saul knew David's voice, and said, "Is this thy voice, my son David?" And David said, "It is my voice, my lord, O king."

¹⁸And he said, "Why doth my lord thus pursue after his servant? For what have I done, or what evil is in mine hand?

¹⁹Now therefore, I pray thee, let my lord the king hear the words of his servant. If the LORD have stirred thee up against me, let Him accept an offering; but if they be the children of men, cursed be they before the LORD, for they have driven me out this day from abiding in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'

²⁰Now therefore, let not my blood fall to the earth before the face of the LORD; for the king of Israel has come out to seek a flea, as when one doth hunt a partridge in the mountains."

²¹Then said Saul, "I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will no more do thee harm, because my soul was precious in thine eyes this day. Behold, I have played the fool and have erred exceedingly."

²²And David answered and said, "Behold the king's spear! Let one of the young men come over and fetch it.

²³The LORD render to every man his righteousness and his faithfulness; for the LORD delivered thee into my hand today, but I would not stretch forth mine hand against the LORD'S anointed.

²⁴And behold, as thy life was much esteemed this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much esteemed in the eyes of the LORD, and let Him deliver me out of all tribulation."

²⁵Then Saul said to David, "Blessed be thou, my son David. Thou shalt both do great things and also shalt still prevail." So David went on his way, and Saul returned to his place.

27And David said in his heart, "I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any border of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand."

²And David arose, and he passed over with the six hundred men who were with him unto Achish, the son of Maoch, king of Gath.

³And David dwelt with Achish at Gath, he and his men, every man with his household, even David with his two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess and Abigail the Carmelitess, Nabal's wife.

⁴And it was told Saul that David had fled to Gath, and he sought no more again for him.

⁵And David said unto Achish, "If I have now found grace in thine eyes, let them give me a place in some town in the country, that I may dwell there; for why should thy servant dwell in the royal city with thee?"

⁶Then Achish gave him Ziklag that day. Therefore Ziklag pertaineth unto the kings of Judah unto this day.

⁷And the time that David dwelt in the country of the Philistines was a full year and four months.

⁸And David and his men went up and invaded the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites, for those nations were of old the inhabitants of the land, as thou goest to Shur, even unto the land of Egypt.

⁹And David smote the land and left neither man nor woman alive, and took away the sheep and the oxen and the asses and the camels and the apparel, and returned and came to Achish.

¹⁰And Achish said, "Whither have ye made a raid today?" And David said, "Against the south of Judah, and against the south of the Jerahmeelites, and against the south of the Kenites."

¹¹And David saved neither man nor woman alive to bring tidings to Gath, saying, "Lest they should tell on us, saying, 'So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines.'"

¹²And Achish believed David, saying, "He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him. Therefore he shall be my servant for ever."

28And it came to pass in those days that the Philistines gathered their armies together for warfare to fight with Israel. And Achish said unto David, "Know thou assuredly that thou shalt go out with me to battle, thou and thy men."

²And David said to Achish, "Surely thou shalt know what thy servant can do." And Achish said to David, "Therefore will I makethee keeper of mine head for ever."

³Now Samuel was dead, and all Israel had lamented him and buried him in Ramah, even in his own city. And Saul had put away those who had familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land.

⁴And the Philistines gathered themselves together and came and pitched camp in Shunem; and Saul gathered all Israel together, and they pitched camp in Gilboa.

⁵And when Saul saw the host of the Philistines, he was afraid and his heart greatly trembled.

⁶And when Saul inquired of the LORD, the LORD answered him not, neither by dreams nor by Urim nor by prophets.

⁷Then said Saul unto his servants, "Seek me a woman who hath a familiar spirit, that I may go to her and inquire of her." And his servants said to him, "Behold, there is a woman who hath a familiar spirit at Endor."

⁸And Saul disguised himself and put on other raiment, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, "I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up whom I shall name unto thee."

⁹And the woman said unto him, "Behold, thou knowest what Saul hath done, how he hath cut off those who have familiar spirits and the wizards out of the land. Why then layest thou a snare for my life, to cause me to die?"

¹⁰And Saul swore to her by the LORD, saying, "As the LORD liveth, there shall no punishment happen to thee for this thing."

¹¹Then said the woman, "Whom shall I bring up unto thee?" And he said, "Bring me up Samuel."

¹²And when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, "Why hast thou deceived me? For thou art Saul!"

¹³And the king said unto her, "Be not afraid. For what sawest thou?" And the woman said unto Saul, "I saw gods ascending out of the earth."

¹⁴And he said unto her, "What form is he of?" And she said, "An old man cometh up, and he is covered with a mantle." And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed himself.

¹⁵And Samuel said to Saul, "Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up?" And Saul answered, "I am sore distressed; for the Philistines make war against me, and God has departed from me and answereth me no more, neither by prophets nor by dreams. Therefore I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what I shall do."

¹⁶Then said Samuel, "Why then dost thou ask of me, seeing the LORD has departed from thee and has become thine enemy?

¹⁷And the LORD hath done to him, as He spoke by me. For the LORD hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand and given it to thy neighbor, even to David.

¹⁸Because thou obeyed not the voice of the LORD nor executed His fierce wrath upon Amalek, therefore hath the LORD done this thing unto thee this day.

¹⁹Moreover the LORD will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of the Philistines; and tomorrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me. The LORD also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."

²⁰Then Saul fell straightway full length on the earth, and was sore afraid because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten no bread all the day nor all the night.

²¹And the woman came unto Saul and saw that he was sore troubled, and said unto him, "Behold, thine handmaid hath obeyed thy voice, and I have put my life in my hands and have hearkened unto thy words which thou spoke unto me.

²²Now therefore, I pray thee, hearken thou also unto the voice of thine handmaid, and let me set a morsel of bread before thee; and eat, that thou mayest have strength when thou goest on thy way."

²³But he refused and said, "I will not eat." But his servants, together with the woman, compelled him; and he hearkened unto their voice. So he arose from the earth and sat upon the bed.

²⁴And the woman had a fat calf in the house; and she hastened and killed it, and took flour and kneaded it, and baked unleavened bread thereof.

²⁵And she brought it before Saul and before his servants, and they ate. Then they rose up and went away that night.

29Now the Philistines gathered together all their armies to Aphek, and the Israelites pitched camp by a fountain which is in Jezreel.

²And the lords of the Philistines passed on by hundreds and by thousands, but David and his men passed on in the rearward with Achish.

³Then said the princes of the Philistines, "What do these Hebrews here?" And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, "Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, who hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me to this day?"

⁴And the princes of the Philistines were wroth with him; and the princes of the Philistines said unto him, "Make this fellow return, that he may go back to his place which thou hast appointed for him, and let him not go down with us to battle, lest in the battle he be an adversary to us. For wherewith should he reconcile himself unto his master? Should it not be with the heads of these men?

⁵Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, 'Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands'?"

⁶Then Achish called David and said unto him, "Surely, as the LORD liveth, thou hast been upright, and thy going out and thy coming in with me in the host is good in my sight; for I have not found evil in thee since the day of thy coming unto me to this day; nevertheless the lords favor thee not.

⁷Therefore now return and go in peace, that thou displease not the lords of the Philistines."

⁸And David said unto Achish, "But what have I done? And what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king?"

⁹And Achish answered and said to David, "I know that thou art good in my sight as an angel of God. Notwithstanding the princes of the Philistines have said, 'He shall not go up with us to the battle.'

¹⁰Therefore now rise up early in the morning with thy master's servants who have come with thee; and as soon as ye be up early in the morning and have light, depart."

¹¹So David and his men rose up early to depart in the morning to return into the land of the Philistines. And the Philistines went up to Jezreel.

30And it came to pass, when David and his men had come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the South and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag and burned it with fire,

²and had taken the women captive, who were therein. They slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away and went on their way.

³So David and his men came to the city, and behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives and their sons and their daughters were taken captive.

⁴Then David and the people who were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

⁵And David's two wives were taken captive: Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

⁶And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters; but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

⁷And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, "I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod." And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

⁸And David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I pursue after this troop? Shall I overtake them?" And He answered him, "Pursue, for thou shalt surely overtake them and without fail recover all."

⁹So David went, he and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the Brook Besor, where those who were left behind stayed.

¹⁰But David pursued, he and four hundred men; for two hundred remained behind, who were so faint that they could not go over the Brook Besor.

¹¹And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David and gave him bread, and he ate; and they made him drink water.

¹²And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs and two clusters of raisins; and when he had eaten his spirit came again to him, for he had eaten no bread nor drunk any water three days and three nights.

¹³And David said unto him, "To whom belongest thou, and from whence art thou?" And he said, "I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days ago I fell sick.

¹⁴We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the border which belongeth to Judah and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire."

¹⁵And David said to him, "Canst thou bring me down to this company?" And he said, "Swear unto me by God that thou wilt neither kill me nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company."

¹⁶And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines and out of the land of Judah.

¹⁷And David smote them from the twilight even unto the evening of the next day; and there escaped not a man of them, save four hundred young men who rode upon camels and fled.

¹⁸And David recovered all that the Amalekites had carried away, and David rescued his two wives.

¹⁹And there was nothing lacking to them, neither small nor great, neither sons nor daughters, neither spoil nor any thing that they had taken from them; David recovered all.

²⁰And David took all the flocks and the herds which they drove before those other cattle, and said, "This is David's spoil."

²¹And David came to the two hundred men who were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to remain at the Brook Besor; and they went forth to meet David and to meet the people who were with him. And when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

²²Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial of those who went with David, and said, "Because they went not with us, we will not give them aught of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart."

²³Then said David, "Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

²⁴For who will hearken unto you in this matter? But as his part is who goeth down to the battle, so shall his part be who tarrieth by the supplies: they shall divide alike."

²⁵And it was so from that day forward, that he made it a statute and an ordinance for Israel unto this day.

²⁶And when David came to Ziklag, he sent a portion of the spoil unto the elders of Judah, even to his friends, saying, "Behold, a present for you of the spoil of the enemies of the LORD"--

²⁷to those who were in Bethel, and to those who were in South Ramoth, and to those who were in Jattir;

²⁸and to those who were in Aroer, and to those who were in Siphmoth, and to those who were in Eshtemoa,

²⁹and to those who were in Rachal, and to those who were in the cities of the Jerahmeelites, and to those who were in the cities of the Kenites;

³⁰and to those who were in Hormah, and to those who were in Chorashan, and to those who were in Athach;

³¹and to those who were in Hebron, and to all the places where David himself and his men were wont to haunt.

31Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.

²And the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, Saul's sons.

³And the battle went sore against Saul, and the archers hit him; and he was sore wounded by the archers.

⁴Then said Saul unto his armorbearer, "Draw thy sword and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through and abuse me." But his armorbearer would not, for he was sore afraid. Therefore Saul took a sword, and fell upon it.

⁵And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise upon his sword and died with him.

⁶So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armorbearer, and all his men that same day together.

⁷And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were on the other side of the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they forsook the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

⁸And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his three sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹And they cut off his head and stripped off his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about to proclaim it in the house of their idols and among the people.

¹⁰And they put his armor in the house of Ashtaroth, and they fastened his body to the wall of Bethshan.

¹¹And when the inhabitants of Jabeshgilead heard of that which the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹²all the valiant men arose and went all night, and took the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons from the wall of Bethshan, and came to Jabesh and burned them there.

¹³And they took their bones and buried them under a tree at Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

1Now it came to pass after the death of Saul, when David had returned from the slaughter of the Amalekites, and David had stayed two days in Ziklag--

²it came even to pass on the third day that, behold, a man came out of the camp from Saul with his clothes rent and earth upon his head; and so it was, when he came to David, that he fell to the earth and did obeisance.

³And David said unto him, "From whence comest thou?" And he said unto him, "Out of the camp of Israel am I escaped."

⁴And David said unto him, "How went the matter? I pray thee, tell me." And he answered, "The people have fled from the battle, and many of the people also are fallen and dead; and Saul and Jonathan his son are dead also."

⁵And David said unto the young man who told him, "How knowest thou that Saul and Jonathan his son are dead?"

⁶And the young man who told him said, "As I happened by chance upon Mount Gilboa, behold, Saul leaned upon his spear; and lo, the chariots and horsemen followed hard after him.

⁷And when he looked behind him, he saw me and called unto me. And I answered, 'Here am I.'

⁸And he said unto me, 'Who art thou?' And I answered him, 'I am an Amalekite.'

⁹And he said unto me again, 'Stand, I pray thee, upon me and slay me; for anguish is come upon me, because my life is yet whole in me.'

¹⁰So I stood upon him and slew him, because I was sure that he could not live after he was fallen. And I took the crown that was upon his head and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have brought them hither unto my lord."

¹¹Then David took hold on his clothes and rent them, and likewise all the men who were with him.

¹²And they mourned and wept and fasted until evening for Saul and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD and for the house of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

¹³And David said unto the young man who told him, "From whence art thou?" And he answered, "I am the son of a stranger, an Amalekite."

¹⁴And David said unto him, "How wast thou not afraid to stretch forth thine hand to destroy the LORD'S anointed?"

¹⁵And David called one of the young men and said, "Go near, and fall upon him." And he smote him so that he died.

¹⁶And David said unto him, "Thy blood be upon thy head, for thy mouth hath testified against thee, saying, 'I have slain the LORD'S anointed.'"

¹⁷And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son

¹⁸(Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow; behold, it is written in the Book of Jasher):

¹⁹"The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places! How are the mighty fallen!

²⁰Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Ashkelon, lest the daughters of the Philistines rejoice, lest the daughters of the uncircumcised triumph.

²¹"Ye mountains of Gilboa, let there be no dew, neither let there be rain upon you, nor fields of offerings. For there the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil.

²²"From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty.

²³"Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided; they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.

²⁴"Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel.

²⁵"How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou was slain in thine high places.

²⁶I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant hast thou been unto me. Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.

²⁷"How are the mighty fallen, and the weapons of war perished!"

2And it came to pass after this that David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah?" And the LORD said unto him, "Go up." And David said, "Whither shall I go up?" And He said, "Unto Hebron."

²So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail, Nabal's wife the Carmelite.

³And his men who were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.

⁴And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, "The men of Jabeshgilead were those who buried Saul."

⁵And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabeshgilead, and said unto them, "Blessed be ye of the LORD, that ye have shown this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.

⁶And now the LORD show kindness and truth unto you; and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.

⁷Therefore now, let your hands be strengthened and be ye valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah has anointed me king over them."

⁸But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul's host, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul and brought him over to Mahanaim,

⁹and made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.

¹⁰Ishbosheth, Saul's son, was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.

¹¹And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.

¹²And Abner the son of Ner, and the servants of Ishbosheth the son of Saul, went out from Mahanaim to Gibeon.

¹³And Joab the son of Zeruiah and the servants of David went out and met together by the pool of Gibeon; and they sat down, the one on one side of the pool and the other on the other side of the pool.

¹⁴And Abner said to Joab, "Let the young men now arise and play before us." And Joab said, "Let them arise."

¹⁵Then there arose and went over by number, twelve of Benjamin, who pertained to Ishbosheth the son of Saul, and twelve of the servants of David.

¹⁶And they caught every one his fellow by the head and thrust his sword in his fellow's side, so they fell down together; therefore that place was called Helkathhazzurim [that is, The field of strong men], which is in Gibeon.

¹⁷And there was a very sore battle that day; and Abner was beaten, and the men of Israel, before the servants of David.

¹⁸And there were three sons of Zeruiah there: Joab and Abishai and Asahel. And Asahel was as light of foot as a wild roe.

¹⁹And Asahel pursued after Abner; and in going he turned not to the right hand nor to the left from following Abner.

²⁰Then Abner looked behind him and said, "Art thou Asahel?" And he answered, "I am."

²¹And Abner said to him, "Turn thee aside to thy right hand or to thy left, and lay thee hold on one of the young men and take thee his armor." But Asahel would not turn aside from following him.

²²And Abner said again to Asahel, "Turn thee aside from following me. Why should I smite thee to the ground? How then should I hold up my face to Joab thy brother?"

²³However, he refused to turn aside. Therefore Abner with the rear end of the spear smote him under the fifth rib, so that the spear came out behind him; and he fell down there and died in the same place. And it came to pass that as many as came to the place where Asahel fell down and died, stood still.

²⁴Joab also and Abishai pursued after Abner. And the sun went down when they had come to the hill of Ammah, that lieth before Giah by the way of the Wilderness of Gibeon.

²⁵And the children of Benjamin gathered themselves together behind Abner and became one troop, and stood on the top of a hill.

²⁶Then Abner called to Joab and said, "Shall the sword devour for ever? Knowest thou not that it will be bitterness in the latter end? How long shall it be then, ere thou bid the people to return from following their brethren?"

²⁷And Joab said, "As God liveth, unless thou had spoken, surely then in the morning the people would have gone up every one from following his brother."

²⁸So Joab blew a trumpet; and all the people stood still and pursued after Israel no more, neither fought they any more.

²⁹And Abner and his men walked all that night through the plain, and passed over the Jordan and went through all Bithron; and they came to Mahanaim.

³⁰And Joab returned from following Abner; and when he had gathered all the people together, there lacked of David's servants nineteen men and Asahel.

³¹But the servants of David had smitten some of Benjamin and of Abner's men, so that three hundred and threescore men died.

³²And they took up Asahel and buried him in the sepulcher of his father, which was in Bethlehem. And Joab and his men went all night, and they came to Hebron at break of day.

3Now there was long war between the house of Saul and the house of David; but David waxed stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul waxed weaker and weaker.

²And unto David were sons born in Hebron: and his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess;

³and his second, Chileab, of Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite; and the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur;

⁴and the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; and the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

⁵and the sixth, Ithream, by Eglah David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron.

⁶And it came to pass, while there was war between the house of Saul and the house of David, that Abner made himself strong for the house of Saul.

⁷And Saul had a concubine, whose name was Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. And Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why hast thou gone in unto my father's concubine?"

⁸Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, "Am I a dog's head, who against Judah do show kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me today with a fault concerning this woman?

⁹God so do to Abner, and more also, unless, as the LORD hath sworn to David, even so I do to him:

¹⁰to translate the kingdom from the house of Saul and to set up the throne of David over Israel and over Judah, from Dan even to Beersheba."

¹¹And he could not answer Abner a word again, because he feared him.

¹²And Abner sent messengers to David on his behalf, saying, "Whose land is it?" saying also, "Make thy league with me, and behold, my hand shall be with thee to bring about all Israel unto thee."

¹³And he said, "Well; I will make a league with thee, but one thing I require of thee, that is: thou shalt not see my face, unless thou first bring Michal, Saul's daughter, when thou comest to see my face."

¹⁴And David sent messengers to Ishbosheth, Saul's son, saying, "Deliver me my wife Michal, whom I espoused to me for a hundred foreskins of the Philistines."

¹⁵And Ishbosheth sent and took her from her husband, even from Paltiel the son of Laish.

¹⁶And her husband went along with her, weeping behind her, to Bahurim. Then said Abner unto him, "Go, return." And he returned.

¹⁷And Abner had communication with the elders of Israel, saying, "Ye sought for David in times past to be king over you.

¹⁸Now then do it; for the LORD hath spoken of David, saying, 'By the hand of My servant David, I will save My people Israel out of the hand of the Philistines and out of the hand of all their enemies.'"

¹⁹And Abner also spoke in the ears of Benjamin; and Abner went also to speak in the ears of David in Hebron all that seemed good to Israel and that seemed good to the whole house of Benjamin.

²⁰So Abner came to David at Hebron, and twenty men with him. And David made Abner and the men who were with him a feast.

²¹And Abner said unto David, "I will arise and go, and will gather all Israel unto my lord the king, that they may make a league with thee, and that thou mayest reign over all that thine heart desireth." And David sent Abner away, and he went in peace.

²²And behold, the servants of David and Joab came from pursuing a troop and brought in a great spoil with them; but Abner was not with David in Hebron, for he had sent him away, and he had gone in peace.

²³When Joab and all the host that was with him had come, they told Joab, saying, "Abner the son of Ner came to the king, and he hath sent him away, and he has gone in peace."

²⁴Then Joab came to the king and said, "What hast thou done? Behold, Abner came unto thee; why is it that thou hast sent him away, and he is quite gone?

²⁵Thou knowest Abner the son of Ner, that he came to deceive thee, and to know thy going out and thy coming in, and to know all that thou doest."

²⁶And when Joab had come out from David, he sent messengers after Abner, who brought him back from the well of Sirah; but David knew it not.

²⁷And when Abner had returned to Hebron, Joab took him aside in the gate to speak with him quietly, and smote him there under the fifth rib, so that he died for the blood of Asahel his brother.

²⁸And afterward when David heard it, he said, "I and my kingdom are guiltless before the LORD for ever from the blood of Abner the son of Ner.

²⁹Let it rest on the head of Joab and on all his father's house; and let there never fail from the house of Joab one who hath an issue, or who is a leper, or who leaneth on a staff, or who falleth on the sword, or who lacketh bread."

³⁰So Joab and Abishai his brother slew Abner, because he had slain their brother Asahel at Gibeon in the battle.

³¹And David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, "Rend your clothes and gird yourselves with sackcloth, and mourn before Abner." And King David himself followed the bier.

³²And they buried Abner in Hebron. And the king lifted up his voice and wept at the grave of Abner; and all the people wept.

³³And the king lamented over Abner and said, "Died Abner as a fool dieth?

³⁴Thy hands were not bound nor thy feet put into fetters. As a man falleth before wicked men, so fellest thou." And all the people wept again over him.

³⁵And when all the people came to cause David to eat meat while it was yet day, David swore, saying, "So do God to me, and more also, if I taste bread or aught else till the sun be down."

³⁶And all the people took notice of it, and it pleased them, as whatsoever the king did pleased all the people.

³⁷For all the people and all Israel understood that day that it was not because of the king that Abner the son of Ner was slain.

³⁸And the king said unto his servants, "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?

³⁹And I am this day weak, though anointed king; and these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too hard for me. The LORD shall reward the doer of evil according to his wickedness."

4And when Saul's son heard that Abner was dead in Hebron, his hands were feeble, and all the Israelites were troubled.

²And Saul's son had two men who were captains of companies: the name of the one was Baanah and the name of the other Rechab, the sons of Rimmon a Beerothite, of the children of Benjamin. (For Beeroth also was reckoned to Benjamin;

³and the Beerothites fled to Gittaim and were sojourners there until this day.)

⁴And Jonathan, Saul's son, had a son who was lame in his feet. He was five years old when the tidings came of Saul and Jonathan out of Jezreel, and his nurse took him up and fled. And it came to pass, as she made haste to flee, that he fell and became lame. And his name was Mephibosheth.

⁵And the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, Rechab and Baanah, went and came about the heat of the day to the house of Ishbosheth, who lay on a bed at noon.

⁶And they came thither into the midst of the house as though they would have fetched wheat, and they smote him under the fifth rib; and Rechab and Baanah his brother escaped.

⁷For when they came into the house, he lay on his bed in his bedchamber; and they smote him, and slew him, and beheaded him, and took his head, and got themselves away through the plain all night.

⁸And they brought the head of Ishbosheth unto David at Hebron, and said to the king, "Behold the head of Ishbosheth the son of Saul thine enemy, who sought thy life; and the LORD hath avenged my lord the king this day of Saul and of his seed."

⁹And David answered Rechab and Baanah his brother, the sons of Rimmon the Beerothite, and said unto them, "As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all adversity,

¹⁰when one told me, saying, 'Behold, Saul is dead,' thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him and slew him in Ziklag; he thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings.

¹¹How much more, when wicked men have slain a righteous person in his own house upon his bed? Shall I not therefore now require his blood at your hand and take you away from the earth?"

¹²And David commanded his young men, and they slew them and cut off their hands and their feet, and hanged them up over the pool in Hebron. But they took the head of Ishbosheth and buried it in the sepulcher of Abner in Hebron.

5Then came all the tribes of Israel to David unto Hebron and spoke, saying, "Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

²Also in time past, when Saul was king over us, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and the LORD said to thee, 'Thou shalt feed My people Israel, and thou shalt be a captain over Israel.'"

³So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron; and King David made a league with them in Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.

⁴David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

⁵In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years over all Israel and Judah.

⁶And the king and his men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land, who spoke unto David, saying, "Unless thou take away the blind and the lame, thou shalt not come in hither," thinking, "David cannot come in hither."

⁷Nevertheless David took the stronghold of Zion (the same is the City of David).

⁸And David said on that day, "Whosoever getteth up through the gutter and smiteth the Jebusites, and the lame and the blind, who are hated in David's soul, he shall be chief and captain." Therefore they said, "The blind and the lame shall not come into the house."

⁹So David dwelt in the fortress, and called it the City of David. And David built round about from the Millo and inward.

¹⁰And David went on and grew great, and the LORD God of hosts was with him.

¹¹And Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and cedar trees and carpenters and masons; and they built David a house.

¹²And David perceived that the LORD had established him king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for His people Israel's sake.

¹³And David took more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem after he had come from Hebron; and there were yet sons and daughters born to David.

¹⁴And these are the names of those who were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon,

¹⁵Ibhar also, and Elishua, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

¹⁶and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet.

¹⁷But when the Philistines heard that they had anointed David king over Israel, all the Philistines came up to seek David; and David heard of it and went down to the stronghold.

¹⁸The Philistines also came and spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁹And David inquired of the LORD, saying, "Shall I go up to the Philistines? Wilt Thou deliver them into mine hand?" And the LORD said unto David, "Go up, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into thine hand."

²⁰And David came to Baalperazim, and David smote them there and said, "The LORD hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters." Therefore he called the name of that place Baalperazim [that is, The plain of breaches].

²¹And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.

²²And the Philistines came up yet again and spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.

²³And when David inquired of the LORD, He said, "Thou shalt not go up; but pass around behind them, and come upon them over against the mulberry trees.

²⁴And let it be, when thou hearest the sound of moving in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt bestir thyself; for then shall the LORD go out before thee to smite the host of the Philistines."

²⁵And David did so, as the LORD had commanded him, and smote the Philistines from Geba as far as Gezer.

6Again, David gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.

²And David arose, and went with all the people who were with him from Baale of Judah to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the LORD of hosts who dwelleth between the cherubims.

³And they set the ark of God upon a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab, that was at Gibeah; and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.

⁴And they brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which wasat Gibeah, accompanying the ark of God; and Ahio went before the ark.

⁵And David and all the house of Israel played before the LORD on all manner of instruments made of fir wood, even on harps and on psalteries, and on timbrels and on cornets, and on cymbals.

⁶And when they came to Nachon's threshing floor, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it, for the oxen shook it.

⁷And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah, and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.

⁸And David was displeased because the LORD had broken out upon Uzzah; and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah [that is, The breach of Uzzah] to this day.

⁹And David was afraid of the LORD that day and said, "How shall the ark of the LORD come to me?"

¹⁰So David would not remove the ark of the LORD unto him into the City of David, but David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

¹¹And the ark of the LORD continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months; and the LORD blessed Obededom and all his household.

¹²And it was told King David, saying, "The LORD hath blessed the house of Obededom and all that pertaineth unto him, because of the ark of God." So David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obededom into the City of David with gladness.

¹³And it was so that, when those who bore the ark of the LORD had gone six paces, he sacrificed oxen and fatlings.

¹⁴And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.

¹⁵So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of the LORD with shouting and with the sound of the trumpet.

¹⁶And as the ark of the LORD came into the City of David, Michal, Saul's daughter, looked through a window and saw King David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart.

¹⁷And they brought in the ark of the LORD, and set it in his place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD.

¹⁸And as soon as David had made an end of offering burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of hosts.

¹⁹And he dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, as well to the women as men, to every one a cake of bread and a good piece of flesh and a flagon of wine. So all the people departed every one to his house.

²⁰Then David returned to bless his household. And Michal the daughter of Saul came out to meet David and said, "How glorious was the king of Israel today, who uncovered himself today in the eyes of the handmaids of his servants, as one of the vain fellows shamelessly uncovereth himself!"

²¹And David said unto Michal, "It was before the LORD, who chose me before thy father and before all his house, to appoint me ruler over the people of the LORD, over Israel; therefore will I play before the LORD.

²²And I will yet be more vile than thus, and will be base in mine own sight; and of the maidservants whom thou hast spoken of, of them shall I be held in honor."

²³Therefore Michal the daughter of Saul had no child unto the day of her death.

7And it came to pass, when the king sat in his house and the LORD had given him rest round about from all his enemies,

²that the king said unto Nathan the prophet, "See now, I dwell in a house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains."

³And Nathan said to the king, "Go, do all that is in thine heart, for the LORD is with thee."

⁴And it came to pass that night that the word of the LORD came unto Nathan, saying,

⁵"Go and tell My servant David, 'Thus saith the LORD: Shalt thou build Me a house for Me to dwell in?

⁶For I have not dwelt in any house since the time that I brought up the children of Israel out of Egypt even to this day, but have walked in a tent and in a tabernacle.

⁷In all the places wherein I have walked with all the children of Israel, spoke I a word with any of the tribes of Israel, whom I commanded to feed My people Israel, saying, "Why build ye not Me a house of cedar?"'

⁸Now therefore, so shalt thou say unto My servant David, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people, over Israel.

⁹And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men who are on the earth.

¹⁰Moreover I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as before,

¹¹and as since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. "'Also the LORD telleth thee that He will make thee a house.

¹²And when thy days be fulfilled and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, who shall proceed out of thy loins, and I will establish his kingdom.

¹³He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

¹⁴I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men;

¹⁵but My mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee.

¹⁶And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee; thy throne shall be established for ever.'"

¹⁷According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

¹⁸Then went King David in and sat before the LORD, and he said: "Who am I, O Lord GOD? And what is my house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

¹⁹And this was yet a small thing in Thy sight, O Lord GOD; but Thou hast spoken also of Thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the manner of man, O Lord GOD?

²⁰And what can David say more unto Thee? For Thou, Lord GOD, knowest Thy servant.

²¹For Thy word's sake and according to Thine own heart hast Thou done all these great things to make Thy servant know them.

²²Therefore Thou art great, O LORD God; for there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²³And what one nation on the earth is like Thy people, even like Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people to Himself, and to make Him a name and to do for You great things and fearsome for Thy land, before Thy people whom Thou redeemed to Thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?

²⁴For Thou hast confirmed for Thyself Thy people Israel to be a people unto Thee for ever; and Thou, LORD, art become their God.

²⁵And now, O LORD God, the word that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and concerning his house, establish it for ever, and do as Thou hast said.

²⁶And let Thy name be magnified for ever saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God over Israel'; and let the house of Thy servant David be established before Thee.

²⁷For Thou, O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, hast revealed to Thy servant, saying, 'I will build thee a house.' Therefore hath Thy servant found in his heart to pray this prayer unto Thee.

²⁸And now, O Lord GOD, Thou art that God, and Thy words be true, and Thou hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant.

²⁹Therefore now let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may continue for ever before Thee; for Thou, O Lord GOD, hast spoken it, and with Thy blessing let the house of Thy servant be blessed for ever."

8And after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines and subdued them; and David took Methegammah out of the hand of the Philistines.

²And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground: even with two lines measured he those to be put to death, and with one full line those to be kept alive. And so the Moabites became David's servants and brought gifts.

³David smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the River Euphrates.

⁴And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen; and David hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for a hundred chariots.

⁵And when the Syrians of Damascus came to succor Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

⁶Then David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David and brought gifts. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

⁷And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸And from Betah and from Berothai, cities of Hadadezer, King David took exceeding much brass.

⁹When Toi king of Hamath heard that David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer,

¹⁰then Toi sent Joram his son unto King David to salute him and to bless him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him; for Hadadezer had wars with Toi. And Joram brought with him vessels of silver and vessels of gold and vessels of brass,

¹¹which also King David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and gold that he had dedicated of all nations which he subdued:

¹²of Syria, and of Moab, and of the children of Ammon, and of the Philistines, and of Amalek, and of the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.

¹³And David got him a name when he returned from smiting the Syrians in the Valley of Salt, being eighteen thousand men.

¹⁴And he put garrisons in Edom; throughout all Edom he put garrisons, and all those of Edom became David's servants. And the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

¹⁵And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people.

¹⁶And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the host; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

¹⁷and Zadok the son of Ahitub and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; and Seraiah was the scribe;

¹⁸and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over both the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and David's sons were chief rulers.

9And David said, "Is there yet any that is left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for Jonathan's sake?"

²And there was of the house of Saul a servant whose name was Ziba. And when they had called him unto David, the king said unto him, "Art thou Ziba?" And he said, "Thy servant is he."

³And the king said, "Is there not yet any of the house of Saul, that I may show the kindness of God unto him?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Jonathan hath yet a son who is lame in his feet."

⁴And the king said unto him, "Where is he?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Behold, he is in the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lodebar."

⁵Then King David sent and fetched him out of the house of Machir the son of Ammiel, from Lodebar.

⁶Now when Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, had come unto David, he fell on his face and did reverence. And David said, "Mephibosheth." And he answered, "Behold thy servant!"

⁷And David said unto him, "Fear not; for I will surely show thee kindness for Jonathan thy father's sake, and will restore thee all the land of Saul thy father; and thou shalt eat bread at my table continually."

⁸And he bowed himself and said, "What is thy servant, that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am?"

⁹Then the king called to Ziba, Saul's servant, and said unto him, "I have given unto thy master's son all that pertained to Saul and to all his house.

¹⁰Thou, therefore, and thy sons and thy servants, shall till the land for him, and thou shalt bring in the fruits, that thy master's son may have food to eat; but Mephibosheth thy master's son shall eat bread always at my table." (Now Ziba had fifteen sons and twenty servants.)

¹¹Then said Ziba unto the king, "According to all that my lord the king hath commanded his servant, so shall thy servant do." "As for Mephibosheth," said the king, "he shall eat at my table as one of the king's sons."

¹²And Mephibosheth had a young son whose name was Micha. And all who dwelt in the house of Ziba were servants unto Mephibosheth.

¹³So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table, and was lame in both his feet.

10And it came to pass after this that the king of the children of Ammon died, and Hanun his son reigned in his stead.

²Then said David, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father showed kindness unto me." And David sent to comfort him by the hand of his servants for his father. And David's servants came into the land of the children of Ammon.

³And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, "Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?"

⁴Therefore Hanun took David's servants and shaved off one half of their beards and cut off their garments in the middle, even to their buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵When they told it unto David, he sent to meet them, because the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, "Tarry at Jericho until your beards are grown, and then return."

⁶And when the children of Ammon saw that they were a stench before David, the children of Ammon sent and hired the Syrians of Bethrehob and the Syrians of Zoba, twenty thousand footmen, and of King Maacah a thousand men, and of Ishtob twelve thousand men.

⁷And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.

⁸And the children of Ammon came out and set up in battle array at the entrance to the gate; and the Syrians of Zoba, and of Rehob, and Ishtob, and Maacah were by themselves in the field.

⁹When Joab saw that the front of the battle line was against him before and behind, he chose from all the choice men of Israel and put them in array against the Syrians;

¹⁰and the rest of the people he delivered into the hand of Abishai his brother, that he might put them in array against the children of Ammon.

¹¹And he said, "If the Syrians be too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon be too strong for thee, then I will come and help thee.

¹²Be of good courage, and let us play the man for our people and for the cities of our God; and the LORD do that which seemeth to Him good."

¹³And Joab drew nigh, and the people who were with him, unto the battle against the Syrians; and they fled before him.

¹⁴And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, then fled they also before Abishai and entered into the city. So Joab returned from the children of Ammon, and came to Jerusalem.

¹⁵And when the Syrians saw that they were smitten before Israel, they gathered themselves together.

¹⁶And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the river, and they came to Helam; and Shobach the captain of the host of Hadadezer went before them.

¹⁷And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and passed over the Jordan and came to Helam. And the Syrians set themselves in array against David, and fought with him.

¹⁸And the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew the men of seven hundred chariots of the Syrians and forty thousand horsemen, and smote Shobach the captain of their host, who died there.

¹⁹And when all the kings who were servants to Hadadezer saw that they were smitten before Israel, they made peace with Israel and served them. So the Syrians feared to help the children of Ammon any more.

11And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

²And it came to pass in an eveningtide that David arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

³And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

⁴And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her, for she was purified from her uncleanness; and she returned unto her house.

⁵And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, "I am with child."

⁶And David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.

⁷And when Uriah had come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered.

⁸And David said to Uriah, "Go down to thy house and wash thy feet." And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a meal of meat from the king.

⁹But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.

¹⁰And when they had told David, saying, "Uriah went not down unto his house," David said unto Uriah, "Camest thou not from thy journey? Why then did thou not go down unto thine house?"

¹¹And Uriah said unto David, "The ark and Israel and Judah abide in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields: shall I then go into mine house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As thou livest and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing."

¹²And David said to Uriah, "Tarry here today also, and tomorrow I will let thee depart." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the morrow.

¹³And when David had called him, he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.

¹⁴And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

¹⁵And he wrote in the letter, saying, "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten and die."

¹⁶And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

¹⁷And the men of the city went out and fought with Joab; and there fell some of the people of the servants of David, and Uriah the Hittite died also.

¹⁸Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war,

¹⁹and charged the messenger, saying, "When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,

²⁰and if so be that the king's wrath arise and he say unto thee, 'Why approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye fought? Knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?

²¹Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? Why went ye nigh the wall?' -- then say thou, 'Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"

²²So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.

²³And the messenger said unto David, "Surely the men prevailed against us and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entrance of the gate.

²⁴And the shooters shot from the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants are dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."

²⁵Then David said unto the messenger, "Thus shalt thou say unto Joab: 'Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another. Press thy battle stronger against the city, and overthrow it'; and encourage thou him."

²⁶And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

²⁷And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house; and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

12And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, "There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor.

²The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds.

³But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up. And it grew up together with him and with his children; it ate of his own meat and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.

⁴And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he was unwilling to take of his own flock and of his own herd to dress for the wayfaring man who had come unto him, but took the poor man's lamb and dressed it for the man who had come to him."

⁵And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD liveth, the man who hath done this thing shall surely die.

⁶And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and because he had no pity."

⁷And Nathan said to David, "Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul,

⁸and I gave thee thy master's house and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.

⁹Why hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in His sight? Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

¹⁰Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house, because thou hast despised Me and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.'

¹¹"Thus saith the LORD: 'Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house; and I will take thy wives before thine eyes and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

¹²For thou did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'"

¹³And David said unto Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said unto David, "The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."

¹⁴However, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born unto thee shall surely die."

¹⁵And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bore unto David, and it was very sick.

¹⁶David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in and lay all night upon the earth.

¹⁷And the elders of his house arose and went to him to raise him up from the earth; but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

¹⁸And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice. How will he then vex himself if we tell him that the child is dead?"

¹⁹But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said unto his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead."

²⁰Then David arose from the earth, and washed and anointed himself and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshiped. Then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him and he ate.

²¹Then said his servants unto him, "What thing is this that thou hast done? Thou did fast and weep for the child while it was alive, but when the child was dead, thou did rise and eat bread."

²²And he said, "While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?'

²³But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me."

²⁴And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her and lay with her. And she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon; and the LORD loved him.

²⁵And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah [that is, Beloved of the Lord], because of the LORD.

²⁶And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.

²⁷And Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah and have taken from the city its waters.

²⁸Now therefore gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called after my name."

²⁹And David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.

³⁰And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight of which was a talent of gold with the precious stones; and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.

³¹And he brought forth the people who were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln; and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.

13And it came to pass after this that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.

²And Amnon was so vexed that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin, and Amnon thought it hard for him to do any thing to her.

³But Amnon had a friend whose name was Jonadab, the son of Shimeah David's brother; and Jonadab was a very subtle man.

⁴And he said unto him, "Why art thou, being the king's son, lean from day to day? Wilt thou not tell me?" And Amnon said unto him, "I love Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister."

⁵And Jonadab said unto him, "Lay thee down on thy bed and make thyself sick; and when thy father cometh to see thee, say unto him, 'I pray thee, let my sister Tamar come and give me meat, and dress the meat in my sight, that I may see it and eat it at her hand.'"

⁶So Amnon lay down and made himself sick; and when the king came to see him, Amnon said unto the king, "I pray thee, let Tamar my sister come and make me a couple of cakes in my sight, that I may eat at her hand."

⁷Then David sent home to Tamar, saying, "Go now to thy brother Amnon's house, and dress him meat."

⁸So Tamar went to her brother Amnon's house; and he was lying down. And she took flour and kneaded it, and made cakes in his sight, and baked the cakes.

⁹And she took a pan and poured them out before him, but he refused to eat. And Amnon said, "Send out all men from me." And they went out every man from him.

¹⁰And Amnon said unto Tamar, "Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat from thine hand." And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.

¹¹And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her and said unto her, "Come lie with me, my sister."

¹²And she answered him, "Nay, my brother, do not force me, for no such thing ought to be done in Israel. Do not thou this folly!

¹³And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? And as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king, for he will not withhold me from thee."

¹⁴Nevertheless he would not hearken unto her voice; but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.

¹⁵Then Amnon hated her exceedingly, so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, "Arise, be gone!"

¹⁶And she said unto him, "There is no cause. This evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou did unto me." But he would not hearken unto her.

¹⁷Then he called his servant who ministered unto him and said, "Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her."

¹⁸And she had a garment of divers colors upon her, for with such robes were the king's daughters who were virgins appareled. Then his servant brought her out, and bolted the door after her.

¹⁹And Tamar put ashes on her head, and rent her garment of divers colors that was on her, and laid her hand on her head and went on crying.

²⁰And Absalom her brother said unto her, "Hath Amnon thy brother been with thee? But hold now thy peace, my sister. He is thy brother; regard not this thing." So Tamar remained desolate in her brother Absalom's house.

²¹But when King David heard of all these things, he was very wroth.

²²And Absalom spoke unto his brother Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar.

²³And it came to pass after two full years that Absalom had sheepshearers in Baalhazor, which is beside Ephraim; and Absalom invited all the king's sons.

²⁴And Absalom came to the king and said, "Behold now, thy servant hath sheepshearers; let the king, I beseech thee, and his servants go with thy servant."

²⁵And the king said to Absalom, "Nay, my son, let us not all now go, lest we be a burden unto thee." And he pressed him; however he would not go, but blessed him.

²⁶Then said Absalom, "If not, I pray thee, let my brother Amnon go with us." And the king said unto him, "Why should he go with thee?"

²⁷But Absalom pressed him, so that he let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him.

²⁸Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, "Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you,'Smite Amnon,' then kill him. Fear not. Have not I commanded you? Be courageous and be valiant."

²⁹And the servants of Absalom did unto Amnon as Absalom had commanded. Then all the king's sons arose, and every man got himself up upon his mule and fled.

³⁰And it came to pass, while they were on the way, that tidings came to David, saying, "Absalom hath slain all the king's sons, and there is not one of them left."

³¹Then the king arose and tore his garments, and lay on the earth; and all his servants stood by with their clothes rent.

³²And Jonadab the son of Shimeah, David's brother, answered and said, "Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all the young men, the king's sons, for Amnon only is dead; for by the appointment of Absalom this hath been determined from the day that he forced his sister Tamar.

³³Now therefore let not my lord the king take the thing to his heart, to think that all the king's sons are dead; for Amnon only is dead."

³⁴But Absalom fled. And the young man who kept the watch lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, there came many people by the way of the hillside behind him.

³⁵And Jonadab said unto the king, "Behold, the king's sons come. As thy servant said, so it is."

³⁶And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of speaking, that behold, the king's sons came, and lifted up their voice and wept; and the king also and all his servants wept very sorely.

³⁷But Absalom fled, and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son every day.

³⁸So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years.

³⁹And the soul of King David longed to go forth unto Absalom, for he was comforted concerning Amnon, seeing he was dead.

³and come to the king and speak in this manner unto him." So Joab put the words in her mouth.

⁴And when the woman of Tekoa spoke to the king, she fell on her face to the ground and did obeisance, and said, "Help, O king!"

⁵And the king said unto her, "What aileth thee?" And she answered, "I am indeed a widow woman, and mine husband is dead.

⁶And thy handmaid had two sons, and the two strove together in the field; and there was none to part them, but the one smote the other and slew him.

⁷And behold, the whole family has risen against thine handmaid, and they said, 'Deliver him that smote his brother, that we may kill him for the life of his brother whom he slew; and we will destroy the heir also.' And so they shall quench my coal which is left, and shall leave to my husband neither name nor remnant upon the earth."

⁸And the king said unto the woman, "Go to thine house, and I will give charge concerning thee."

⁹And the woman of Tekoa said unto the king, "My lord, O king, the iniquity be on me and on my father's house, and the king and his throne be guiltless."

¹⁰And the king said, "Whosoever saith aught unto thee, bring him to me, and he shall not touch thee any more."

¹¹Then said she, "I pray thee, let the king remember the LORD thy God, that thou wouldest not suffer the avengers of blood to destroy any more, lest they destroy my son." And he said, "As the LORD liveth, there shall not one hair of thy son fall to the earth."

¹²Then the woman said, "Let thine handmaid, I pray thee, speak one word unto my lord the king." And he said, "Say on."

¹³And the woman said, "Why then hast thou thought such a thing against the people of God? For the king doth speak this thing as one who is faulty, in that the king doth not fetch home again his banished.

¹⁴For we must needs die, and are as water spilled on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again; neither doth God respect any person. Yet doth He devise means, that His banished be not expelled from Him.

¹⁵Now therefore, why I have come to speak of this thing unto my lord the king: it is because the people have made me afraid. And thy handmaid said, 'I will now speak unto the king. It may be that the king will perform the request of his handmaid.

¹⁶For the king will hear, to deliver his handmaid out of the hand of the man who would destroy me and my son together out of the inheritance of God.'

¹⁷Then thine handmaid said, 'The word of my lord the king shall now be comforting; for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king to discern good and bad. Therefore the LORD thy God will be with thee.'"

¹⁸Then the king answered and said unto the woman, "Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee." And the woman said, "Let my lord the king now speak."

¹⁹And the king said, "Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this?" And the woman answered and said, "As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from aught that my lord the king hath spoken; for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid.

²⁰To bring about this manner of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing; and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth."

²¹And the king said unto Joab, "Behold now, I have done this thing. Go therefore, bring the young man Absalom again."

²²And Joab fell to the ground on his face, and bowed himself, and thanked the king; and Joab said, "Today thy servant knoweth that I have found grace in thy sight, my lord, O king, in that the king hath fulfilled the request of his servant."

²³So Joab arose and went to Geshur, and brought Absalom to Jerusalem.

²⁴And the king said, "Let him turn to his own house, and let him not see my face." So Absalom returned to his own house, and saw not the king's face.

²⁵But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

²⁶And when he cut his hair (for it was at every year's end that he cut it, because the hair was heavy on him; therefore he cut it), he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels according to the king's weight.

²⁷And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter whose name was Tamar; she was a woman of a fair countenance.

²⁸So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's face.

²⁹Therefore Absalom sent for Joab to send him to the king, but he would not come to him; and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

³⁰Therefore he said unto his servants, "See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire." And Absalom's servants set the field on fire.

³¹Then Joab arose and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, "Why have thy servants set my field on fire?"

³²And Absalom answered Joab, "Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, 'Come hither, that I may send thee to the king to say, "Why have I come from Geshur? It had been good for me to have been there still!"' Now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me."

³³So Joab came to the king and told him. And when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king; and the king kissed Absalom.

15And it came to pass after this that Absalom prepared himself chariots and horses and fifty men to run before him.

²And Absalom rose up early and stood beside the way of the gate; and it was so that, when any man who had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him and said, "Of what city art thou?" And he said, "Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel."

³And Absalom said unto him, "See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed by the king to hear thee."

⁴Absalom said moreover, "Oh, that I were made judge in the land, that every man who hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!"

⁵And it was so that, when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand and took him and kissed him.

⁶And in this manner did Absalom to all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

⁷And it came to pass after forty years, that Absalom said unto the king, "I pray thee, let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed unto the LORD in Hebron.

⁸For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, 'If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.'"

⁹And the king said unto him, "Go in peace." So he arose and went to Hebron.

¹⁰But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, 'Absalom reigneth in Hebron.'"

¹¹And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem who were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

¹²And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David's counselor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong, for the people increased continually with Absalom.

¹³And there came a messenger to David, saying, "The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom."

¹⁴And David said unto all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, "Arise, and let us flee, for we shall not else escape from Absalom. Make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword."

¹⁵And the king's servants said unto the king, "Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint."

¹⁶And the king went forth, and all his household after him. And the king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house.

¹⁷And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off.

¹⁸And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites and all the Pelethites and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

¹⁹Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, "Why goest thou also with us? Return to thy place and abide with the king, for thou art a stranger and also an exile.

²⁰Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? Seeing I go whither I may, return thou and take back thy brethren. Mercy and truth be with thee."

²¹And Ittai answered the king and said, "As the LORD liveth and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be."

²²And David said to Ittai, "Go, and pass over." And Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men and all the little ones who were with him.

²³And all the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over. The king also himself passed over the Brook Kidron, and all the people passed over toward the way of the wilderness.

²⁴And lo, Zadok also, and all the Levites were with him bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down the ark of God, and Abiathar went up until all the people had passed out of the city.

²⁵And the king said unto Zadok, "Carry back the ark of God into the city. If I shall find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back, and show me both it and His habitation.

²⁶But if He thus say, 'I have no delight in thee,' behold, here am I. Let Him do to me as seemeth good unto Him."

²⁷The king said also unto Zadok the priest, "Art not thou a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz thy son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar.

²⁸See, I will tarry in the plain of the wilderness until there come word from you to assure me."

²⁹Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem; and they tarried there.

³⁰And David went up by the ascent of Mount Olivet, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered and went barefoot. And all the people who were with him covered every man his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up.

³¹And one told David, saying, "Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom." And David said, "O LORD, I pray Thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness."

³²And it came to pass, when David had come to the top of the mount where he worshiped God, that, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his coat rent, and earth upon his head;

³³unto whom David said, "If thou passest on with me, then thou shalt be a burden unto me;

³⁴but if thou return to the city and say unto Absalom, 'I will be thy servant, O king; as I have been thy father's servant hitherto, so will I now also be thy servant,' then mayest thou for me defeat the counsel of Ahithophel.

³⁵And hast thou not there with thee Zadok and Abiathar the priests? Therefore it shall be that what thing soever thou shalt hear out of the king's house, thou shalt tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests.

³⁶Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok's son, and Jonathan, Abiathar's son; and by them ye shall send unto me everything that ye can hear."

³⁷So Hushai, David's friend, came into the city, and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

16And when David was a little past the top of the hill, behold, Ziba the servant of Mephibosheth met him with a couple of asses saddled, and upon them two hundred loaves of bread, and a hundred bunches of raisins, and a hundred of summer fruits, and a bottle of wine.

²And the king said unto Ziba, "What meanest thou by these?" And Ziba said, "The asses are for the king's household to ride on, and the bread and summer fruit for the young men to eat, and the wine, that such as be faint in the wilderness may drink."

³And the king said, "And where is thy master's son?" And Ziba said unto the king, "Behold, he abideth at Jerusalem; for he said, 'Today shall the house of Israel restore to me the kingdom of my father.'"

⁴Then said the king to Ziba, "Behold, thine are all that pertained unto Mephibosheth." And Ziba said, "I humbly beseech thee that I may find grace in thy sight, my lord, O king."

⁵And when King David came to Bahurim, behold, thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera; he came forth, and cursed constantly as he came.

⁶And he cast stones at David and at all the servants of King David; and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left.

⁷And thus said Shimei when he cursed, "Come out, come out, thou bloody man and thou man of Belial!

⁸The LORD hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose stead thou hast reigned; and the LORD hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son. And behold, thou art taken in thy mischief, because thou art a bloody man."

⁹Then said Abishai the son of Zeruiah unto the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over, I pray thee, and take off his head."

¹⁰And the king said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah? So let him curse, because the LORD hath said unto him, 'Curse David.' Who shall then say, 'Why hast thou done so?'"

¹¹And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Behold, my son, who came forth from my loins, seeketh my life. How much more now may this Benjamite do it? Let him alone and let him curse, for the LORD hath bidden him.

¹²It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day."

¹³And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and cast dust.

¹⁴And the king and all the people who were with him became weary and refreshed themselves there.

¹⁵And Absalom and all the people, the men of Israel, came to Jerusalem, and Ahithophel with him.

¹⁶And it came to pass, when Hushai the Archite, David's friend, had come unto Absalom, that Hushai said unto Absalom, "God save the king! God save the king!"

¹⁷And Absalom said to Hushai, "Is this thy kindness to thy friend? Why wentest thou not with thy friend?"

¹⁸And Hushai said unto Absalom, "Nay; but whom the LORD and this people and all the men of Israel choose, his will I be, and with him will I abide.

¹⁹And again, whom should I serve? Should I not serve in the presence of his son? As I have served in thy father's presence, so will I be in thy presence."

²⁰Then said Absalom to Ahithophel, "Give counsel among you what we shall do."

²¹And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, "Go in unto thy father's concubines, whom he hath left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that thou art abhorred by thy father. Then shall the hands of all who are with thee be strong."

²²So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house, and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.

²³And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counseled in those days, was as if a man had inquired at the oracle of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.

17Moreover Ahithophel said unto Absalom, "Let me now choose out twelve thousand men, and I will arise and pursue after David this night.

²And I will come upon him while he is weary and weakhanded, and will make him afraid; and all the people who are with him shall flee, and I will smite the king only.

³And I will bring back all the people unto thee: the man whom thou seekest is as if all returned; so all the people shall be in peace."

⁴And the saying pleased Absalom well, and all the elders of Israel.

⁵Then said Absalom, "Call now Hushai the Archite also, and let us hear likewise what he saith."

⁶And when Hushai had come to Absalom, Absalom spoke unto him, saying, "Ahithophel hath spoken in this manner. Shall we do according to his word? If not, speak thou."

⁷And Hushai said unto Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel hath given is not good at this time.

⁸For," said Hushai, "thou knowest thy father and his men, that they are mighty men, and they are chafed in their minds, as a bear robbed of her whelps in the field; and thy father is a man of war, and will not lodge with the people.

⁹Behold, he is hid now in some pit, or in some other place; and it will come to pass, when some of them are overthrown at the first, that whosoever heareth it will say, 'There is a slaughter among the people who follow Absalom.'

¹⁰And he also that is valiant, whose heart is as the heart of a lion, shall utterly melt; for all Israel knoweth that thy father is a mighty man, and those who are with him are valiant men.

¹¹Therefore I counsel that all Israel be generally gathered unto thee, from Dan even to Beersheba, as the sand that is by the sea for multitude, and that thou go to battle in thine own person.

¹²So shall we come upon him in some place where he shall be found, and we will light upon him as the dew falleth on the ground; and of him and of all the men who are with him there shall not be left so much as one.

¹³Moreover, if he be gotten into a city, then shall all Israel bring ropes to that city; and we will draw it into the river, until there be not one small stone found there."

¹⁴And Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel." For the LORD had appointed to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, with the intent that the LORD might bring evil upon Absalom.

¹⁵Then said Hushai unto Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, "Thus and thus did Ahithophel counsel Absalom and the elders of Israel, and thus and thus have I counseled.

¹⁶Now therefore send quickly and tell David, saying, 'Lodge not this night in the plains of the wilderness, but speedily pass over, lest the king be swallowed up and all the people who are with him.'"

¹⁷Now Jonathan and Ahimaaz stayed by Enrogel, for they dared not be seen to come into the city; and a maidservant went and told them, and they went and told King David.

¹⁸Nevertheless a lad saw them, and told Absalom; but they went both of them away quickly, and came to a man's house in Bahurim, who had a well in his court, whither they went down.

¹⁹And the woman took and spread a covering over the well's mouth, and spread ground corn thereon; and the thing was not known.

²⁰And when Absalom's servants came to the woman to the house, they said, "Where are Ahimaaz and Jonathan?" And the woman said unto them, "They have gone over the brook of water." And when they had sought and could not find them, they returned to Jerusalem.

²¹And it came to pass, after they had departed, that they came up out of the well and went and told King David, and said unto David, "Arise, and pass quickly over the water, for thus hath Ahithophel counseled against you."

²²Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they passed over the Jordan. By the morning light there lacked not one of them who had not gone over the Jordan.

²³And when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his ass, and arose and got him home to his house, to his city, and put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died, and was buried in the sepulcher of his father.

²⁴Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom passed over the Jordan, he and all the men of Israel with him.

²⁵And Absalom made Amasa captain of the host instead of Joab. This Amasa was a man's son whose name was Ithra, an Israelite, who went in to Abigail the daughter of Nahash, sister to Zeruiah Joab's mother.

²⁶So Israel and Absalom pitched camp in the land of Gilead.

²⁷And it came to pass, when David had come to Mahanaim, that Shobi the son of Nahash of Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and Machir the son of Ammiel of Lodebar, and Barzillai the Gileadite of Rogelim,

²⁸brought beds and basins and earthen vessels, and wheat and barley and flour and parched corn, and beans and lentils and parched pulse,

²⁹and honey and butter, and sheep, and cheese from cows, for David and for the people who were with him to eat. For they said, "The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness."

²And David sent forth a third part of the people under the hand of Joab, and a third part under the hand of Abishai the son of Zeruiah, Joab's brother, and a third part under the hand of Ittai the Gittite. And the king said unto the people, "I will surely go forth with you myself also."

³But the people answered, "Thou shalt not go forth; for if we flee away, they will not care for us; neither if half of us die will they care for us. But now thou art worth ten thousand of us; therefore now it is better that thou succor us from the city."

⁴And the king said unto them, "What seemeth to you best I will do." And the king stood by the gate side, and all the people came out by hundreds and by thousands.

⁵And the king commanded Joab and Abishai and Ittai, saying, "Deal gently for my sake with the young man, even with Absalom." And all the people heard when the king gave all the captains charge concerning Absalom.

⁶So the people went out into the field against Israel. And the battle was in the wood of Ephraim,

⁷where the people of Israel were slain before the servants of David; and there was there a great slaughter that day of twenty thousand men.

⁸For the battle there was scattered over the face of all the country; and the woods devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

⁹And Absalom met the servants of David. And Absalom rode upon a mule, and the mule went under the thick boughs of a great oak; and his head caught hold of the oak, and he was taken up between the heaven and the earth, and the mule that was under him went away.

¹⁰And a certain man saw it, and told Joab and said, "Behold, I saw Absalom hanged in an oak."

¹¹And Joab said unto the man who told him, "And behold, thou sawest him, and why did thou not smite him there to the ground? And I would have given thee ten shekels of silver and a girdle."

¹²And the man said unto Joab, "Though I should receive a thousand shekels of silver in mine hand, yet would I not put forth mine hand against the king's son; for in our hearing the king charged thee and Abishai and Ittai, saying, 'Beware that none touch the young man Absalom.'

¹³Otherwise I should have wrought falsehood against mine own life; for there is no matter hid from the king, and thou thyself wouldest have set thyself against me."

¹⁴Then said Joab, "I may not tarry thus with thee." And he took three darts in his hand, and thrust them through the heart of Absalom while he was yet alive in the midst of the oak.

¹⁵And ten young men who bore Joab's armor compassed about and smote Absalom, and slew him.

¹⁶And Joab blew the trumpet, and the people returned from pursuing after Israel, for Joab held back the people.

¹⁷And they took Absalom and cast him into a great pit in the wood, and laid a very great heap of stones upon him; and all Israel fled every one to his tent.

¹⁸Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and reared up for himself a pillar, which is in the King's Dale, for he said, "I have no son to keep my name in remembrance." And he called the pillar after his own name; and it is called unto this day, Absalom's Place.

¹⁹Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok, "Let me now run and bear the king tidings, how the LORD hath avenged him of his enemies."

²⁰And Joab said unto him, "Thou shalt not bear tidings this day, but thou shalt bear tidings another day; but this day thou shalt bear no tidings, because the king's son is dead."

²¹Then said Joab to a Cushite, "Go, tell the king what thou hast seen." And the Cushite bowed himself unto Joab and ran.

²²Then said Ahimaaz the son of Zadok yet again to Joab, "But come what may, let me, I pray thee, also run after the Cushite." And Joab said, "Why wilt thou run, my son, seeing that thou hast no tidings ready?"

²³"But howsoever," said he, "let me run." And he said unto him, "Run." Then Ahimaaz ran by the way of the plain, and outran the Cushite.

²⁴And David sat between the two gates; and the watchman went up to the roof over the gate unto the wall, and lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man running alone.

²⁵And the watchman cried and told the king. And the king said, "If he be alone, there are tidings in his mouth." And he came apace and drew near.

²⁶And the watchman saw another man running; and the watchman called unto the gatekeeper and said, "Behold, another man running alone." And the king said, "He also bringeth tidings."

²⁷And the watchman said, "I think the running of the foremost is like the running of Ahimaaz the son of Zadok." And the king said, "He is a good man, and cometh with good tidings."

²⁸And Ahimaaz called and said unto the king, "All is well." And he fell down to the earth upon his face before the king and said, "Blessed be the LORD thy God, who hath delivered up the men who lifted up their hand against my lord the king."

²⁹And the king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" And Ahimaaz answered, "When Joab sent the king's servant and me thy servant, I saw a great tumult, but I knew not what it was."

³⁰And the king said unto him, "Turn aside and stand here." And he turned aside and stood still.

³¹And behold, the Cushite came; and the Cushite said, "Tidings, my lord the king; for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all those who rose up against thee."

³²And the king said unto the Cushite, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" And the Cushite answered, "The enemies of my lord the king, and all who rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is."

³³And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate and wept. And as he went, thus he said, "O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

³And the people got themselves by stealth that day into the city, as people being ashamed steal away when they flee in battle.

⁴But the king covered his face, and the king cried with a loud voice, "O my son Absalom, O Absalom, my son, my son!"

⁵And Joab came into the house to the king, and said, "Thou hast shamed this day the faces of all thy servants who this day have saved thy life and the lives of thy sons and of thy daughters, and the lives of thy wives and the lives of thy concubines,

⁶in that thou lovest thine enemies and hatest thy friends. For thou hast declared this day that thou regardest neither princes nor servants; for this day I perceive that if Absalom had lived and all we had died this day, then it had pleased thee well.

⁷Now therefore arise, go forth, and speak comfortingly unto thy servants. For I swear by the LORD, if thou go not forth, there will not tarry one with thee this night; and that will be worse unto thee than all the evil that befell thee from thy youth until now."

⁸Then the king arose and sat in the gate. And they told unto all the people, saying, "Behold, the king doth sit in the gate." And all the people came before the king, for Israel had fled every man to his tent.

⁹And all the people were in strife throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "The king saved us out of the hand of our enemies, and he delivered us out of the hand of the Philistines; and now he has fled out of the land because of Absalom.

¹⁰And Absalom, whom we anointed over us, is dead in battle. Now therefore, why speak ye not a word of bringing the king back?"

¹¹And King David sent to Zadok and to Abiathar the priests, saying, "Speak unto the elders of Judah, saying, 'Why are ye the last to bring the king back to his house, seeing the speech of all Israel has come to the king, even to his house?

¹²Ye are my brethren, ye are my bones and my flesh. Why then are ye the last to bring back the king?'

¹³And say ye to Amasa, 'Art thou not of my bone and of my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if thou be not captain of the host before me continually in place of Joab.'"

¹⁴And he bowed the heart of all the men of Judah, even as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word unto the king: "Return thou, and all thy servants."

¹⁵So the king returned and came to the Jordan. And Judah came to Gilgal to go to meet the king, to conduct the king over the Jordan.

¹⁶And Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite, who was of Bahurim, hastened and came down with the men of Judah to meet King David.

¹⁷And there were a thousand men of Benjamin with him, and Ziba the servant of the house of Saul, and his fifteen sons and his twenty servants with him; and they went over the Jordan before the king.

¹⁸And there went over a ferryboat to carry over the king's household, and to do what he thought good. And Shimei the son of Gera fell down before the king as he was coming over the Jordan,

¹⁹and said unto the king, "Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me, neither do thou remember that which thy servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart;

²⁰for thy servant doth know that I have sinned. Therefore, behold, I have come the first this day of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king."

²¹But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, "Shall not Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed the LORD'S anointed?"

²²And David said, "What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? Shall there any man be put to death this day in Israel? For do not I know that I am this day king over Israel?"

²³Therefore the king said unto Shimei, "Thou shalt not die." And the king swore unto him.

²⁴And Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king, and had neither dressed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes from the day the king departed until the day he came again in peace.

²⁵And it came to pass, when he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, that the king said unto him, "Why wentest not thou with me, Mephibosheth?"

²⁶And he answered, "My lord, O king, my servant deceived me; for thy servant said, 'I will saddle me an ass, that I may ride thereon and go to the king,' because thy servant is lame.

²⁷And he hath slandered thy servant unto my lord the king, but my lord the king is as an angel of God. Do therefore what is good in thine eyes.

²⁸For all of my father's house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet did thou set thy servant among those who ate at thine own table. What right therefore have I yet to cry any more unto the king?"

²⁹And the king said unto him, "Why speakest thou any more of thy matters? I have said, 'Thou and Ziba divide the land.'"

³⁰And Mephibosheth said unto the king, "Yea, let him take all, forasmuch as my lord the king has come again in peace unto his own house."

³¹And Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim, and went over the Jordan with the king to conduct him over the Jordan.

³²Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even fourscore years old; and he had provided the king with sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man.

³³And the king said unto Barzillai, "Come thou over with me, and I will feed thee with me in Jerusalem."

³⁴And Barzillai said unto the king, "How long have I to live, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?

³⁵I am this day fourscore years old, and can I discern between good and evil? Can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? Why then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

³⁶Thy servant will go a little way over the Jordan with the king. And why should the king recompense me with such a reward?

³⁷Let thy servant, I pray thee, turn back again, that I may die in mine own city and be buried by the grave of my father and of my mother. But behold thy servant Chimham. Let him go over with my lord the king, and do to him what shall seem good unto thee."

³⁸And the king answered, "Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good unto thee. And whatsoever thou shalt require of me, that will I do for thee."

³⁹And all the people went over the Jordan. And when the king had come over, the king kissed Barzillai and blessed him, and he returned unto his own place.

⁴⁰Then the king went on to Gilgal, and Chimham went on with him; and all the people of Judah conducted the king, and also half the people of Israel.

⁴¹And behold, all the men of Israel came to the king and said unto the king, "Why have our brethren, the men of Judah, stolen thee away, and have brought the king and his household and all David's men with him over the Jordan?"

⁴²And all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel, "Because the king is near of kin to us. Why then be ye angry for this matter? Have we eaten at all at the king's cost? Or hath he given us any gift?"

⁴³And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, "We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye. Why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king?" And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.

20And there happened to be there a man of Belial, whose name was Sheba the son of Bichri, a Benjamite. And he blew a trumpet and said, "We have no part in David, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse! Every man to his tents, O Israel!"

²So every man of Israel went up from after David and followed Sheba the son of Bichri; but the men of Judah cleaved unto their king, from the Jordan even to Jerusalem.

³And David came to his house at Jerusalem; and the king took the ten women, his concubines whom he had left to keep the house, and put them in custody and fed them, but went not in unto them. So they were shut up unto the day of their death, living in widowhood.

⁴Then said the king to Amasa, "Assemble me the men of Judah within three days, and be thou present here."

⁵So Amasa went to assemble the men of Judah, but he tarried longer than the set time which he had appointed him.

⁶And David said to Abishai, "Now shall Sheba the son of Bichri do us more harm than did Absalom. Take thou thy lord's servants and pursue after him, lest he get himself fortifed cities and escape us."

⁷And there went out after him Joab's men and the Cherethites and the Pelethites and all the mighty men; and they went out of Jerusalem to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

⁸When they were at the great stone which is in Gibeon, Amasa went before them. And Joab's garment that he had put on was girded unto him, and upon it a girdle with a sword fastened upon his loins in the sheath thereof; and as he went forth, it fell out.

⁹And Joab said to Amasa, "Art thou in health, my brother?" And Joab took Amasa by the beard with the right hand to kiss him,

¹⁰but Amasa took no heed of the sword that was in Joab's hand; so Joab smote him therewith in the fifth rib, and shed out his bowels to the ground, and struck him not again; and he died. So Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bichri.

¹¹And one of Joab's men stood by him and said, "He that favoreth Joab and he that is for David, let him follow after Joab."

¹²And Amasa wallowed in blood in the midst of the highway. And when the man saw that all the people stood still, he removed Amasa out of the highway into the field and cast a cloth upon him, when he saw that every one who came by him stood still.

¹³When he was removed out of the highway, all the people went on after Joab to pursue after Sheba the son of Bichri.

¹⁴And Sheba went through all the tribes of Israel unto Abel and to Bethmaachah and all the Berites; and they were gathered together, and went also with him.

¹⁵And they came and besieged him in Abel of Bethmaachah; and they cast up a siege bank against the city, and it stood in the trench; and all the people who were with Joab battered the wall to throw it down.

¹⁶Then cried a wise woman out of the city, "Hear, hear! Say, I pray you, unto Joab, 'Come near hither, that I may speak with thee.'"

¹⁷And when he had come near unto her, the woman said, "Art thou Joab?" And he answered, "I am he." Then she said unto him, "Hear the words of thine handmaid." And he answered, "I do hear."

¹⁸Then she spoke, saying, "They were wont to speak in olden times, saying, 'They shall surely ask counsel at Abel'; and so they ended the matter.

¹⁹I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. Thou seekest to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why wilt thou swallow up the inheritance of the LORD?"

²⁰And Joab answered and said, "Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow up or destroy.

²¹The matter is not so; but a man of Mount Ephraim, Sheba the son of Bichri by name, hath lifted up his hand against the king, even against David. Deliver him only, and I will depart from the city." And the woman said unto Joab, "Behold, his head shall be thrown to thee over the wall."

²²Then the woman went unto all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri, and cast it out to Joab. And he blew a trumpet, and they retired from the city, every man to his tent. And Joab returned to Jerusalem unto the king.

²³Now Joab was over all the host of Israel; and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and over the Pelethites;

²⁴and Adoram was over the tribute; and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud was recorder;

²⁵and Sheva was scribe; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;

²⁶and Ira also the Jairite was a chief ruler under David.

21Then there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD. And the LORD answered, "It is because of Saul and his bloody house, because he slew the Gibeonites."

²And the king called the Gibeonites and said unto them (now the Gibeonites were not of the children of Israel, but of the remnant of the Amorites; and the children of Israel had sworn unto them, but Saul sought to slay them in his zeal for the children of Israel and Judah)"

³therefore David said unto the Gibeonites: "What shall I do for you? And wherewith shall I make the atonement, that ye may bless the inheritance of the LORD?"

⁴And the Gibeonites said unto him, "We will have no silver nor gold of Saul nor of his house, neither for us shalt thou kill any man in Israel." And he said, "What ye shall say, that will I do for you."

⁵And they answered the king, "The man who consumed us and who devised against us, that we should be destroyed from remaining in any of the borders of Israel,

⁶let seven men of his sons be delivered unto us, and we will hang them up unto the LORD in Gibeah of Saul, whom the LORD chose." And the king said, "I will give them."

⁷But the king spared Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan the son of Saul, because of the LORD'S oath that was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

⁸But the king took the two sons of Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, whom she bore unto Saul, Armoni and Mephibosheth, and the five sons of Michal the daughter of Saul, whom she brought up for Adriel the son of Barzillai the Meholathite.

⁹And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them on the hill before the LORD; and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest, in the first days, in the beginning of barley harvest.

¹⁰And Rizpah the daughter of Aiah took sackcloth and spread it for herself upon the rock, from the beginning of harvest untilwater dropped upon them out of heaven; and she suffered neither the birds of the air to rest on them by day nor the beasts of the field by night.

¹¹And it was told David what Rizpah the daughter of Aiah, the concubine of Saul, had done.

¹²And David went and took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabeshgilead, who had stolen them from the street of Bethshan, where the Philistines had hanged them when the Philistines had slain Saul in Gilboa.

¹³And he brought up from thence the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son; and they gathered the bones of those who were hanged.

¹⁴And the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son buried they in the country of Benjamin in Zelah, in the sepulcher of Kish his father; and they performed all that the king commanded. And after that God was entreated for the land.

¹⁵Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines; and David waxed faint.

¹⁶And Ishbibenob, who was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight -- he, being girded with a new sword, thought to slay David.

¹⁷But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succored him, and smote the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore unto him, saying, "Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel."

¹⁸And it came to pass after this that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob. Then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, who was of the sons of the giant.

¹⁹And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

²⁰And there was yet a battle in Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had on every hand six fingers and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

²¹And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, the brother of David, slew him.

²²These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

22And David spoke unto the LORD the words of this song in the day that the LORD had delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul.

²And he said, "The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer;

³the God of my rock, in Him will I trust. He is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my savior; Thou savest me from violence.

⁴I will call on the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

⁵"When the waves of death compassed me, the floods of ungodly men made me afraid;

⁶the sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death lay ahead of me.

⁷In my distress I called upon the LORD, and cried to my God; and He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry entered into His ears.

⁸Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations of heaven moved and shook, because He was wroth.

⁹There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it.

¹⁰He bowed the heavens also, and came down; and darkness was under His feet.

¹¹And He rode upon a cherub, and flew; and He was seen upon the wings of the wind.

¹²And He made darkness pavilions round about Him, dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

¹³Through the brightness before Him were coals of fire kindled.

¹⁴The LORD thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice.

¹⁵And He sent out arrows and scattered them; lightning, and discomfited them.

¹⁶And the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare at the rebuking of the LORD, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.

¹⁷"He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

¹⁸He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me; for they were too strong for me.

¹⁹They came before me in the day of my calamity, but the LORD was my stay.

²⁰He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

²¹"The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.

²²For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²³For all His judgments were before me; and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.

²⁴I was also upright before Him, and have kept myself from mine iniquity.

²⁵Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His eyesight.

²⁶"With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful, and with the upright man Thou wilt show Thyself upright.

²⁷With the pure Thou wilt show thyself pure, and with the froward Thou wilt show thyself unsavory.

²⁸And the afflicted people Thou wilt save; but Thine eyes are upon the haughty, that Thou mayest bring them down.

²⁹For Thou art my lamp, O LORD; and the LORD will lighten my darkness.

³⁰For by Thee I have run through a troop; by my God have I leaped over a wall.

³¹"As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is tried; He is a buckler to all them that trust in Him.

³²"For who is God, save the LORD? And who is a rock, save our God?

³³God is my strength and power, and He maketh my way perfect.

³⁴He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

³⁵He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

³⁶Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.

³⁷Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, so that my feet did not slip.

³⁸I have pursued mine enemies and destroyed them, and turned not again until I had consumed them.

³⁹And I have consumed them and wounded them, that they could not arise; yea, they are fallen under my feet.

⁴⁰For Thou hast girded me with strength to battle; them that rose up against me hast Thou subdued under me.

⁴¹Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

⁴²They looked, but there was none to save; even unto the LORD, but He answered them not.

⁴³Then did I beat them as small as the dust of the earth; I stamped them as the mire of the street and spread them abroad.

⁴⁴"Thou also hast delivered me from the strivings of my people; Thou hast kept me to be head of the heathen; a people whom I knew not shall serve me.

⁴⁵Strangers shall submit themselves unto me; as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.

⁴⁶Strangers shall fade away, and they shall be afraid out of their secret places.

⁴⁷"The LORD liveth! And blessed be my Rock! And exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation!

⁴⁸It is God that avengeth me, and that bringeth down the people under me,

⁴⁹and that bringeth me forth from mine enemies. Thou also hast lifted me up on high above them that rose up against me; Thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

⁵⁰Therefore I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and I will sing praises unto Thy name.

⁵¹He is the tower of salvation for His king, and showeth mercy to His anointed, unto David, and to his seed for evermore."

23Now these are the last words of David. David the son of Jesse, the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said:

²"The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me, and His word was on my tongue.

³The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me: 'He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.

⁴And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.'

⁵"Although my house be not so with God, yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure; for this is all my salvation and all my desire, although He make it not to grow.

⁶But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands;

⁷but the man that shall touch them must be armed with iron and the staff of a spear; and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place."

⁸These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: The Tachmonite who sat in the chief seat among the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite. He lifted up his spear against eight hundred, whom he slew at one time.

⁹And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were there gathered together for battle, and the men of Israel had gone away.

¹⁰He arose and smote the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand cleaved unto the sword; and the LORD wrought a great victory that day, and the people returned after him only to despoil.

¹¹And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. And the Philistines were gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils; and the people fled from the Philistines.

¹²But he stood in the midst of the ground and defended it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD wrought a great victory.

¹³And three of the thirty chief men went down, and came to David in the harvest time unto the cave of Adullam; and the troop of the Philistines pitched camp in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁴And David was then in a stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem.

¹⁵And David longed, and said, "Oh that one would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!"

¹⁶And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David; nevertheless he would not drink thereof, but poured it out unto the LORD.

¹⁷And he said, "Be it far from me, O LORD, that I should do this. Is not this the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?" Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mighty men.

¹⁸And Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief among three. And he lifted up his spear against three hundred and slew them, and had the name among three.

¹⁹Was he not most honorable of three? Therefore he was their captain; however he attained not unto the first three.

²⁰And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts, he slew two lionlike men of Moab. He went down also and slew a lion in the midst of a pit in time of snow.

²¹And he slew an Egyptian, a goodly man; and the Egyptian had a spear in his hand, but he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

²²These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and had the name among three mighty men.

²³He was more honorable than the thirty, but he attained not to the first three. And David set him over his guard.

²⁴Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁵Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite,

²⁶Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite,

²⁷Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite,

²⁸Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite,

²⁹Heleb the son of Baanah, a Netophathite, Ittai the son of Ribai out of Gibeah of the children of Benjamin,

³⁰Benaiah the Pirathonite, Hiddai of the brooks of Gaash,

³¹Abialbon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite,

³²Eliahba the Shaalbonite of the sons of Jashen, Jonathan,

³³Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite,

³⁴Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite,

³⁵Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite,

³⁶Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite,

³⁷Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite, armorbearer to Joab the son of Zeruiah,

³⁸Ira an Ithrite, Gareb an Ithrite,

³⁹Uriah the Hittite: thirty and seven in all.

24And again the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and he [Satan] moved David against them to say, "Go, number Israel and Judah."

²For the king said to Joab the captain of the host who was with him, "Go now through all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba, and number ye the people, that I may know the number of the people."

³And Joab said unto the king, "Now the LORD thy God add unto the people, how many so ever they be, a hundredfold, that the eyes of my lord the king may see it. But why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?"

⁴Notwithstanding, the king's word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king to number the people of Israel.

⁵And they passed over the Jordan and pitched camp in Aroer, on the right side of the city that lieth in the midst of the valley of Gad and toward Jazer.

⁶Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtimhodshi; and they came to Danjaan and about to Sidon,

⁷and came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and of the Canaanites; and they went out to the south of Judah, even to Beersheba.

⁸So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days.

⁹And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto the king: and there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

¹⁰And David's heart smote him after he had numbered the people. And David said unto the LORD, "I have sinned greatly in what I have done. And now, I beseech Thee, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have done very foolishly."

¹¹For when David was up in the morning, the word of the LORD came unto the prophet Gad, David's seer, saying,

¹²"Go, and say unto David, 'Thus saith the LORD: I offer thee three things. Choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.'"

¹³So Gad came to David and told him, and said unto him, "Shall seven years of famine come unto thee in thy land? Or wilt thou flee three months before thine enemies while they pursue thee? Or shall there be three days' pestilence in thy land? Now advise, and see what answer I shall return to Him that sent me."

¹⁴And David said unto Gad, "I am in a great strait. Let us fall now into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; and let me not fall into the hand of man."

¹⁵So the LORD sent a pestilence upon Israel from the morning even to the time appointed; and there died of the people from Dan even to Beersheba seventy thousand men.

¹⁶And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD repented of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed the people, "It is enough: stay now thine hand." And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing place of Araunah the Jebusite.

¹⁷And David spoke unto the LORD when he saw the angel who smote the people, and said, "Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly. But these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand, I pray Thee, be against me and against my father's house."

¹⁸And Gad came that day to David and said unto him, "Go up, rear an altar unto the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite."

¹⁹And David, according to the saying of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded.

²⁰And Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming on toward him; and Araunah went out and bowed himself before the king on his face upon the ground.

²¹And Araunah said, "Why has my lord the king come to his servant?" And David said, "To buy the threshing floor from thee to build an altar unto the LORD, that the plague may be stayed from the people."

²²And Araunah said unto David, "Let my lord the king take and offer up what seemeth good unto him. Behold, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing instruments and other instruments of the oxen for wood."

²³All these things did Araunah, as a king, give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, "The LORD thy God accept thee."

²⁴And the king said unto Araunah, "Nay; but I will surely buy it from thee at a price; neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing." So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver.

²⁵And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD was entreated for the land, and the plague was stayed from Israel.

1Now King David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat.

²Therefore his servants said unto him, "Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin; and let her stand before the king, and let her comfort him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat."

³So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the region of Israel, and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

⁴And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king and ministered to him; but the king knew her not.

⁵Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king"; and he prepared him chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run before him.

⁶And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, "Why hast thou done so?" And he also was a very goodly man, and his mother bore him after Absalom.

⁷And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and they, following Adonijah, helped him.

⁸But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.

⁹And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants;

¹⁰but Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not.

¹¹Therefore Nathan spoke unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, "Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not?

¹²Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life and the life of thy son Solomon.

¹³Go and get thee in unto King David and say unto him, 'Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, "Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne"? Why then doth Adonijah reign?'

¹⁴Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee and confirm thy words."

¹⁵And Bathsheba went in unto the king into the chamber; and the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.

¹⁶And Bathsheba bowed and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, "What wouldest thou?"

¹⁷And she said unto him, "My lord, thou swore by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, 'Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.'

¹⁸And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not.

¹⁹And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.

²⁰And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

²¹Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders."

²²And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

²³And they told the king, saying, "Behold Nathan the prophet." And when he had come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.

²⁴And Nathan said, "My lord, O king, hast thou said, 'Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne'?

²⁵For he has gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons and the captains of the host and Abiathar the priest; and behold, they eat and drink before him and say, 'God save King Adonijah!'

²⁶But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon hath he not called.

²⁷Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shown unto thy servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"

²⁸Then King David answered and said, "Call to me Bathsheba." And she came into the king's presence and stood before the king.

²⁹And the king swore, and said, "As the LORD liveth, who hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

³⁰even as I swore unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, 'Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead,' even so will I certainly do this day."

³¹Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king and said, "Let my lord King David live for ever."

³²And King David said, "Call to me Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada." And they came before the king.

³³The king also said unto them, "Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.

³⁴And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, 'God save King Solomon!'

³⁵Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne, for he shall be king in my stead; and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah."

³⁶And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, "Amen! The LORD God of my lord the king say so too.

³⁷As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be He with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David."

³⁸So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and caused Solomon to ride upon King David's mule, and brought him to Gihon.

³⁹And Zadok the priest took a horn of oil out of the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, "God save King Solomon!"

⁴⁰And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.

⁴¹And Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, "For what reason is this noise, and the city in an uproar?"

⁴²And while he yet spoke, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came; and Adonijah said unto him, "Come in, for thou art a valiant man and bringest good tidings."

⁴³And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, "Verily our lord King David hath made Solomon king.

⁴⁴And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have caused him to ride upon the king's mule.

⁴⁵And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon; and they have come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that ye have heard.

⁴⁶And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.

⁴⁷And moreover the king's servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, 'God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne.' And the king bowed himself upon the bed.

⁴⁸And also thus said the king, 'Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it.'"

⁴⁹And all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up and went every man his way.

⁵⁰And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose and went and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

⁵¹And it was told Solomon, saying, "Behold, Adonijah feareth King Solomon; for lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, 'Let King Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword.'"

⁵²And Solomon said, "If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die."

⁵³So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to King Solomon; and Solomon said unto him, "Go to thine house."

2Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,

²"I go the way of all the earth. Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man;

³and keep the charge of the LORD thy God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thyself,

⁴that the LORD may continue His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, 'If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee,' said He, 'a man on the throne of Israel.'

⁵"Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins and in his shoes that were on his feet.

⁶Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoary head go down to the grave in peace.

⁷But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at thy table; for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.

⁸And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim; but he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, 'I will not put thee to death with the sword.'

⁹Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoary head bring thou down to the grave with blood."

¹⁰So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David.

¹¹And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

¹²Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was established greatly.

¹³And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, "Comest thou peaceably?" And he said, "Peaceably."

¹⁴He said moreover, "I have something to say unto thee." And she said, "Say on."

¹⁵And he said, "Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign. However the kingdom is turned about and has become my brother's, for it was his from the LORD.

¹⁶And now I ask one petition of thee; deny me not." And she said unto him, "Say on."

¹⁷And he said, "Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king (for he will not say 'nay' to thee), that he give me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife."

¹⁸And Bathsheba said, "Well; I will speak for thee unto the king."

¹⁹Bathsheba therefore went unto King Solomon to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.

²⁰Then she said, "I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say not 'nay' to me." And the king said unto her, "Ask on, my mother, for I will not say to thee 'nay.'"

²¹And she said, "Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother for a wife."

²²And King Solomon answered and said unto his mother, "And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is mine elder brother -- even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah."

²³Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, "God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.

²⁴Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, who hath established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me a house, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day."

²⁵And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him so that he died.

²⁶And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, "Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields, for thou art worthy of death; but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou didst bear the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted."

²⁷So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD, that he might fulfill the word of the LORD which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

²⁸Then tidings came to Joab; for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.

²⁹And it was told King Solomon that Joab had fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, "Go, fall upon him."

³⁰And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, "Thus saith the king, 'Come forth!'" And he said, "Nay, but I will die here." And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, "Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me."

³¹And the king said unto him, "Do as he hath said, and fall upon him and bury him, that thou mayest take away the innocent blood which Joab shed from me and from the house of my father.

³²And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he and slew them with the sword -- to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah -- my father David not knowing thereof.

³³Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his seed for ever; but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD."

³⁴So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him and slew him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

³⁵And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the host, and Zadok the priest did the king put in the place of Abiathar.

³⁶And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, "Build thee a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and go not forth from thence anywhere.

³⁷For it shall be that on the day thou goest out and passest over the Brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die; thy blood shall be upon thine own head."

³⁸And Shimei said unto the king, "The saying is good. As my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do." And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

³⁹And it came to pass, at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, "Behold, thy servants are in Gath."

⁴⁰And Shimei arose and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants; and Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath.

⁴¹And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had come back.

⁴²And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, "Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, 'Know for certain, on the day thou goest out and walkest abroad anywhere, that thou shalt surely die'? And thou said unto me, 'The word that I have heard is good.'

⁴³Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I have charged thee with?"

⁴⁴The king said moreover to Shimei, "Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou did to David my father. Therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;

⁴⁵and King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever."

⁴⁶So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, who went out and fell upon him so that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

3And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh's daughter, and brought her into the City of David until he had made an end of building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall of Jerusalem round about.

²Only, the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD until those days.

³And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father; only, he sacrificed and burned incense in high places.

⁴And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. A thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

⁵In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night; and God said, "Ask what I shall give thee."

⁶And Solomon said, "Thou hast shown unto Thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before Thee in truth and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with Thee; and Thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that Thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day.

⁷And now, O LORD my God, Thou hast made Thy servant king instead of David my father. And I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in.

⁸And Thy servant is in the midst of Thy people whom Thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude.

⁹Give therefore Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between good and bad; for who is able to judge this Thy so great a people?"

¹⁰And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing.

¹¹And God said unto him, "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life, neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies, but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment,

¹²behold, I have done according to thy words. Lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee.

¹³And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

¹⁴And if thou wilt walk in My ways to keep My statutes and My commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days."

¹⁵And Solomon awoke; and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and offered up burnt offerings and offered peace offerings,and made a feast for all his servants.

¹⁶Then two women who were harlots came unto the king and stood before him.

¹⁷And the one woman said, "O my lord, I and this woman dwell in one house; and I was delivered of a child with her in the house.

¹⁸And it came to pass the third day after I was delivered that this woman was delivered also. And we were together; there was no stranger with us in the house, save we two in the house.

¹⁹And this woman's child died in the night, because she lay upon it.

²⁰And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom and laid her dead child in my bosom.

²¹And when I rose in the morning to give my child suck, behold, it was dead. But when I had considered it in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne."

²²And the other woman said, "Nay; but the living is my son, and the dead is thy son!" And this said, "No; but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son!" Thus they spoke before the king.

²³Then said the king, "The one saith, 'This is my son who liveth, and thy son is the dead'; and the other saith, 'Nay; but thy son is the dead, and my son is the living.'"

²⁴And the king said, "Bring me a sword." And they brought a sword before the king.

²⁵And the king said, "Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other."

²⁶Then spoke the woman whose the living child was unto the king, for her heart yearned for her son and she said, "O my lord, give her the living child, and in no wise slay it!" But the other said, "Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it."

²⁷Then the king answered and said, "Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it. She is the mother thereof."

²⁸And all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had judged; and they feared the king, for they saw that the wisdom of God was in him to do judgment.

4So King Solomon was king over all Israel.

²And these were the princes whom he had: Azariah the son of Zadok, the priest;

³Elihoreph and Ahijah, the sons of Shisha, scribes; Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, the recorder;

⁴and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the host; and Zadok and Abiathar were the priests;

⁵and Azariah the son of Nathan was over the officers; and Zabud the son of Nathan was principal officer and the king's friend;

⁶and Ahishar was over the household; and Adoniram the son of Abda was over the tribute.

⁷And Solomon had twelve officers over all Israel, who provided victuals for the king and his household; each man his month in a year made provision.

⁸And these are their names: the son of Hur, in Mount Ephraim;

⁹the son of Deker, in Makaz and in Shaalbim and Bethshemesh and Elonbethhanan;

¹⁰the son of Hesed, in Arubboth; to him pertained Sochoh and all the land of Hepher;

¹¹the son of Abinadab, in all the region of Dor, who had Taphath the daughter of Solomon as a wife;

¹²Baana the son of Ahilud; to him pertained Taanach and Megiddo, and all Bethshean, which is by Zartanah beneath Jezreel, from Bethshean to Abelmeholah, even unto the place that is beyond Jokneam;

¹³the son of Geber, in Ramothgilead; to him pertained the towns of Jair the son of Manasseh, which are in Gilead; to him also pertained the region of Argob, which is in Bashan, threescore great cities with walls and brazen bars;

¹⁴Ahinadab the son of Iddo had Mahanaim;

¹⁵Ahimaaz was in Naphtali; he also took Basemath the daughter of Solomon for a wife;

¹⁶Baanah the son of Hushai was in Asher and in Aloth;

¹⁷Jehoshaphat the son of Paruah, in Issachar;

¹⁸Shimei the son of Elah, in Benjamin;

¹⁹Geber the son of Uri was in the country of Gilead, in the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and of Og king of Bashan, and he was the only officer who was in the land.

²⁰Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude, eating and drinking and making merry.

²¹And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines and unto the border of Egypt. They brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life.

²²And Solomon's provision for one day was thirty measures of fine flour, and threescore measures of meal,

²³ten fat oxen, and twenty oxen out of the pastures, and a hundred sheep, besides harts, and roebucks, and fallow deer, and fatted fowl.

²⁴For he had dominion over all the region on this side of the river, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side of the river; and he had peace on all sides round about him.

²⁵And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon.

²⁶And Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots and twelve thousand horsemen.

²⁷And those officers provided victuals for King Solomon and for all who came unto King Solomon's table, every man in his month. They lacked nothing.

²⁸Barley also and straw for the horses and dromedaries brought they unto the place where the officers were, every man according to his charge.

²⁹And God gave Solomon wisdom and understanding exceeding much, and largeness of heart, even as the sand that is on the seashore.

³⁰And Solomon's wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the children of the East country and all the wisdom of Egypt.

³¹For he was wiser than all men -- than Ethan the Ezrahite, and Heman and Chalcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was in all nations round about.

³²And he spoke three thousand proverbs, and his songs were a thousand and five.

³³And he spoke of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

³⁴And there came from all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom.

5And Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants unto Solomon, for he had heard that they had anointed him king in the place of his father; for Hiram ever loved David.

²And Solomon sent to Hiram, saying,

³"Thou knowest how David my father could not build a house unto the name of the LORD his God because of the wars which were about him on every side, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet.

⁴But now the LORD my God hath given me rest on every side, so that there is neither adversary nor evil occurrence.

⁵And behold, I purpose to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD spoke unto David my father, saying, 'Thy son, whom I will set upon thy throne in thy stead, he shall build a house unto My name.'

⁶Now therefore command thou that they hew me cedar trees out of Lebanon, and my servants shall be with thy servants; and unto thee will I give hire for thy servants according to all that thou shalt appoint, for thou knowest that there is not among us any that has skill to hew timber like unto the Sidonians."

⁷And it came to pass, when Hiram heard the words of Solomon, that he rejoiced greatly and said, "Blessed be the LORD this day, who hath given unto David a wise son over this great people."

⁸And Hiram sent to Solomon, saying, "I have considered the things for which thou sentest to me, and I will do all thy desire concerning timber of cedar and concerning timber of fir.

⁹My servants shall bring them down from Lebanon unto the sea; and I will convey them by sea in floats unto the place that thou shalt appoint me, and will cause them to be discharged there, and thou shalt receive them. And thou shalt accomplish my desire in giving food for my household."

¹⁰So Hiram gave Solomon cedar trees and fir trees according to all his desire.

¹¹And Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat for food to his household, and twenty measures of pure oil; thus gave Solomon to Hiram year by year.

¹²And the LORD gave Solomon wisdom, as He promised him; and there was peace between Hiram and Solomon, and they two made a league together.

¹³And King Solomon raised a tribute of men out of all Israel; and the levy was thirty thousand men.

¹⁴And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month by courses: a month they were in Lebanon and two months at home; and Adoniram was over the levy.

¹⁵And Solomon had threescore and ten thousand who bore burdens and fourscore thousand hewers in the mountains,

¹⁶besides the chief of Solomon's officers who were over the work, three thousand and three hundred, who ruled over the people who wrought in the work.

¹⁷And the king commanded, and they brought great stones, costly stones and hewn stones, to lay the foundation of the house.

¹⁸And Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the stone squarers hewed them. So they prepared timber and stones to build the house.

6And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the LORD.

²And the house which King Solomon built for the LORD, the length thereof was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof twenty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits.

³And the porch in front of the temple of the house, twenty cubits was the length thereof, according to the breadth of the house, and ten cubits was the breadth thereof in front of the house.

⁴And for the house he made windows broad within and narrow without.

⁵And against the wall of the house he built chambers round about, against the walls of the house round about, both of the temple and of the oracle; and he made chambers round about.

⁶The nethermost chamber was five cubits broad, and the middle was six cubits broad, and the third was seven cubits broad; for outside in the wall of the house he made narrowed rests round about, that the beams should not be fastened in the walls of the house.

⁷And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither, so that there was neither hammer nor ax nor any tool of iron heard in the house while it was in building.

⁸The door for the middle chamber was in the right side of the house; and they went up with winding stairs into the middle chamber, and out of the middle into the third.

⁹So he built the house and finished it, and covered the house with beams and boards of cedar.

¹⁰And then he built chambers against all the house, five cubits high; and they rested on the house with timber of cedar.

¹¹And the word of the LORD came to Solomon, saying,

¹²"Concerning this house which thou art building, if thou wilt walk in My statutes and execute My judgments and keep all My commandments to walk in them, then will I perform My word with thee, which I spoke unto David thy father.

¹³And I will dwell among the children of Israel and will not forsake My people Israel."

¹⁴So Solomon built the house and finished it.

¹⁵And he built the walls of the house within with boards of cedar, both the floor of the house and the walls of the ceiling; and he covered them on the inside with wood, and covered the floor of the house with planks of fir.

¹⁶And he built twenty cubits on the sides of the house, both the floor and the walls with boards of cedar; he even built them for it within, even for the oracle, even for the Most Holy Place.

¹⁷And the house, that is, the temple before it, was forty cubits long.

¹⁸And the cedar of the house within was carved with buds and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone seen.

¹⁹And the oracle he prepared in the house within, to set there the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

²⁰And the oracle in the forepart was twenty cubits in length and twenty cubits in breadth and twenty cubits in the height thereof; and he overlaid it with pure gold, and so covered the altar which was of cedar.

²¹So Solomon overlaid the house within with pure gold; and he made a partition by the chains of gold before the oracle, and he overlaid it with gold.

²²And the whole house he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the house; also the whole altar that was by the oracle he overlaid with gold.

²³And within the oracle he made two cherubims of olive tree, each ten cubits high.

²⁴And five cubits was the one wing of the cherub, and five cubits the other wing of the cherub: from the outermost part of the one wing unto the outermost part of the other was ten cubits.

²⁵And the other cherub was ten cubits; both the cherubims were of one measure and one size.

²⁶The height of the one cherub was ten cubits, and so was it of the other cherub.

²⁷And he set the cherubims within the inner house; and they stretched forth the wings of the cherubims, so that the wing of the one touched the one wall and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall; and their wings touched one another in the midst of the house.

²⁸And he overlaid the cherubims with gold.

²⁹And he carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, within and without.

³⁰And the floor of the house he overlaid with gold, within and without.

³¹And for the entrance of the oracle he made doors of olive tree; the lintel and side posts were a fifth part of the wall.

³²The two doors also were of olive tree; and he carved upon them carvings of cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold, and spread gold upon the cherubims and upon the palm trees.

³³So also made he for the door of the temple posts of olive tree, a fourth part of the wall.

³⁴And the two doors were of fir tree; the two leaves of the one door were folding, and the two leaves of the other door were folding.

³⁵And he carved thereon cherubims and palm trees and open flowers, and covered them with gold fitted upon the carved work.

³⁶And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams.

³⁷In the fourth year was the foundation of the house of the LORD laid, in the month of Ziv.

³⁸And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, was the house finished throughout all the parts thereof and according to all the fashion of it. So was he seven years in building it.

7But Solomon was building his own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.

²He built also the House of the Forest of Lebanon; the length thereof was a hundred cubits, and the breadth thereof fifty cubits, and the height thereof thirty cubits, upon four rows of cedar pillars, with cedar beams upon the pillars.

³And it was covered with cedar above upon the beams that lay on fortyfive pillars, fifteen in a row.

⁴And there were windows in three rows, and light was against light in three ranks.

⁵And all the doors and posts were square, with the windows; and light was against light in three ranks.

⁶And he made a Porch of Pillars: the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth thereof thirty cubits; and the porch was in front of them, and the other pillars and the thick beam were in front of them.

⁷Then he made a porch for the throne where he might judge, even the Porch of Judgment; and it was covered with cedar from one side of the floor to the other.

⁸And his house where he dwelt had another court within the porch, which was of the like work. Solomon made also a house for Pharaoh's daughter, whom he had taken for a wife, like unto this porch.

⁹All these were of costly stones, according to the measures of hewn stones, sawed with saws, within and without, even from the foundation unto the coping, and so on the outside toward the great court.

¹⁰And the foundation was of costly stones, even great stones, stones of ten cubits, and stones of eight cubits.

¹¹And above were costly stones, according to the measures of hewn stones and cedars.

¹²And the great court round about was with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams, both for the inner court of the house of the LORD and for the porch of the house.

¹³And King Solomon sent and fetched Hiram out of Tyre.

¹⁴He was a widow's son of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill to work all works in brass. And he came to King Solomon and wrought all his work.

¹⁵For he cast two pillars of brass, of eighteen cubits high apiece; and a line of twelve cubits compassed each of them about.

¹⁶And he made two capitals of molten brass to set upon the tops of the pillars; the height of the one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits;

¹⁷and nets of checker work and wreaths of chain work for the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars, seven for the one capital and seven for the other capital.

¹⁸And he made the pillars, and two rows with pomegranates round about upon the one network to cover the capitals that were upon the top; and so did he for the other capital.

¹⁹And the capitals that were upon the top of the pillars were of lily work in the porch, four cubits.

²⁰And the capitals upon the two pillars had pomegranates also above, over against the belly which was by the network; and the pomegranates were two hundred in rows round about upon the other capital.

²¹And he set up the pillars in the porch of the temple: and he set up the right pillar and called the name thereof Jachin [that is, He shall establish], and he set up the left pillar and called the name thereof Boaz [that is, In it is strength].

²²And upon the top of the pillars was lily work; so was the work of the pillars finished.

²³And he made a molten sea, ten cubits from the one brim to the other; it was round all about, and his height was five cubits, and a line of thirty cubits compassed it round about.

²⁴And under the brim of it round about there were buds compassing it, ten to a cubit, compassing the sea round about; the buds were cast in two rows when it was cast.

²⁵It stood upon twelve oxen, three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the south, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hind parts were inward.

²⁶And it was a handbreadth thick, and the brim thereof was wrought like the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies. It contained two thousand baths.

²⁷And he made ten bases of brass; four cubits was the length of one base, and four cubits the breadth thereof, and three cubits the height of it.

²⁸And the work of the bases was in this manner: they had borders, and the borders were between the ledges;

²⁹and on the borders that were between the ledges were lions, oxen, and cherubims. And upon the ledges there was a base above; and beneath the lions and oxen were certain additions made of thin work.

³⁰And every base had four brazen wheels and plates of brass, and the four corners thereof had supports. Under the laver were molten supports at the side of every addition.

³¹And the mouth of it within the capital and above was a cubit; but the mouth thereof was round according to the work of the base, a cubit and a half; and also upon the mouth of it were engravings with their borders, foursquare, not round.

³²And under the borders were four wheels, and the axles of the wheels were joined to the base; and the height of a wheel was a cubit and half a cubit.

³³And the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel; their axles and their hubs and their rims and their spokes were all molten.

³⁴And there were four supports to the four corners of one base, and the supports were part of the very base itself.

³⁵And in the top of the base was there a round compass of half a cubit high; and on the top of the base the ledges thereof and the borders thereof were of the same.

³⁶For on the plates of the ledges thereof and on the borders thereof he engraved cherubims, lions, and palm trees, according to the proportion of every one, and additions round about.

³⁷After this manner he made the ten bases; all of them had one casting, one measure, and one size.

³⁸Then made he ten lavers of brass; each laver contained forty baths, and every laver was four cubits, and upon every one of the ten bases was one laver.

³⁹And he put five bases on the right side of the house and five on the left side of the house, and he set the sea on the right side of the house eastward over against the south.

⁴⁰And Hiram made the lavers and the shovels and the bowls. So Hiram made an end of doing all the work that he made King Solomon for the house of the LORD:

⁴¹the two pillars, and the two bowls of the capitals that were on the top of the two pillars, and the two networks to cover the two bowls of the capitals which were upon the top of the pillars;

⁴²and four hundred pomegranates for the two networks, even two rows of pomegranates for one network to cover the two bowls of the capitals that were upon the pillars;

⁴³and the ten bases, and ten lavers on the bases;

⁴⁴and one sea, and twelve oxen under the sea;

⁴⁵and the pots and the shovels and the basins. And all these vessels which Hiram made for King Solomon for the house of the LORD were of bright brass.

⁴⁶In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zarthan.

⁴⁷And Solomon left all the vessels unweighed, because they were exceeding many; neither was the weight of the brass found out.

⁴⁸And Solomon made all the vessels that pertained unto the house of the LORD: the altar of gold, and the table of gold, upon which the showbread was;

⁴⁹and the candlesticks of pure gold, five on the right side and five on the left before the oracle, with the flowers and the lamps and the tongs of gold;

⁵⁰and the bowls, and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers of pure gold; and the hinges of gold, both for the doors of the inner house, the Most Holy Place, and for the doors of the house, to wit, of the temple.

⁵¹So was ended all the work that King Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the silver and the gold and the vessels did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD.

8Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the City of David, which is Zion.

²And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the eventh month.

³And all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.

⁴And they brought up the ark of the LORD, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle; even those did the priests and the Levites bring up.

⁵And King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

⁶And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the Most Holy Place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

⁷For the cherubims spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above.

⁸And they stretched out the staves so that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen from outside; and there they are unto this day.

⁹There was nothing in the ark save the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel when they came out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰And it came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD,

¹¹so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD.

¹²Then spoke Solomon: "The LORD said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

¹³I have surely built Thee a house to dwell in, a settled place for Thee to abide in for ever."

¹⁴And the king turned his face about and blessed all the congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel were standing.

¹⁵And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth unto David my father, and hath with His hand fulfilled it, saying,

¹⁶'Since the day that I brought forth My people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that My name might be therein; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.'

¹⁷And it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁸And the LORD said unto David my father, 'Whereas it was in thine heart to build a house unto My name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.

¹⁹Nevertheless thou shalt not build the house; but thy son who shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto My name.'

²⁰And the LORD hath performed His word that He spoke; and I have risen up in the place of David my father and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

²¹And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD which He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt."

²²And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

²³and he said, "LORD God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in heaven above or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their heart,

²⁴who hast kept with Thy servant David my father what Thou promised him. Thou speakest also with Thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day.

²⁵Therefore now, LORD God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father what Thou promised him, saying, 'There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit on the throne of Israel, only if thy children take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as thou hast walked before Me.'

²⁶And now, O God of Israel, let Thy word, I pray Thee, be verified, which Thou speakest unto Thy servant David my father.

²⁷"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house that I have built?

²⁸Yet have Thou respect unto the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee today,

²⁹that Thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which Thou hast said, 'My name shall be there,' that Thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant shall make toward this place.

³⁰And hearken Thou to the supplication of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel when they shall pray toward this place, and hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place; and when Thou hearest, forgive.

³¹"If any man trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before Thine altar in this house,

³²then hear Thou in heaven, and do and judge Thy servants, condemning the wicked to bring his way upon his head, and justifying the righteous to give him according to his righteousness.

³³"When Thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy because they have sinned against Thee, and shall turn again to Thee and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication unto Thee in this house,

³⁴then hear Thou in heaven and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which Thou gavest unto their fathers.

³⁵"When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against Thee, if they pray toward this place and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin when Thou afflictest them,

³⁶then hear Thou in heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants and of Thy people Israel, that Thou teach them the good way wherein they should walk, and give rain upon Thy land which Thou hast given to Thy people for an inheritance.

³⁷"If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blight, mildew, locust, or if there be caterpillar, if their enemy besiege them in the land of their cities, whatsoever plague, whatsoever sickness there be,

³⁸what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man or by all Thy people Israel, who shall know every man the plague of his own heart and spread forth his hands toward this house--

³⁹then hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart Thou knowest (for Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men),

⁴⁰that they may fear Thee all the days that they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.

⁴¹"Moreover concerning a stranger who is not of Thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for Thy name's sake

⁴²(for they shall hear of Thy great name and of Thy strong hand and of Thy stretched out arm), when he shall come and pray toward this house,

⁴³hear Thou in heaven Thy dwelling place and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for, that all people of the earth may know Thy name to fear Thee, as do Thy people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by Thy name.

⁴⁴"If Thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever Thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which Thou hast chosen and toward the house that I have built for Thy name,

⁴⁵then hear Thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

⁴⁶"If they sin against Thee (for there is no man that sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them and deliver them to the enemy so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near;

⁴⁷yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent and make supplication unto Thee in the land of those who carried them captives, saying, 'We have sinned and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness';

⁴⁸and so return unto Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray unto Thee toward their land which Thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which Thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for Thy name--

⁴⁹then hear Thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven Thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause;

⁵⁰and forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against Thee, and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

⁵¹(for they are Thy people and Thine inheritance, whom Thou broughtest forth out of Egypt from the midst of the furnace of iron),

⁵²that Thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of Thy servant and unto the supplication of Thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto Thee.

⁵³For Thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth to be Thine inheritance, as Thou spoke by the hand of Moses Thy servant when Thou brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD."

⁵⁴And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

⁵⁵And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice, saying,

⁵⁶"Blessed be the LORD, who hath given rest unto His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There hath not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised by the hand of Moses His servant.

⁵⁷The LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. Let Him not leave us nor forsake us,

⁵⁸that He may incline our hearts unto Him to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments which He commanded our fathers.

⁵⁹And let these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that He maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel at all times, as the matter shall require,

⁶⁰that all the people of the earth may know that the LORD is God, and that there is none else.

⁶¹Let your heart therefore be perfect with the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and to keep His commandments, as at this day."

⁶²And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before the LORD.

⁶³And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD: two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD.

⁶⁴The same day did the king hallow the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings and meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar that was before the LORD was too little to receive the burnt offerings and meat offerings and the fat of the peace offerings.

⁶⁵And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath unto the River of Egypt, before the LORD our God seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.

⁶⁶On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went unto their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that the LORD had done for David His servant and for Israel His people.

9And it came to pass, when Solomon had finished the building of the house of the LORD and the king's house, and all Solomon's desire which he was pleased to do,

²that the LORD appeared to Solomon the second time, as He had appeared unto him at Gibeon.

³And the LORD said unto him, "I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication that thou hast made before Me. I have hallowed this house which thou hast built, to put My name there forever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually.

⁴And if thou wilt walk before Me as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep My statutes and My judgments,

⁵then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, 'There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel.'

⁶But if ye shall at all turn from following Me, ye or your children, and will not keep My commandments and My statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them,

⁷then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them, and this house which I have hallowed for My name will I cast out of My sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.

⁸And at this house, which is high, every one who passeth by it shall be astonished and shall hiss; and they shall say, 'Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land and to this house?'

⁹And they shall answer, 'Because they forsook the LORD their God who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshiped them and served them; therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.'"

¹⁰And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, when Solomon had built the two houses, the house of the LORD and the king's house

¹¹(now Hiram the king of Tyre had furnished Solomon with cedar trees and fir trees and with gold, according to all his desire), that then King Solomon gave Hiram twenty cities in the land of Galilee.

¹²And Hiram came out from Tyre to see the cities which Solomon had given him, and they pleased him not.

¹³And he said, "What cities are these which thou hast given me, my brother?" And he called them the land of Cabul [that is, Displeasing] unto this day.

¹⁴And Hiram sent to the king sixscore talents of gold.

¹⁵And this is the reason for the levy which King Solomon raised: to build the house of the LORD, and his own house, and Millo, and the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, and Megiddo, and Gezer.

¹⁶(For Pharaoh king of Egypt had gone up and taken Gezer, and burned it with fire and slain the Canaanites who dwelt in the city, and given it for a present unto his daughter, Solomon's wife.)

¹⁷And Solomon built Gezer, and Bethhoron the Nether,

¹⁸and Baalath, and Tadmor in the wilderness, in the land,

¹⁹and all the cities of storage that Solomon had, and cities for his chariots and cities for his horsemen, and that which Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and in all the land of his dominion.

²⁰And all the people who were left of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, who were not of the children of Israel--

²¹their children who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel also were not able utterly to destroy -- upon those did Solomon levy a tribute of bond service unto this day.

²²But of the children of Israel Solomon made no bondmen; but they were men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.

²³These were the chief of the officers who were over Solomon's work: five hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people who wrought in the work.

²⁴But Pharaoh's daughter came up out of the City of David unto her house which Solomon had built for her; then did he build Millo.

²⁵And three times in a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burned incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.

²⁶And King Solomon made a navy of ships in Eziongeber, which is beside Eloth on the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.

²⁷And Hiram sent in the navy his servants, shipmen who had knowledge of the sea, with the servants of Solomon.

²⁸And they came to Ophir and fetched from thence gold, four hundred and twenty talents, and brought it to King Solomon.

10And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions.

²And she came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels that bore spices and very much gold and precious stones; and when she had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her heart.

³And Solomon told her all her questions; there was not any thing hidden from the king which he told her not.

⁴And when the queen of Sheba had seen all Solomon's wisdom, and the house that he had built,

⁵and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up unto the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

⁶And she said to the king, "It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.

⁷However I believed not the words until I came and mine eyes had seen it; and behold, the half was not told me. Thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth the fame which I heard.

⁸Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee and who hear thy wisdom.

⁹Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel! Because the LORD loved Israel for ever, therefore made He thee king to do judgment and justice."

¹⁰And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices a very great store, and precious stones; there came no more such abundance of spices as these which the queen of Sheba gave to King Solomon.

¹¹And the navy also of Hiram, that brought gold from Ophir, brought in from Ophir a great plenty of almug trees and precious stones.

¹²And the king made of the almug trees pillars for the house of the LORD and for the king's house, harps also and psalteries for singers. There came no more such almug trees, nor were seen unto this day.

¹³And King Solomon gave unto the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which Solomon gave her of his royal bounty. So she turned and went to her own country, she and her servants.

¹⁴Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred threescore and six talents of gold,

¹⁵besides what he had from the merchants, and from the traffic of the spice merchants, and from all the kings of Arabia, and from the governors of the country.

¹⁶And King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went to one buckler.

¹⁷And he made three hundred shields of beaten gold; three pounds of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁸Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold.

¹⁹The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round behind and there were stays on either side on the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the stays.

²⁰And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

²¹And all King Solomon's drinking vessels were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver; it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

²²For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish with the navy of Hiram. Once in three years came the navy of Tarshish bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

²³So King Solomon exceeded all the kings of the earth in riches and in wisdom.

²⁴And all the earth sought Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart.

²⁵And they brought every man his present: vessels of silver and vessels of gold, and garments, and armor, and spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.

²⁶And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he placed in the cities for chariots and with the king at Jerusalem.

²⁷And the king made silver to be in Jerusalem as stones, and cedars made he to be as the sycamore trees that are in the vale, for abundance.

²⁸And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn; the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

²⁹And a chariot came up and went out of Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty; and so for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria they brought them out by their means.

11But King Solomon loved many foreign women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh: women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites--

²from the nations concerning which the LORD said unto the children of Israel, "Ye shall not go in to them, neither shall they come in unto you; for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods." Solomon cleaved unto these in love.

³And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives turned away his heart.

⁴For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.

⁵For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.

⁶And Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD, and went not fully after the LORD, as did David his father.

⁷Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the children of Ammon.

⁸And likewise did he for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

⁹And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, who had appeared unto him twice

¹⁰and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods; but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.

¹¹Therefore the LORD said unto Solomon, "Forasmuch as this is done by thee, and thou hast not kept My covenant and My statutes which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee and will give it to thy servant.

¹²Notwithstanding, I will not do it in thy days for David thy father's sake; but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.

¹³However I will not rend away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son for David My servant's sake and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen."

¹⁴And the LORD stirred up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the king's seed in Edom.

¹⁵For it came to pass, when David was in Edom, and Joab thecaptain of the host had gone up to bury the slain after he had smitten every male in Edom

¹⁶(for six months Joab remained there with all Israel until he had cut off every male in Edom),

¹⁷that Hadad fled, he and certain Edomites of his father's servants with him, to go into Egypt, Hadad being yet a little child.

¹⁸And they arose out of Midian and came to Paran; and they took men with them out of Paran, and they came to Egypt, unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave him a house and appointed him victuals and gave him land.

¹⁹And Hadad found great favor in the sight of Pharaoh, so that he gave him for a wife the sister of his own wife, the sister of Tahpenes the queen.

²⁰And the sister of Tahpenes bore him Genubath his son, whom Tahpenes weaned in Pharaoh's house; and Genubath was in Pharaoh's household among the sons of Pharaoh.

²¹And when Hadad heard in Egypt that David slept with his fathers and that Joab the captain of the host was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, "Let me depart, that I may go to mine own country."

²²Then Pharaoh said unto him, "But what hast thou lacked with me, that, behold, thou seekest to go to thine own country?" And he answered, "Nothing, however let me go in any wise."

²³And God stirred him up another adversary, Rezon the son of Eliadah, who fled from his lord Hadadezer king of Zobah.

²⁴And he gathered men unto him and became captain over a band, when David slew those of Zobah; and they went to Damascus and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus.

²⁵And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, besides the mischief that Hadad did; and he abhorred Israel, and reigned over Syria.

²⁶And Jeroboam the son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zereda, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.

²⁷And this was the cause that he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breaches of the City of David his father.

²⁸And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor; and Solomon, seeing that the young man was industrious, made him ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph.

²⁹And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment, and the two were alone in the field.

³⁰And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces.

³¹And he said to Jeroboam, "Take thee ten pieces; for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee

³²(but he shall have one tribe for My servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel),

³³because they have forsaken Me and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in My ways to do that which is right in Mine eyes, and to keep My statutes and My judgments, as did David his father.

³⁴However that be, I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand; but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David My servant's sake, whom I chose because he kept My commandments and My statutes.

³⁵But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes.

³⁶And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David My servant may have a light always before Me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen Me to put My name there.

³⁷And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel.

³⁸And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in My ways and do what is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments as David My servant did, that I will be with thee and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.

³⁹And I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not for ever.'"

⁴⁰Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.

⁴¹And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

⁴²And the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years.

⁴³And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

12And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.

²And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it (for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt),

³that they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came and spoke unto Rehoboam, saying,

⁴"Thy father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father and his heavy yoke which he put upon us lighter, and we will serve thee."

⁵And he said unto them, "Depart yet for three days, then come again to me." And the people departed.

⁶And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, "How do ye advise that I may answer this people?"

⁷And they spoke unto him, saying, "If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them and answer them and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever."

⁸But he forsook the counsel of the old men which they hadgiven him, and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him, and who stood before him.

⁹And he said unto them, "What counsel give ye that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Make the yoke which thy father put upon us lighter'?"

¹⁰And the young men who had grown up with him spoke unto him, saying, "Thus shalt thou speak unto this people who spoke unto thee, saying, 'Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us' -- thus shalt thou say unto them: 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins!

¹¹And now whereas my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!'"

¹²So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, "Come to me again the third day."

¹³And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him,

¹⁴and spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke. My father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!"

¹⁵Therefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that He might perform His saying which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to thine own house, David!" So Israel departed unto their tents.

¹⁷But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones so that he died. Therefore King Rehoboam made haste to get up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

¹⁹So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

²⁰And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

²¹And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

²²But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

²³"Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

²⁴'Thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Return every man to his house, for this thing is from Me.'" They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim and dwelt therein, and went out from thence and built Penuel.

²⁶And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David.

²⁷If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah."

²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt!"

²⁹And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.

³⁰And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.

³¹And he made a house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

³²And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made; and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.

³³So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart, and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel; and he offered upon the altar and burned incense.

13And behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel; and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

²And this man cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD: 'Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places who burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burned upon thee.'"

³And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken: Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out."

⁴And it came to pass, when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God who had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, "Lay hold on him!" And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in back to him.

⁵The altar also was rent and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.

⁶And the king answered and said unto the man of God, "Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me again." And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him again, and became as it was before.

⁷And the king said unto the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward."

⁸And the man of God said unto the king, "If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place.

⁹For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.'"

¹⁰So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.

¹¹Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.

¹²And their father said unto them, "What way went he?" For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.

¹³And he said unto his sons, "Saddle me the ass." So they saddled him the ass; and he rode thereon,

¹⁴and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. And he said unto him, "Art thou the man of God who camest from Judah?" And he said, "I am."

¹⁵Then he said unto him, "Come home with me and eat bread."

¹⁶And he said, "I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee; neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place.

¹⁷For it was said to me by the word of the LORD: 'Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn back to go by the way that thou camest.'"

¹⁸He said unto him, "I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spoke unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water.'" But he lied unto him.

¹⁹So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.

²⁰And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet who brought him back;

²¹and he cried unto the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,

²²but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which the LORD said to thee, "Eat no bread, and drink no water," thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulcher of thy fathers.'"

²³And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.

²⁴And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way and slew him; and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it; the lion also stood by the carcass.

²⁵And behold, men passed by and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass; and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.

²⁶And when the prophet who brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, "It is the man of God who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD. Therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him and slain him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke unto him."

²⁷And he spoke to his sons, saying, "Saddle me the ass." And they saddled him.

²⁸And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass. The lion had not eaten the carcass nor torn the ass.

²⁹And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass and brought it back; and the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him.

³⁰And he laid his carcass in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, "Alas, my brother!"

³¹And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, "When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulcher wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.

³²For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass."

³³After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again from the lowest of the people priests for the high places; whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.

³⁴And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.

14At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.

²And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam, and get thee to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I should be king over this people.

³And take with thee ten loaves and cakes and a cruse of honey, and go to him. He shall tell thee what shall become of the child."

⁴And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim by reason of his age.

⁵And the LORD said unto Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shalt thou say unto her; for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman."

⁶And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, that he said, "Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam. Why feignest thou thyself to be another? For I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.

⁷Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: "Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people and made thee prince over My people Israel,

⁸and rent the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to thee, and yet thou hast not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart to do that only which was right in Mine eyes,

⁹but hast done evil above all who were before thee, for thou hast gone and made thee other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger, and hast cast Me behind thy back--

¹⁰therefore behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that urinates against the wall and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung till it be all gone.

¹¹Him of Jeroboam that dieth in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat; for the LORD hath spoken it."'

¹²Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house; and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.

¹³And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him; for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

¹⁴Moreover the LORD shall raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day. But what? Even now!

¹⁵For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water; and He shall root up Israel out of this good land which He gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their Asherah poles, provoking the LORD to anger.

¹⁶And He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel to sin."

¹⁷And Jeroboam's wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah; and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died.

¹⁸And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Ahijah the prophet.

¹⁹And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

²⁰And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years; and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.

²¹And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD chose out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.

²²And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.

²³For they also built for themselves high places, and images and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

²⁴And there were also sodomites in the land, and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

²⁵And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.

²⁶And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all. And he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

²⁷And King Rehoboam made in their stead brazen shields, and committed them unto the hands of the chief of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house.

²⁸And it was so, when the king went into the house of the LORD, that the guard bore them and brought them back into the guard chamber.

²⁹Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

³⁰And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.

15Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, reigned Abijam over Judah.

²Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

³And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.

⁴Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him and to establish Jerusalem,

⁵because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.

⁶And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all the days of his life.

⁷Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war between Abijam and Jeroboam.

⁸And Abijam slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

⁹And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.

¹⁰And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.

¹¹And Asa did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, as did David his father.

¹²And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.

¹³And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol and burned it by the Brook Kidron.

¹⁴But the high places were not removed. Nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days.

¹⁵And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated and the things which he himself had dedicated into the house of the LORD, silver and gold and vessels.

¹⁶And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

¹⁷And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

¹⁸Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and the treasuries of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

¹⁹"There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father. Behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold. Come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me."

²⁰So Benhadad hearkened unto King Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Chinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.

²¹And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building Ramah and dwelt in Tirzah.

²²Then King Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted. And they took away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had built; and King Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

²³The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet.

²⁴And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.

²⁵And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel two years.

²⁶And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

²⁷And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, for Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.

²⁸Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah, Baasha slew him and reigned in his stead.

²⁹And it came to pass, when he reigned, that he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any who breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD which He spoke by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite,

³⁰because of the sins of Jeroboam which he sinned and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.

³¹Now the rest of the acts of Nadab and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

³²And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

³³In the third year of Asa king of Judah began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years.

³⁴And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.

16Then the word of the LORD came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,

²"Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust and made thee prince over My people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam and hast made My people Israel to sin, to provoke Me to anger with their sins,

³behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha and the posterity of his house, and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

⁴Him of Baasha that dieth in the city shall the dogs eat, and him that dieth of his in the fields shall the fowls of the air eat."

⁵Now the rest of the acts of Baasha and what he did and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

⁶So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah; and Elah his son reigned in his stead.

⁷And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD in provoking Him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam, and because he killed him.

⁸In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.

⁹And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of his house in Tirzah.

¹⁰And Zimri went in and smote him and killed him in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

¹¹And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha; he left him not one that urinates against a wall, neither of his kinsfolk nor of his friends.

¹²Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

¹³for all the sins of Baasha and the sins of Elah his son by which they sinned and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

¹⁴Now the rest of the acts of Elah and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹⁵In the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah did Zimri reign seven days in Tirzah. And the people were encamped against Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines.

¹⁶And the people who were encamped heard it said: "Zimri hath conspired and hath also slain the king." Therefore all Israel made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel that day in the camp.

¹⁷And Omri went up from Gibbethon, and all Israel with him, and they besieged Tirzah.

¹⁸And it came to pass, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the palace of the king's house and burned the king's house over himself with fire and died,

¹⁹because of his sins which he sinned in doing evil in the sight of the LORD, in walking in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he did to make Israel to sin.

²⁰Now the rest of the acts of Zimri and his treason that he wrought, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

²¹Then were the people of Israel divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni the son of Ginath to make him king, and half followed Omri.

²²But the people who followed Omri prevailed against the people who followed Tibni the son of Ginath; so Tibni died, and Omri reigned.

²³In the thirty and first year of Asa king of Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelve years; six years reigned he in Tirzah.

²⁴And he bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver, and built on the hill, and called the name of the city which he built after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Samaria.

²⁵But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of the LORD, and did worse than all who were before him.

²⁶For he walked in all the ways of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger with their vanities.

²⁷Now the rest of the acts of Omri which he did and his might that he showed, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

²⁸So Omri slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria; and Ahab his son reigned in his stead.

²⁹And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to reign over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two years.

³⁰And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD above all who were before him.

³¹And it came to pass, as if it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took for a wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and went and served Baal and worshiped him.

³²And he reared up an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he had built in Samaria.

³³And Ahab made an Asherah pole; and Ahab did more to provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.

³⁴In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho: he laid the foundation thereof in Abiram his firstborn, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Joshua the son of Nun.

17And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, "As the LORD God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except according to my word."

²And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

³"Get thee hence and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the Brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

⁴And it shall be that thou shalt drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there."

⁵So he went and did according unto the word of the LORD; for he went and dwelt by the Brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan.

⁶And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank from the brook.

⁷And it came to pass after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

⁸And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying,

⁹"Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there. Behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee."

¹⁰So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering sticks; and he called to her and said, "Fetch me, I pray thee, a little water in a vessel, that I may drink."

¹¹And as she was going to fetch it, he called to her and said, "Bring me, I pray thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand."

¹²And she said, "As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel and a little oil in a cruse. And behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, that we may eat it and die."

¹³And Elijah said unto her, "Fear not; go and do as thou hast said, but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and afterward make for thee and for thy son.

¹⁴For thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the LORD sendeth rain upon the earth.'"

¹⁵And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah, and she and he and her house ate for many days.

¹⁶And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by Elijah.

¹⁷And it came to pass after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore that there was no breath left in him.

¹⁸And she said unto Elijah, "What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? Art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance and to slay my son?"

¹⁹And he said unto her, "Give me thy son." And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.

²⁰And he cried unto the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, hast Thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn by slaying her son?"

²¹And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD and said, "O LORD my God, I pray Thee, let this child's soul come into him again!"

²²And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.

²³And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother; and Elijah said, "See, thy son liveth."

²⁴And the woman said to Elijah, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth."

18And it came to pass after many days that the word of the LORD came to Elijah in the third year, saying, "Go, show thyself unto Ahab, and I will send rain upon the earth."

²And Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab. And there was a sore famine in Samaria.

³And Ahab called Obadiah, who was the governor of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly.

⁴For it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took a hundred prophets and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.)

⁵And Ahab said unto Obadiah, "Go into the land unto all fountains of water and unto all brooks. Perhaps we may find grass to save the horses and mules alive, that we lose not all the beasts."

⁶So they divided the land between them to pass throughout it; Ahab went one way by himself, and Obadiah went another way by himself.

⁷And as Obadiah was on the way, behold, Elijah met him; and he knew him, and fell on his face and said, "Art thou my lord Elijah?"

⁸And he answered him, "I am. Go, tell thy lord: 'Behold, Elijah is here.'"

⁹And he said, "What have I sinned, that thou wouldest deliver thy servant into the hand of Ahab to slay me?

¹⁰As the LORD thy God liveth, there is no nation or kingdom whither my lord hath not sent to seek thee; and when they said, 'He is not there,' he took an oath from the kingdom and nation that they found thee not.

¹¹And now thou sayest, 'Go, tell thy lord: "Behold, Elijah is here."'

¹²And it shall come to pass, as soon as I am gone from thee, that the Spirit of the LORD shall carry thee whither I know not; and so when I come and tell Ahab, and he cannot find thee, he shall slay me. But I thy servant fear the LORD from my youth.

¹³Was it not told my lord what I did when Jezebel slew the prophets of the LORD, how I hid a hundred men of the LORD'S prophets by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water?

¹⁴And now thou sayest, 'Go, tell thy lord: "Behold, Elijah is here,"' and he shall slay me!"

¹⁵And Elijah said, "As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself unto him today."

¹⁶So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah.

¹⁷And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, "Art thou he that troubleth Israel?"

¹⁸And he answered, "I have not troubled Israel, but thou and thy father's house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed the Baalim.

¹⁹Now therefore, send and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the Asherah four hundred, who eat at Jezebel's table."

²⁰So Ahab sent unto all the children of Israel, and gathered the prophets together unto Mount Carmel.

²¹And Elijah came unto all the people and said, "How long halt ye between two opinions? If the LORD be God, follow Him; but if Baal, then follow him." And the people answered him not a word.

²²Then said Elijah unto the people, "I, even I only, remain a prophet of the LORD, but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men.

²³Let them therefore give us two bullocks. And let them choose one bullock for themselves and cut it in pieces, and lay it on wood and put no fire under it; and I will dress the other bullock, and lay it on wood, and put no fire under it.

²⁴And call ye on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God that answereth by fire, let Him be God." And all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken."

²⁵And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, "Choose you one bullock for yourselves and dress it first, for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under it."

²⁶And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, "O Baal, hear us!" But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.

²⁷And it came to pass at noon that Elijah mocked them and said, "Cry aloud, for he is a god! Either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleepeth and must be awakened."

²⁸And they cried aloud, and cut themselves according to their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.

²⁹And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.

³⁰And Elijah said unto all the people, "Come near unto me." And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.

³¹And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, "Israel shall be thy name."

³²And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD, and he made a trench about the altar as great as would contain two measures of seed.

³³And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood and said, "Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood."

³⁴And he said, "Do it the second time." And they did it the second time. And he said, "Do it the third time." And they did it the third time.

³⁵And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.

³⁶And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, "LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word.

³⁷Hear me, O LORD! Hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the LORD God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again."

³⁸Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.

³⁹And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces and they said, "The LORD, He is the God! The LORD, He is the God!"

⁴⁰And Elijah said unto them, "Take the prophets of Baal. Let not one of them escape!" And they took them; and Elijah brought them down to the Brook Kishon and slew them there.

⁴¹And Elijah said unto Ahab, "Get thee up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain."

⁴²So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees,

⁴³and said to his servant, "Go up now, look toward the sea." And he went up and looked, and said, "There is nothing." And he said, "Go again," seven times.

⁴⁴And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, "Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand." And he said, "Go up, say unto Ahab, 'Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.'"

⁴⁵And it came to pass in the meantime, that the heaven was black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

⁴⁶And the hand of the LORD was on Elijah; and he girded up his loins, and ran before Ahab to the entrance of Jezreel.

19And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and also how he had slain all the prophets with the sword.

²Then Jezebel sent a messenger unto Elijah, saying, "So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I make not thy life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time."

³And when he saw that, he arose and went for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongeth to Judah, and left his servant there.

⁴But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am not better than my fathers."

⁵And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said unto him, "Arise and eat."

⁶And he looked, and behold, there was a cake baked on the coals and a cruse of water at his head. And he ate and drank, and lay down again.

⁷And the angel of the LORD came again the second time, and touched him and said, "Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee."

⁸And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that meat forty days and forty nights unto Horeb the mount of God.

⁹And he came thither unto a cave and lodged there; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said unto him, "What doest thou here, Elijah?"

¹⁰And he said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword. And I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

¹¹And He said, "Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD." And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake.

¹²And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

¹³And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice unto him and said, "What doest thou here, Elijah?"

¹⁴And he said, "I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts, because the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant, thrown down Thine altars, and slain Thy prophets with the sword. And I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away."

¹⁵And the LORD said unto him, "Go, return on thy way to the Wilderness of Damascus. And when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria;

¹⁶and Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel; and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy stead.

¹⁷And it shall come to pass that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay; and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay.

¹⁸Yet I have left Me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him."

¹⁹So he departed from thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth; and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him.

²⁰And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, "Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee." And he said unto him, "Go back again, for what have I done to thee?"

²¹And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and slew them and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they ate. Then he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.

20And Benhadad the king of Syria gathered all his host together; and there were thirty and two kings with him, and horses and chariots. And he went up and besieged Samaria, and warred against it.

²And he sent messengers to Ahab king of Israel into the city, and said unto him, "Thus saith Benhadad:

³'Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also and thy children, even the goodliest, are mine.'"

⁴And the king of Israel answered and said, "My lord, O king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and all that I have."

⁵And the messengers came again, and said, "Thus speaketh Benhadad, saying, 'Although I have sent unto thee, saying, "Thou shalt deliver me thy silver and thy gold and thy wives and thy children,"

⁶yet I will send my servants unto thee tomorrow about this time, and they shall search thine house and the houses of thy servants. And it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand and take it away.'"

⁷Then the king of Israel called all the elders of the land, and said, "Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh mischief; for he sent unto me for my wives and for my children and for my silver and for my gold, and I denied him not."

⁸And all the elders and all the people said unto him, "Hearken not unto him, nor consent."

⁹Therefore he said unto the messengers of Benhadad, "Tell my lord the king: 'All that thou didst send for to thy servant at the first I will do, but this thing I may not do.'" And the messengers departed and brought him word again.

¹⁰And Benhadad sent unto him and said, "The gods do so unto me, and more also, if the dust of Samaria shall suffice for handfuls for all the people who follow me."

¹¹And the king of Israel answered and said, "Tell him: 'Let not him that girdeth on his armor boast himself as he that putteth it off.'"

¹²And it came to pass, when Benhadad heard this message, as he was drinking, he and the kings in the pavilions, that he said unto his servants, "Set yourselves in array." And they set themselves in array against the city.

¹³And behold, there came a prophet unto Ahab king of Israel, saying, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Hast thou seen all this great multitude? Behold, I will deliver it into thine hand this day, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.'"

¹⁴And Ahab said, "By whom?" And he said, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Even by the young men of the princes of the provinces.'" Then he said, "Who shall order the battle?" And he answered, "Thou."

¹⁵Then he numbered the young men of the princes of the provinces, and they were two hundred and thirty two; and after them he numbered all the people, even all the children of Israel, being seven thousand.

¹⁶And they went out at noon. But Benhadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions, he and the kings, the thirty and two kings who helped him.

¹⁷And the young men of the princes of the provinces went out first; and Benhadad sent out, and they told him, saying, "There are men coming out of Samaria."

¹⁸And he said, "Whether they have come out for peace, take them alive; or whether they have come out for war, take them alive."

¹⁹So these young men of the princes of the provinces came out of the city, and the army which followed them.

²⁰And they slew every one his man; and the Syrians fled, and Israel pursued them; and Benhadad the king of Syria escaped on a horse with the horsemen.

²¹And the king of Israel went out and smote the horses and chariots, and slew the Syrians with a great slaughter.

²²And the prophet came to the king of Israel, and said unto him, "Go, strengthen thyself, and mark, and see what thou doest; for at the return of the year the king of Syria will come up against thee."

²³And the servants of the king of Syria said unto him, "Their gods are gods of the hills; therefore they were stronger than we. But let us fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they.

²⁴And do this thing: Take the kings away, every man out of his place, and put captains in their places.

²⁵And number thee an army like the army that thou hast lost, horse for horse and chariot for chariot; and we will fight against them in the plain, and surely we shall be stronger than they." And he hearkened unto their voice, and did so.

²⁶And it came to pass at the return of the year, that Benhadad numbered the Syrians, and went up to Aphek to fight against Israel.

²⁷And the children of Israel were numbered and were all present, and went against them; and the children of Israel pitched camp before them like two little flocks of kids, but the Syrians filled the country.

²⁸And there came a man of God, and spoke unto the king of Israel and said, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Because the Syrians have said, "The LORD is God of the hills, but He is not God of the valleys," therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'"

²⁹And they pitched camp one opposite the other seven days. And so it was that in the seventh day the battle was joined, and the children of Israel slew of the Syrians a hundred thousand footmen in one day.

³⁰But the rest fled to Aphek, into the city; and there a wall fell upon twenty and seven thousand of the men who were left. And Benhadad fled and came into the city, into an inner chamber.

³¹And his servants said unto him, "Behold now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Let us, I pray thee, put sackcloth on our loins and ropes upon our heads, and go out to the king of Israel. Perhaps he will save thy life."

³²So they girded sackcloth on their loins and put ropes on their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, "Thy servant Benhadad saith, 'I pray thee, let me live.'" And he said, "Is he yet alive? He is my brother."

³³Now the men diligently observed whether any thing would come from him, and hastily caught it; and they said, "Thy brother Benhadad." Then he said, "Go ye, bring him." Then Benhadad came forth to him; and he caused him to come up into the chariot.

³⁴And Benhadad said unto him, "The cities which my father took from thy father I will restore; and thou shalt make streets for thyself in Damascus, as my father made in Samaria." Then said Ahab, "I will send thee away with this covenant." So he made a covenant with him, and sent him away.

³⁵And a certain man of the sons of the prophets said unto his neighbor in the word of the LORD, "Smite me, I pray thee." And the man refused to smite him.

³⁶Then said he unto him, "Because thou hast not obeyed the voice of the LORD, behold, as soon as thou art departed from me, a lion shall slay thee." And as soon as he had departed from him, a lion found him and slew him.

³⁷Then he found another man and said, "Smite me, I pray thee." And the man smote him, so that in smiting he wounded him.

³⁸So the prophet departed and waited for the king by the way, and disguised himself with ashes upon his face.

³⁹And as the king passed by, he cried unto the king; and he said, "Thy servant went out into the midst of the battle. And behold, a man turned aside and brought a man unto me, and said, 'Keep this man. If by any means he be missing, then shall thy life be for his life, or else thou shalt pay a talent of silver.'

⁴⁰And as thy servant was busy here and there, he was gone." And the king of Israel said unto him, "So shall thy judgment be; thyself hast decided it."

⁴¹And he hastened and took the ashes away from his face, and the king of Israel recognized him, that he was of the prophets.

⁴²And he said unto the king, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Because thou hast let go out of thy hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore thy life shall go for his life, and thy people for his people.'"

⁴³And the king of Israel went to his house heavy and displeased, and came to Samaria.

21And it came to pass after these things that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.

²And Ahab spoke unto Naboth, saying, "Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house. And I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money."

³And Naboth said to Ahab, "The LORD forbid me that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee."

⁴And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him; for he had said, "I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers." And he lay down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread.

⁵But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, "Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread?"

⁶And he said unto her, "Because I spoke unto Naboth the Jezreelite and said unto him, 'Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it.' And he answered, 'I will not give thee my vineyard.'"

⁷And Jezebel his wife said unto him, "Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? Arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry. I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite."

⁸So she wrote letters in Ahab's name and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles who were in his city, dwelling with Naboth.

⁹And she wrote in the letters, saying, "Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

¹⁰And set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, 'Thou didst blaspheme God and the king.' And then carry him out and stone him, that he may die."

¹¹And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them.

¹²They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.

¹³And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him; and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, "Naboth blasphemed God and the king." Then they carried him forth out of the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.

¹⁴Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."

¹⁵And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, "Arise, take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money; for Naboth is not alive, but dead."

¹⁶And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite to take possession of it.

¹⁷And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

¹⁸"Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. Behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he has gone down to possess it.

¹⁹And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD: Hast thou killed and also taken possession?' And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD, "In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine.'"

²⁰And Ahab said to Elijah, "Hast thou found me, O mine enemy?" And he answered, "I have found thee, because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the LORD.

²¹'Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that urinates against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel.

²²And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked Me to anger and made Israel sin.'

²³And of Jezebel also spoke the LORD, saying, 'The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.'

²⁴Him of Ahab that dieth in the city the dogs shall eat, andhim that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat."

²⁵But there was none like unto Ahab, who sold himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up.

²⁶And he did very abominably in following idols, according to all things as did the Amorites, whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

²⁷And it came to pass, when Ahab heard those words, that he rent his clothes and put sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted and lay in sackcloth, and went about dispiritedly.

²⁸And the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying,

²⁹"Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me? Because he humbleth himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house."

22And they continued three years without war between Syria and Israel.

²And it came to pass in the third year that Jehoshaphat the king of Judah came down to the king of Israel.

³And the king of Israel said unto his servants, "Know ye that Ramoth in Gilead is ours, and we are still, and take it not out of the hand of the king of Syria?"

⁴And he said unto Jehoshaphat, "Wilt thou go with me to battle to Ramothgilead?" And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, "I am as thou art, my people as thy people, my horses as thy horses."

⁵And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, "Inquire, I pray thee, for the word of the LORD today."

⁶Then the king of Israel gathered the prophets together, about four hundred men, and said unto them, "Shall I go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" And they said, "Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king."

⁷And Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides, that we might inquire of him?"

⁸And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man, Micaiah the son of Imlah, by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, for he doth not prophesy good concerning me, but evil." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so."

⁹Then the king of Israel called an officer and said, "Hasten hither Micaiah the son of Imlah."

¹⁰And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah sat each on his throne, having put on their robes, in a vacant place in the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

¹¹And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made himself horns of iron; and he said, "Thus saith the LORD: 'With these shalt thou push the Syrians until thou have consumed them.'"

¹²And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramothgilead and prosper, for the LORD shall deliver it into the king's hand."

¹³And the messenger who had gone to call Micaiah spoke unto him, saying, "Behold now, the words of the prophets declare good unto the king with one mouth. Let thy word, I pray thee, be like the word of one of them, and speak that which is good."

¹⁴And Micaiah said, "As the LORD liveth, what the LORD saith unto me, that will I speak."

¹⁵So he came to the king. And the king said unto him, "Micaiah, shall we go against Ramothgilead to battle, or shall we forbear?" And he answered him, "Go, and prosper, for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king."

¹⁶And the king said unto him, "How many times shall I adjure thee that thou tell me nothing but that which is true in the name of the LORD?"

¹⁷And he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let them return every man to his house in peace.'"

¹⁸And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell thee that he would prophesy no good concerning me, but evil?"

¹⁹And Micaiah said, "Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left.

²⁰And the LORD said, 'Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?' And one said in this manner, and another said in that manner.

²¹And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will persuade him.'

²²And the LORD said unto him, 'Wherewith?' And he said, 'Iwill go forth, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And He said, 'Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail also. Go forth, and do so.'

²³Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil concerning thee.

²⁴But Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micaiah on the cheek and said, "Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?"

²⁵And Micaiah said, "Behold, thou shalt see in that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself."

²⁶And the king of Israel said, "Take Micaiah, and carry him back unto Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son;

²⁷and say, 'Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in theprison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I come in peace.'"

²⁸And Micaiah said, "If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me." And he said, "Hearken, O people, every one of you!"

²⁹So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

³⁰And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "I willing disguise myself and enter into the battle, but put thou on thy robes." And the king of Israel disguised himself and went into the battle.

³¹But the king of Syria commanded his thirty and two captains who had rule over his chariots, saying, "Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel."

³²And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said, "Surely it is the king of Israel." And they turned aside to fight against him; and Jehoshaphat cried out.

³³And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, that they turned back from pursuing him.

³⁴And a certain man drew a bow at random, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said unto the driver of his chariot, "Turn thine hand and carry me out of the host, for I am wounded."

³⁵And the battle increased that day. And the king was propped up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at evening; and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot.

³⁶And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, "Every man to his city, and every man to his own country!"

³⁷So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria.

³⁸And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria, and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armor, according unto the word of the LORD which He spoke.

³⁹Now the rest of the acts of Ahab and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

⁴⁰So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

⁴¹And Jehoshaphat the son of Asa began to reign over Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel.

⁴²Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And hismother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

⁴³And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father. He turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the LORD. Nevertheless the high places were not taken away, for the people offered and burned incense yet in the high places.

⁴⁴And Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel.

⁴⁵Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, and his might that he showed, and how he warred, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

⁴⁶And the remnant of the sodomites, who remained in the days of his father Asa, he took out of the land.

⁴⁷There was then no king in Edom; a deputy was king.

⁴⁸Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold; but they went not, for the ships were broken at Eziongeber.

⁴⁹Then said Ahaziah the son of Ahab unto Jehoshaphat, "Let my servants go with thy servants in the ships." But Jehoshaphat would not.

⁵⁰And Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father; and Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

⁵¹Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel.

⁵²And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father and in the way of his mother and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin;

⁵³for he served Baal and worshiped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

1Then Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of Ahab.

²And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick. And he sent messengers and aid unto them, "Go, inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover from this disease."

³But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and say unto them, 'Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that ye go to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron?'

⁴Now therefore thus saith the LORD: 'Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou hast gone up, but shalt surely die!'" And Elijah departed.

⁵And when the messengers returned unto the king, he said unto them, "Why have ye now turned back?"

⁶And they said unto him, "There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, 'Go, return unto the king who sent you and say unto him, "Thus saith the LORD: Is it not because there is not a God in Israel that thou sendest to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron? Therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou hast gone up, but shalt surely die!"'"

⁷And he said unto them, "What manner of man was he that came up to meet you and told you these words?"

⁸And they answered him, "He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins." And he said, "It is Elijah he Tishbite."

⁹Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him; and behold, he sat on the top of a ill. And he spoke unto him, "Thou man of God, the king hath said, 'Come down.'"

¹⁰And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, "If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven and consume hee and thy fifty." And there came down fire from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹¹Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, "O man of God, thus hath the king said, 'Come down quickly.'"

¹²And Elijah answered and said unto them, "If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven and consume thee and thy fifty." And the fire of God came down from heaven and consumed him and his fifty.

¹³And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him and said unto him, "O man of God, I pray thee, let my life and the life of these fifty, thy servants, be precious in thy sight.

¹⁴Behold, there came fire down from heaven and burned up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties. Therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight!"

¹⁵And the angel of the LORD said unto Elijah, "Go down with him; be not afraid of him." And he arose and went down with him unto the king.

¹⁶And he said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to inquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to inquire of His word? Therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou hast gone up, but shalt surely die!'"

¹⁷So he died according to the word of the LORD which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, because he had no son.

¹⁸Now the rest of the acts of Ahaziah which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

2And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal.

²And Elijah said unto Elisha, "Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel." And Elisha said unto him, "As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." So they went down to Bethel.

³And the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came forth to Elisha and said unto him, "Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today?" And he said, "Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace."

⁴And Elijah said unto him, "Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho." And he said, "As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." So they came to Jericho.

⁵And the sons of the prophets who were at Jericho came to Elisha and said unto him, "Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head today?" And he answered, "Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace."

⁶And Elijah said unto him, "Tarry, I pray thee, here; for the LORD hath sent me to the Jordan." And he said, "As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And the two went on.

⁷And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went and stood in sight to view afar off; and they two stood by the Jordan.

⁸And Elijah took his mantle and wrapped it together and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither so that the two went over on dry ground.

⁹And it came to pass, when they had gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee." And Elisha said, "I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me."

¹⁰And he said, "Thou hast asked a hard thing. Nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so."

¹¹And it came to pass, as they still went on and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.

¹²And Elisha saw it, and he cried, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!" And he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces.

¹³He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back and stood by the bank of the Jordan.

¹⁴And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters and said, "Where is the LORD God of Elijah?" And when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither; and Elisha went over.

¹⁵And when the sons of the prophets who were in view at Jericho saw him, they said, "The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha." And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him.

¹⁶And they said unto him, "Behold now, there are with thy servants fifty strong men. Let them go, we pray thee, and seek thy master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the LORD hath taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley." And he said, "Ye shall not send."

¹⁷And when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, "Send." They sent therefore fifty men, and they sought three days but found him not.

¹⁸And when they came again to him (for he tarried at Jericho), he said unto them, "Did I not say unto you, 'Go not'?"

¹⁹And the men of the city said unto Elisha, "Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth; but the water is nought, and the ground barren."

²⁰And he said, "Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein." And they brought it to him.

²¹And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there and said, "Thus saith the LORD: 'I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land.'"

²²So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spoke.

²³And he went up from thence unto Bethel. And as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him and said unto him, "Go up, thou bald head! Go up, thou bald head!"

²⁴And he turned back and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two shebears out of the wood and tore forty and two children of them.

²⁵And he went from thence to Mount Carmel, and from thence he returned to Samaria.

3Now Jehoram the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned twelve years.

²And he wrought evil in the sight of the LORD, but not like his father and like his mother; for he put away the image of Baal that his father had made.

³Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

⁴And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel a hundred thousand lambs and a hundred thousand rams with the wool.

⁵But it came to pass, when Ahab was dead, that the king of Moab rebelled against the king of Israel.

⁶And King Jehoram went out of Samaria the same time and numbered all Israel.

⁷And he went and sent to Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, saying, "The king of Moab hath rebelled against me. Wilt thou go with me against Moab to battle?" And he said, "I will go up; I am as thou art, my people as thy people, and my horses as thy horses."

⁸And he said, "Which way shall we go up?" And he answered, "The way through the Wilderness of Edom."

⁹So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah and the king of Edom; and they made a circuit of seven days' journey. And there was no water for the host and for the cattle that followed them.

¹⁰And the king of Israel said, "Alas! that the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab!"

¹¹But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the LORD, that we may inquire of the LORD by him?" And one of the king of Israel's servants answered and said, "Here is Elisha the son of Shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."

¹²And Jehoshaphat said, "The word of the LORD is with him." So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.

¹³And Elisha said unto the king of Israel, "What have I to do with thee? Get thee to the prophets of thy father and to the prophets of thy mother." And the king of Israel said unto him, "Nay, for the LORD hath called these three kings together to deliver them into the hand of Moab."

¹⁴And Elisha said, "As the LORD of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee.

¹⁵But now bring me a minstrel." And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the LORD came upon him.

¹⁶And he said, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Make this valley full of ditches.'

¹⁷For thus saith the LORD: 'Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye and your cattle and your beasts.'

¹⁸And this is but a light thing in the sight of the LORD; He will deliver the Moabites also into your hand.

¹⁹And ye shall smite every fortified city and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones."

²⁰And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water.

²¹And when all the Moabites heard that the kings had come up to fight against them, they gathered all who were able to put on armor and upward, and stood in the border.

²²And they rose up early in the morning, and the sun shone upon the water, and the Moabites saw the water on the other side as red as blood.

²³And they said, "This is blood! The kings are surely slain, and they have smitten one another. Now therefore, Moab, to the spoil!"

²⁴And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them; but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country.

²⁵And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees. Only in Kirharaseth left they the stones thereof; however the slingers went about it and smote it.

²⁶And when the king of Moab saw that the battle was too sore for him, he took with him seven hundred men who drew swords to break through even unto the king of Edom, but they could not.

²⁷Then he took his eldest son who should have reigned in his stead, and offered him as a burnt offering upon the wall. And there was great indignation against Israel. And they departed from him, and returned to their own land.

4Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, "Thy servant my husband is dead, and thou knowest that thy servant feared the LORD; and the creditor hath come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen."

²And Elisha said unto her, "What shall I do for thee? Tell me, what hast thou in the house?" And she said, "Thine handmaid hath not anything in the house, save a pot of oil."

³Then he said, "Go, borrow thee vessels abroad from all thy neighbors, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

⁴And when thou hast come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full."

⁵So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

⁶And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, "Bring me yet a vessel." And he said unto her, "There is not a vessel more." And the oil flow ceased.

⁷Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, "Go, sell the oil and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children on the rest."

⁸And there was a day that Elisha passed to Shunem, where was a great woman; and she constrained him to eat bread. And so it was that as oft as he passed by, he turned in thither to eat bread.

⁹And she said unto her husband, "Behold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passeth by us continually.

¹⁰Let us make a little chamber, I pray thee, on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed and a table and a stool and a candlestick. And it shall be, when he cometh to us, that he shall turn in thither."

¹¹And it fell on a day that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber and lay there.

¹²And he said to Gehazi his servant, "Call this Shunammite." And when he had called her, she stood before him.

¹³And he said unto him, "Say now unto her, 'Behold, thou hast shown concern for us with all this care. What is to be done for thee? Wouldest thou be spoken for to the king or to the captain of the host?'" And she answered, "I dwell among mine own people."

¹⁴And he said, "What then is to be done for her?" And Gehazi answered, "Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old."

¹⁵And he said, "Call her." And when he had called her, she stood in the door.

¹⁶And he said, "About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt embrace a son." And she said, "Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid."

¹⁷And the woman conceived, and bore a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life.

¹⁸And when the child was grown, it happened one day that he went out to his father to the reapers.

¹⁹And he said unto his father, "My head, my head." And he said to a lad, "Carry him to his mother."

²⁰And when he had taken him and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died.

²¹And she went up, and laid him on the bed of the man of God, and shut the door upon him and went out.

²²And she called unto her husband and said, "Send me, I pray thee, one of the young men and one of the asses, that I may run to the man of God and come back."

²³And he said, "Why wilt thou go to him today? It is neither new moon nor Sabbath." And she said, "It shall be well."

²⁴Then she saddled an ass, and said to her servant, "Drive, and go forward; slacken not thy riding for me unless I bid thee."

²⁵So she went and came unto the man of God to Mount Carmel. And it came to pass, when the man of God saw her afar off, that he said to Gehazi his servant, "Behold, yonder is that Shunammite.

²⁶Run now, I pray thee, to meet her and say unto her, 'Is it well with thee? Is it well with thy husband? Is it well with the child?'" And she answered, "It is well."

²⁷And when she came to the man of God at the hill, she caught him by the feet; but Gehazi came near to thrust her away. And the man of God said, "Let her alone, for her soul is vexed within her; and the LORD hath hid it from me, and hath not told me."

²⁸Then she said, "Did I desire a son of my lord? Did I not say, 'Do not deceive me'?"

²⁹Then he said to Gehazi, "Gird up thy loins, and take my staff in thine hand, and go thy way. If thou meet any man, salute him not; and if any salute thee, answer him not again. And lay my staff upon the face of the child."

³⁰And the mother of the child said, "As the LORD liveth and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee." And he arose and followed her.

³¹And Gehazi passed on before them, and laid the staff upon the face of the child; but there was neither voice nor hearing. Therefore he went back to meet him, and told him, saying, "The child has not awakened."

³²And when Elisha had come into the house, behold, the child was dead and lay upon his bed.

³³He went in therefore and shut the door upon the twain, and prayed unto the LORD.

³⁴And he went up and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands; and he stretched himself upon the child, and the flesh of the child waxed warm.

³⁵Then he returned and walked in the house to and fro, and went up and stretched himself upon him; and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes.

³⁶And he called Gehazi and said, "Call this Shunammite." So he called her. And when she had come in unto him, he said, "Take up thy son."

³⁷Then she went in and fell at his feet and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son and went out.

³⁸And Elisha came again to Gilgal; and there was a famine in the land. And the sons of the prophets were sitting before him; and he said unto his servant, "Set on the great pot, and boil pottage for the sons of the prophets."

³⁹And one went out into the field to gather herbs, and found a wild vine and gathered thereof wild gourds, his lap full, and came and shred them into the pot of pottage, for they knew them not.

⁴⁰So they poured out for the men to eat. And it came to pass, as they were eating of the pottage, that they cried out and said, "O thou man of God, there is death in the pot!" And they could not eat thereof.

⁴¹But he said, "Then bring meal." And he cast it into the pot and he said, "Pour out for the people, that they may eat." And there was no harm in the pot.

⁴²And there came a man from Baalshalisha, and brought the man of God bread of the firstfruits, twenty loaves of barley and full ears of corn in the husk thereof. And he said, "Give unto the people, that they may eat."

⁴³And his servitor said, "What, should I set this before a hundred men?" He said again, "Give the people, that they may eat; for thus saith the LORD: 'They shall eat and shall leave some thereof.'"

⁴⁴So he set it before them, and they ate and left thereof, according to the word of the LORD.

5Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man before his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.

²And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman's wife.

³And she said unto her mistress, "Would to God my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy."

⁴And one went in and told his lord, saying, "Thus and thus said the maid who is from the land of Israel."

⁵And the king of Syria said, "Go now, go; and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel." And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver and six thousand pieces of gold and ten changes of raiment.

⁶And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, "Now when this letter has come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest cure him of his leprosy."

⁷And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes and said, "Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to cure a man of his leprosy? Therefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me."

⁸And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, "Why hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel."

⁹So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

¹⁰And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee and thou shalt be clean."

¹¹But Naaman was wroth and went away, and said, "Behold, I thought, 'He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and cure the leper.'

¹²Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be clean?" So he turned and went away in a rage.

¹³And his servants came near, and spoke unto him and said, "My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, 'Wash, and be clean'?"

¹⁴Then went he down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

¹⁵And he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came and stood before him; and he said, "Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, take a blessing from thy servant."

¹⁶But he said, "As the LORD liveth, before whom I stand, I will receive none." And he urged him to take it, but he refused.

¹⁷And Naaman said, "Shall there not then, I pray thee, be given to thy servant two mules' burden of earth? For thy servant will henceforth offer neither burnt offering nor sacrifice unto other gods, but unto the LORD.

¹⁸In this thing the LORD pardon thy servant, that when my master goeth into the house of Rimmon to worship there, and he leaneth on my hand, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon -- when I bow down myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon thy servant in this thing."

¹⁹And he said unto him, "Go in peace." So he departed from him a little way.

²⁰But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian in not receiving at his hands that which he brought; but, as the LORD liveth, I will run after him and take something from him."

²¹So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he alighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?"

²²And he said, "All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, 'Behold, even now there have come to me from Mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver and two changes of garments.'"

²³And Naaman said, "Be content, take two talents." And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bore them before him.

²⁴And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand and stowed them in the house; and he let the men go, and they departed.

²⁵But he went in and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, "From whence comest thou, Gehazi?" And he said, "Thy servant went nowhere."

²⁶And he said unto him, "Went not mine heart with thee when the man turned back from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money and to receive garments, and olive yards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen, and menservants and maidservants?

²⁷The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee and unto thy seed for ever." And he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.

6And the sons of the prophets said unto Elisha, "Behold now, the place where we dwell with thee is too confining for us.

²Let us go, we pray thee, unto the Jordan, and take from thence every man a beam, and let us make us a place there where we may dwell." And he answered, "Go ye."

³And one said, "Be content, I pray thee, and go with thy servants." And he answered, "I will go."

⁴So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down wood.

⁵But as one was felling a beam, the ax head fell into the water; and he cried and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed!"

⁶And the man of God said, "Where fell it?" And he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick and cast it in thither, and the iron did swim.

⁷Therefore said he, "Take it up to thee." And he put out his hand and took it.

⁸Then the king of Syria warred against Israel, and took counsel with his servants, saying, "In such and such a place shall be my camp."

⁹And the man of God sent unto the king of Israel, saying, "Beware that thou pass not such a place, for thither the Syrians are coming down."

¹⁰And the king of Israel sent to the place of which the man of God told him and warned him, and saved himself there, not once nor twice.

¹¹Therefore the heart of the king of Syria was sore troubled by this thing; and he called his servants and said unto them, "Will ye not show me which of us is for the king of Israel?"

¹²And one of his servants said, "None, my lord, O king; but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, telleth the king of Israel the words that thou speakest in thy bedchamber."

¹³And he said, "Go and spy where he is, that I may send and fetch him." And it was told him, saying, "Behold, he is in Dothan."

¹⁴Therefore sent he thither horses and chariots and a great host, and they came by night and compassed the city about.

¹⁵And when the servant of the man of God had risen early and gone forth, behold, a host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, "Alas, my master! What shall we do?"

¹⁶And he answered, "Fear not, for they that are with us are more than they that are with them."

¹⁷And Elisha prayed and said, "LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see." And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw; and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

¹⁸And when they came down to him, Elisha prayed unto the LORD and said, "Smite this people, I pray thee, with blindness." And He smote them with blindness according to the word of Elisha.

¹⁹And Elisha said unto them, "This is not the way, neither is this the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom ye seek." But he led them to Samaria.

²⁰And it came to pass, when they had come into Samaria, that Elisha said, "LORD, open the eyes of these men, that they may see." And the LORD opened their eyes, and they saw; and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria.

²¹And the king of Israel said unto Elisha when he saw them, "My father, shall I smite them? Shall I smite them?"

²²And he answered, "Thou shalt not smite them. Wouldest thou smite those whom thou hast taken captive with thy sword and with thy bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master."

²³And he prepared great provision for them; and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. So the bands of Syria came no more into the land of Israel.

²⁴And it came to pass after this that Benhadad king of Syria gathered all his host, and went up and besieged Samaria.

²⁵And there was a great famine in Samaria; and behold, they besieged it until an ass's head was sold for fourscore pieces of silver, and the fourth part of a kab of dove's dung for five pieces of silver.

²⁶And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, "Help, my lord, O king!"

²⁷And he said, "If the LORD do not help thee, from whence shall I help thee? Out of the barn floor or out of the wine press?"

²⁸And the king said unto her, "What aileth thee?" And she answered, "This woman said unto me, 'Give thy son, that we may eat him today, and we will eat my son tomorrow.'

²⁹So we boiled my son and ate him. And I said unto her on the next day, 'Give thy son, that we may eat him'; and she hath hid her son."

³⁰And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes; and he passed by upon the wall, and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh.

³¹Then he said, "God do so and more also to me, if the head of Elisha the son of Shaphat shall stand on him this day."

³²But Elisha sat in his house, and the elders sat with him; and the king sent a man from before him. But ere the messenger came to him, he said to the elders, "See ye how this son of a murderer hath sent to take away mine head? Look, when the messenger cometh, shut the door, and hold him fast at the door. Is not the sound of his master's feet behind him?"

³³And while he yet talked with them, behold, the messenger came down unto him; and he said, "Behold, this evil is from the LORD. Why should I wait for the LORD any longer?"

7Then Elisha said, "Hear ye the word of the LORD. Thus saith the LORD: 'Tomorrow about this time shall a measure of fine flour be sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria.'"

²Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, "Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be?" And he said, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof."

³And there were four leprous men at the entrance of the gate. And they said one to another, "Why sit we here until we die?

⁴If we say, 'We will enter into the city,' then the famine is in the city, and we shall die there; and if we sit still here, we die also. Now therefore come, and let us fall unto the host of the Syrians. If they save us alive, we shall live; and if they kill us, we shall but die."

⁵And they rose up in the twilight to go unto the camp of the Syrians; and when they had come to the outermost part of the camp of Syria, behold, there was no man there.

⁶For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host; and they said one to another, "Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites and the kings of the Egyptians to come upon us."

⁷Therefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents and their horses and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life.

⁸And when these lepers came to the outermost part of the camp, they went into one tent and ate and drank, and carried from thence silver and gold and raiment, and went and hid it; and came again, and entered into another tent and carried from thence also, and went and hid it.

⁹Then they said one to another, "We do not what is right. This day is a day of good tidings, and we hold our peace. If we tarry till the morning light, some mischief will come upon us. Now therefore come, that we may go and tell the king's household."

¹⁰So they came and called unto the gatekeepers of the city; and they told them, saying, "We came to the camp of the Syrians, and behold, there was no man there, neither voice of man, but horses tied and asses tied and the tents as they were."

¹¹And he called the gatekeepers, and they told it to the king's house within.

¹²And the king arose in the night and said unto his servants, "I will now show you what the Syrians have done to us. They know that we are hungry; therefore they have gone out of the camp to hide themselves in the field, saying, 'When they come out of the city, we shall catch them alive and get into the city.'"

¹³And one of his servants answered and said, "Let some take, I pray thee, five of the horses that remain, which are left in the city -- behold, they are as all the multitude of Israel that are left in it; behold, I say, they are even as all the multitude of the Israelites who are consumed -- and let us send and see."

¹⁴They took therefore two chariot horses; and the king sent after the host of the Syrians, saying, "Go and see."

¹⁵And they went after them unto the Jordan; and lo, all the way was full of garments and vessels which the Syrians had cast away in their haste. And the messengers returned and told the king.

¹⁶And the people went out and despoiled the tents of the Syrians. So a measure of fine flour was sold for a shekel, and two measures of barley for a shekel, according to the word of the LORD.

¹⁷And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate. And the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spoke when the king came down to him.

¹⁸And it came to pass as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, "Two measures of barley for a shekel, and a measure of fine flour for a shekel, shall be tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria."

¹⁹And that lord answered the man of God and said, "Now, behold, if the LORD should make windows in heaven, might such a thing be?" And he said, "Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof."

²⁰And so it befell him, for the people trod upon him in the gate and he died.

8Then spoke Elisha unto the woman whose son he had restored to life, saying, "Arise and go, thou and thine household, and sojourn wheresoever thou canst sojourn; for the LORD hath called for a famine, and it shall also come upon the land seven years."

²And the woman arose and did according to the saying of the man of God; and she went with her household and sojourned in the land of the Philistines seven years.

³And it came to pass, at the seven years' end, that the woman returned out of the land of the Philistines; and she went forth to cry unto the king for her house and for her land.

⁴And the king talked with Gehazi the servant of the man of God, saying, "Tell me, I pray thee, all the great things that Elisha hath done."

⁵And it came to pass, as he was telling the king how he had restored a dead body to life, that behold, the woman, whose son he had restored to life, cried to the king for her house and for her land. And Gehazi said, "My lord, O king, this is the woman, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life."

⁶And when the king asked the woman, she told him. So the king appointed unto her a certain officer, saying, "Restore all that was hers, and all the fruits of the field since the day that she left the land, even until now."

⁷And Elisha came to Damascus. And Benhadad the king of Syria was sick; and it was told him, saying, "The man of God has come hither."

⁸And the king said unto Hazael, "Take a present in thine hand and go, meet the man of God, and inquire of the LORD by him, saying, 'Shall I recover from this disease?'"

⁹So Hazael went to meet him, and took a present with him, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden, and came and stood before him and said, "Thy son Benhadad king of Syria hath sent me to thee, saying, 'Shall I recover from this disease?'"

¹⁰And Elisha said unto him, "Go, say unto him, 'Thou mayest certainly recover'. However the LORD hath shown me that he shall surely die."

¹¹And he fixed his countenance steadfastly until Hazael was ashamed; and the man of God wept.

¹²And Hazael said, "Why weepeth my lord?" And he answered, "Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel. Their strongholds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child."

¹³And Hazael said, "But what, is thy servant a dog, that he should do this great thing?" And Elisha answered, "The LORD hath shown me that thou shalt be king over Syria."

¹⁴So he departed from Elisha, and came to his master, who said to him, "What said Elisha to thee?" And he answered, "He told me that thou shouldest surely recover."

¹⁵And it came to pass on the morrow that he took a thick cloth and dipped it in water, and spread it on his face so that he died; and Hazael reigned in his stead.

¹⁶And in the fifth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Jehoshaphat being then king of Judah, Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah began to reign.

¹⁷Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

¹⁸And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife; and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹⁹Yet the LORD would not destroy Judah for David His servant's sake, as He promised him to give him always a light, and to his children.

²⁰In his days Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah, and made a king over themselves.

²¹So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him. And he rose by night and smote the Edomites who compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled into their tents.

²²Yet Edom revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. Then Libnah revolted at the same time.

²³And the rest of the acts of Joram and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁴And Joram slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead.

²⁵In the twelfth year of Joram the son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign.

²⁶Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

²⁷And he walked in the way of the house of Ahab, and did evil in the sight of the LORD, as did the house of Ahab; for he was the son-in-law of the house of Ahab.

²⁸And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to the war against Hazael king of Syria in Ramothgilead; and the Syrians wounded Joram.

²⁹And King Joram went back to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him at Ramah, when he fought against Hazael king of Syria. And Ahaziah the son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to see Joram the son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he was sick.

9And Elisha the prophet called one of the children of the prophets, and said unto him, "Gird up thy loins, and take this box of oil in thine hand and go to Ramothgilead.

²And when thou comest thither, seek out there Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi, and go in and make him arise up from among his brethren, and carry him to an inner chamber.

³Then take the box of oil, and pour it on his head and say, 'Thus saith the LORD: "I have anointed thee king over Israel."' Then open the door and flee, and tarry not."

⁴So the young man, even the young man the prophet, went to Ramothgilead.

⁵And when he came, behold, the captains of the host were sitting; and he said, "I have a message for thee, O captain." And Jehu said, "Unto which of us all?" And he said, "To thee, O captain."

⁶And he arose and went into the house; and he poured the oil on his head and said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'I have anointed thee king over the people of the LORD, even over Israel.

⁷And thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master, that I may avenge the blood of My servants the prophets, and the blood of all the servants of the LORD, at the hand of Jezebel.

⁸For the whole house of Ahab shall perish; and I will cut off from Ahab him that urinates against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel.

⁹And I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah.

¹⁰And the dogs shall eat Jezebel in the portion of Jezreel, and there shall be none to bury her.'" And he opened the door and fled.

¹¹Then Jehu came forth to the servants of his lord; and one said unto him, "Is all well? Why came this mad fellow to thee?" And he said unto them, "Ye know the man and his communication."

¹²And they said, "It is false; tell us now." And he said, "Thus and thus spoke he to me, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD: I have anointed thee king over Israel.'"

¹³Then they hastened and took every man his garment, and put it under him on the top of the stairs, and blew with trumpets, saying, "Jehu is king!"

¹⁴So Jehu the son of Jehoshaphat the son of Nimshi conspired against Joram. (Now Joram had kept Ramothgilead, he and all Israel, because of Hazael king of Syria.

¹⁵But King Joram had returned to be healed in Jezreel of the wounds which the Syrians had given him when he fought with Hazael king of Syria.) And Jehu said, "If it be your minds, then let none go forth nor escape out of the city to go to tell it in Jezreel."

¹⁶So Jehu rode in a chariot and went to Jezreel, for Joram lay there. And Ahaziah king of Judah had come down to see Joram.

¹⁷And there stood a watchman on the tower in Jezreel, and he spied the company of Jehu as he came, and said, "I see a company." And Joram said, "Take a horseman and send to meet them, and let him say, 'Is it peace?'"

¹⁸So there went one on horseback to meet him, and said, "Thus saith the king: 'Is it peace?'" And Jehu said, "What hast thou to do with peace? Turn thee in behind me." And the watchman told, saying, "The messenger came to them, but he cometh not back."

¹⁹Then he sent out a second on horseback, who came to them and said, "Thus saith the king: 'Is it peace?'" And Jehu answered, "What hast thou to do with peace? Turn thee in behind me."

²⁰And the watchman told, saying, "He came even unto them and cometh not back; and the driving is like the driving of Jehu the son of Nimshi, for he driveth furiously."

²¹And Joram said, "Make ready." And his chariot was made ready. And Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah went out, each in his chariot; and they went out against Jehu and met him in the portion of Naboth the Jezreelite.

²²And it came to pass, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" And he answered, "What peace, so long as the whoredoms of thy mother Jezebel and her witchcrafts are so many?"

²³And Joram turned his hands and fled, and said to Ahaziah, "There is treachery, O Ahaziah!"

²⁴And Jehu drew a bow with his full strength and smote Joram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot.

²⁵Then said Jehu to Bidkar his captain, "Take him up, and cast him in the portion of the field of Naboth the Jezreelite; for remember how when I and thou rode together after Ahab his father, the LORD laid this burden upon him:

²⁶'Surely I have seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons, saith the LORD, and I will requite thee in this plot, saith the LORD.' Now therefore take and cast him into the plot of ground, according to the word of the LORD."

²⁷But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. And Jehu followed after him and said, "Smite him also in the chariot." And they did so at the ascent to Gur, which is by Ibleam. And he fled to Megiddo, and died there.

²⁸And his servants carried him in a chariot to Jerusalem, and buried him in his sepulcher with his fathers in the City of David.

²⁹And in the eleventh year of Joram the son of Ahab, Ahaziah had begun to reign over Judah.

³⁰And when Jehu had come to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it; and she painted her face and attired her head, and looked out at a window.

³¹And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, "Had Zimri peace, who slew his master?"

³²And he lifted up his face to the window and said, "Who is on my side? Who?" And there looked out at him two or three eunuchs.

³³And he said, "Throw her down!" So they threw her down, and some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses; and he trod her underfoot.

³⁴And when he had come in, he ate and drank, and said, "Go, see now this cursed woman, and bury her; for she is a king's daughter."

³⁵And they went to bury her, but they found no more of her than the skull and the feet and the palms of her hands.

³⁶Therefore they came back and told him. And he said, "This is the word of the LORD, which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, saying, 'In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.

³⁷And the carcass of Jezebel shall be as dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, "This is Jezebel."'"

10And Ahab had seventy sons in Samaria. And Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria, unto the rulers of Jezreel, to the elders, and to those who brought up Ahab's children, saying,

²"Now as soon as this letter cometh to you, since your master's sons are with you and there are with you chariots and horses, a fortified city also and armor,

³choose even out the best and most suitable of your master's sons and set him on his father's throne, and fight for your master's house."

⁴But they were exceedingly afraid and said, "Behold, two kings stood not before him. How then shall we stand?"

⁵And he that was over the house, and he that was over the city, the elders also, and the guardians of the children, sent to Jehu, saying, "We are thy servants and will do all that thou shalt bid us; we will not make any king. Do thou that which is good in thine eyes."

⁶Then he wrote a letter the second time to them, saying, "If ye be for me, and if ye will hearken unto my voice, take ye the heads of the men your master's sons and come to me at Jezreel by tomorrow this time." Now the king's sons, being seventy persons, were with the great men of the city, who brought them up.

⁷And it came to pass, when the letter came to them, that they took the king's sons and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets and sent him them at Jezreel.

⁸And there came a messenger and told him, saying, "They have brought the heads of the king's sons." And he said, "Lay ye them in two heaps at the entrance of the gate until the morning."

⁹And it came to pass in the morning that he went out and stood, and said to all the people, "Ye are righteous. Behold, I conspired against my master and slew him, but who slew all these?

¹⁰Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the LORD which the LORD spoke concerning the house of Ahab, for the LORD hath done that which He spoke by His servant Elijah."

¹¹So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his kinsfolk and his priests, until he left him none remaining.

¹²And he arose and departed, and came to Samaria. And as he was at the shearing house on the way,

¹³Jehu met with the brethren of Ahaziah king of Judah, and said, "Who are ye?" And they answered, "We are the brethren of Ahaziah, and we go down to salute the children of the king and the children of the queen."

¹⁴And he said, "Take them alive!" And they took them alive and slew them at the pit of the shearing house, even two and forty men; neither left he any of them.

¹⁵And when he had departed from thence, he happened upon Jehonadab the son of Rechab coming to meet him; and he saluted him and said to him, "Is thine heart right, as my heart is with thy heart?" And Jehonadab answered, "It is." "If it be, give me thine hand." And he gave him his hand, and Jehu took him up to him into the chariot.

¹⁶And he said, "Come with me, and see my zeal for the LORD." So they made him ride in his chariot.

¹⁷And when he came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria till he had destroyed him, according to the saying of the LORD which He spoke to Elijah.

¹⁸And Jehu gathered all the people together and said unto them, "Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu shall serve him much.

¹⁹Now therefore call unto me all the prophets of Baal, all his servants, and all his priests. Let none be wanting, for I have a great sacrifice to do to Baal. Whosoever shall be wanting, he shall not live." But Jehu did it in subtlety, with the intent that he might destroy the worshipers of Baal.

²⁰And Jehu said, "Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal." And they proclaimed it.

²¹And Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the worshipers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left who came not. And they came into the house of Baal, and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

²²And he said unto him that was over the vestry, "Bring forth vestments for all the worshipers of Baal." And he brought them forth vestments.

²³And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal and said unto the worshipers of Baal, "Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the LORD, but the worshipers of Baal only."

²⁴And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men outside and said, "If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him."

²⁵And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, "Go in and slay them; let none come forth!" And they smote them with the edge of the sword. And the guard and the captains cast them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal.

²⁶And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal and burned them;

²⁷and they broke down the image of Baal and broke down the house of Baal, and made it an outhouse unto this day.

²⁸Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel.

²⁹However, from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from them, to wit, from the golden calves that were in Bethel and that were in Dan.

³⁰And the LORD said unto Jehu, "Because thou hast done well in executing that which is right in Mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in Mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of Israel."

³¹But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart; for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, who made Israel to sin.

³²In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short; and Hazael smote them in all the borders of Israel

³³from the Jordan eastward, all the land of Gilead, the Gadites, and the Reubenites, and the Manassites, from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, even Gilead and Bashan.

³⁴Now the rest of the acts of Jehu and all that he did and all his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

³⁵And Jehu slept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son reigned in his stead.

³⁶And the time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty and eight years.

11And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

²But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons who were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.

³And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

⁴And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath from them in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king's son.

⁵And he commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that ye shall do: A third part of you that enter in on the Sabbath shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house,

⁶and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third part at the gate behind the guard. So shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down.

⁷And two parts of all you that go forth on the Sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.

⁸And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain. And be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in."

⁹And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and they took every man his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who should go out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.

¹⁰And to the captains over hundreds the priest gave King David's spears and shields that were in the temple of the LORD.

¹¹And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple.

¹²And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king and anointed him. And they clapped their hands and said, "God save the king!"

¹³And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.

¹⁴And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king. And all the people of the land rejoiced and blew with trumpets. And Athaliah rent her clothes and cried, "Treason! Treason!"

¹⁵But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, "Bring her forth outside the ranks; and him that followeth her kill with the sword." For the priest had said, "Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD."

¹⁶And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by which the horses came into the king's house, and there was she slain.

¹⁷And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people, and also between the king and the people.

¹⁸And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal and broke it down; his altars and his images broke they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

¹⁹And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.

²⁰And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet; and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house.

²¹Seven years old was Joash when he began to reign.

12In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash began to reign, and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

²And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

³But the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.

⁴And Joash said to the priests, "All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

⁵let the priests take it to themselves, every man from his acquaintance; and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found."

⁶But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of King Joash, the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

⁷Then King Joash called for Jehoiada the priest and the other priests, and said unto them, "Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? Now therefore receive no more money from your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house."

⁸And the priests consented to receive no more money from the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.

⁹But Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD; and the priests who kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

¹⁰And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put it up in bags, and counted the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

¹¹And they gave the money, being counted, into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders who wrought upon the house of the LORD,

¹²and to masons and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.

¹³However, there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold or vessels of silver from the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

¹⁴But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.

¹⁵Moreover they reckoned not with the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on the workmen, for they dealt faithfully.

¹⁶The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD; it was the priests'.

¹⁷Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

¹⁸And Joash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria; and he went away from Jerusalem.

¹⁹And the rest of the acts of Joash and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁰And his servants arose and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.

²¹For Jozachar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the City of David; and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

13In the three and twentieth year of Joash the son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned seventeen years.

²And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, and followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

³And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Israel, and He delivered them into the hand of Hazael king of Syria and into the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael all their days.

⁴And Jehoahaz besought the LORD, and the LORD hearkened unto him; for He saw the oppression of Israel, because the king of Syria oppressed them.

⁵(And the LORD gave Israel a savior, so that they went out from under the hand of the Syrians; and the children of Israel dwelt in their tents, as before.

⁶Nevertheless they departed not from the sins of the house of Jeroboam, who made Israel sin, but walked therein; and there remained the Asherah poles also in Samaria.)

⁷Neither did He leave to Jehoahaz of the people but fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

⁸Now the rest of the acts of Jehoahaz and all that he did, and his might, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

⁹And Jehoahaz slept with his fathers; they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoash his son reigned in his stead.

¹⁰In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.

¹¹And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin, but he walked therein.

¹²And the rest of the acts of Jehoash and all that he did, and his might wherewith he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹³And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat upon his throne. And Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

¹⁴Now Elisha had fallen sick with his sickness whereof he died. And Jehoash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!"

¹⁵And Elisha said unto him, "Take bow and arrows." And he took unto him a bow and arrows.

¹⁶And he said to the king of Israel, "Put thine hand upon the bow." And he put his hand upon it, and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.

¹⁷And he said, "Open the window eastward." And he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot." And he shot. And he said, "The arrow of the LORD'S deliverance and the arrow of deliverance from Syria, for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek till thou have consumed them."

¹⁸And he said, "Take the arrows." And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, "Smite upon the ground." And he smote thrice, and ceased.

¹⁹And the man of God was wroth with him and said, "Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times. Then had thou smitten Syria till thou had consumed it, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice."

²⁰And Elisha died, and they buried him. And the bands of the Moabites invaded the land at the coming in of the year.

²¹And it came to pass, as they were burying a man, that, behold, they spied a band of men; and they cast the man into the sepulcher of Elisha. And when the man was let down and touched the bones of Elisha, he revived and stood up on his feet.

²²But Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz.

²³And the LORD was gracious unto them and had compassion on them and had respect unto them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast He them from His presence as yet.

²⁴So Hazael king of Syria died; and Benhadad his son reigned in his stead.

²⁵And Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz took back out of the hand of Benhadad the son of Hazael the cities which he had taken out of the hand of Jehoahaz his father by war. Three times did Jehoash beat him, and recovered the cities of Israel.

14In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

²He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

³And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father. He did according to all things as Joash his father did.

⁴However, the high places were not taken away; as yet the people sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.

⁵And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants who had slain the king his father.

⁶But the children of the murderers he slew not, according unto that which is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin."

⁷He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.

⁸Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."

⁹And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give thy daughter to my son for a wife.' And there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle.

¹⁰Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up. Glory in this, and tarry at home; for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?"

¹¹But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

¹²And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to their tents.

¹³And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim unto the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.

¹⁴And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

¹⁵Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

¹⁶And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

¹⁷And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, fifteen years.

¹⁸And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

¹⁹Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and slew him there.

²⁰And they brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

²¹And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.

²²He built Elath, and restored it to Judah; after that the king slept with his fathers.

²³In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Jehoash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.

²⁴And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

²⁵He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath unto the Sea of the Plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which He spoke by the hand of His servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet who was from Gathhepher.

²⁶For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was not any shut up nor any free, nor any helper for Israel.

²⁷And the LORD said not that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Jehoash.

²⁸Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus and Hamath (which belonged to Judah) for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

²⁹And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his stead.

²Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.

³And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done,

⁴save that the high places were not removed; the people sacrificed and burned incense still on the high places.

⁵And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.

⁶And the rest of the acts of Azariah and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

⁷So Azariah slept with his fathers, and they buried him with his fathers in the City of David; and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

⁸In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, did Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

⁹And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

¹⁰And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

¹¹And the rest of the acts of Zechariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

¹²This was the word of the LORD which He spoke unto Jehu, saying, "Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation." And so it came to pass.

¹³Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.

¹⁴For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

¹⁵And the rest of the acts of Shallum and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

¹⁶Then Menahem smote Tiphsah and all who were therein, and the borders thereof from Tirzah, because they opened not to him; therefore he smote it. And all the women therein who were with child he ripped up.

¹⁷In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah, began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.

¹⁸And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

¹⁹And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

²⁰And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, even from all the mighty men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and stayed not there in the land.

²¹And the rest of the acts of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

²²And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

²³In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years.

²⁴And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

²⁵But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh and with him fifty men of the Gileadites; and he killed him and reigned in his stead.

²⁶And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

²⁷In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.

²⁸And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

²⁹In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

³⁰And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him and slew him, and reigned in his stead in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

³¹And the rest of the acts of Pekah and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

³²In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel, began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

³³Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

³⁴And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD; he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

³⁵However, the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the Higher Gate of the house of the LORD.

³⁶Now the rest of the acts of Jotham and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

³⁷In those days the LORD began to send against Judah, Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

³⁸And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David his father; and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

16In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah, Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

²Twenty years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not do that which was right in the sight of the LORD his God, like David his father.

³But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

⁴And he sacrificed and burned incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

⁵Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war; and they besieged Ahaz but could not overcome him.

⁶At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath for Syria, and drove the Jews from Elath; and the Syrians came to Elath and dwelt there unto this day.

⁷So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, saying, "I am thy servant and thy son; come up and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria and out of the hand of the king of Israel, who rise up against me."

⁸And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

⁹And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him; for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

¹⁰And King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus; and King Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the design of the altar and the pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.

¹¹And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus; so Urijah the priest made it for King Ahaz's coming from Damascus.

¹²And when the king came from Damascus, the king saw the altar; and the king approached the altar and offered thereon.

¹³And he burned his burnt offering and his meat offering, and poured his drink offering and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings upon the altar.

¹⁴And he brought also the brazen altar which was before the LORD from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of the LORD, and put it on the north side of the altar.

¹⁵And King Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, "Upon the great altar burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meat offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meat offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meat offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering and all the blood of the sacrifice. And the brazen altar shall be for me to inquire by."

¹⁶Thus did Urijah the priest, according to all that King Ahaz commanded.

¹⁷And King Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases and removed the laver from them, and took down the sea from off the brazen oxen that were under it and put it upon a pavement of stones.

¹⁸And the covert for the Sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry outside, he removed from the house of the LORD for the king of Assyria.

¹⁹Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁰And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David; and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

17In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hoshea the son of Elah began to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years.

²And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, but not as the kings of Israel who were before him.

³Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and rendered him tribute.

⁴And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So, king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.

⁵Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria and besieged it three years.

⁶In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.

⁷For so it was that the children of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and had feared other gods.

⁸And they walked in the statutes of the heathen whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel, and of the kings of Israel, which they had made.

⁹And the children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built themselves high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

¹⁰And they set up for themselves images and Asherah poles in every high hill and under every green tree;

¹¹and there they burned incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them, and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger.

¹²For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, "Ye shall not do this thing."

¹³Yet the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by all the prophets and by all the seers, saying, "Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep My commandments and My statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets."

¹⁴Notwithstanding they would not hear, but hardened their necks like the neck of their fathers, who did not believe in the LORD their God.

¹⁵And they rejected His statutes and His covenant that He made with their fathers, and His testimonies which He testified against them; and they followed vanity and became vain, and went after the heathen who were round about them, concerning whom the LORD had charged them that they should not do like them.

¹⁶And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God and made them molten images, even two calves, and made an Asherah pole, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served Baal.

¹⁷And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger.

¹⁸Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of His sight. There was none left but the tribe of Judah only.

¹⁹Also Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made.

²⁰And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of despoilers until He had cast them out of His sight.

²¹For He rent Israel from the house of David, and they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the LORD, and made them sin a great sin.

²²For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them,

²³until the LORD removed Israel out of His sight, as He had said by all His servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.

²⁴And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria and dwelt in the cities thereof.

²⁵And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there that they feared not the LORD; therefore the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.

²⁶Therefore they spoke to the king of Assyria, saying, "The nations which thou hast removed and placed in the cities of Samaria know not the manner of the God of the land; therefore He hath sent lions among them, and behold, they slay them because they know not the manner of the God of the land."

²⁷Then the king of Assyria commanded, saying, "Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land."

²⁸Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Bethel, and taught them how they should fear the LORD.

²⁹However every nation made gods of their own and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt.

³⁰And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima,

³¹and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burned their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim.

³²So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves from the lowest of them priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places.

³³They feared the LORD, but served their own gods, after the manner of the nations who carried them away from thence.

³⁴Unto this day they do according to the former manner. They fear not the LORD, neither do they according to their statutes or according to their ordinances or the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom He named Israel,

³⁵with whom the LORD had made a covenant and charged them, saying, "Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;

³⁶but the LORD, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt with great power and a stretched out arm, Him shall ye fear and Him shall ye worship, and to Him shall ye do sacrifice.

³⁷And the statutes and the ordinances and the law and the commandment which He wrote for you, ye shall observe to do for evermore; and ye shall not fear other gods.

³⁸And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget, neither shall ye fear other gods.

³⁹But the LORD your God ye shall fear, and He shall deliver you out of the hand of all your enemies."

⁴⁰However they did not hearken, but they did according to their former manner.

⁴¹So these nations feared the LORD, and also served their graven images, both their children and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.

18Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.

²Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zechariah.

³And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father did.

⁴He removed the high places, and broke the images, and cut down the Asherah poles, and broke in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made; for until those days the children of Israel burned incense to it; and he called it Nehushtan.

⁵He trusted in the LORD God of Israel, so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any who were before him.

⁶For he cleaved to the LORD and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments which the LORD commanded Moses.

⁷And the LORD was with him, and he prospered whithersoever he went forth; and he rebelled against the king of Assyria and served him not.

⁸He smote the Philistines even unto Gaza and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fortified city.

⁹And it came to pass in the fourth year of King Hezekiah, which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up against Samaria and besieged it;

¹⁰and at the end of three years they took it. Even in the sixth year of Hezekiah, that is, the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.

¹¹And the king of Assyria carried away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in Halah and in Habor by the River of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes,

¹²because they obeyed not the voice of the LORD their God, but transgressed His covenant and all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded, and would not hear them nor do them.

¹³Now in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

¹⁴And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, "I have offended. Turn away from me; that which thou puttest on me will I bear." And the king of Assyria imposed upon Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.

¹⁵And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the king's house.

¹⁶At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the LORD and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

¹⁷And the king of Assyria sent Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to King Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jerusalem. And when they had come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the Fuller's Field.

¹⁸And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder.

¹⁹And Rabshakeh said unto them, "Speak ye now to Hezekiah, 'Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

²⁰Thou sayest (but they are but vain words), "I have counsel and strength for the war." Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

²¹Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all who trust in him.

²²But if ye say unto me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is not that He, whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and hath said to Judah and Jerusalem, "Ye shall worship before this altar in Jerusalem"?

²³Now therefore, I pray thee, give pledges to my lord the king of Assyria, and I will deliver thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

²⁴How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants, and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

²⁵Have I now come up without the LORD against this place to destroy it? The LORD said to me, "Go up against this land and destroy it."'"

²⁶Then said Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah, unto Rabshakeh, "Speak, I pray thee, to thy servants in the Syrian language, for we understand it; and talk not with us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people who are on the wall."

²⁷But Rabshakeh said unto them, "Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the men who sit on the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

²⁸Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language and spoke, saying, "Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria!

²⁹Thus saith the king: 'Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you out of his hand.

³⁰Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us, and this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria."'

³¹Hearken not to Hezekiah, for thus saith the king of Assyria: 'Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me; and then eat ye every man of his own vine and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his cistern,

³²until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of oil olive and of honey, that ye may live and not die. And hearken not unto Hezekiah when he persuadeth you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us."

³³Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

³⁴Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? Have they delivered Samaria out of mine hand?

³⁵Who are they among all the gods of the countries that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand?'"

³⁶But the people held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying, "Answer him not."

³⁷Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe and Joah the son of Asaph the recorder to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

19And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

²And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

³And they said unto him, "Thus saith Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble and of rebuke and blasphemy; for the children have come to the birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

⁴It may be the LORD thy God will hear all the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard. Therefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant who are left.'"

⁵So the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

⁶And Isaiah said unto them, "Thus shall ye say to your master, 'Thus saith the LORD: Be not afraid of the words which thou hast heard, with which the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

⁷Behold, I will send a blight upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and shall return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.'"

⁸So Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.

⁹And when he heard say of Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "Behold, he has come out to fight against thee," he sent messengers again unto Hezekiah, saying,

¹⁰"Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying, 'Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, "Jerusalem shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria."

¹¹Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly. And shalt thou be delivered?

¹²Have the gods of the nations delivered them whom my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the children of Eden who were in Thelasar?

¹³Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, of Hena, and Ivah?'"

¹⁴And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up into the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD.

¹⁵And Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said, "O LORD God of Israel, who dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. Thou hast made heaven and earth.

¹⁶LORD, bow down Thine ear, and hear; open, LORD, Thine eyes, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent him to reproach the living God.

¹⁷Of a truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have destroyed the nations and their lands,

¹⁸and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.

¹⁹Now therefore, O LORD our God, I beseech Thee, save Thou us out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD God, even Thou only."

²⁰Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: 'That which thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria I have heard.'

²¹This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning him: "'The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

²²Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? And against whom hast thou exalted thy voice, and lifted up thine eyes on high? Even against the Holy One of Israel.

²³By thy messengers thou hast reproached the Lord, and hast said, "With the multitude of my chariots I have come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon, and will cut down the tall cedar trees thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof; and I will enter into the lodgings of his borders, and into the forest of his Carmel.

²⁴I have dug and drunk strange waters, and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of besieged places."

²⁵"'Hast thou not heard long ago how I have done it, and of ancient times that I have formed it? Now have I brought it to pass, that thou shouldest be to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

²⁶Therefore their inhabitants were of small power; they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field and as the green herb, as the grass on the house tops and as corn blighted before it be grown up.

²⁷"'But I know thy abode, and thy going out and thy coming in, and thy rage against Me.

²⁸Because thy rage against Me and thy tumult is come up into Mine ears, therefore I will put My hook in thy nose, and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.

²⁹"'And this shall be a sign unto thee: Ye shall eat this year such things as grow of themselves, and in the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye and reap, and plant vineyards and eat the fruits thereof.

³⁰And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall yet again take root downward, and bear fruit upward.

³¹For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.'

³²"Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: 'He shall not come into this city, nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shield, nor cast a mound against it.

³³By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city,' saith the LORD.

³⁴'For I will defend this city to save it for Mine own sake, and for My servant David's sake.'"

³⁵And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred fourscore and five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

³⁶So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed, and went and returned, and dwelt at Nineveh.

³⁷And it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer, his sons, smote him with the sword; and they escaped into the land of Ararat. And Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

20In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him and said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live.'"

²Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,

³"I beseech Thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight." And Hezekiah wept sorely.

⁴And it came to pass, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,

⁵"Turn back and tell Hezekiah the captain of My people, 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears; behold, I will heal thee. On the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.

⁶And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. And I will defend this city for Mine own sake and for My servant David's sake.'"

⁷And Isaiah said, "Take a lump of figs." And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.

⁸And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, "What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?"

⁹And Isaiah said, "This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that He hath spoken: Shall the shadow go forward ten degrees or go back ten degrees?"

¹⁰And Hezekiah answered, "It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees; nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees."

¹¹And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD; and He brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down on the dial of Ahaz.

¹²At that time Berodachbaladan, the son of Baladan king of Babylon, sent letters and a present unto Hezekiah, for he had heard that Hezekiah had been sick.

¹³And Hezekiah hearkened unto them, and showed them all the house of his precious things: the silver, and the gold, and the spices, and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasuries. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah showed them not.

¹⁴Then came Isaiah the prophet unto King Hezekiah and said unto him, "What said these men? And from whence came they unto thee?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country, even from Babylon."

¹⁵And he said, "What have they seen in thine house?" And Hezekiah answered, "All the things that are in mine house have they seen. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them."

¹⁶And Isaiah said unto Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD:

¹⁷'Behold, the days come that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store unto this day, shall be carried into Babylon; nothing shall be left,' saith the LORD.

¹⁸'And of thy sons who shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"

¹⁹Then said Hezekiah unto Isaiah, "Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken." And he said, "Is it not good, if peace and truth be in my days?"

²⁰And the rest of the acts of Hezekiah, and all his might, and how he made a pool and a conduit and brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²¹And Hezekiah slept with his fathers; and Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

21Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hephzibah.

²And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

³For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole, as did Ahab king of Israel, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

⁴And he built altars in the house of the LORD, of which the LORD said, "In Jerusalem will I put My name."

⁵And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

⁶And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed omens, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards. He wrought much wickedness in the sight of the LORD, to provoke Him to anger.

⁷And he set a graven image of the Asherah pole that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever.

⁸Neither will I make the feet of Israel move any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, only if they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them and according to all the law that My servant Moses commanded them."

⁹But they hearkened not, and Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel.

¹⁰And the LORD spoke by his servants the prophets, saying,

¹¹"Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did who were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin with his idols,

¹²therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel: Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah that whosoever heareth of it, both of his ears shall tingle.

¹³And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

¹⁴And I will forsake the remnant of Mine inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies,

¹⁵because they have done that which was evil in My sight and have provoked Me to anger since the day their fathers came forth out of Egypt, even unto this day."

¹⁶Moreover Manasseh shed innocent blood very much, till he had filled Jerusalem from one end to another, besides his sin wherewith he made Judah to sin in doing that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹⁷Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh and all that he did, and his sin that he sinned, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

¹⁸And Manasseh slept with his fathers and was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza; and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

¹⁹Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

²⁰And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh did.

²¹And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them;

²²and he forsook the LORD God of his fathers, and walked not in the way of the LORD.

²³And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.

²⁴And the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

²⁵Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁶And he was buried in his sepulcher in the garden of Uzza; and Josiah his son reigned in his stead.

22Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Bozkath.

²And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left.

³And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of King Josiah that the king sent Shaphan the scribe, the son of Azaliah the son of Meshullam, to the house of the LORD, saying,

⁴"Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may count the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered from the people.

⁵And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, who have the oversight of the house of the LORD; and let them give it to the doers of the work who are in the house of the LORD to repair the breaches of the house --

⁶unto carpenters and builders and masons -- and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

⁷However there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully."

⁸And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

⁹And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again and said, "Thy servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of those who do the work, who have the oversight of the house of the LORD."

¹⁰And Shaphan the scribe showed the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest hath delivered to me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.

¹¹And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the Book of the Law, that he rent his clothes.

¹²And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,

¹³"Go ye, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us."

¹⁴So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asaiah went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college), and they communed with her.

¹⁵And she said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: Tell the man who sent you to me,

¹⁶'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah hath read,

¹⁷because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be kindled against this place and shall not be quenched.'

¹⁸But to the king of Judah who sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall ye say to him, 'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard:

¹⁹Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself before the LORD when thou heardest what I spoke against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and hast rent thy clothes and wept before Me, I also have heard thee, saith the LORD.

²⁰Behold therefore, I will gather thee unto thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered into thy grave in peace; and thine eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place.'" And they brought the king word again.

23And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

²And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests and the prophets and all the people, both small and great; and he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

³And the king stood by a pillar and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.

⁴And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal and for the Asherah pole and for all the host of heaven; and he burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel.

⁵And he put down the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah and in the places round about Jerusalem, those also who burned incense unto Baal, to the sun and to the moon and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven.

⁶And he brought out the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD outside Jerusalem unto the Brook Kidron, and burned it at the Brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people.

⁷And he broke down the houses of the sodomites that were by the house of the LORD, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah pole.

⁸And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had burned incense from Geba to Beersheba, and broke down the high places of the gates that were in the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on a man's left hand at the gate of the city.

⁹Nevertheless the priests of the high places came not up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, but they ate of the unleavened bread among their brethren.

¹⁰And he defiled Topheth, which is in the Valley of the Children of Hinnom, that no man might make his son or his daughter to pass through the fire to Molech.

¹¹And he took away the horses that the kings of Judah had given to the sun, at the entrance to the house of the LORD by the chamber of Nathanmelech the chamberlain, which was in the suburbs, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire.

¹²And the altars that were on the top of the upper chamber of Ahaz, which the kings of Judah had made, and the altars which Manasseh had made in the two courts of the house of the LORD, did the king beat down and broke them down from thence, and cast the dust of them into the Brook Kidron.

¹³And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the Mount of Corruption, which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.

¹⁴And he broke in pieces the images, and cut down the Asherah poles, and filled their places with the bones of men.

¹⁵Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he broke down, and burned the high place and stamped it small to powder and burned the Asherah pole.

¹⁶And as Josiah turned, he spied the sepulchers that were there on the mount, and sent and took the bones out of the sepulchers and burned them upon the altar, and polluted it according to the word of the LORD which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.

¹⁷Then he said, "What marker is that which I see?" And the men of the city told him, "It is the sepulcher of the man of God who came from Judah and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethel."

¹⁸And he said, "Let him alone; let no man move his bones." So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet who came out of Samaria.

¹⁹And all the houses also of the high places that were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the LORD to anger, Josiah took away, and did to them according to all the acts that he had done in Bethel.

²⁰And he slew all the priests of the high places who were there upon the altars and burned men's bones upon them, and returned to Jerusalem.

²¹And the king commanded all the people, saying, "Keep the Passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the Book of this Covenant."

²²Surely there was not held such a Passover from the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel nor of the kings of Judah,

²³but in the eighteenth year of King Josiah wherein this Passover was held to the LORD in Jerusalem.

²⁴Moreover the workers with familiar spirits and the wizards, and the images and the idols, and all the abominations that were spied in the land of Judah and in Jerusalem did Josiah put away, that he might perform the words of the law which were written in the book that Hilkiah the priest found in the house of the LORD.

²⁵And like unto him was there no king before him, who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

²⁶Notwithstanding, the LORD turned not from the fierceness of His great wrath, wherewith His anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him.

²⁷And the LORD said, "I will remove Judah also out of My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen and the house of which I said, 'My name shall be there.'"

²⁸Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

²⁹In his days Pharaohnechoh king of Egypt went up together with the king of Assyria to the River Euphrates; and King Josiah went against him. And Pharaohnechoh slew Josiah at Megiddo when he had seen him.

³⁰And his servants carried him dead in a chariot from Megiddo, and brought him to Jerusalem and buried him in his own sepulcher. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah and anointed him, and made him king in his father's stead.

³¹Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

³²And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

³³And Pharaohnechoh put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and put the land under a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

³⁴And Pharaohnechoh made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the stead of Josiah his father, and turned his name to Jehoiakim, and took Jehoahaz away; and he came to Egypt and died there.

³⁵And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the commandment of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold from the people of the land, from every one according to his taxation, to give it unto Pharaohnechoh.

³⁶Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zebudah, the daughter of Pedaiah of Rumah.

³⁷And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.

24In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant three years. Then he turned and rebelled against him.

²And the LORD sent against him bands of the Chaldeans, and bands of the Syrians, and bands of the Moabites, and bands of the children of Ammon, and sent them against Judah to destroy it, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke by His servants the prophets.

³Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of His sight for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did,

⁴and also for the innocent blood that he shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon.

⁵Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

⁶So Jehoiakim slept with his fathers, and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

⁷And the king of Egypt came not again any more out of his land, for the king of Babylon had taken from the river of Egypt unto the River Euphrates all that pertained to the king of Egypt.

⁸Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. And his mother's name was Nehushta, the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem.

⁹And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father had done.

¹⁰At that time the servants of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up against Jerusalem, and the city was besieged.

¹¹And Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city, and his servants besieged it.

¹²And Jehoiachin the king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he and his mother, and his servants and his princes and his officers; and the king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

¹³And he carried out from thence all the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house, and cut in pieces all the vessels of gold which Solomon king of Israel had made in the temple of the LORD, as the LORD had said.

¹⁴And he carried away all Jerusalem, and all the princes, and all the mighty men of valor, even ten thousand captives, and all the craftsmen and smiths. None remained, save the poorest sort of the people of the land.

¹⁵And he carried away Jehoiachin to Babylon, and the king's mother, and the king's wives, and his officers, and the mighty of the land: those carried he into captivity from Jerusalem to Babylon.

¹⁶And all the men of might, even seven thousand, and craftsmen and smiths, a thousand, all who were strong and apt for war, even these the king of Babylon brought captive to Babylon.

¹⁷And the king of Babylon made Mattaniah his father's brother king in his stead, and changed his name to Zedekiah.

¹⁸Zedekiah was twenty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal, the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

¹⁹And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

²⁰For through the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until He had cast them out from His presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

25And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his host, against Jerusalem and pitched camp against it; and they built forts against it round about.

²And the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

³And on the ninth day of the fourth month the famine prevailed in the city, and there was no bread for the people of the land.

⁴And the city was broken up, and all the men of war fled by night by the way of the gate between two walls, which is by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were against the city round about); and the king went the way toward the plain.

⁵And the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king and overtook him in the plains of Jericho, and all his army were scattered from him.

⁶So they took the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon to Riblah, and they gave judgment upon him.

⁷And they slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes, and put out the eyes of Zedekiah, and bound him with fetters of brass and carried him to Babylon.

⁸And in the fifth month, on the seventh day of the month, which is the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, a servant of the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem.

⁹And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house, and all the houses of Jerusalem, and every great man's house burned he with fire.

¹⁰And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down the walls of Jerusalem round about.

¹¹Now the rest of the people who were left in the city and the fugitives who fell away to the king of Babylon, with the remnant of the multitude, did Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carry away.

¹²But the captain of the guard left some of the poor of the land to be vinedressers and husbandmen.

¹³And the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke in pieces and carried the brass of them to Babylon.

¹⁴And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

¹⁵And the firepans and the bowls, and such things as were of gold, all gold, and of silver, all silver, the captain of the guard took away.

¹⁶The two pillars, one sea, and the bases which Solomon had made for the house of the LORD, the brass of all these vessels was without weight.

¹⁷The height of the one pillar was eighteen cubits, and the capital upon it was brass; and the height of the capital was three cubits, and the wreathen work and pomegranates upon the capital round about, all of brass; and like unto these had the second pillar with wreathen work.

¹⁸And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest and Zephaniah the second priest and the three keepers of the door.

¹⁹And out of the city he took an officer who was set over the men of war, and five men of those who were in the king's presence who were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host who mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land who were found in the city;

²⁰and Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took these and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah.

²¹And the king of Babylon smote them, and slew them at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away out of their land.

²²And as for the people who remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.

²³And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah at Mizpah even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

²⁴And Gedaliah swore to them and to their men, and said unto them, "Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you."

²⁵But it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah so that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

²⁶And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose and came to Egypt; for they were afraid of the Chaldeans.

²⁷And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the year that he began to reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah out of prison.

²⁸And he spoke kindly to him and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon,

²⁹and changed his prison garments. And he ate bread continually before him all the days of his life;

³⁰and his allowance was a continual allowance given him from the king, a daily rate for every day, all the days of his life.

1Adam, Seth, Enosh,

²Kenan, Mahalaleel, Jared,

³Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech,

⁴Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

⁵The sons of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.

⁶And the sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, and Diphath, and Togarmah.

⁷And the sons of Javan: Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Rodanim.

⁸The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.

⁹And the sons of Cush: Seba, and Havilah, and Sabta, and Raama, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba, and Dedan.

¹⁰And Cush begot Nimrod; he began to be mighty upon the earth.

¹¹And Mizraim begot Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,

¹²and Pathrusim, and Casluhim (from whom came the Philistines), and Caphtorim.

¹³And Canaan begot Sidon his firstborn, and Heth;

¹⁴the Jebusite also, and the Amorite, and the Girgashite,

¹⁵and the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,

¹⁶and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite.

¹⁷The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, and Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Meshech.

¹⁸And Arphaxad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.

¹⁹And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, because in his days the earth was divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.

²⁰And Joktan begot Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazarmaveth, and Jerah,

²¹Hadoram also, and Uzal, and Diklah,

²²and Ebal, and Abimael, and Sheba,

²³and Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab. All these were the sons of Joktan.

²⁴Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah,

²⁵Eber, Peleg, Reu,

²⁶Serug, Nahor, Terah,

²⁷Abram, the same is Abraham.

²⁸The sons of Abraham: Isaac, and Ishmael.

²⁹These are their generations: the firstborn of Ishmael, Nebaioth; then Kedar, and Adbeel, and Mibsam,

³⁰Mishma, and Dumah, Massa, Hadad, and Tema,

³¹Jetur, Naphish, and Kedemah. These are the sons of Ishmael.

³²Now the sons of Keturah, Abraham's concubine: she bore Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah. And the sons of Jokshan: Sheba, and Dedan.

³³And the sons of Midian: Ephah, and Epher, and Hanoch, and Abida, and Eldaah. All these are the sons of Keturah.

³⁴And Abraham begot Isaac. The sons of Isaac: Esau and Israel.

³⁵The sons of Esau: Eliphaz, Reuel, and Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah.

³⁶The sons of Eliphaz: Teman, and Omar, Zephi, and Gatam, Kenaz, and Timna, and Amalek.

³⁷The sons of Reuel: Nahath, Zerah, Shammah, and Mizzah.

³⁸And the sons of Seir: Lotan, and Shobal, and Zibeon, and Anah, and Dishon, and Ezer, and Dishan.

³⁹And the sons of Lotan: Hori, and Homam; and Timna was Lotan's sister.

⁴⁰The sons of Shobal: Alian, and Manahath, and Ebal, Shephi, and Onam. And the sons of Zibeon: Aiah, and Anah.

⁴¹The son of Anah: Dishon. And the sons of Dishon: Hamran, and Eshban, and Ithran, and Cheran.

⁴²The sons of Ezer: Bilhan, and Zaavan, and Jaakan. The sons of Dishan: Uz, and Aran.

⁴³Now these are the kings who reigned in the land of Edom before any king reigned over the children of Israel: Bela the son of Beor; and the name of his city was Dinhabah.

⁴⁴And when Bela was dead, Jobab the son of Zerah of Bozrah reigned in his stead.

⁴⁵And when Jobab was dead, Husham of the land of the Temanites reigned in his stead.

⁴⁶And when Husham was dead, Hadad the son of Bedad, who smote Midian in the field of Moab, reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Avith.

⁴⁷And when Hadad was dead, Samlah of Masrekah reigned in his stead.

⁴⁸And when Samlah was dead, Shaul of Rehoboth by the River reigned in his stead.

⁴⁹And when Shaul was dead, Baalhanan the son of Achbor reigned in his stead.

⁵⁰And when Baalhanan was dead, Hadad reigned in his stead; and the name of his city was Pai; and his wife's name was Mehetabel, the daughter of Matred, the daughter of Mezahab.

⁵¹Hadad died also. And the chiefs of Edom were: Chief Timnah, Chief Aliah, Chief Jetheth,

⁵²Chief Aholibamah, Chief Elah, Chief Pinon,

⁵³Chief Kenaz, Chief Teman, Chief Mibzar,

⁵⁴Chief Magdiel, Chief Iram. These are the chiefs of Edom.

2These are the sons of Israel [or, Jacob]: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun,

²Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

³The sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, which three were born unto him by the daughter of Shua the Canaanitess. And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the sight of the LORD; and He slew him.

⁴And Tamar his daughter-in-law bore him Perez and Zerah. All the sons of Judah were five.

⁵The sons of Perez: Hezron, and Hamul.

⁶And the sons of Zerah: Zimri, and Ethan, and Heman, and Calcol, and Dara, five of them in all.

⁷And the son of Carmi: Achar, the troubler of Israel, who transgressed in the thing accursed.

⁸And the son of Ethan: Azariah.

⁹The sons also of Hezron who were born unto him: Jerahmeel, and Ram, and Chelubai.

¹⁰And Ram begot Amminadab, and Amminadab begot Nahshon, prince of the children of Judah;

¹¹and Nahshon begot Salma, and Salma begot Boaz;

¹²and Boaz begot Obed, and Obed begot Jesse.

¹³And Jesse begot his firstborn Eliab, and Abinadab the second, and Shimea the third,

¹⁴Nethanel the fourth, Raddai the fifth,

¹⁵Ozem the sixth, David the seventh,

¹⁶whose sisters were Zeruiah, and Abigail. And the sons of Zeruiah: Abishai, and Joab, and Asahel, three.

¹⁷And Abigail bore Amasa; and the father of Amasa was Jether the Ishmaelite.

¹⁸And Caleb the son of Hezron begot children by Azubah his wife, and by Jerioth; her sons are these: Jesher, and Shobab, and Ardon.

¹⁹And when Azubah was dead, Caleb took unto him Ephrath, who bore him Hur.

²⁰And Hur begot Uri, and Uri begot Bezaleel.

²¹And afterward Hezron went in to the daughter of Machir, the father of Gilead, whom he married when he was threescore years old; and she bore him Segub.

²²And Segub begot Jair, who had three and twenty cities in the land of Gilead.

²³And he took Geshur and Aram, with the towns of Jair, from them, with Kenath and the towns thereof, even threescore cities. All these belonged to the sons of Machir, the father of Gilead.

²⁴And after Hezron was dead in Calebephrathah, then Abijah Hezron's wife bore him Ashhur the father of Tekoa.

²⁵And the sons of Jerahmeel, the firstborn of Hezron were Ram the firstborn, and Bunah, and Oren, and Ozem, and Ahijah.

²⁶Jerahmeel had also another wife, whose name was Atarah; she was the mother of Onam.

²⁷And the sons of Ram, the firstborn of Jerahmeel, were Maaz, and Jamin, and Eker.

²⁸And the sons of Onam were Shammai, and Jada. And the sons of Shammai: Nadab, and Abishur.

²⁹And the name of the wife of Abishur was Abihail, and she bore him Ahban and Molid.

³⁰And the sons of Nadab: Seled and Appaim; but Seled died without children.

³¹And the son of Appaim: Ishi. And the son of Ishi: Sheshan. And the child of Sheshan: Ahlai.

³²And the sons of Jada the brother of Shammai: Jether and Jonathan; and Jether died without children.

³³And the sons of Jonathan: Peleth and Zaza. These were the sons of Jerahmeel.

³⁴Now Sheshan had no sons, but daughters. And Sheshan had a servant, an Egyptian whose name was Jarha.

³⁵And Sheshan gave his daughter to Jarha his servant for a wife; and she bore him Attai.

³⁶And Attai begot Nathan, and Nathan begot Zabad;

³⁷and Zabad begot Ephlal, and Ephlal begot Obed;

³⁸and Obed begot Jehu, and Jehu begot Azariah;

³⁹and Azariah begot Helez, and Helez begot Eleasah;

⁴⁰and Eleasah begot Sismai, and Sismai begot Shallum;

⁴¹and Shallum begot Jekamiah, and Jekamiah begot Elishama.

⁴²Now the sons of Caleb the brother of Jerahmeel were: Mesha his firstborn, who was the father of Ziph, and the sons of Mareshah the father of Hebron.

⁴³And the sons of Hebron: Korah, and Tappuah, and Rekem, and Shema.

⁴⁴And Shema begot Raham, the father of Jorkoam; and Rekem begot Shammai.

⁴⁵And the son of Shammai was Maon; and Maon was the father of Bethzur.

⁴⁶And Ephah, Caleb's concubine, bore Haran, and Moza, and Gazez; and Haran begot Gazez.

⁴⁷And the sons of Jahdai: Regem, and Jotham, and Geshan, and Pelet, and Ephah, and Shaaph.

⁴⁸Maachah, Caleb's concubine, bore Sheber and Tirhanah.

⁴⁹She bore also Shaaph the father of Madmannah, Sheva the father of Machbenah and the father of Gibea; and the daughter of Caleb was Achsah.

⁵⁰These were the sons of Caleb the son of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah: Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim,

⁵¹Salma the father of Bethlehem, Hareph the father of Bethgader.

⁵²And Shobal the father of Kirjathjearim had sons: Haroeh, and half of the Manahethites.

⁵³And the families of Kirjathjearim: the Ithrites, and the Puthites, and the Shumathites, and the Mishraites; from them came the Zorathites and the Eshtaolites.

⁵⁴The sons of Salma: Bethlehem, and the Netophathites, Ataroth, the house of Joab, and half of the Manahethites, the Zorites.

⁵⁵And the families of the scribes who dwelt at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, and Suchathites. These are the Kenites who came from Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab.

3Now these were the sons of David who were born unto him in Hebron: the firstborn, Amnon, by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second, Daniel, by Abigail the Carmelitess;

²the third, Absalom, the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur; the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Haggith;

³the fifth, Shephatiah by Abital; the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife.

⁴These six were born unto him in Hebron; and there he reigned seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty and three years.

⁵And these were born unto him in Jerusalem: Shimea, and Shobab, and Nathan, and Solomon, four by Bathshua the daughter of Ammiel;

⁶Ibhar also, and Elishama, and Eliphelet,

⁷and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

⁸and Elishama, and Eliada, and Eliphelet, nine.

⁹These were all the sons of David, besides the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.

¹⁰And Solomon's son was Rehoboam; Abijah was his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son,

¹¹Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son,

¹²Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,

¹³Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,

¹⁴Amon his son, Josiah his son.

¹⁵And the sons of Josiah were the firstborn Johanan, the second Jehoiakim, the third Zedekiah, the fourth Shallum.

¹⁶And the sons of Jehoiakim: Jeconiah his son, Zedekiah his son.

¹⁷And the sons of Jeconiah: Assir, Shealtiel his son,

¹⁸Malchiram also, and Pedaiah, and Shenazzar, Jecamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.

¹⁹And the sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei; and the sons of Zerubbabel: Meshullam, and Hananiah, and Shelomith their sister;

²⁰and Hashubah, and Ohel, and Berechiah, and Hasadiah, Jushabhesed, five.

²¹And the sons of Hananiah: Pelatiah, and Jeshaiah; the sons of Rephaiah, the sons of Arnan, the sons of Obadiah, the sons of Shechaniah.

²²And the son of Shechaniah, Shemaiah; and the sons of Shemaiah: Hattush, and Igal, and Bariah, and Neariah, and Shaphat, six.

²³And the sons of Neariah: Elioenai, and Hezekiah, and Azrikam, three.

²⁴And the sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Delaiah, and Anani, seven.

4The sons of Judah: Perez, Hezron, and Carmi, and Hur, and Shobal.

²And Reaiah the son of Shobal begot Jahath, and Jahath begot Ahumai and Lahad. These are the families of the Zorathites.

³And these were by the father of Etam: Jezreel, and Ishma, and Idbash; and the name of their sister was Hazelelponi;

⁴and Penuel the father of Gedor, and Ezer the father of Hushah. These are the sons of Hur, the firstborn of Ephrathah, the father of Bethlehem.

⁵And Ashhur the father of Tekoa had two wives, Helah and Naarah.

⁶And Naarah bore him Ahuzzam, and Hepher, and Temeni, and Haahashtari. These were the sons of Naarah.

⁷And the sons of Helah were Zereth, and Jezoar, and Ethnan.

⁸And Koz begot Anub, and Zobebah, and the families of Aharhel the son of Harum.

⁹And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren; and his mother called his name Jabez [that is, Sorrowful], saying, "Because I bore him with sorrow."

¹⁰And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, "Oh that Thou wouldest bless me indeed and enlarge my borders, and that Thine hand might be with me and that Thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" And God granted him that which he requested.

¹¹And Chelub the brother of Shuhah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eshton.

¹²And Eshton begot Bethrapha, and Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Irnahash. These are the men of Recah.

¹³And the sons of Kenaz: Othniel and Seraiah; and the sons of Othniel: Hathath

¹⁴and Meonothai, who begot Ophrah; and Seraiah begot Joab, the father of the inhabitants of the valley of Charashim [that is, Craftsmen], for they were craftsmen.

¹⁵And the sons of Caleb the son of Jephunneh: Iru, Elah, and Naam; and the son of Elah, even Kenaz.

¹⁶And the sons of Jehaleleel: Ziph, and Ziphah, Tiria, and Asarel.

¹⁷And the sons of Ezrah were Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon. And she bore Miriam, and Shammai, and Ishbah the father of Eshtemoa.

¹⁸And his wife Jehudijah [or, the Jewess] bore Jered the father of Gedor, and Heber the father of Socho, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah. And these are the sons of Bithiah the daughter of Pharaoh, whom Mered took,

¹⁹and the sons of his wife Hodiah [or Jehudiiah, mentioned before] the sister of Naham, the father of Keilah the Garmite, and Eshtemoa the Maachathite.

²⁰And the sons of Shimon were Amnon, and Rinnah, Benhanan, and Tilon. And the sons of Ishi were Zoheth, and Benzoheth.

²¹The sons of Shelah the son of Judah were Er the father of Lecah, and Laadah the father of Mareshah, and the families of the house of those who wrought fine linen of the house of Ashbea;

²²and Jokim, and the men of Chozeba, and Joash, and Saraph, who had the dominion in Moab, and Jashubilehem. And these are ancient things.

²³These were the potters and those who dwelt among plants and hedges; there they dwelt with the king for his work.

²⁴The sons of Simeon were Nemuel, and Jamin, Jarib, Zerah, and Shaul;

²⁵Shallum was his son, Mibsam his son, Mishma his son.

²⁶And the sons of Mishma: Hamuel his son, Zacchur his son, Shimei his son.

²⁷And Shimei had sixteen sons and six daughters; but his brethren had not many children, neither did all their family multiply like the children of Judah.

²⁸And they dwelt at Beersheba, and Moladah, and Hazarshual,

²⁹and at Bilhah, and at Ezem, and at Tolad,

³⁰and at Bethuel, and at Hormah, and at Ziklag,

³¹and at Bethmarcaboth, and Hazarsusim, and at Bethbirei, and at Shaaraim. These were their cities until the reign of David.

³²And their villages were Etam, and Ain, Rimmon, and Tochen, and Ashan, five cities,

³³and all their villages that were round about the same cities as far as Baal. These were their habitations and their genealogy.

³⁴And Meshobab, and Jamlech, and Joshah the son of Amaziah,

³⁵and Joel, and Jehu the son of Joshibiah, the son of Seraiah, the son of Asiel,

³⁶and Elioenai, and Jaakobah, and Jeshohaiah, and Asaiah, and Adiel, and Jesimiel, and Benaiah,

³⁷and Ziza the son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah --

³⁸these mentioned by their names were princes in their families; and the house of their fathers increased greatly.

³⁹And they went to the entrance of Gedor, even unto the east side of the valley, to seek pasture for their flocks.

⁴⁰And they found lush pasture and good, and the land was wide and quiet and peaceable; for they of Ham had dwelt there of old.

⁴¹And these written by name came in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and smote their tents and the inhabitants who were found there, and destroyed them utterly unto this day, and dwelt in their place, because there was pasture there for their flocks.

⁴²And some of them, even of the sons of Simeon, five hundred men, went to Mount Seir, having for their captains Pelatiah, and Neariah, and Rephaiah, and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi.

⁴³And they smote the rest of the Amalekites who had escaped, and dwelt there unto this day.

5Now the sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (for he was the firstborn; but forasmuch as he defiled his father's bed, his birthright was given unto the sons of Joseph the son of Israel, and the genealogy is not to be reckoned after the birthright.

²For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and from him came the chief ruler, but the birthright was Joseph's) --

³the sons, I say, of Reuben the firstborn of Israel were Hanoch, and Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi.

⁴The sons of Joel: Shemaiah his son, Gog his son, Shimei his son,

⁵Micah his son, Reaiah his son, Baal his son,

⁶Beerah his son, whom Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria carried away captive; he was prince of the Reubenites.

⁷And his brethren by their families, when the genealogy of their generations was reckoned, were the chief Jeiel, and Zechariah,

⁸and Bela the son of Azaz, the son of Shema, the son of Joel,who dwelt in Aroer, even unto Nebo and Baalmeon;

⁹and eastward he inhabited unto the entrance of the wilderness from the River Euphrates, because their cattle had multiplied in the land of Gilead.

¹⁰And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagrites, who fell by their hand; and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.

¹¹And the children of Gad dwelt opposite them in the land of Bashan to Salcah:

¹²Joel the chief, and Shapham the next, and Jaanai, and Shaphat in Bashan.

¹³And their brethren of the house of their fathers were Michael, and Meshullam, and Sheba, and Jorai, and Jachan, and Zia, and Heber, seven.

¹⁴These are the children of Abihail the son of Huri, the son of Jaroah, the son of Gilead, the son of Michael, the son of Jeshishai, the son of Jahdo, the son of Buz;

¹⁵Ahi the son of Abdiel, the son of Guni, chief of the house of their fathers.

¹⁶And they dwelt in Gilead in Bashan, and in her towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon upon their borders.

¹⁷All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.

¹⁸The sons of Reuben and the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh, valiant men, men able to bear buckler and sword, and to shoot with bow and skillful in war, were four and forty thousand seven hundred and threescore who went out to the war.

¹⁹And they made war with the Hagrites, with Jetur, and Naphish, and Nodab.

²⁰And they were helped against them, and the Hagrites were delivered into their hand, and all who were with them; for they cried to God in the battle, and He was entreated by them, because they put their trust in Him.

²¹And they took away their cattle, of their camels fifty thousand, and of sheep two hundred and fifty thousand, and of asses two thousand, and of men a hundred thousand.

²²For there fell down many slain, because the war was of God. And they dwelt in their lands until the captivity.

²³And the children of the halftribe of Manasseh dwelt in the land; they increased from Bashan to Baalhermon and Senir, and to Mount Hermon.

²⁴And these were the heads of the house of their fathers: even Epher, and Ishi, and Eliel, and Azriel, and Jeremiah, and Hodaviah, and Jahdiel, mighty men of valor, famous men, and heads of the house of their fathers.

²⁵And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them.

²⁶And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the halftribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the River Gozan unto this day.

6The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

²And the sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.

³And the children of Amram: Aaron, and Moses, and Miriam. The sons also of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

⁴Eleazar begot Phinehas, begot Abishua,

⁵and Abishua begot Bukki, and Bukki begot Uzzi,

⁶and Uzzi begot Zerahiah, and Zerahiah begot Meraioth,

⁷Meraioth begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub,

⁸and Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Ahimaaz,

⁹and Ahimaaz begot Azariah, and Azariah begot Johanan,

¹⁰and Johanan begot Azariah (he it was who executed the priest's office in the temple that Solomon built in Jerusalem),

¹¹and Azariah begot Amariah, and Amariah begot Ahitub,

¹²and Ahitub begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Shallum,

¹³and Shallum begot Hilkiah, and Hilkiah begot Azariah,

¹⁴and Azariah begot Seraiah, and Seraiah begot Jehozadak;

¹⁵and Jehozadak went into captivity when the LORD carried away Judah and Jerusalem by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁶The sons of Levi: Gershom, Kohath, and Merari.

¹⁷And these are the names of the sons of Gershom: Libni and Shimei.

¹⁸And the sons of Kohath were Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel.

¹⁹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. And these are the families of the Levites according to their fathers.

²⁰Of Gershom: Libni his son, Jahath his son, Zimmah his son,

²¹Joah his son, Iddo his son, Zerah his son, Jeatherai his son.

²²The sons of Kohath: Amminadab his son, Korah his son, Assir his son,

²³Elkanah his son, and Ebiasaph his son, and Assir his son,

²⁴Tahath his son, Uriel his son, Uzziah his son, and Shaul his son.

²⁵And the sons of Elkanah: Amasai and Ahimoth.

²⁶As for Elkanah, the sons of Elkanah: Zophai his son, and Nahath his son,

²⁷Eliab his son, Jeroham his son, Elkanah his son.

²⁸And the sons of Samuel: the firstborn called Joel, and Abijah.

²⁹The sons of Merari: Mahli, Libni his son, Shimei his son, Uzzah his son,

³⁰Shimea his son, Haggiah his son, Asaiah his son.

³¹And these are they whom David set over the service of song in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest.

³²And they ministered before the dwelling place of the tabernacle of the congregation with singing, until Solomon had built the house of the LORD in Jerusalem; and then they served in their office according to their order.

³³And these are those who served with their children. Of the sons of the Kohathites: Heman a singer, the son of Joel, the son of Samuel,

³⁴the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham, the son of Eliel, the son of Toah,

³⁵the son of Zuph, the son of Elkanah, the son of Mahath, the son of Amasai,

³⁶the son of Elkanah, the son of Joel, the son of Azariah, the son of Zephaniah,

³⁷the son of Tahath, the son of Assir, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah,

³⁸the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel.

³⁹And his brother Asaph, who stood at his right hand, even Asaph the son of Berachiah, the son of Shimea,

⁴⁰the son of Michael, the son of Baaseiah, the son of Malchijah,

⁴¹the son of Ethni, the son of Zerah, the son of Adaiah,

⁴²the son of Ethan, the son of Zimmah, the son of Shimei,

⁴³the son of Jahath, the son of Gershom, the son of Levi.

⁴⁴And their brethren the sons of Merari stood at the left hand: Ethan the son of Kishi, the son of Abdi, the son of Malluch,

⁴⁵the son of Hashabiah, the son of Amaziah, the son of Hilkiah,

⁴⁶the son of Amzi, the son of Bani, the son of Shamer,

⁴⁷the son of Mahli, the son of Mushi, the son of Merari, the son of Levi.

⁴⁸Their brethren also, the Levites, were appointed unto all manner of service of the tabernacle of the house of God.

⁴⁹But Aaron and his sons offered upon the altar of the burnt offering and on the altar of incense, and were appointed for all the work of the place most holy, and to make an atonement for Israel, according to all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.

⁵⁰And these are the sons of Aaron: Eleazar his son, Phinehas his son, Abishua his son,

⁵¹Bukki his son, Uzzi his son, Zerahiah his son,

⁵²Meraioth his son, Amariah his son, Ahitub his son,

⁵³Zadok his son, Ahimaaz his son.

⁵⁴Now these are their dwelling places throughout their camps in their borders, of the sons of Aaron, of the families of the Kohathites, for theirs was the lot:

⁵⁵and they gave them Hebron in the land of Judah, and the suburbs thereof round about it.

⁵⁶But the fields of the city and the villages thereof, they gave to Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

⁵⁷And to the sons of Aaron they gave the cities of Judah, namely: Hebron, the city of refuge, and Libnah with her suburbs, and Jattir and Eshtemoa with their suburbs,

⁵⁸and Hilen with her suburbs, Debir with her suburbs,

⁵⁹and Ashan with her suburbs, and Bethshemesh with her suburbs.

⁶⁰And out of the tribe of Benjamin: Geba with her suburbs, and Alemeth with her suburbs, and Anathoth with her suburbs. All their cities throughout their families were thirteen cities.

⁶¹And unto the sons of Kohath who were left of the family of that tribe, were cities given out of the halftribe, namely, out of the halftribe of Manasseh, by lot, ten cities.

⁶²And to the sons of Gershom, throughout their families out of the tribe of Issachar, and out of the tribe of Asher, and out of the tribe of Naphtali, and out of the tribe of Manasseh in Bashan, thirteen cities.

⁶³Unto the sons of Merari were given by lot, throughout their families, out of the tribe of Reuben, and out of the tribe of Gad, and out of the tribe of Zebulun, twelve cities.

⁶⁴And the children of Israel gave to the Levites these cities with their suburbs.

⁶⁵And they gave by lot out of the tribe of the children of Judah, and out of the tribe of the children of Simeon, and out of the tribe of the children of Benjamin these cities, which are called by their names.

⁶⁶And the residue of the families of the sons of Kohath had cities of their borders out of the tribe of Ephraim.

⁶⁷And they gave unto them, of the cities of refuge, Shechem on Mount Ephraim with her suburbs; they gave also Gezer with her suburbs,

⁶⁸and Jokmeam with her suburbs, and Bethhoron with her suburbs,

⁶⁹and Aijalon with her suburbs, and Gathrimmon with her suburbs.

⁷⁰And out of the halftribe of Manasseh: Aner with her suburbs, and Bileam with her suburbs, for the family of the remnant of the sons of Kohath.

⁷¹Unto the sons of Gershom were given out of the family of the halftribe of Manasseh: Golan in Bashan with her suburbs, and Ashtaroth with her suburbs.

⁷²And out of the tribe of Issachar: Kedesh with her suburbs, Daberath with her suburbs,

⁷³and Ramoth with her suburbs, and Anem with her suburbs.

⁷⁴And out of the tribe of Asher: Mashal with her suburbs, and Abdon with her suburbs,

⁷⁵and Hukok with her suburbs, and Rehob with her suburbs.

⁷⁶And out of the tribe of Naphtali: Kedesh in Galilee with her suburbs, and Hammon with her suburbs, and Kirjathaim with her suburbs.

⁷⁷Unto the rest of the children of Merari were given out of the tribe of Zebulun, Rimmon with her suburbs, Tabor with her suburbs.

⁷⁸And on the other side of the Jordan by Jericho, on the east side of the Jordan, were given them, out of the tribe of Reuben: Bezer in the wilderness with her suburbs, and Jahzah with her suburbs,

⁷⁹Kedemoth also with her suburbs, and Mephaath with her suburbs.

⁸⁰And out of the tribe of Gad: Ramoth in Gilead with her suburbs, and Mahanaim with her suburbs,

⁸¹and Heshbon with her suburbs, and Jazer with her suburbs.

7Now the sons of Issachar were Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.

²And the sons of Tola: Uzzi, and Rephaiah, and Jeriel, and Jahmai, and Jibsam, and Shemuel, heads of their father's house, to wit, of Tola. They were valiant men of might in their generations, whose number was in the days of David two and twenty thousand and six hundred.

³And the son of Uzzi: Izrahiah. And the sons of Izrahiah: Michael, and Obadiah, and Joel, Ishiah, five, all of them chief men.

⁴And with them, by their generations, according to the house of their fathers, were bands of soldiers for war, six and thirty thousand men; for they had many wives and sons.

⁵And their brethren among all the families of Issachar were valiant men of might, reckoned in all by their genealogies, fourscore and seven thousand.

⁶The sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Becher, and Jediael, three.

⁷And the sons of Bela: Ezbon, and Uzzi, and Uzziel, and Jerimoth, and Iri, five, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valor, and were reckoned by their genealogies twenty and two thousand and thirty and four.

⁸And the sons of Becher: Zemirah, and Joash, and Eliezer, and Elioenai, and Omri, and Jerimoth, and Abijah, and Anathoth, and Alemeth. All these are the sons of Becher.

⁹And the number of them according to their genealogy by their generations, heads of the house of their fathers, mighty men of valor, was twenty thousand and two hundred.

¹⁰The son also of Jediael: Bilhan. And the sons of Bilhan: Jeush, and Benjamin, and Ehud, and Chenaanah, and Zethan, and Tharshish, and Ahishahar.

¹¹All these, the sons of Jediael, by the heads of their fathers, mighty men of valor, were seventeen thousand and two hundred soldiers, fit to go out for war and battle.

¹²Shuppim also, and Huppim, the children of Ir, and Hushim the son of Aher.

¹³The sons of Naphtali: Jahziel, and Guni, and Jezer, and Shallum, the sons of Bilhah.

¹⁴The sons of Manasseh: Asriel, whom she bore (but his concubine the Aramitess bore Machir the father of Gilead;

¹⁵and Machir took for a wife the sister of Huppim and Shuppim, whose sister's name was Maachah); and the name of the second was Zelophehad, and Zelophehad had daughters.

¹⁶And Maachah the wife of Machir bore a son, and she called his name Peresh; and the name of his brother was Sheresh; and his sons were Ulam and Rakem.

¹⁷And the son of Ulam: Bedan. These were the sons of Gilead the son of Machir, the son of Manasseh.

¹⁸And his sister Hammoleketh bore Ishhod, and Abiezer, and Mahlah.

¹⁹And the sons of Shemida were Ahian, and Shechem, and Likhi, and Aniam.

²⁰And the sons of Ephraim: Shuthelah, and Bered his son, and Tahath his son, and Eladah his son, and Tahath his son,

²¹and Zabad his son, and Shuthelah his son, and Ezer, and Elead, whom the men of Gath who were born in that land slew, because they came down to take away their cattle.

²²And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him.

²³And when he went in to his wife, she conceived and bore a son; and he called his name Beriah, because it went evil with his house.

²⁴(And his daughter was Sheerah, who built Bethhoron the nether and the upper, and Uzzensherah).

²⁵And Rephah was his son, also Resheph, and Telah his son, and Tahan his son,

²⁶Laadan his son, Ammihud his son, Elishama his son,

²⁷Nun his son, Joshua his son.

²⁸And their possessions and habitations were Bethel and the towns thereof, and eastward Naaran, and westward Gezer with the towns thereof, Shechem also and the towns thereof, unto Ayyah and the towns thereof;

²⁹and by the borders of the children of Manasseh, Bethshean and her towns, Taanach and her towns, Megiddo and her towns, Dor and her towns. In these dwelt the children of Joseph the son of Israel.

³⁰The sons of Asher: Imnah, and Isvah, and Ishvi, and Beriah, and Serah their sister.

³¹And the sons of Beriah: Heber, and Malchiel, who is the father of Birzaith.

³²And Heber begot Japhlet, and Shomer, and Hotham, and Shua their sister.

³³And the sons of Japhlet: Pasach, and Bimhal, and Ashvath. These are the children of Japhlet.

³⁴And the sons of Shemer: Ahi, and Rohgah, Jehubbah, and Aram.

³⁵And the sons of his brother Helem: Zophah, and Imna, and Shelesh, and Amal.

³⁶The sons of Zophah: Suah, and Harnepher, and Shual, and Beri, and Imrah,

³⁷Bezer, and Hod, and Shamma, and Shilshah, and Ithran, and Beera.

³⁸And the sons of Jether: Jephunneh, and Pispah, and Ara.

³⁹And the sons of Ulla: Arah, and Haniel, and Rizia.

⁴⁰All these were the children of Asher, heads of their fathers' houses, choice and mighty men of valor, chief of the princes. And the number throughout the genealogy of those who were apt in war and in battle was twenty and six thousand men.

8Now Benjamin begot Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second, and Aharah the third,

²Nohah the fourth, and Rapha the fifth.

³And the sons of Bela were Addar, and Gera, and Abihud,

⁴and Abishua, and Naaman, and Ahoah,

⁵and Gera, and Shephuphan, and Huram.

⁶And these are the sons of Ehud (these are the heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Geba, and they removed them to Manahath):

⁷Naaman, and Ahijah, and Gera who removed them and begot Uzza and Ahihud.

⁸And Shaharaim begot children in the country of Moab after he had sent them away; Hushim and Baara were his wives.

⁹And he begot by Hodesh his wife, Jobab, and Zibia, and Mesha, and Malcham,

¹⁰and Jeuz, and Sachia, and Mirmah. These were his sons, heads of the fathers.

¹¹And by Hushim he begot Abitub, and Elpaal.

¹²The sons of Elpaal: Eber, and Misham, and Shemed, who built Ono and Lod with the towns thereof;

¹³Beriah also, and Shema, who were heads of the fathers of the inhabitants of Aijalon, who drove away the inhabitants of Gath.

¹⁴And Ahio, Shashak, and Jeremoth,

¹⁵and Zebadiah, and Arad, and Eder,

¹⁶and Michael, and Ispah, and Joha were the sons of Beriah.

¹⁷And Zebadiah, and Meshullam, and Hizki, and Heber,

¹⁸Ishmerai also, and Jezliah, and Jobab the sons of Elpaal.

¹⁹And Jakim, and Zichri, and Zabdi,

²⁰and Elienai, and Zillethai, and Eliel,

²¹and Adaiah, and Beraiah, and Shimrath, the sons of Shimei.

²²And Ishpan, and Eber, and Eliel,

²³and Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,

²⁴and Hananiah, and Elam, and Antothijah,

²⁵and Iphdeiah, and Penuel were the sons of Shashak.

²⁶And Shamsherai, and Shehariah, and Athaliah,

²⁷and Jaareshiah, and Elijah, and Zichri were the sons of Jeroham.

²⁸These were heads of the fathers by their generations, chief men. These dwelt in Jerusalem.

²⁹And at Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, whose wife's name was Maacah.

³⁰And his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Nadab,

³¹and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zecher.

³²And Mikloth begot Shimeah. And these also dwelt with their brethren in Jerusalem, opposite them.

³³And Ner begot Kish, and Kish begot Saul, and Saul begot Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

³⁴And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begot Micah.

³⁵And the sons of Micah were Pithon, and Melech, and Tarea, and Ahaz.

³⁶And Ahaz begot Jehoaddah; and Jehoaddah begot Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza.

³⁷And Moza begot Binea; Raphah was his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

³⁸And Azel had six sons whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan. All these were the sons of Azel.

³⁹And the sons of Eshek his brother were Ulam his firstborn, Jeush the second, and Eliphelet the third.

⁴⁰And the sons of Ulam were mighty men of valor, archers, and had many sons and sons' sons, a hundred and fifty. All these were of the sons of Benjamin.

9So all Israel were reckoned by genealogies; and behold, they were written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah, who were carried away to Babylon for their transgression.

²Now the first inhabitants who dwelt in their possessions in their cities were the Israelites, the priests, Levites, and the Nethinim.

³And in Jerusalem dwelt of the children of Judah, and of the children of Benjamin, and of the children of Ephraim and Manasseh:

⁴Uthai the son of Ammihud, the son of Omri, the son of Imri, the son of Bani, of the children of Perez the son of Judah.

⁵And of the Shilonites: Asaiah the firstborn, and his sons.

⁶And of the sons of Zerah: Jeuel, and their brethren, six hundred and ninety.

⁷And of the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Hodaviah, the son of Hassenuah,

⁸and Ibneiah the son of Jeroham, and Elah the son of Uzzi, the son of Michri, and Meshullam the son of Shephatiah, the son of Reuel, the son of Ibnijah,

⁹and their brethren according to their generations, nine hundred and fifty and six. All these men were chief of the fathers in the house of their fathers.

¹⁰And of the priests: Jedaiah, and Jehoiarib, and Jachin,

¹¹and Azariah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the ruler of the house of God,

¹²and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pashur, the son of Malchijah, and Maasai the son of Adiel, the son of Jahzerah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Meshillemith, the son of Immer,

¹³and their brethren, heads of the house of their fathers, a thousand and seven hundred and threescore, very able men for the work of the service of the house of God.

¹⁴And of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, of the sons of Merari,

¹⁵and Bakbakkar, Heresh, and Galal, and Mattaniah the son of Micah, the son of Zichri, the son of Asaph,

¹⁶and Obadiah the son of Shemaiah, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun, and Berechiah the son of Asa, the son of Elkanah, who dwelt in the villages of the Netophathites.

¹⁷And the doorkeepers were Shallum, and Akkub, and Talmon, and Ahiman, and their brethren; Shallum was the chief,

¹⁸who hitherto waited in the King's Gate eastward; they were doorkeepers in the companies of the children of Levi.

¹⁹And Shallum the son of Kore, the son of Ebiasaph, the son of Korah, and his brethren, of the house of his father, the Korahites, were over the work of the service, keepers of the gates of the tabernacle; and their fathers, being over the host of the LORD, were keepers of the entrance.

²⁰And Phinehas the son of Eleazar was the ruler over them in time past, and the LORD was with him.

²¹And Zechariah the son of Meshelemiah was doorkeeper of the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

²²All these who were chosen to be doorkeepers at the gates were two hundred and twelve. These were reckoned by their genealogy in their villages, whom David and Samuel the seer had ordained in their set office.

²³So they and their children had the oversight of the gates of the house of the LORD, namely, the house of the tabernacle, by watches.

²⁴In four quarters were the doorkeepers: toward the east, west, north, and south.

²⁵And their brethren, who were in their villages, had to come after seven days from time to time with them.

²⁶For these Levites, the four chief doorkeepers, were in their trust, and were over the chambers and treasuries of the house of God.

²⁷And they lodged round about the house of God, because the charge was upon them, and the opening thereof every morning pertained to them.

²⁸And certain of them had charge of the ministering vessels, that they should bring them in and out by tally.

²⁹Some of them also were appointed to oversee the vessels and all the instruments of the sanctuary, and the fine flour, and the wine, and the oil, and the frankincense, and the spices.

³⁰And some of the sons of the priests made the ointment of the spices.

³¹And Mattithiah, one of the Levites, who was the firstborn of Shallum the Korahite, had the trust over the things that were made in the pans.

³²And other of their brethren, of the sons of the Kohathites, were over the showbread to prepare it every Sabbath.

³³And these are the singers, chief of the fathers of the Levites, who remaining in the chambers were free; for they were employed in that work day and night.

³⁴These chief fathers of the Levites were chief throughout their generations; these dwelt at Jerusalem.

³⁵And in Gibeon dwelt the father of Gibeon, Jeiel, whose wife's name was Maacah.

³⁶And his firstborn son was Abdon, then Zur, and Kish, and Baal, and Ner, and Nadab,

³⁷and Gedor, and Ahio, and Zechariah, and Mikloth.

³⁸And Mikloth begot Shimeam. And they also dwelt with their brethren at Jerusalem, opposite their brethren.

³⁹And Ner begot Kish; and Kish begot Saul; and Saul begot Jonathan, and Malchishua, and Abinadab, and Eshbaal.

⁴⁰And the son of Jonathan was Meribbaal; and Meribbaal begot Micah.

⁴¹And the sons of Micah were Pithon, and Melech, and Tahrea, and Ahaz.

⁴²And Ahaz begot Jarah; and Jarah begot Alemeth, and Azmaveth, and Zimri; and Zimri begot Moza;

⁴³and Moza begot Binea; and Rephaiah his son, Eleasah his son, Azel his son.

⁴⁴And Azel had six sons whose names are these: Azrikam, Bocheru, and Ishmael, and Sheariah, and Obadiah, and Hanan; these were the sons of Azel.

10Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa.

²And the Philistines followed hard after Saul and after his sons; and the Philistines slew Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchishua, the sons of Saul.

³And the battle went sorely against Saul; and the archers hit him, and he was wounded by the archers.

⁴Then said Saul to his armorbearer, "Draw thy sword, and thrust me through therewith, lest these uncircumcised come and abuse me." But his armorbearer would not, for he was sore afraid. So Saul took a sword and fell upon it.

⁵And when his armorbearer saw that Saul was dead, he fell likewise on the sword and died.

⁶So Saul died, and his three sons, and all his house died together.

⁷And when all the men of Israel who were in the valley saw that they fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, then they forsook their cities and fled; and the Philistines came and dwelt in them.

⁸And it came to pass on the morrow, when the Philistines came to strip the slain, that they found Saul and his sons fallen on Mount Gilboa.

⁹And when they had stripped him, they took his head and his armor, and sent into the land of the Philistines round about to carry tidings unto their idols and to the people.

¹⁰And they put his armor in the house of their gods, and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

¹¹And when all Jabeshgilead heard all that the Philistines had done to Saul,

¹²they arose, all the valiant men, and took away the body of Saul and the bodies of his sons and brought them to Jabesh, and buried their bones under the oak in Jabesh, and fasted seven days.

¹³So Saul died for his transgression which he committed against the LORD, even against the word of the LORD which he kept not, and also for asking counsel of one who had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it.

¹⁴And he inquired not of the LORD. Therefore He slew him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.

11Then all Israel gathered themselves to David at Hebron, saying, "Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh.

²And moreover in times past, even when Saul was king, thou wast he that leddest out and broughtest in Israel; and the LORD thy God said unto thee, 'Thou shalt feed My people Israel, and thou shalt be ruler over My people Israel.'"

³Therefore came all the elders of Israel to the king at Hebron, and David made a covenant with them in Hebron before the LORD. And they anointed David king over Israel, according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Samuel.

⁴And David and all Israel went to Jerusalem, which is Jebus, where the Jebusites were, the inhabitants of the land.

⁵And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, "Thou shalt not come hither." Nevertheless David took the citadel of Zion, which is the City of David.

⁶And David said, "Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be chief and captain." So Joab the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was chief.

⁷And David dwelt in the citadel; therefore they called it the City of David [that is, Zion].

⁸And he built the city round about, even from Millo round about; and Joab repaired the rest of the city.

⁹So David waxed greater and greater; for the LORD of hosts was with him.

¹⁰These also are the chief of the mighty men whom David had, who held strongly with him in his kingdom, and with all Israel, to make him king according to the word of the LORD concerning Israel.

¹¹And this is the number of the mighty men whom David had: Jashobeam, a Hachmonite, the chief of the captains; he lifted up his spear against three hundred, slain by him at one time.

¹²And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, who was one of the three mighty men.

¹³He was with David at Pasdammim. And there the Philistines were gathered together for battle, where there was a parcel of ground full of barley. And the people fled from before the Philistines.

¹⁴And they set themselves in the midst of that parcel, and delivered it, and slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance.

¹⁵Now three of the thirty captains went down to the rock to David, into the cave of Adullam; and the host of the Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁶And David was then in his hideout, and the Philistines' garrison was then at Bethlehem.

¹⁷And David longed and said, "Oh that one would give me a drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem that is at the gate!"

¹⁸And the three broke through the host of the Philistines, and drew water out of the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. But David would not drink of it, but poured it out to the LORD

¹⁹and said, "My God forbid me that I should do this thing! Shall I drink the blood of these men, who have put their lives in jeopardy? For with the jeopardy of their lives they brought it." Therefore he would not drink it. These things did these three mightiest.

²⁰And Abishai the brother of Joab, he was chief of the three: for lifting up his spear against three hundred, he slew them, and had a name among the three.

²¹Of the three, he was more honorable than the two, for he was their captain; however he attained not to the first three.

²²Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man of Kabzeel, who had done many acts: he slew two lionlike men of Moab; also he went down and slew a lion in a pit on a snowy day.

²³And he slew an Egyptian, a man of great stature, five cubits high. And in the Egyptian's hand was a spear like a weaver's beam; and he went down to him with a staff and plucked the spear out of the Egyptian's hand, and slew him with his own spear.

²⁴These things did Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and had a name among the three mighties.

²⁵Behold, he was honorable among the thirty, but attained not to the first three; and David set him over his guard.

²⁶Also the valiant men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem,

²⁷Shammoth the Harorite, Helez the Pelonite,

²⁸Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, Abiezer the Anathothite,

²⁹Sibbecai the Hushathite, Ilai the Ahohite,

³⁰Maharai the Netophathite, Heled the son of Baanah the Netophathite,

³¹Ithai the son of Ribai of Gibeah, who pertained to the children of Benjamin, Benaiah the Pirathonite,

³²Hurai of the brooks of Gaash, Abiel the Arbathite,

³³Azmaveth the Baharumite, Eliahba the Shaalbonite,

³⁴the sons of Hashem the Gizonite, Jonathan the son of Shage the Hararite,

³⁵Ahiam the son of Sacar the Hararite, Eliphal the son of Ur,

³⁶Hepher the Mecherathite, Ahijah the Pelonite,

³⁷Hezro the Carmelite, Naarai the son of Ezbai,

³⁸Joel the brother of Nathan, Mibhar the son of Hagri,

³⁹Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Berothite, the armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah,

⁴⁰Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite,

⁴¹Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai,

⁴²Adina the son of Shiza the Reubenite, a captain of the Reubenites, and thirty with him,

⁴³Hanan the son of Maachah, and Joshaphat the Mithnite,

⁴⁴Uzzia the Ashterathite, Shama and Jeiel the sons of Hotham the Aroerite,

⁴⁵Jediael the son of Shimri, and Joha his brother, the Tizite,

⁴⁶Eliel the Mahavite, and Jeribai, and Joshaviah, the sons of Elnaam, and Ithmah the Moabite,

⁴⁷Eliel, and Obed, and Jaasiel the Mezobaite.

12Now these are they that came to David at Ziklag, while he yet kept himself hidden because of Saul the son of Kish; and they were among the mighty men, helpers of the war.

²They were armed with bows, and could use both the right hand and the left in hurling stones and shooting arrows out of a bow, even of Saul's brethren of Benjamin.

³The chief was Ahiezer, then Joash, the sons of Shemaah the Gibeathite; and Jeziel and Pelet, the sons of Azmaveth; and Berachah, and Jehu the Anathothite,

⁴and Ishmaiah the Gibeonite, a mighty man among the thirty, and over the thirty; and Jeremiah, and Jahaziel, and Johanan, and Jozabad the Gederathite;

⁵Eluzai, and Jerimoth, and Bealiah, and Shemariah, and Shephatiah the Haruphite,

⁶Elkanah, and Jesiah, and Azareel, and Joezer, and Jashobeam, the Korahites;

⁷and Joelah and Zebadiah, the sons of Jeroham of Gedor.

⁸And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into his hideout in the wilderness men of might and men of war fit for the battle, who could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces of lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the mountains:

⁹Ezer the first, Obadiah the second, Eliab the third,

¹⁰Mishmannah the fourth, Jeremiah the fifth,

¹¹Attai the sixth, Eliel the seventh,

¹²Johanan the eighth, Elzabad the ninth,

¹³Jeremiah the tenth, Machbanai the eleventh.

¹⁴These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host; one of the least was over a hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.

¹⁵These are the ones who went over the Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all those of the valleys, both toward the east and toward the west.

¹⁶And there came some of the children of Benjamin and Judah to the hideout unto David.

¹⁷And David went out to meet them, and answered and said unto them, "If ye have come peaceably unto me to help me, mine heart shall be knit unto you; but if ye have come to betray me to mine enemies, seeing there is no wrong in mine hands, the God of our fathers look thereon and rebuke it."

¹⁸Then the Spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, "Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse. Peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee." Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.

¹⁹And there fell away some of Manasseh to David when he came with the Philistines against Saul to battle; but they helped them not, for the lords of the Philistines, upon advisement, sent him away, saying, "He will return to his master Saul to the jeopardy of our heads."

²⁰As he went to Ziklag there fell to him of Manasseh: Adnah, and Jozabad, and Jediael, and Michael, and Jozabad, and Elihu, and Zillethai, captains of the thousands who were from Manasseh.

²¹And they helped David against the band of the rovers; for they were all mighty men of valor, and were captains in the host.

²²For at that time day by day they came to David to help him, until it was a great host, like the host of God.

²³And these are the numbers of the armed groups ready for war, and came to David at Hebron to turn the kingdom of Saul to him, according to the word of the LORD.

²⁴The children of Judah who bore shield and spear were six thousand and eight hundred, ready, armed for the war.

²⁵Of the children of Simeon, mighty men of valor for the war, seven thousand and one hundred.

²⁶Of the children of Levi four thousand and six hundred.

²⁷And Jehoiada was the leader of the Aaronites, and with him were three thousand and seven hundred;

²⁸and Zadok, a young man mighty of valor, and from his father's house twenty and two captains.

²⁹And of the children of Benjamin, the kindred of Saul, three thousand; for hitherto the greatest part of them had kept the watch of the house of Saul.

³⁰And of the children of Ephraim twenty thousand and eight hundred, mighty men of valor, famous throughout the house of their fathers.

³¹And of the halftribe of Manasseh eighteen thousand, who were expressed by name to come and make David king.

³²And of the children of Issachar, who were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command.

³³Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war with all instruments of war, fifty thousand who could keep rank; they were not of double heart.

³⁴And of Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them with shield and spear, thirty and seven thousand.

³⁵And of the Danites, expert in war, twenty and eight thousand and six hundred.

³⁶And of Asher, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, forty thousand.

³⁷And on the other side of the Jordan, of the Reubenites and the Gadites, and of the halftribe of Manasseh, with all manner of instruments of war for the battle, a hundred and twenty thousand.

³⁸All these men of war, who could keep rank, came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel; and all the rest also of Israel were of one heart to make David king.

³⁹And there they were with David three days, eating and drinking, for their brethren had prepared for them.

⁴⁰Moreover those who were nigh to them, even as far as Issachar and Zebulun and Naphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and meat, meal, cakes of figs, and bunches of raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly; for there was joy in Israel.

13And David consulted with the captains of thousands and hundreds, and with every leader.

²And David said unto all the congregation of Israel, "If it seem good unto you, and if it be of the LORD our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren everywhere who are left in all the land of Israel, and with them also to the priests and Levites who are in their cities and suburbs, that they may gather themselves unto us.

³And let us bring back the ark of our God to us, for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul."

⁴And all the congregation said that they would do so, for the thing was right in the eyes of all the people.

⁵So David gathered all Israel together from Shihor of Egypt, even unto the entrance of Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim.

⁶And David went up, and all Israel, to Baalah, that is, to Kirjathjearim, which belonged to Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God the LORD, who dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.

⁷And they carried the ark of God in a new cart out of the house of Abinadab; and Uzza and Ahio drove the cart.

⁸And David and all Israel played before God with all their might, and with singing and with harps, and with psalteries and with timbrels, and with cymbals and with trumpets.

⁹And when they came unto the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put forth his hand to hold the ark, for the oxen stumbled.

¹⁰And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzza, and He smote him because he put his hand to the ark; and there he died before God.

¹¹And David was displeased, because the LORD had broken forth upon Uzza. Therefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day.

¹²And David was afraid of God that day, saying, "How shall I bring the ark of God home to me?"

¹³So David brought not the ark home with him to the City of David, but carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite.

¹⁴And the ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house three months. And the LORD blessed the house of Obededom and all that he had.

14Now Hiram king of Tyre sent messengers to David, and timber of cedars with masons and carpenters to build him a house.

²And David perceived that the LORD had confirmed him king over Israel, for his kingdom was lifted up on high because of His people Israel.

³And David took more wives at Jerusalem; and David begot more sons and daughters.

⁴Now these are the names of his children whom he had in Jerusalem: Shammua, and Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon,

⁵and Ibhar, and Elishua, and Elpelet,

⁶and Nogah, and Nepheg, and Japhia,

⁷and Elishama, and Beeliada, and Eliphelet.

⁸And when the Philistines heard that David was anointed king over all Israel, all the Philistines went up to seek David. And David heard of it and went out against them.

⁹And the Philistines came and spread themselves in the Valley of Rephaim.

¹⁰And David inquired of God, saying, "Shall I go up against the Philistines? And wilt Thou deliver them into mine hand?" And the LORD said unto him, "Go up; for I will deliver them into thine hand."

¹¹So they came up to Baalperazim, and David smote them there. Then David said, "God hath broken in upon mine enemies by mine hand like the breaking forth of waters." Therefore they called the name of that place Baalperazim [that is, A place of breaches].

¹²And when they had left their gods there, David gave a commandment, and they were burned with fire.

¹³And the Philistines yet again spread themselves abroad in the valley.

¹⁴Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said unto him, "Go not up after them; turn away from them and come upon them opposite the mulberry trees.

¹⁵And it shall be, when thou shalt hear a sound of going in the tops of the mulberry trees, that then thou shalt go out to battle; for God has gone forth before thee to smite the host of the Philistines."

¹⁶David therefore did as God commanded him; and they smote the host of the Philistines from Gibeon even to Gezer.

¹⁷And the fame of David went out into all lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.

15And David made himself houses in the City of David, and prepared a place for the ark of God and pitched for it a tent.

²Then David said, "None ought to carry the ark of God but the Levites, for them hath the LORD chosen to carry the ark of God and to minister unto Him for ever."

³And David gathered all Israel together at Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the LORD unto his place, which he had prepared for it.

⁴And David assembled the children of Aaron and the Levites:

⁵of the sons of Kohath, Uriel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twenty;

⁶of the sons of Merari, Asaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred and twenty;

⁷of the sons of Gershom, Joel the chief, and his brethren a hundred and thirty;

⁸of the sons of Elizaphan, Shemaiah the chief, and his brethren two hundred;

⁹of the sons of Hebron, Eliel the chief, and his brethren fourscore;

¹⁰of the sons of Uzziel, Amminadab the chief, and his brethren a hundred and twelve.

¹¹And David called for Zadok and Abiathar the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asaiah, and Joel, Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab,

¹²and said unto them, "Ye are the chiefs of the fathers of the Levites. Sanctify yourselves, both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared for it.

¹³For because ye did it not at the first, the LORD our God broke forth upon us, for we sought Him not after the due order."

¹⁴So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁵And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God upon their shoulders with the staves thereon, as Moses commanded according to the word of the LORD.

¹⁶And David spoke to the chiefs of the Levites to appoint their brethren to be the singers with instruments of music: psalteries and harps and cymbals sounding, by lifting up the voice with joy.

¹⁷So the Levites appointed Heman the son of Joel; and of his brethren, Asaph the son of Berechiah; and of the sons of Merari their brethren, Ethan the son of Kushaiah;

¹⁸and with them their brethren of the second degree: Zechariah, Ben, and Jaaziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, Eliab, and Benaiah, and Maaseiah, and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, the doorkeepers.

¹⁹So the singers, Heman, Asaph, and Ethan were appointed to sound with cymbals of brass;

²⁰and Zechariah, and Aziel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Unni, and Eliab, and Maaseiah, and Benaiah, with psalteries on Alamoth;

²¹and Mattithiah, and Elipheleh, and Mikneiah, and Obededom, and Jeiel, and zaziah with harps on the Sheminith to lead.

²²And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was for song; he instructed about the song, ecause he was skillful.

²³And Berechiah and Elkanah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁴And Shebaniah, and Jehoshaphat, and Nethaneel, and Amasai, and Zechariah, nd Benaiah, and Eliezer, the priests, blew with the trumpets before the ark of God; and bededom and Jehiah were doorkeepers for the ark.

²⁵So David and the elders of Israel and the captains over thousands went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the house of Obededom with joy.

²⁶And it came to pass, when God helped the Levites who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, that they offered seven bullocks and seven rams.

²⁷And David was clothed with a robe of fine linen, and all the Levites who bore the ark, and the singers, and Chenaniah the master of the song with the singers; David also had upon him an ephod of linen.

²⁸Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of the LORD with shouting and with sound of the cornet, and with trumpets and with cymbals, making a noise with psalteries and harps.

²⁹And it came to pass, as the ark of the covenant of the LORD came to the City of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul, looking out of a window, saw King David dancing and playing; and she despised him in her heart.

16So they brought the ark of God, and set it in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and they offered burnt sacrifices and peace offerings before God.

²And when David had made an end of offering the burnt offerings and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.

³And he dealt to every one of Israel, both man and woman, to every one a loaf of bread, and a good piece of flesh, and a flagon of wine.

⁴And he appointed certain of the Levites to minister before the ark of the LORD, and to call to remembrance and to thank and praise the LORD God of Israel:

⁵Asaph the chief, and next to him Zechariah, Jeiel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehiel, and Mattithiah, and Eliab, and Benaiah, and Obededom; and Jeiel with psalteries and with harps, but Asaph made a sound with cymbals;

⁶Benaiah also and Jahaziel the priests with trumpets continually before the ark of the covenant of God.

⁷Then on that day David delivered first this psalm, to thank the LORD, into the hand of Asaph and his brethren:

⁸Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people.

⁹Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk ye of all His wondrous works.

¹⁰Glory ye in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

¹¹Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face continually.

¹²Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth,

¹³O ye seed of Israel His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

¹⁴He is the LORD our God; His judgments are in all the earth.

¹⁵Be ye mindful always of His covenant, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations,

¹⁶even of the covenant which He made with Abraham, and of His oath unto Isaac;

¹⁷and hath confirmed the same to Jacob for a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

¹⁸saying, "Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance,"

¹⁹when ye were but few, even a few, and strangers in it.

²⁰And when they went from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people,

²¹He suffered no man do them wrong; yea, He reproved kings for their sakes,

²²saying, "Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm."

²³Sing unto the LORD, all the earth; show forth from day to day His salvation.

²⁴Declare His glory among the heathen, His marvelous works among all nations.

²⁵For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; He also is to be feared above all gods.

²⁶For all the gods of the people are idols; but the LORD made the heavens.

²⁷Glory and honor are in His presence; strength and gladness are in His place.

²⁸Give unto the LORD, ye kindreds of the people, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

²⁹Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come before Him; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

³⁰Fear before Him, all the earth! The world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.

³¹Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; and let men say among the nations, "The LORD reigneth."

³²Let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof; let the fields rejoice, and all that is therein.

³³Then shall the trees of the wood sing out at the presence of the LORD, because He cometh to judge the earth.

³⁴O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.

³⁵And say ye, "Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to Thy holy name, and glory in Thy praise."

³⁶Blessed be the LORD God of Israel for ever and ever! And all the people said, "Amen," and praised the LORD.

³⁷So he left there Asaph and his brethren before the ark of the covenant of the LORD to minister before the ark continually, as every day's workrequired;

³⁸and Obededom with their brethren, threescore and eight; Obededom also the son of Jeduthun and Hosah, to be doorkeepers;

³⁹and Zadok the priest and his brethren the priests, before the tabernacle of the LORD in the high place that was at Gibeon,

⁴⁰to offer burnt offerings unto the LORD upon the altar of the burnt offering continually morning and evening, and to do according to all that is written in the Law of the LORD, which He commanded Israel;

⁴¹and with them Heman and Jeduthun and the rest who were chosen, who were expressed by name, to give thanks to the LORD because His mercy endureth for ever;

⁴²and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those who should make a sound, and with musical instruments of God. And the sons of Jeduthun were for the gate.

⁴³And all the people departed, every man to his house; and David returned to bless his house.

17Now it came to pass as David sat in his house, that David said to Nathan the prophet, "Lo, I dwell in a house of cedars, but the ark of the covenant of the LORD remaineth under curtains."

²Then Nathan said unto David, "Do all that is in thine heart, for God is with thee."

³And it came to pass the same night that the word of God came to Nathan, saying,

⁴"Go and tell David My servant, 'Thus saith the LORD: Thou shalt not build Me a house to dwell in;

⁵for I have not dwelt in a house since the day that I brought up Israel unto this day, but have gone from tent to tent, and from one tabernacle to another.

⁶Wheresoever I have walked with all Israel, spoke I a word to any of the judges of Israel whom I commanded to feed My people, saying, "Why have ye not built Me a house of cedars?"'

⁷Now therefore thus shalt thou say unto My servant David, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts: I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over My people Israel.

⁸And I have been with thee whithersoever thou hast walked, and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men who are on the earth.

⁹Also I will ordain a place for My people Israel, and will plant them, and they shall dwell in their place and shall be moved no more; neither shall the children of wickedness waste them any more, as at the beginning

¹⁰and since the time that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. Moreover I will subdue all thine enemies. Furthermore I tell thee that the LORD will build thee a house.

¹¹And it shall come to pass, when thy days be expired that thou must go to be with thy fathers, that I will raise up thy seed after thee, who shall be of thy sons; and I will establish his kingdom.

¹²He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne for ever.

¹³I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him that was before thee.

¹⁴But I will settle him in Mine house and in My kingdom for ever; and his throne shall be established for evermore.'"

¹⁵According to all these words and according to all this vision, so did Nathan speak unto David.

¹⁶And David the king came and sat before the LORD and said, "Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that Thou hast brought me hitherto?

¹⁷And yet this was a small thing in Thine eyes, O God; for Thou hast also spoken of Thy servant's house for a great while to come, and hast regarded me according to the estate of a man of high degree, O LORD God.

¹⁸What can David speak more to Thee for the honor of Thy servant? For Thou knowest Thy servant.

¹⁹O LORD, for Thy servant's sake and according to Thine own heart hast Thou done all this greatness, in making known all these great things.

²⁰O LORD, there is none like Thee, neither is there any God besides Thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears.

²¹And what one nation on the earth is like Thy people Israel, whom God went to redeem to be His own people, to make Thee a name of greatness and fearsomeness by driving out nations from before Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed out of Egypt?

²²For Thy people Israel didst Thou make Thine own people for ever; and Thou, LORD, becamest their God.

²³Therefore now, LORD, let the thing that Thou hast spoken concerning Thy servant and concerning his house be established for ever, and do as Thou hast said.

²⁴Let it even be established, that Thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, 'The LORD of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel; and let the house of David Thy servant be established before Thee.'

²⁵For Thou, O my God, hast told Thy servant that Thou wilt build him a house; therefore Thy servant hath found in his heart to pray before Thee.

²⁶And now, LORD, Thou art God, and hast promised this goodness unto Thy servant.

²⁷Now therefore let it please Thee to bless the house of Thy servant, that it may be before Thee for ever; for Thou blessest, O LORD, and it shall be blessed for ever."

18Now after this it came to pass that David smote the Philistines and subdued them, and took Gath and her towns out of the hand of the Philistines.

²And he smote Moab, and the Moabites became David's servants and brought gifts.

³And David smote Hadarezer king of Zobah toward Hamath, as he went to establish his dominion by the River Euphrates.

⁴And David took from him a thousand chariots, and seven thousand horsemen, and twenty thousand footmen. David also hamstrung all the chariot horses, but reserved enough of them for a hundred chariots.

⁵And when the Syrians of Damascus came to help Hadadezer king of Zobah, David slew of the Syrians two and twenty thousand men.

⁶Then David put garrisons in Syriadamascus; and the Syrians became David's servants, and brought gifts. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

⁷And David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.

⁸Likewise from Tibhath and from Chun, cities of Hadadezer, David brought very much brass, wherewith Solomon made the brazen sea and the pillars and the vessels of brass.

⁹Now when Tou king of Hamath heard how David had smitten all the host of Hadadezer king of Zobah,

¹⁰he sent Hadoram his son to King David to inquire of his welfare and to congratulate him, because he had fought against Hadadezer and smitten him (for Hadadezer had wars with Tou); and he sent with him all manner of vessels of gold and silver and brass.

¹¹These also King David dedicated unto the LORD, with the silver and the gold that he brought from all these nations -- from Edom, and from Moab, and from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines, and from Amalek.

¹²Moreover Abishai the son of Zeruiah slew eighteen thousand of the Edomites in the Valley of Salt.

¹³And he put garrisons in Edom, and all the Edomites became David's servants. Thus the LORD preserved David whithersoever he went.

¹⁴So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.

¹⁵And Joab the son of Zeruiah was over the army, and Jehoshaphat the son of Ahilud, recorder.

¹⁶And Zadok the son of Ahitub and Abimelech the son of Abiathar were the priests; and Shavsha was scribe;

¹⁷and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.

19Now it came to pass after this, that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon died, and his son reigned in his stead.

²And David said, "I will show kindness unto Hanun the son of Nahash, because his father showed kindness to me." And David sent messengers to comfort him concerning his father. So the servants of David came into the land of the children of Ammon to Hanun to comfort him.

³But the princes of the children of Ammon said to Hanun, "Thinkest thou that David doth honor thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? Are not his servants come unto thee to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?"

⁴Therefore Hanun took David's servants and shaved them, and cut off their garments in the middle by their buttocks, and sent them away.

⁵Then went certain ones and told David how the men were served. And he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, "Tarry at Jericho until your beards have grown, and then return."

⁶And when the children of Ammon saw that they had made themselves odious to David, Hanun and the children of Ammon sent a thousand talents of silver to hire for themselves chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia and from Syriamaachah and from Zobah.

⁷So they hired thirty and two thousand chariots, and the king of Maachah and his people, who came and pitched camp before Medeba. And the children of Ammon gathered themselves together from their cities and came to battle.

⁸And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.

⁹And the children of Ammon came out and assembled in battle array before the gate of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the field.

¹⁰Now when Joab saw that the battle line was formed against him before and behind, he chose out of all the choice men of Israel, and put them in array against the Syrians.

¹¹And the rest of the people he delivered unto the hand of Abishai his brother, and they set themselves in array against the children of Ammon.

¹²And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then thou shalt help me; but if the children of Ammon are too strong for thee, then I will help thee.

¹³Be of good courage, and let us behave ourselves valiantly for our people and for the cities of our God; and let the LORD do that which is good in His sight."

¹⁴So Joab and the people who were with him drew nigh before the Syrians unto the battle, and they fled before him.

¹⁵And when the children of Ammon saw that the Syrians had fled, they likewise fled before Abishai his brother, and entered into the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem.

¹⁶And when the Syrians saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they sent messengers and drew forth the Syrians who were beyond the river; and Shophach the captain of the host of Hadadezer went before them.

¹⁷And it was told to David; and he gathered all Israel, and passed over the Jordan and came upon them, and set the battle in array against them. So when David had put the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him.

¹⁸But the Syrians fled before Israel; and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men who fought in chariots and forty thousand footmen, and killed Shophach the captain of the host.

¹⁹And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they were put to the worse before Israel, they made peace with David and became his servants; neither would the Syrians help the children of Ammon any more.

20And it came to pass after the year had expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, that Joab led forth the power of the army and laid waste the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah and destroyed it.

²And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and there were precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head. And he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.

³And he brought out the people who were in it, and cut them with saws and with harrows of iron and with axes. Even so dealt David with all the cities of the children of Ammon. And David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.

⁴And it came to pass after this that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines, at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, who was one of the children of the giant; and they were subdued.

⁵And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi, the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam.

⁶And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand and six on each foot; and he also was the son of the giant.

⁷But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, slew him.

⁸These were born unto the giant in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants.

21And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.

²And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, "Go, number Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it."

³And Joab answered, "The LORD make His people a hundred times more than they are. But, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? Why then doth my lord require this thing? Why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?"

⁴Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Therefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel and came to Jerusalem.

⁵And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and a hundred thousand men who drew the sword, and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men who drew the sword.

⁶But Levi and Benjamin he counted not among them, for the king's word was abominable to Joab.

⁷And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He smote Israel.

⁸And David said unto God, "I have sinned greatly because I have done this thing. But now, I beseech Thee, do away with the iniquity of Thy servant, for I have done very foolishly."

⁹And the LORD spoke unto Gad, David's seer, saying,

¹⁰"Go and tell David, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD: I offer thee three things. Choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.'"

¹¹So Gad came to David, and said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Choose thee

¹²either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes while the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the LORD, even the pestilence in the land and the angel of the LORD destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel.' Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring back to Him that sent me."

¹³And David said unto Gad, "I am in dire straits. Let me fall now into the hand of the LORD, for very great are His mercies; but let me not fall into the hand of man."

¹⁴So the LORD sent pestilence upon Israel, and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men.

¹⁵And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it; and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and He repented of the evil, and said to the angel who destroyed, "It is enough. Stay now thine hand." And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

¹⁶And David lifted up his eyes and saw the angel of the LORD standing between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.

¹⁷And David said unto God, "Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? Even I it is who have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep, what have they done? Let Thine hand, I pray Thee, O LORD my God, be on me and on my father's house, but not on Thy people, that they should be plagued."

¹⁸Then the angel of the LORD commanded Gad to say to David that David should go up and set up an altar unto the LORD on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

¹⁹And David went up at the saying of Gad, which he spoke in the name of the LORD.

²⁰And Ornan turned back and saw the angel, and his four sons with him hid themselves. Now Ornan was threshing wheat.

²¹And as David came to Ornan, Ornan looked and saw David, and went out from the threshing floor and bowed himself to David with his face to the ground.

²²Then David said to Ornan, "Grant me the place of this threshing floor, that I may uild an altar therein unto the LORD. Thou shalt grant it to me for the full price, that the plague ay be stayed from the people."

²³And Ornan said unto David, "Take it to thee, and let my lord the king do that hich is good in his eyes. Lo, I give thee the oxen also for burnt offerings, and the threshing nstruments for wood, and the wheat for the meat offering; I give it all."

²⁴And King David said to Ornan, "Nay, but I will verily buy it for the full price; for will not take that which is thine for the LORD, nor offer burnt offerings without cost."

²⁵So David gave to Ornan for the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight.

²⁶And David built there an altar unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and called upon the LORD; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the altar of burnt offering.

²⁷And the LORD commanded the angel, and he put up his sword again into the sheath thereof.

²⁸At that time when David saw that the LORD had answered him on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite, then he sacrificed there.

²⁹For the tabernacle of the LORD, which Moses made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt offering were at that season at the high place at Gibeon.

³⁰But David could not go before it to inquire of God, for he was afraid because of the sword of the angel of the LORD.

22Then David said, "This is the house of the LORD God, and this is the altar of the burnt offering for Israel."

²And David commanded to gather together the strangers who were in the land of Israel, and he set masons to hew wrought stones to build the house of God.

³And David prepared iron in abundance for the nails for the doors of the gates and for the joinings, and brass in abundance beyond measure,

⁴also cedar trees in abundance; for the Sidonians and those of Tyre brought much cedar wood to David.

⁵And David said, "Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be built for the LORD must be exceedingly magnificent, of fame and of glory throughout all countries. I will therefore now make preparation for it." So David prepared abundantly before his death.

⁶Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build a house for the LORD God of Israel.

⁷And David said to Solomon, "My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house unto the name of the LORD my God.

⁸But the word of the LORD came to me, saying, 'Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars. Thou shalt not build a house unto My name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in My sight.

⁹Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest. And I will give him rest from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon [that is, Peaceable], and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.

¹⁰He shall build a house for My name, and he shall be My son, and I will be his Father; and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Israel for ever.'

¹¹Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as He hath said of thee.

¹²Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God.

¹³Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfill the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel. Be strong and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed.

¹⁴Now behold, in my trouble I have prepared for the house of the LORD a hundred thousand talents of gold, and a thousand thousand talents of silver, and of brass and iron beyond measure, for it is in abundance. Timber also and stone have I prepared, and thou mayest add thereto.

¹⁵Moreover there are workmen with thee in abundance: hewers and workers of stone and timber, and all manner of skillful men for every manner of work.

¹⁶Of the gold, the silver and the brass and the iron, there is no number. Arise therefore and be doing, and the LORD be with thee."

¹⁷David also commanded all the princes of Israel to help Solomon his son, saying,

¹⁸"Is not the LORD your God with you? And hath He not given you rest on every side? For He hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand, and the land is subdued before the LORD and before His people.]

¹⁹Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God. Arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD."

23So when David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel.

²And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites.

³Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and upward; and their number by their head count, man by man, was thirty and eight thousand,

⁴of whom twenty and four thousand were to oversee the work of the house of the LORD, and six thousand were officers and judges.

⁵Moreover four thousand were doorkeepers, and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments "which I made," said David, "to praise therewith."

⁶And David divided them into divisions among the sons of Levi, namely, Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

⁷Of the Gershonites were Laadan and Shimei.

⁸The sons of Laadan: the chief was Jehiel, and Zetham, and Joel, three.

⁹The sons of Shimei: Shelomith, and Haziel, and Haran, three. These were the chief of the fathers of Laadan.

¹⁰And the sons of Shimei were Jahath, Zina, and Jeush, and Beriah. These four were the sons of Shimei.

¹¹And Jahath was the chief, and Zizah the second; but Jeush and Beriah had not many sons; therefore they were in one reckoning, according to their father's house.

¹²The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, four.

¹³The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses; and Aaron was separated, that he should sanctify the most holy things, he and his sons for ever, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister unto Him, and to bless in His name for ever.

¹⁴Now concerning Moses the man of God, his sons were named of the tribe of Levi.

¹⁵The sons of Moses were Gershom and Eliezer.

¹⁶Of the sons of Gershom, Shebuel was the chief.

¹⁷And the son of Eliezer was Rehabiah, the chief. And Eliezer had no other sons, but the sons of Rehabiah were very many.

¹⁸Of the sons of Izhar, Shelomith was the chief.

¹⁹Of the sons of Hebron: Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, and Jekameam the fourth.

²⁰Of the sons of Uzziel: Micah the first, and Jesiah the second.

²¹The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. The sons of Mahli: Eleazar and Kish.

²²And Eleazar died and had no sons, but daughters; and their brethren the sons of Kish took them as wives.

²³The sons of Mushi: Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three.

²⁴These were the sons of Levi according to the house of their fathers, even the chief of the fathers, as they were counted by number of names by their heads, who did the work for the service of the house of the LORD, from the age of twenty years and upward.

²⁵For David said, "The LORD God of Israel hath given rest unto His people, that they may dwell in Jerusalem for ever";

²⁶and also unto the Levites, "They shall no more carry the tabernacle, nor any vessels of it for the service thereof."

²⁷For by the last words of David the Levites were numbered from twenty years old and above,

²⁸because their office was to wait on the sons of Aaron for the service of the house of the LORD in the courts and in the chambers, and in the purifying of all holy things, and the work of the service of the house of God,

²⁹both for the showbread and for the fine flour for meat offering, and for the unleavened cakes and for that which is baked in the pan and for that which is fried, and for all manner of measure and size;

³⁰and to stand every morning to thank and praise the LORD, and likewise at evening;

³¹and to offer all burnt sacrifices unto the LORD on the Sabbaths, on the new moons, and on the set feasts, by number according to the order commanded unto them, continually before the LORD;

³²and that they should keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, and the charge of the holy place, and the charge of the sons of Aaron their brethren in the service of the house of the LORD.

24Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron: Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar.

²But Nadab and Abihu died before their father and had no children; therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest's office.

³And David assigned them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service.

⁴And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.

⁵Thus were they divided by lot, one sort with another, for the governors of the sanctuary and governors of the house of God were of the sons of Eleazar and of the sons of Ithamar.

⁶And Shemaiah the son of Nethaneel the scribe, one of the Levites, wrote them in the presence of the king and the princes, and Zadok the priest, and Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and before the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites: one principal household being taken for Eleazar and one taken for Ithamar.

⁷Now the first lot came forth to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah,

⁸the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim,

⁹the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin,

¹⁰the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah,

¹¹the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to Shecaniah,

¹²the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

¹³the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

¹⁴the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer,

¹⁵the seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez,

¹⁶the nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezekel,

¹⁷the one and twentieth to Jachin, the two and twentieth to Gamul,

¹⁸the three and twentieth to Delaiah, the four and twentieth to Maaziah.

¹⁹These were the orderings of them in their service to come into the house of the LORD, according to their manner under Aaron their father, as the LORD God of Israel had commanded him.

²⁰And the rest of the sons of Levi were these: of the sons of Amram, Shubael; of the sons of Shubael, Jehdeiah.

²¹Concerning Rehabiah, of the sons of Rehabiah, the first was Isshiah.

²²Of the Izharites, Shelomoth; of the sons of Shelomoth, Jahath.

²³And the sons of Hebron, Jeriah the first, Amariah the second, Jahaziel the third, Jekameam the fourth.

²⁴Of the sons of Uzziel, Michah; of the sons of Michah, Shamir.

²⁵The brother of Michah was Isshiah; of the sons of Isshiah, Zechariah.

²⁶The sons of Merari were Mahli and Mushi: the son of Jaaziah, Beno.

²⁷The sons of Merari by Jaaziah: Beno, and Shoham, and Zaccur, and Ibri.

²⁸Of Mahli came Eleazar, who had no sons.

²⁹Concerning Kish: the son of Kish was Jerahmeel.

³⁰The sons also of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jerimoth. These were the sons of the Levites after the house of their fathers.

³¹These likewise cast lots even as their brethren the sons of Aaron, in the presence of David the king, and Zadok, and Ahimelech, and the chief of the fathers of the priests and Levites; even the principal fathers did as their younger brethren.

25Moreover David and the captains of the host separated for the service the sons of Asaph, and of Heman, and of Jeduthun, who should prophesy with harps, with psalteries, and with cymbals; and the number of the workmen according to their service was:

²of the sons of Asaph: Zaccur, and Joseph, and Nethaniah, and Asarelah; the sons of Asaph were under the hand of Asaph, who prophesied according to the order of the king.

³Of Jeduthun, the sons of Jeduthun: Gedaliah, and Zeri, and Jeshaiah, Hashabiah, and Mattithiah [with Shimei, mentioned], six, under the hand of their father Jeduthun, who prophesied with a harp to give thanks and to praise the LORD.

⁴Of Heman, the sons of Heman: Bukkiah, Mattaniah, Uzziel, Shebuel, and Jerimoth, Hananiah, Hanani, Eliathah, Giddalti, and Romamtiezer, Joshbekashah, Mallothi, Hothir, and Mahazioth.

⁵All these were the sons of Heman the king's seer in the matters of God, to lift up the horn. And God gave to Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.

⁶All these were under the hand of their father for song in the house of the LORD with cymbals, psalteries and harps, for the service of the house of God, according to the king's order to Asaph, Jeduthun, and Heman.

⁷So the number of them, with their brethren who were instructed in the songs of the LORD, even all who were skilled, was two hundred fourscore and eight.

⁸And they cast lots, watch against watch, the small as well as the great, the teacher as the scholar.

⁹Now the first lot came forth for Asaph to Joseph; the second to Gedaliah, who with his brethren and sons were twelve;

¹⁰the third to Zaccur: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹¹the fourth to Izri: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹²the fifth to Nethaniah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹³the sixth to Bukkiah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹⁴the seventh to Jesharelah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹⁵the eighth to Jeshaiah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹⁶the ninth to Mattaniah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹⁷the tenth to Shimei: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹⁸the eleventh to Azarel: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

¹⁹the twelfth to Hashabiah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²⁰the thirteenth to Shubael: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²¹the fourteenth to Mattithiah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²²the fifteenth to Jeremoth: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²³the sixteenth to Hananiah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²⁴the seventeenth to Joshbekashah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²⁵the eighteenth to Hanani: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²⁶the nineteenth to Mallothi: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²⁷the twentieth to Eliathah: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²⁸the one and twentieth to Hothir: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

²⁹the two and twentieth to Giddalti: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

³⁰the three and twentieth to Mahazioth: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve;

³¹the four and twentieth to Romamtiezer: he, his sons, and his brethren were twelve.

26Concerning the divisions of the doorkeepers: of theKorahites was Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph.

²And the sons of Meshelemiah were Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth,

³Elam the fifth, Jehohanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh.

⁴Moreover the sons of Obededom were Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethanel the fifth,

⁵Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth; for God blessed him.

⁶Also unto Shemaiah his son were sons born who ruled throughout the house of their father; for they were mighty men of valor.

⁷The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, and Elzabad, whose brethren were strong men, Elihu, and Semachiah.

⁸All these were of the sons of Obededom; they and their sons and their brethren, able men with strength for the service were threescore and two of Obededom.

⁹And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, strong men, eighteen.

¹⁰Also Hosah, of the children of Merari, had sons: Shimri the chief (for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the chief),

¹¹Hilkiah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth; all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen.

¹²Among these were the divisions of the doorkeepers, even among the chief men, having watches, one as another, to minister in the house of the LORD.

¹³And they cast lots for every gate, the small as well as the great, according to the house of their fathers.

¹⁴And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah [called Meshelemiah]. Then for Zechariah his son, a wise counselor, they cast lots; and his lot came out northward.

¹⁵To Obededom southward, and to his sons the house of gatherings.

¹⁶To Shuppim and Hosah the lot came forth westward, with the gate of Shallecheth by the ascending causeway, watch opposite watch.

¹⁷Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and toward the house of gatherings, two and two.

¹⁸At Parbar westward, four at the causeway and two at Parbar.

¹⁹These are the divisions of the doorkeepers among the sons of Korah and among the sons of Merari.

²⁰And of the Levites, Ahijah was over the treasuries of the house of God and over the treasuries of the dedicated things.

²¹As concerning the sons of Laadan, the sons of the Gershonites of Laadan, chief fathers, even of Laadan the Gershonite, were Jehieli.

²²The sons of Jehieli: Zetham and Joel his brother, who were over the treasuries of the house of the LORD.

²³Of the Amramites, and the Izharites, the Hebronites, and the Uzzielites:

²⁴Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was ruler of the treasuries.

²⁵And his brethren by Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, and Jeshaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son.

²⁶This Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasuries of the dedicated things which David the king and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated.

²⁷Out of the spoils won in battles did they dedicate to maintain the house of the LORD.

²⁸And all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated, and whosoever had dedicated any thing, it was under the hand of Shelomith and his brethren.

²⁹Of the Izharites, Chenaniah and his sons were for the outside business over Israel, as officers and judges.

³⁰And of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, men of valor, a thousand and seven hundred, were officers among those of Israel on this side of the Jordan westward, in all the business of the LORD and in the service of the king.

³¹Among the Hebronites Jerijah was the chief, even among the Hebronites, according to the generations of his fathers. In the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valor at Jazer of Gilead.

³²And his brethren, men of valor, were two thousand and seven hundred chief fathers, whom King David made rulers over the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the halftribe of Manasseh, for every matter pertaining to God and affairs of the king.

27Now the children of Israel according to their number, to wit, the chief fathers and captains of thousands and hundreds, and their officers who served the king in any matter of the succession of duties, who came in and went out month by month throughout all the months of the year, of every course were twenty and four thousand:

²Over the first course for the first month was Jashobeam the son of Zabdiel, and in his course were twenty and four thousand;

³he was of the children of Perez and the chief of all the captains of the host for the first month.

⁴And over the course of the second month was Dodai an Ahohite, and of his course was Mikloth also the ruler; in his course likewise were twenty and four thousand.

⁵The third captain of the host for the third month was Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, a chief priest; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

⁶This is that Benaiah, who was mighty among the thirty, and above the thirty; and in his course was Ammizabad his son.

⁷The fourth captain for the fourth month was Asahel the brother of Joab, and Zebadiah his son after him; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

⁸The fifth captain for the fifth month was Shamhuth the Izrahite; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

⁹The sixth captain for the sixth month was Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁰The seventh captain for the seventh month was Helez the Pelonite, of the children of Ephraim; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹¹The eighth captain for the eighth month was Sibbecai the Hushathite, of the Zarhites; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹²The ninth captain for the ninth month was Abiezer the Anathothite, of the Benjamites; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹³The tenth captain for the tenth month was Maharai the Netophathite, of the Zarhites; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁴The eleventh captain for the eleventh month was Benaiah the Pirathonite, of the children of Ephraim; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁵The twelfth captain for the twelfth month was Heldai the Netophathite, of Othniel; and in his course were twenty and four thousand.

¹⁶Furthermore over the tribes of Israel: the ruler of the Reubenites was Eliezer the son of Zichri; of the Simeonites, Shephatiah the son of Maachah;

¹⁷of the Levites, Hashabiah the son of Kemuel; of the Aaronites, Zadok;

¹⁸of Judah, Elihu, one of the brethren of David; of Issachar, Omri the son of Michael;

¹⁹of Zebulun, Ishmaiah the son of Obadiah; of Naphtali, Jerimoth the son of Azriel;

²⁰of the children of Ephraim, Hoshea the son of Azaziah; of the halftribe of Manasseh, Joel the son of Pedaiah;

²¹of the halftribe of Manasseh in Gilead, Iddo the son of Zechariah; of Benjamin, Jaasiel the son of Abner;

²²of Dan, Azarel the son of Jeroham. These were the princes of the tribes of Israel.

²³But David took not the number of them from twenty years old and under, because the LORD had said He would increase Israel like the stars of the heavens.

²⁴Joab the son of Zeruiah began to number them but he finished not, because there fell wrath because of it against Israel, neither was the number put in the account of the chronicles of King David.

²⁵And over the king's treasuries was Azmaveth the son of Adiel; and over the storehouses in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the strongholds, was Jehonathan the son of Uzziah.

²⁶And over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub.

²⁷And over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite; over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite.

²⁸And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the low plains was Baalhanan the Gederite, and over the cellars of oil was Joash.

²⁹And over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite, and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai.

³⁰Over the camels also was Obil the Ishmaelite, and over the asses was Jehdeiah the Meronothite,

³¹and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagerite. All these were the rulers of the substance which was King David's.

³²Also Jonathan, David's uncle, was a counselor, a wise man, and a scribe; and Jehiel the son of Hachmoni was with the king's sons.

³³And Ahithophel was the king's counselor, and Hushai the Archite was the king's companion.

³⁴And after Ahithophel was Jehoiada the son of Benaiah, and Abiathar. And the general of the king's army was Joab.

28And David assembled unto Jerusalem all the princes of Israel, the princes of the tribes, and the captains of the companies who ministered to the king by course, and the captains over the thousands, and captains over the hundreds, and the stewards over all the substance and possessions of the king and of his sons, with the officers, and with the mighty men, and with all the valiant men.

²Then David the king stood up upon his feet and said, "Hear me, my brethren and my people: As for me, I had in mine heart to build a house of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and for the footstool of our God, and had made ready for the building.

³But God said unto me, 'Thou shalt not build a house for My name, because thou hast been a man of war and hast shed blood.'

⁴However that be, the LORD God of Israel chose me before all the house of my father to be king over Israel for ever; for He hath chosen Judah to be the ruler; and of the house of Judah, the house of my father, and among the sons of my father He favored me to make me king over all Israel.

⁵And of all my sons (for the LORD hath given me many sons), He hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel.

⁶And He said unto me, 'Solomon thy son, he shall build My house and My courts; for I have chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father.

⁷Moreover I will establish his kingdom for ever, if he be constant to do My commandments and My judgments, as at this day.'

⁸Now therefore in the sight of all Israel, the congregation of the LORD, and in the audience of our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the LORD your God, that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for your children after you for ever.

⁹"And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searcheth all hearts and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts. If thou seek Him, He will be found by thee; but if thou forsake Him, He will cast thee off for ever.

¹⁰Take heed now, for the LORD hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary. Be strong, and do it."

¹¹Then David gave to Solomon his son the pattern of the porch, and of the houses thereof, and of the treasuries thereof, and of the upper chambers thereof, and of the inner parlors thereof, and of the place of the mercy seat;

¹²and the pattern of all that he had by the Spirit, of the courts of the house of the LORD and of all the chambers round about, of the treasuries of the house of God and of the treasuries of the dedicated things;

¹³also for the courses of the priests and the Levites, and for all the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and for all the vessels of service in the house of the LORD.

¹⁴He gave gold by weight for things of gold, for all instruments of all manner of service; silver also for all instruments of silver by weight, for all instruments of every kind of service;

¹⁵even the weight for the candlesticks of gold and for their lamps of gold, by weight for every candlestick and for the lamps thereof; and for the candlesticks of silver by weight, both for the candlestick and also for the lamps thereof, according to the use of every candlestick.

¹⁶And by weight he gave gold for the tables of showbread, for every table, and likewise silver for the tables of silver;

¹⁷also pure gold for the fleshhooks and the bowls and the cups; and for the golden basins he gave gold by weight for every basin, and likewise silver by weight for every basin of silver;

¹⁸and for the altar of incense refined gold by weight, and gold for the pattern of the chariot of the cherubims that spread out their wings and covered the ark of the covenant of the LORD.

¹⁹"All this," said David, "the LORD made me understand in writing by His hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern."

²⁰And David said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it. Fear not, nor be dismayed, for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee. He will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD.

²¹And behold, the courses of the priests and the Levites, even they shall be with thee for all the service of the house of God; and there shall be with thee for all manner of workmanship every willing skillful man, for any manner of service. Also the princes and all the people will be wholly at thy command."

29Furthermore David the king said unto all the congregation, "Solomon my son, whom alone God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great; for the palace is not for man, but for the LORD God.

²Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for things to be made of gold, and the silver for things of silver, and the brass for things of brass, the iron for things of iron, and wood for things of wood, onyx stones, and stones to be set, glistening stones of divers colors, and all manner of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance.

³Moreover, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, I have of mine own private goods, of gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house:

⁴even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver with which to overlay the walls of the houses,

⁵the gold for things of gold and the silver for things of silver, and for all manner of work to be made by the hands of artificers. And who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?"

⁶Then the chiefs of the fathers and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly,

⁷and gave for the service of the house of God of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron.

⁸And those with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasury of the house of the LORD, by the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite.

⁹Then the people rejoiced, for they had offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to the LORD; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

¹⁰Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the congregation. And David said: "Blessed be Thou, LORD God of Israel, our Father, for ever and ever.

¹¹Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power and the glory, and the victory and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is Thine. Thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and Thou art exalted as head above all.

¹²Both riches and honor come from Thee, and Thou reignest over all. And in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all.

¹³Now therefore, our God, we thank Thee and praise Thy glorious name.

¹⁴"But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly in this manner? For all things come from Thee, and from Thine own have we given Thee.

¹⁵For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.

¹⁶O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee a house for Thine holy name cometh from Thine hand and is all Thine own.

¹⁷I know also, my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things; and now have I seen with joy Thy people, who are present here to offer willingly unto Thee.

¹⁸O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee.

¹⁹And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart to keep Thy commandments, Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for which I have made provision."

²⁰And David said to all the congregation, "Now bless the LORD your God." And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads and worshiped the LORD and the king.

²¹And they sacrificed sacrifices unto the LORD, and offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the morrow after that day: even a thousand bullocks, a thousand rams, and a thousand lambs, with their drink offerings, and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel.

²²And they ate and drank before the LORD on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon, the son of David, king the second time, and anointed him unto the LORD to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.

²³Then Solomon sat on the throne of the LORD as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.

²⁴And all the princes and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of King David, submitted themselves unto Solomon the king.

²⁵And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.

²⁶Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.

²⁷And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.

²⁸And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor; and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.

²⁹Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,

³⁰with all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.

1And Solomon, the son of David, was strengthened in his kingdom, and the LORD his God was with him and magnified him xceedingly.

²Then Solomon spoke unto all Israel, to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and to the judges, and to every overnor in all Israel, the chief of the fathers.

³So Solomon, and all the congregation with him, went to the high place that was at Gibeon; for there was the tabernacle of he congregation of God, which Moses the servant of the LORD had made in the wilderness.

⁴But the ark of God had David brought up from Kirjathjearim to the place which David had prepared for it, for he had pitched a ent for it at Jerusalem.

⁵Moreover the brazen altar that Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made, he put before the tabernacle of the LORD; nd Solomon and the congregation sought unto it.

⁶And Solomon went up thither to the brazen altar before the LORD, which was at the tabernacle of the congregation, and ffered a thousand burnt offerings upon it.

⁷In that night did God appear unto Solomon and said unto him, "Ask what I shall give thee."

⁸And Solomon said unto God, "Thou hast shown great mercy unto David my father, and hast made me to reign in his stead.

⁹Now, O LORD God, let Thy promise unto David my father be established, for Thou hast made me king over a people like the ust of the earth in multitude.

¹⁰Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people; for who can judge this Thy people that is o great?"

¹¹And God said to Solomon, "Because this was in thine heart, and thou hast not asked riches, wealth, or honor, nor the life of hine enemies, neither yet hast asked for long life, but hast asked wisdom and knowledge for thyself, that thou mayest judge My eople over whom I have made thee king,

¹²wisdom and knowledge is granted unto thee; and I will give thee riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings have ad who have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like."

¹³Then Solomon came from his journey to the high place that was at Gibeon to Jerusalem, from before the tabernacle of the ongregation, and reigned over Israel.

¹⁴And Solomon gathered chariots and horsemen; and he had a thousand and four hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, hom he placed in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

¹⁵And the king made silver and gold at Jerusalem as plenteous as stones, and cedar trees made he as abundant as the sycamore rees that are in the vale.

¹⁶And Solomon had horses brought out of Egypt, and linen yarn; the king's merchants received the linen yarn at a price.

¹⁷And they fetched and brought forth out of Egypt a chariot for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and ifty; and so brought they out horses for all the kings of the Hittites and for the kings of Syria by their means.

2And Solomon determined to build a house for the name of the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

²And Solomon counted out threescore and ten thousand men to bear burdens, and fourscore thousand to hew in the mountain, and hree thousand and six hundred to oversee them.

³And Solomon sent to Hiram, the king of Tyre, saying, "As thou didst deal with David my father and didst send him cedars to uild him a house to dwell therein, even so deal with me.

⁴Behold, I build a house to the name of the LORD my God, to dedicate it to Him and to burn before Him sweet incense, and for he continual showbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the Sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn easts of the LORD our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.

⁵And the house which I build is great, for great is our God above all gods.

⁶But who is able to build Him a house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain Him? Who am I then, that I hould build Him a house, save only to burn sacrifice before Him?

⁷Send me now therefore a man skillful to work in gold and in silver, and in brass and in iron, and in purple and crimson and lue, and who can expertly engrave with the skillful men who are with me in Judah and in Jerusalem, whom David my father provided.

⁸Send me also cedar trees, fir trees, and algum trees out of Lebanon; for I know that thy servants have skill to cut timber in ebanon. And behold, my servants shall be with thy servants,

⁹even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

¹⁰And behold, I will give to thy servants, the hewers who cut timber, twenty thousand measures of beaten wheat, and twenty housand measures of barley, and twenty thousand baths of wine, and twenty thousand baths of oil."

¹¹Then Hiram the king of Tyre answered in writing, which he sent to Solomon: "Because the LORD hath loved His people, He hath ade thee king over them."

¹²Hiram said moreover: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who made heaven and earth, who hath given to David the king a wise on, endued with prudence and understanding, who might build a house for the LORD and a house for his kingdom.

¹³"And now I have sent a skillful man, endued with understanding, Hiramabi

¹⁴(the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan, and his father was a man of Tyre), skillful to work in gold and in silver, in rass, in iron, in stone, and in timber, in purple, in blue, and in fine linen, and in crimson; also to engrave any manner of ngraving and to figure out every design which shall be put to him, with thy skillful men and with the skillful men of my lord avid thy father.

¹⁵Now therefore, the wheat and the barley, the oil and the wine, which my lord hath spoken of, let him send unto his ervants;

¹⁶and we will cut wood out of Lebanon, as much as thou shalt need; and we will bring it to thee as rafts by sea to Joppa, and hou shalt carry it up to Jerusalem."

¹⁷And Solomon numbered all the strangers who were in the land of Israel, according to the numbering wherewith David his father ad numbered them; and they were found a hundred and fifty thousand and three thousand and six hundred.

¹⁸And he set threescore and ten thousand of them to be bearers of burdens, and fourscore thousand to be hewers in the mountain, nd three thousand and six hundred overseers to set the people to work.

3Then Solomon began to build the house of the LORD at Jerusalem on Mount Moriah, where the LORD appeared unto David his ather, in the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite.

²And he began to build on the second day of the second month in the fourth year of his reign.

³Now these are the measurements which Solomon instructed for the building of the house of God: The length by cubits, according o the ancient measure, was threescore cubits and the breadth twenty cubits.

⁴And the porch that was in the front of the house, the length of it was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, nd the height was a hundred and twenty; and he overlaid it within with pure gold.

⁵And the greater house he ceiled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold and set thereon palm trees and chains.

⁶And he garnished the house with precious stones for beauty, and the gold was gold of Parvaim.

⁷He overlaid also the house -- the beams, the posts, and the walls thereof, and the doors thereof -- with gold, and engraved herubims on the walls.

⁸And he made the most holy house: the length thereof was according to the breadth of the house, twenty cubits, and the readth thereof twenty cubits; and he overlaid it with fine gold, amounting to six hundred talents.

⁹And the weight of the nails was fifty shekels of gold. And he overlaid the upper chambers with gold.

¹⁰And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work and overlaid them with gold.

¹¹And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of he house, and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub.

¹²And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits lso, joining to the wing of the other cherub.

¹³The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits; and they stood on their feet, and their faces faced nward.

¹⁴And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson and fine linen, and wrought cherubims thereon.

¹⁵Also he made before the house two pillars of thirty and five cubits high, and the capital that was on the top of each of them as five cubits.

¹⁶And he made chains, as in the oracle, and put them on the heads of the pillars; and made a hundred pomegranates, and put hem on the chains.

¹⁷And he raised up the pillars before the temple, one on the right hand and the other on the left, and called the name of that n the right hand Jachin [that is, He shall establish], and the name of that on the left Boaz [that is, In it is strength].

4Moreover he made an altar of brass: twenty cubits the length thereof, and twenty cubits the breadth thereof, and ten cubits he height thereof.

²Also he made a molten sea of ten cubits from brim to brim, round in compass, and five cubits the height thereof; and a line f thirty cubits did compass it round about.

³And under it was the similitude of oxen, which compassed it round about, ten in a cubit, compassing the sea round about. Two ows of oxen were cast when it was cast.

⁴It stood upon twelve oxen: three looking toward the north, and three looking toward the west, and three looking toward the outh, and three looking toward the east; and the sea was set above upon them, and all their hinder parts were inward.

⁵And the thickness of it was a handbreadth, and the brim of it like the work of the brim of a cup, with flowers of lilies; and t received and held three thousand baths.

⁶He made also ten lavers, and put five on the right hand and five on the left, to wash in them. Such things as they offered or the burnt offering they washed in them, but the sea was for the priests to wash in.

⁷And he made ten candlesticks of gold according to their form and set them in the temple, five on the right hand and five on he left.

⁸He made also ten tables and placed them in the temple, five on the right side and five on the left. And he made a hundred asins of gold.

⁹Furthermore he made the court of the priests, and the great court, and doors for the court, and overlaid their doors with rass.

¹⁰And he set the sea on the right side of the east end toward the south.

¹¹And Hiram made the pots and the shovels and the basins. And Hiram finished the work that he was to do for King Solomon for he house of God,

¹²to wit: the two pillars, and the globes and the capitals which were on the top of the two pillars, and the two wreaths to over the two globes of the capitals which were on the top of the pillars;

¹³and four hundred pomegranates on the two wreaths, two rows of pomegranates on each wreath to cover the two globes of the apitals which were upon the pillars.

¹⁴He made also bases, and lavers made he upon the bases;

¹⁵one sea and twelve oxen under it.

¹⁶The pots also, and the shovels and the fleshhooks and all their instruments, did Hiramabi make for King Solomon for the ouse of the LORD of bright brass.

¹⁷In the plain of Jordan did the king cast them, in the clay ground between Succoth and Zeredah.

¹⁸Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance, for the weight of the brass could not be found out.

¹⁹And Solomon made all the vessels that were for the house of God, the golden altar also and the tables whereon the showbread as set;

²⁰moreover the candlesticks with their lamps, that they should burn according to the manner before the oracle, of pure gold;

²¹and the flowers and the lamps and the tongs made he of gold, and that of perfect gold;

²²and the snuffers, and the basins, and the spoons, and the censers, of pure gold; and the entry of the house, the inner oors thereof for the Most Holy Place and the doors of the house of the temple were of gold.

5Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished. And Solomon brought in all the things that David is father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments put he among the treasures of the house of God.

²Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of srael, unto Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the City of David, which is Zion.

³Therefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month.

⁴And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark.

⁵And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the abernacle; these did the priests and the Levites bring up.

⁶Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and xen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude.

⁷And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the Most oly Place, even under the wings of the cherubims.

⁸For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof bove.

⁹And they drew out the staves of the ark so that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark in front of the oracle; but hey were not seen outside. And they are there unto this day.

¹⁰There was nothing in the ark save the two tablets which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with he children of Israel when they came out of Egypt.

¹¹And it came to pass when the priests had come out of the holy place (for all the priests who were present were sanctified nd did not then wait by course),

¹²also the Levites who were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being rrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them a hundred and wenty priests sounding with trumpets--

¹³it came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the ORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying, For He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever," that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD,

¹⁴so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

6Then said Solomon: "The LORD hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

²But I have built a house of habitation for Thee, and a place for Thy dwelling for ever."

³And the king turned his face and blessed the whole congregation of Israel, and all the congregation of Israel stood.

⁴And he said, "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who hathwith His hands fulfilled that which He spoke with His mouth to my ather David, saying,

⁵'Since the day that I brought forth My people out of the land of Egypt, I chose no city among all the tribes of Israel to build house in, that My name might be there, neither chose I any man to be a ruler over My people Israel;

⁶but I have chosen Jerusalem, that My name might be there, and have chosen David to be over My people Israel.'

⁷Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

⁸But the LORD said to David my father: 'Inasmuch as it was in thine heart to build a house for My name, thou didst well in that t was in thine heart.

⁹Notwithstanding, thou shalt not build the house; but thy son who shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house or My name.'

¹⁰The LORD therefore hath performed His word that He hath spoken; for I have risen up in the place of David my father and m set on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

¹¹And in it have I put the ark wherein is the covenant of the LORD that He made with the children of Israel."

¹²And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands.

¹³For Solomon had made a brazen scaffold of five cubits long and five cubits broad and three cubits high, and had set it in he midst of the court; and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread orth his hands toward heaven

¹⁴and said, "O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like Thee in the heaven nor in the earth, who keepest covenant and showest mercy unto Thy servants who walk before Thee with all their hearts--

¹⁵Thou who hast kept with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him and spokest with Thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with Thine hand, as it is this day.

¹⁶Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with Thy servant David my father that which Thou hast promised him, saying, 'There shall not fail thee a man in My sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet only that thy children take heed to their way, to alk in My law as thou hast walked before Me.'

¹⁷Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let Thy word be verified, which Thou hast spoken unto Thy servant David.

¹⁸"But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have built!

¹⁹Have respect therefore to the prayer of Thy servant and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which Thy servant prayeth before Thee:

²⁰that Thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof Thou hast said that Thou wouldest put Thy name there, to hearken unto the prayer which Thy servant prayeth toward this place.

²¹Hearken therefore unto the supplications of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place. Hear Thou from Thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when Thou hearest, forgive.

²²"If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before Thine altar in this house,

²³then hear Thou from heaven, and do, and judge Thy servants by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head, and by justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

²⁴"And if Thy people Israel be smitten before the enemy because they have sinned against Thee, and shall return and confess Thy name, and pray and make supplication before Thee in this house,

²⁵then hear Thou from the heavens and forgive the sin of Thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which Thou gavest to them and to their fathers.

²⁶"When the heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against Thee, yet if they pray toward this place and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin when Thou dost afflict them,

²⁷then hear Thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of Thy servants and of Thy people Israel when Thou hast taught them the good way wherein they should walk; and send rain upon Thy land which Thou hast given unto Thy people for an inheritance.

²⁸"If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight or mildew, locusts or caterpillars, if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land, whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be;

²⁹what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made by any man or by all Thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house--

³⁰then hear Thou from heaven, Thy dwelling place, and forgive and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart Thou knowest (for Thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men),

³¹that they may fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways so long as they live in the land which Thou gavest unto our fathers.

³²"Moreover concerning the stranger, who is not of Thy people Israel, but has come from a far country for Thy great name's sake and Thy mighty hand and Thy stretched out arm: if they come and pray in this house,

³³then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to Thee for, that all people of the earth may know Thy name and fear Thee, as doth Thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by Thy name.

³⁴"If Thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that Thou shalt send them, and they pray unto Thee toward this city which Thou hast chosen and the house which I have built for Thy name,

³⁵then hear Thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.

³⁶"If they sin against Thee (for there is no man who sinneth not), and Thou be angry with them and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near,

³⁷yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto Thee in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned, we have done amiss and have dealt wickedly';

³⁸if they return to Thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land which Thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which Thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for Thy name--

³⁹then hear Thou from the heavens, even from Thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive Thy people who have sinned against Thee.

⁴⁰Now, my God, let, I beseech Thee, Thine eyes be open, and let Thine ears be attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place.

⁴¹"Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into Thy resting place, Thou, and the ark of Thy strength. Let Thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let Thy saints rejoice in goodness.

⁴²O LORD God, turn not away the face of Thine anointed. Remember the mercies of David Thy servant."

7Now when Solomon had made an end of praying, the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the LORD filled the house.

²And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD'S house.

³And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshiped and praised the LORD, saying, "For He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever."

⁴Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.

⁵And King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep; so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.

⁶And the priests attended to their offices. The Levites also, with instruments of music of the LORD which David the king had made to praise the LORD (because His mercy endureth for ever), when David offered praise by their ministry; and the priests ounded trumpets before them, and all Israel stood.

⁷Moreover Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings and the meat offerings and the fat.

⁸Also at the same time Solomon kept the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.

⁹And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.

¹⁰And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away into their tents, glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shown unto David and to Solomon and to Israel His people.

¹¹Thus Solomon finished the house of the LORD and the king's house; and all that came into Solomon's heart to do in the house of the LORD and in his own house, he prosperously effected.

¹²And the LORD appeared to Solomon by night and said unto him: "I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself for a house of sacrifice.

¹³If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land or if I send pestilence among My people,

¹⁴if My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

¹⁵Now Mine eyes shall be open and Mine ears attentive unto the prayer that is made in this place.

¹⁶For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there for ever; and Mine eyes and Mine heart shall be there perpetually.

¹⁷And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before Me as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe My statutes and My judgments,

¹⁸then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, 'There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.'

¹⁹"But if ye turn away and forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods and worship them,

²⁰then will I pluck them up by the roots out of My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified for My name will I cast out of My sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.

²¹And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one who passeth by it, so that he shall say, 'Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land and unto this house?'

²²And it shall be answered, 'Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore hath He brought all this evil upon them.'"

8And it came to pass at the end of twenty years, wherein Solomon had built the house of the LORD and his own house,

²that the cities which Hiram had restored to Solomon, Solomon built them up and caused the children of Israel to dwell there.

³And Solomon went to Hamathzobah, and prevailed against it.

⁴And he built Tadmor in the wilderness, and all the storecities which he built in Hamath.

⁵Also he built Bethhoron the Upper and Bethhoron the Nether, fortified cities with walls, gates, and bars,

⁶and Baalath, and all the storecities that Solomon had, and all the cities for the chariots and the cities for the horsemen, and all that Solomon desired to build in Jerusalem and in Lebanon and throughout all the land of his dominion.

⁷As for all the people who were left of the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, who were not of Israel

⁸(of their children, who were left after them in the land, whom the children of Israel consumed not), these Solomon made to pay tribute until this day.

⁹But of the children of Israel Solomon made no servants for his work; but they were men of war, and chief of his captains, and captains of his chariots and horsemen.

¹⁰And these were the chief of King Solomon's officers, even two hundred and fifty, who bore rule over the people.

¹¹And Solomon brought up the daughter of Pharaoh out of the City of David unto the house that he had built for her; for he said, "My wife shall not dwell in the house of David king of Israel, because the places are holy unto which the ark of the LORD hath come."

¹²Then Solomon offered burnt offerings unto the LORD on the altar of the LORD, which he had built before the porch,

¹³according to a certain rate every day, offering according to the commandment of Moses on the Sabbaths and on the new moons and on the solemn feasts, three times in the year: on the Feast of Unleavened Bread and on the Feast of Weeks and on the Feast of Tabernacles.

¹⁴And he appointed, according to the order of David his father, the courses of the priests for their service, and the Levites to their charges to praise and minister before the priests, as the duty of every day required; the gatekeepers also by their courses at every gate, for so had David the man of God commanded.

¹⁵And they departed not from the commandment of the king unto the priests and Levites concerning any matter or concerning the treasurers.

¹⁶Now all the work of Solomon was prepared unto the day of the foundation of the house of the LORD and until it was finished. So the house of the LORD was perfected.

¹⁷Then went Solomon to Eziongeber and to Eloth at the seaside, in the land of Edom.

¹⁸And Hiram sent him ships by the hands of his servants, and servants who had knowledge of the sea; and they went with the servants of Solomon to Ophir, and took from thence four hundred and fifty talents of gold and brought them to King Solomon.

9And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to Jerusalem to test Solomon with hard questions, having a very great company, and camels that bore spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones. And when she had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her heart.

²And Solomon told her all her questions, and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.

³And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,

⁴and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers and their apparel, his cupbearers also and their apparel, and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her.

⁵And she said to the king, "It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts and of thy wisdom.

⁶However I believed not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it. And behold, the half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me, for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.

⁷Happy are thy men and happy are these thy servants, who stand continually before thee and hear thy wisdom.

⁸Blessed be the LORD thy God, who delighted in thee to set thee on His throne to be king for the LORD thy God. Because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore He made thee king over them to do judgment and justice."

⁹And she gave the king a hundred and twenty talents of gold and spices in great abundance and precious stones; neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave King Solomon.

¹⁰And the servants also of Hiram and the servants of Solomon, who brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.

¹¹And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the LORD and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers; and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.

¹²And King Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, besides that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned and went away to her own land, she and her servants.

¹³Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold,

¹⁴besides that which traders and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.

¹⁵And King Solomon made two hundred bucklers of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went into one buckler.

¹⁶And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went into one shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.

¹⁷Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory and overlaid it with pure gold.

¹⁸And there were six steps to the throne with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays;

¹⁹and twelve lions stood there on one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.

²⁰And all the drinking vessels of King Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were of pure gold. None were of silver. (It was of no account in the days of Solomon.)

²¹For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram: once every three years came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

²²And King Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.

²³And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom that God had put in his heart.

²⁴And they brought every man his present: vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, armor, and spices, horses, and mules, a set rate year by year.

²⁵And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he positioned in the chariot cities and with the king at Jerusalem.

²⁶And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt.

²⁷And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycamore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.

²⁸And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt and out of all lands.

²⁹Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?

³⁰And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.

³¹And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the City of David his father; and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.

10And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for to Shechem had all Israel come to make him king.

²And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat (who was in Egypt whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king) heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.

³And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,

⁴"Thy father made our yoke grievous. Now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee."

⁵And he said unto them, "Come again unto me after three days." And the people departed.

⁶And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, "What counsel give ye me to return an answer to this people?"

⁷And they spoke unto him, saying, "If thou be kind to this people and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever."

⁸But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men who were brought up with him, who stood before him.

⁹And he said unto them, "What advice give ye that we may return an answer to this people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father put upon us'?"

¹⁰And the young men who were brought up with him spoke unto him, saying, "Thus shalt thou answer the people who spoke unto thee, saying, 'Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us' -- thus shalt thou say unto them, 'My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.

¹¹For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more on your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.'"

¹²So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, "Come again to me on the third day."

¹³And the king answered them roughly; and King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,

¹⁴and answered them according to the advice of the young men, saying, "My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!"

¹⁵So the king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform His word which He spoke by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

¹⁶And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, "What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! And now, David, see to thine own house!" So all Israel went to their tents.

¹⁷But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.

¹⁸Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram who had charge over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, so that he died. But King Rehoboam made haste to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem.

¹⁹And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.

11And when Rehoboam had come to Jerusalem, he gathered from the house of Judah and Benjamin a hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men who were warriors to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

²But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

³"Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

⁴'Thus saith the LORD: Ye shall not go up nor fight against your brethren. Return every man to his house, for this thing is done from Me.'" And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

⁵And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah.

⁶He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

⁷and Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

⁸and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

⁹and Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

¹⁰and Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin, fortified cities.

¹¹And he fortified the strongholds and put captains in them, and stores of victuals and of oil and wine.

¹²And in each separate city he put shields and spears, and made them exceedingly strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

¹³And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their borders.

¹⁴For the Levites left their suburbs and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD.

¹⁵And he ordained for himself priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

¹⁶And after them, out of all the tribes of Israel, such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

¹⁷So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong three years. For three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

¹⁸And Rehoboam took Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David for a wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse,

¹⁹who bore him children: Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

²⁰And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom, who bore him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

²¹And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines (for he took eighteen wives and threescore concubines, and begot twenty and eight sons and threescore daughters);

²²and Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief to be ruler among his brethren, for he thought to make him king.

²³And he dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fortified city; and he gave them victuals in abundance. And he desired many wives.

12And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

²And it came to pass that in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

³with twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen; and the people were without number who came with him out of Egypt: the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

⁴And he took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

⁵Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Ye have forsaken Me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.'"

⁶Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves, and they said, "The LORD is righteous."

⁷And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, "They have humbled themselves. Therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

⁸Nevertheless they shall be his servants, that they may know My service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."

⁹So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king's house. He took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

¹⁰In their stead King Rehoboam made shields of brass and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, who kept the entrance of the king's house.

¹¹And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

¹²And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that He would not destroy him altogether; and also in Judah things went well.

¹³So King Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned; for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put His name there. And his mother's name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.

¹⁴And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.

¹⁵Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.

¹⁶And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David; and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.

13Now in the eighteenth year of King Jeroboam, Abijah began to reign over Judah.

²He reigned three years in Jerusalem. Also his mother's name was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.

³And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men. Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valor.

⁴And Abijah stood up upon Mount Zemaraim, which is in Mount Ephraim, and said, "Hear me, thou Jeroboam and all Israel:

⁵Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingship over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?

⁶Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, hath risen up and hath rebelled against his lord.

⁷And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted and could not withstand them.

⁸"And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye are a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves which Jeroboam made you for gods.

⁹Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made priests for yourselves in the manner of the nations of other lands, so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods?

¹⁰But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the priests, who minister unto the LORD are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business.

¹¹And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense. The showbread also set they in order upon the pure table, and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof to burn every evening; for we keep the charge of the LORD our God. But ye have forsaken Him.

¹²And behold, God Himself is with us for our captain, and His priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers, for ye shall not prosper."

¹³But Jeroboam caused an ambush to come about behind them; so they were before Judah and the ambush was behind them.

¹⁴And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind; and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.

¹⁵Then the men of Judah gave a shout; and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.

¹⁶And the children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand.

¹⁷And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹⁸Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.

¹⁹And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam and took cities from him: Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.

²⁰Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah; and the LORD struck him, and he died.

²¹But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begot twenty and two sons and sixteen daughters.

²²And the rest of the acts of Abijah and his ways and his sayings are written in the commentary of the prophet Iddo.

14So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.

²And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God.

³For he took away the altars of the strange gods and the high places, and broke down the images, and cut down the Asherah poles;

⁴and he commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.

⁵Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images; and the kingdom was quiet before him.

⁶And he built fortified cities in Judah, for the land had rest; and he had no war in those years, because the LORD had given him rest.

⁷Therefore he said unto Judah, "Let us build these cities and make walls about them, and towers, gates, and bars while the land is yet before us, because we have sought the LORD our God. We have sought Him, and He hath given us rest on every side." So they built and prospered.

⁸And Asa had an army of men who bore bucklers and spears out of Judah, three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin who bore shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand. All these were mighty men of valor.

⁹And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with a host of a thousand thousand and three hundred chariots, and came unto Mareshah.

¹⁰Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the Valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

¹¹And Asa cried unto the LORD his God and said, "LORD, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many or with those who have no power. Help us, O LORD our God, for we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, Thou art our God. Let not man prevail against Thee."

¹²So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa and before Judah, and the Ethiopians fled.

¹³And Asa and the people who were with him pursued them unto Gerar; and the Ethiopians were overthrown so that they could not recover themselves, for they were destroyed before the LORD and before His host; and they carried away very much spoil.

¹⁴And they smote all the cities round about Gerar, for the fear of the LORD came upon them; and they despoiled all the cities, for there was exceeding much spoil in them.

¹⁵They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.

15And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded.

²And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, "Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: The LORD is with you while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found by you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.

³Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest and without law.

⁴But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel and sought Him, He was found by them.

⁵And in those times there was no peace to him that went out nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.

⁶And nation was destroyed by nation, and city by city; for God vexed them with all adversity.

⁷Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak; for your work shall be rewarded."

⁸And when Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin and out of the cities which he had taken from Mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD that was before the porch of the LORD.

⁹And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh and out of Simeon; for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

¹⁰So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.

¹¹And they offered unto the LORD at that time from the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.

¹²And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul,

¹³that whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

¹⁴And they swore unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.

¹⁵And all Judah rejoiced at the oath; for they had sworn with all their heart and sought Him with their whole desire, and He was found by them; and the LORD gave them rest round about.

¹⁶And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen because she had made an idol for Asherah. And Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burned it at the Brook Kidron;

¹⁷but the high places were not taken away out of Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.

¹⁸And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated and that he himself had dedicated: silver and gold and vessels.

¹⁹And there was no more war until the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.

16In the six and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa, Baasha king of Israel came up against Judah and built Ramah, with the intent that he might let none go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.

²Then Asa brought out silver and gold out of the treasuries of the house of the LORD and from the king's house, and sent to Benhadad king of Syria, who dwelt at Damascus, saying,

³"There is a league between me and thee, as there was between my father and thy father. Behold, I have sent thee silver and gold. Go, break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me."

⁴And Benhadad hearkened unto King Asa, and sent the captains of his armies against the cities of Israel; and they smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelmaim, and all the storecities of Naphtali.

⁵And it came to pass, when Baasha heard it, that he left off building Ramah and let his work cease.

⁶Then Asa the king took all Judah, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and the timber thereof wherewith Baasha was building; and he built therewith Geba and Mizpah.

⁷And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, "Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore has the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.

⁸Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host with very many chariots and horsemen? Yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, He delivered them into thine hand.

⁹For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars."

¹⁰Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house, for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.

¹¹And behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

¹²And Asa, in the thirty and ninth year of his reign, was diseased in his feet until his disease was exceeding great. Yet in his disease he sought not the LORD, but the physicians.

¹³And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.

¹⁴And they buried him in his own sepulchers, which he had made for himself in the City of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odors and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art; and they made a very great burning for him.

17And Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead, and strengthened himself against Israel.

²And he placed forces in all the fortified cities of Judah, and set garrisons in the land of Judah and in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa his father had taken.

³And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat, because he walked in the first ways of his father David and sought not unto the Baalim,

⁴but sought the LORD God of his father and walked in His commandments, and not according to the doings of Israel.

⁵Therefore the LORD established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought Jehoshaphat presents, and he had riches and honor in abundance.

⁶And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD; moreover he took away the high places and Asherah poles out of Judah.

⁷Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, even Benhail, and Obadiah, and Zechariah, and Nethaneel, and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.

⁸And with them he sent Levites, even Shemaiah, and Nethaniah, and Zebadiah, and Asahel, and Shemiramoth, and Jehonathan, and Adonijah, and Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites; and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests.

⁹And they taught in Judah, and had the Book of the Law of the LORD with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people.

¹⁰And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat.

¹¹Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and tribute silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand and seven hundred rams, and seven thousand and seven hundred hegoats.

¹²And Jehoshaphat waxed exceedingly great; and he built in Judah palaces and cities for stores.

¹³And he had much business in the cities of Judah; and the men of war, mighty men of valor, were in Jerusalem.

¹⁴And these are the numbers of them according to the house of their fathers. Of Judah, the captains of thousands: Adnah the chief, and with him mighty men of valor three hundred thousand;

¹⁵and next to him was Jehohanan the captain, and with him two hundred and fourscore thousand;

¹⁶and next to him was Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD, and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valor.

¹⁷And of Benjamin: Eliada a mighty man of valor, and with him armed men with bow and shield two hundred thousand;

¹⁸and next to him was Jehozabad, and with him a hundred and fourscore thousand ready, prepared for the war.

¹⁹These waited on the king, besides those whom the king put in the fortified cities throughout all Judah.

18Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and allied himself through marriage ties with Ahab.

²And after certain years he went down to Ahab in Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen for him in abundance and for the people whom he had with him, and persuaded him to go up with him to Ramothgilead.

³And Ahab king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat king of Judah, "Wilt thou go with me to Ramothgilead?" And he answered him, "I am as thou art, and my people as thy people; and we will be with thee in the war."

⁴And Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, "Inquire, I pray thee, at the word of the LORD today."

⁵Therefore the king of Israel gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto them, "Shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" And they said, "Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand."

⁶But Jehoshaphat said, "Is there not here a prophet of the LORD besides these, that we might inquire of him?"

⁷And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of the LORD; but I hate him, for he never prophesied good unto me, but always evil. The same is Micaiah the son of Imla." And Jehoshaphat said, "Let not the king say so!"

⁸And the king of Israel called for one of his officers and said, "Fetch quickly Micaiah the son of Imla."

⁹And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah sat each of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they sat in an open place at the entrance of the gate of Samaria; and all the prophets prophesied before them.

¹⁰And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, "Thus saith the LORD: 'With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.'"

¹¹And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, "Go up to Ramothgilead and prosper, for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king."

¹²And the messenger who went to call Micaiah spoke to him, saying, "Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to the king with one assent. Let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be like one of theirs, and speak thou good."

¹³And Micaiah said, "As the LORD liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak."

¹⁴And when he had come to the king, the king said unto him, "Micaiah, shall we go to Ramothgilead to battle, or shall I forbear?" And he said, "Go ye up and prosper, and they shall be delivered into your hand."

¹⁵And the king said to him, "How many times shall I adjure thee that thou say nothing but the truth to me in the name of the LORD?"

¹⁶Then he said, "I saw all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep that have no shepherd. And the LORD said, 'These have no master. Let them return therefore every man to his house in peace.'"

¹⁷And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Did I not tell thee that he would not prophesy good unto me, but evil?"

¹⁸Again Micaiah said, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting upon His throne, and all the host of heaven standing on His right hand and on His left.

¹⁹And the LORD said, 'Who shall entice Ahab king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?' And one spoke saying in this manner, and another saying in that manner.

²⁰Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' And the LORD said unto him, 'How?'

²¹And he said, 'I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And the LORD said, 'Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail. Go out, and do even so.'

²²Now therefore, behold, the LORD hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy prophets, and the LORD hath spoken evil against thee."

²³Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek and said, "Which way went the spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?"

²⁴And Micaiah said, "Behold, thou shalt see on that day when thou shalt go into an inner chamber to hide thyself."

²⁵Then the king of Israel said, "Take ye Micaiah, and carry him back to Amon the governor of the city and to Joash the king's son,

²⁶and say, 'Thus saith the king: Put this fellow in the prison, and feed him with bread of affliction and with water of affliction until I return in peace.'"

²⁷And Micaiah said, "If thou certainly return in peace, then hath not the LORD spoken by me." And he said, "Hearken, all ye people."

²⁸So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat the king of Judah went up to Ramothgilead.

²⁹And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, "I will disguise myself and will go to the battle; but put thou on thy robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself, and they went to the battle.

³⁰Now the king of Syria had commanded the captains of the chariots who were with him, saying, "Fight ye not with small or great, but only with the king of Israel."

³¹And it came to pass when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat that they said, "It is the king of Israel." Therefore they compassed about him to fight. But Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.

³²For it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots perceived that it was not the king of Israel, they turned back again from pursuing him.

³³And a certain man drew a bow at random, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the armor. Therefore he said to his chariot man, "Turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of the host, for I am wounded."

³⁴And the battle increased that day. Nonetheless the king of Israel propped himself up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening. And about the time of the sun going down he died.

19And Jehoshaphat the king of Judah returned to his house in peace to Jerusalem.

²And Jehu the son of Hanani the seer went out to meet him, and said to King Jehoshaphat, "Shouldest thou help the ungodly, and love those who hate the LORD? Therefore is wrath upon thee from before the LORD.

³Nevertheless there are good things found in thee, in that thou hast taken away the Asherah poles out of the land, and hast prepared thine heart to seek God."

⁴And Jehoshaphat dwelt at Jerusalem; and he went out again through the people from Beersheba to Mount Ephraim, and brought them back unto the LORD God of their fathers.

⁵And he set judges in the land throughout all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city,

⁶and said to the judges, "Take heed what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for the LORD, who is with you in the matter of judgment.

⁷Therefore now, let the fear of the LORD be upon you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with the LORD our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes."

⁸Moreover in Jerusalem, Jehoshaphat set some of the Levites and some of the priests and some of the chief of the fathers of Israel for the judgment of the LORD and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.

⁹And he charged them, saying, "Thus shall ye do in the fear of the LORD, faithfully, and with a perfect heart.

¹⁰And whatsoever cause shall come to you from your brethren who dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them, that they trespass not against the LORD, and so wrath come upon you and upon your brethren. This do, and ye shall not trespass.

¹¹And behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD, and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters. Also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD shall be with the good."

20It came to pass after this also, that the children of Moab and the children of Ammon, and with them others besides the Ammonites, came against Jehoshaphat to battle.

²Then there came some who told Jehoshaphat, saying, "There cometh a great multitude against thee from beyond the sea on this side of Syria; and behold, they are in Hazazontamar, which is Engedi."

³And Jehoshaphat feared, and set himself to seek the LORD, and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah.

⁴And Judah gathered themselves together to ask help of the LORD; even out of all the cities of Judah they came to seek the LORD.

⁵And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court,

⁶and said, "O LORD God of our fathers, art not Thou God in heaven? And rulest not Thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? And in Thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand Thee?

⁷Art not Thou our God, who didst drive out the inhabitants of this land before Thy people Israel, and gavest it to the seed of Abraham Thy friend for ever?

⁸And they dwelt therein, and have built Thee a sanctuary therein for Thy name, saying,

⁹'If, when evil cometh upon us, as the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine, we stand before this house and in Thy presence (for Thy name is in this house), and cry unto Thee in our affliction, then Thou wilt hear and help.'

¹⁰And now, behold, the children of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir, whom Thou wouldest not let Israel invade when they came out of the land of Egypt, but they turned from them and destroyed them not"

¹¹behold, I say, how they reward us by coming to cast us out of Thy possession, which Thou hast given us to inherit.

¹²O our God, wilt Thou not judge them? For we have no might against this great company that cometh against us, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon Thee."

¹³And all Judah stood before the LORD with their little ones, their wives, and their children.

¹⁴Then upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, came the Spirit of the LORD in the midst of the congregation.

¹⁵And he said, "Hearken ye, all Judah and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem, and thou King Jehoshaphat! Thus saith the LORD unto you: 'Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God's.

¹⁶Tomorrow go ye down against them. Behold, they come up by the cliff of Ziz, and ye shall find them at the end of the brook, before the Wilderness of Jeruel.

¹⁷Ye shall not need to fight in this battle. Set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem.' Fear not, nor be dismayed. Tomorrow go out against them, for the LORD will be with you."

¹⁸And Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell before the LORD, worshiping the LORD.

¹⁹And the Levites, of the children of the Kohathites and of the children of the Korahites, stood up to praise the LORD God of Israel with a loud voice on high.

²⁰And they rose early in the morning and went forth into the Wilderness of Tekoa; and as they went forth, Jehoshaphat stood and said, "Hear me, O Judah, and ye inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God; so shall ye be established. Believe His prophets; so shall ye prosper."

²¹And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD who should praise the beauty of holiness as they went out before the army, and to say, "Praise the LORD, for His mercy endureth for ever."

²²And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were smitten.

²³For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of Mount Seir utterly to slay and destroy them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

²⁴And when Judah came toward the watchtower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude; and behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

²⁵And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil from them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away; and they were three days in gathering the spoil, it was so much.

²⁶And on the fourth day they assembled themselves in the Valley of Berachah [that is, Blessing], for there they blessed the LORD. Therefore the name of the same place was called The Valley of Berachah unto this day.

²⁷Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat at the forefront of them, to go again to Jerusalem with joy; for the LORD had made them to rejoice over their enemies.

²⁸And they came to Jerusalem with psalteries and harps and trumpets unto the house of the LORD.

²⁹And the fear of God was on all the kingdoms of those countries when they had heard that the LORD fought against the enemies of Israel.

³⁰So the realm of Jehoshaphat was quiet; for his God gave him rest round about.

³¹And Jehoshaphat reigned over Judah. He was thirty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Azubah the daughter of Shilhi.

³²And he walked in the way of Asa his father and departed not from it, doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD.

³³However the high places were not taken away, for as yet the people had not prepared their hearts unto the God of their fathers.

³⁴Now the rest of the acts of Jehoshaphat, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Jehu the son of Hanani, who is mentioned in the book of the kings of Israel.

³⁵And after this Jehoshaphat king of Judah joined himself with Ahaziah king of Israel, who did very wickedly.

³⁶And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish; and they made the ships in Eziongeber.

³⁷Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works." And the ships were broken up, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

21Now Jehoshaphat slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. And Jehoram his son reigned in his stead.

²And he had brethren, the sons of Jehoshaphat: Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah; all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel.

³And their father gave them great gifts of silver and gold and precious things, with fortified cities in Judah; but the kingdom he gave to Jehoram, because he was the firstborn.

⁴Now when Jehoram had risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself and slew all his brethren with the sword, and others also of the princes of Israel.

⁵Jehoram was thirty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem.

⁶And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab, for he had the daughter of Ahab as wife; and he wrought that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD.

⁷However the LORD would not destroy the house of David, because of the covenant that He had made with David, and as He promised to give a light to him and to his sons for ever.

⁸In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king.

⁹Then Jehoram went forth with his princes, and all his chariots with him; and he rose up by night and smote the Edomites who compassed him about and the captains of the chariots.

¹⁰So the Edomites revolted from under the hand of Judah unto this day. The same time also did Libnah revolt from under his hand, because he had forsaken the LORD God of his fathers.

¹¹Moreover he made high places in the mountains of Judah, and caused the inhabitants of Jerusalem to commit fornication, and compelled Judah thereto.

¹²And there came a writing to him from Elijah the prophet, saying, "Thus saith the LORD God of David thy father: 'Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy father, nor in the ways of Asa king of Judah,

¹³but hast walked in the way of the kings of Israel, and hast made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring like the whoredoms of the house of Ahab, and also hast slain thy brethren of thy father's house, who were better than thyself,

¹⁴behold, with a great plague will the LORD smite thy people and thy children and thy wives and all thy goods.

¹⁵And thou shalt have great sickness with a disease of thy bowels, until thy bowels fall out by reason of the sickness day by day.'"

¹⁶Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines and of the Arabians who were near the Ethiopians.

¹⁷And they came up into Judah and broke into it, and carried away all the substance that was found in the king's house, and his sons also and his wives, so that there was not a son left him, save Jehoahaz, the youngest of his sons.

¹⁸And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease.

¹⁹And it came to pass that in process of time, after the end of two years, his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness; so he died of grievous diseases. And his people made no burning for him like the burning of his fathers.

²⁰Thirty and two years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years and departed without being desired. However they buried him in the City of David, but not in the sepulchers of the kings.

22And the inhabitants of Jerusalem made Ahaziah his youngest son king in his stead, for the band of men who came with the Arabians to the camp had slain all the eldest. So Ahaziah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, reigned.

²Forty and two years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign, and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri.

³He also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor to do wickedly.

⁴Therefore he did evil in the sight of the LORD like the house of Ahab; for they were his counselors after the death of his father, to his destruction.

⁵He walked also after their counsel, and went with Jehoram the son of Ahab king of Israel to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramothgilead; and the Syrians smote Joram.

⁶And he returned to be healed in Jezreel because of the wounds which were given him at Ramah when he fought with Hazael king of Syria. And Azariah the son of Jehoram, king of Judah, went down to see Jehoram the son of Ahab at Jezreel, because he was sick.

⁷And the destruction of Ahaziah was of God by his coming to Joram; for when he had come, he went out with Jehoram against Jehu the son of Nimshi, whom the LORD had anointed to cut off the house of Ahab.

⁸And it came to pass, when Jehu was executing judgment upon the house of Ahab, and found the princes of Judah and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah who ministered to Ahaziah, that he slew them.

⁹And he sought Ahaziah, and they caught him (for he had hid in Samaria) and brought him to Jehu. And when they had slain him, they buried him, "because," said they, "he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart." So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep the kingdom still.

¹⁰But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah.

¹¹But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

¹²And he was with them hidden in the house of God six years; and Athaliah reigned over the land.

23And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri.

²And they went about in Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

³And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, "Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the LORD hath said of the sons of David.

⁴This is the thing that ye shall do: A third part of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be keepers of the doors;

⁵and a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the LORD.

⁶But let none come into the house of the LORD save the priests and those who minister of the Levites. They shall go in, for they are holy, but all the people shall keep the watch of the LORD.

⁷And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death; but be ye with the king when he cometh in and when he goeth out."

⁸So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men who were to come in on the Sabbath, with those who were to go out on the Sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

⁹Moreover, Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears and bucklers and shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of God.

¹⁰And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.

¹¹Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, "God save the king."

¹²Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the LORD.

¹³And she looked, and behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the princes and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of music, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes and said, "Treason! Treason!"

¹⁴Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds who were set over the host, and said unto them, "Take her forth among the ranks. And whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword." For the priest said, "Slay her not in the house of the LORD."

¹⁵So they laid hands on her; and when she had come to the entrance of the Horse Gate by the king's house, they slew her there.

¹⁶And Jehoiada made a covenant between him and between all the people and between the king, that they should be the LORD'S people.

¹⁷Then all the people went to the house of Baal and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

¹⁸Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.

¹⁹And he set the gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none who was unclean in any thing should enter in.

²⁰And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD; and they came through the High Gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

²¹And all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet after they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

24Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. Also his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

²And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

³And Jehoiada took for him two wives, and he begot sons and daughters.

⁴And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.

⁵And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, "Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather from all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter." However the Levites hastened it not.

⁶And the king called for Jehoiada the chief priest and said unto him, "Why hast thou not required the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses, the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?"

⁷For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon the Baalim.

⁸And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it outside at the gate of the house of the LORD.

⁹And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.

¹⁰And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in and cast into the chest until they had made an end.

¹¹Now it came to pass, at whatever time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, that the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

¹²And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD; and they hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.

¹³So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them; and they set the house of God in order, and strengthened it.

¹⁴And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, of which were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.

¹⁵But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died: a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.

¹⁶And they buried him in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward His house.

¹⁷Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

¹⁸And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served Asherah poles and idols; and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

¹⁹Yet He sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them, but they would not give ear.

²⁰And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood above the people, and said unto them, "Thus saith God: 'Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? Because ye have forsaken the LORD, He hath also forsaken you.'"

²¹And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.

²²Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, "The LORD look upon it, and require it."

²³And it came to pass at the end of the year that the host of Syria came up against him; and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all their spoil unto the king of Damascus.

²⁴For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.

²⁵And when they had departed from him (for they left him with grave diseases), his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died. And they buried him in the City of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchers of the kings.

²⁶And these are those who conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.

²⁷Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the commentary of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

25Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

²And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

³Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants who had killed the king his father.

⁴But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, "The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin."

⁵Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together and made them captains over thousands and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin. And he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, who could handle spear and shield.

⁶He hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver.

⁷But there came a man of God to him, saying, "O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee, for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.

⁸But if thou wilt go, do it; be strong for the battle. But God shall make thee fall before the enemy, for God hath the power to help and to cast down."

⁹And Amaziah said to the man of God, "But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel?" And the man of God answered, "The LORD is able to give thee much more than this."

¹⁰Then Amaziah separated them (to wit, the army that had come to him out from Ephraim) to go home again. Therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.

¹¹And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people and went to the Valley of Salt, and smote ten thousand of the children of Seir.

¹²And another ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were broken in pieces.

¹³But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them and took much spoil.

¹⁴Now it came to pass, after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them and burned incense unto them.

¹⁵Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and He sent unto him a prophet, who said unto him, "Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?"

¹⁶And it came to pass as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, "Art thou made the king's counsel? Forbear! Why should thou be smitten?" Then the prophet forbore and said, "I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened unto my counsel."

¹⁷Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."

¹⁸And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give thy daughter to my son as wife'; and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle.

¹⁹Thou sayest, 'Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites,' and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast. Abide now at home. Why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou and Judah with thee?"

²⁰But Amaziah would not hear; for it came from God, that He might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

²¹So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they looked one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

²²And Judah was smitten before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.

²³And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh; and he brought him to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate, four hundred cubits.

²⁴And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

²⁵And Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, fifteen years.

²⁶Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

²⁷Now after the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish, but they sent to Lachish after him and slew him there.

²⁸And they brought him upon horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah [that is, the City of David].

26Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.

²He built Eloth and restored it to Judah after the king slept with his fathers.

³Sixteen years old was Uzziah when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and two years in Jerusalem. Also his mother's name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem.

⁴And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah did.

⁵And he sought God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the visions of God; and as long as he sought the LORD, God made him to prosper.

⁶And he went forth and warred against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and built cities about Ashdod and among the Philistines.

⁷And God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who dwelt in Gurbaal, and the Meunites.

⁸And the Ammonites gave gifts to Uzziah; and his name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt, for he strengthened himself exceedingly.

⁹Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate and at the Valley Gate and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them.

¹⁰Also he built towers in the desert and dug many wells, for he had much cattle, both in the low country and in the plains; husbandmen also, and vine dressers in the mountains and in Carmel, for he loved husbandry.

¹¹Moreover Uzziah had a host of fighting men who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their count by the hand of Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the ruler, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king's captains.

¹²The whole number of the chief of the fathers of the mighty men of valor was two thousand and six hundred.

¹³And under their hand was an army, three hundred and seven thousand and five hundred, that made war with mighty power to help the king against the enemy.

¹⁴And Uzziah prepared for them, throughout all the host, shields, and spears, and helmets, and jackets of mail, and bows, and slings to cast stones.

¹⁵And he made in Jerusalem engines, invented by skillful men, to be on the towers and upon the bulwarks with which to shoot arrows and great stones. And his name spread far abroad, for he was marvelously helped till he was strong.

¹⁶But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction; for he transgressed against the LORD his God, and went into the temple of the LORD to burn incense upon the altar of incense.

¹⁷And Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him fourscore priests of the LORD, who were valiant men.

¹⁸And they withstood Uzziah the king, and said unto him, "It pertaineth not unto thee, Uzziah, to burn incense unto the LORD, but to the priests the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Go out of the sanctuary, for thou hast trespassed; neither shall it be for thine honor from the LORD God."

¹⁹Then Uzziah was wroth, and had a censer in his hand to burn incense; and while he was wroth with the priests, the leprosy even rose up on his forehead before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar.

²⁰And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked upon him, and behold, he was leprous on his forehead, and they thrust him out from thence. Yea, he himself hastened also to go out, because the LORD had smitten him.

²¹And Uzziah the king was a leper unto the day of his death; and he dwelt in a separate house, being a leper, for he was cut off from the house of the LORD. And Jotham his son was over the king's house, judging the people of the land.

²²Now the rest of the acts of Uzziah, first and last, did Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, write.

²³So Uzziah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the field of the burial which belonged to the kings, for they said, "He is a leper." And Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

27Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. Also his mother's name was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok.

²And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Uzziah did. Howbeit, he entered not into the temple of the LORD, and the people did yet corruptly.

³He built the High Gate of the house of the LORD, and on the wall of Ophel he built much.

⁴Moreover he built cities in the mountains of Judah, and in the forests he built strongholds and towers.

⁵He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year a hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. The same did the children of Ammon pay unto him both the second year and the third.

⁶So Jotham became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God.

⁷Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all his wars and his ways, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

⁸He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem.

⁹And Jotham slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the City of David; and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

28Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem; but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD like David his father.

²For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made also molten images for the Baalim.

³Moreover he burned incense in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, and burned his children in the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

⁴He sacrificed also and burned incense in the high places and on the hills and under every green tree.

⁵Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter.

⁶For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, who were all valiant men, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.

⁷And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah the king's son, and Azrikam the governor of the house, and Elkanah who was next to the king.

⁸And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.

⁹But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out before the host that came to Samaria, and said unto them, "Behold, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah, He hath delivered them into your hand, and ye have slain them in a rage that reacheth up unto heaven.

¹⁰And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem as bondmen and bondwomen unto you. But are there not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?

¹¹Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives back, whom ye have taken captive from your brethren; for the fierce wrath of the LORD is upon you."

¹²Then certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Jehizkiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against those who came from the war

¹³and said unto them, "Ye shall not bring in the captives hither, for whereas we have offended against the LORD already, ye intend to add more to our sins and to our trespass; for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."

¹⁴So the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.

¹⁵And the men who were mentioned by name rose up and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all who were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them upon asses and brought them to their brethren at Jericho, the city of palm trees. Then they returned to Samaria.

¹⁶At that time King Ahaz sent unto the kings of Assyria to help him.

¹⁷For again the Edomites had come and smitten Judah, and carried away captives.

¹⁸The Philistines also had invaded the cities of the low country and of the south of Judah, and had taken Bethshemesh, and Aijalon, and Gederoth, and Shocho with the villages thereof, and Timnah with the villages thereof, Gimzo also and the villages thereof; and they dwelt there.

¹⁹For the LORD brought Judah low because of Ahaz king of Israel, for he made Judah naked and transgressed sorely against the LORD.

²⁰And Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria came unto him and distressed him, but strengthened him not.

²¹For Ahaz took away a portion out of the house of the LORD, and out of the house of the king and from the princes, and gave it unto the king of Assyria; but he helped him not.

²²And in the time of his distress he trespassed yet more against the LORD: this is that King Ahaz.

²³For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus which smote him; and he said, "Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me." But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

²⁴And Ahaz gathered together the vessels of the house of God, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God, and shut up the doors of the house of the LORD, and he made himself altars in every corner of Jerusalem.

²⁵And in every separate city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods, and provoked to anger the LORD God of his fathers.

²⁶Now the rest of his acts and of all his ways, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

²⁷And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city, even in Jerusalem; but they brought him not into the sepulchers of the kings of Israel. And Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

29Hezekiah began to reign when he was five and twenty years old, and he reigned nine and twenty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Abijah, the daughter of Zechariah.

²And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done.

³He, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, opened the doors of the house of the LORD and repaired them.

⁴And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and gathered them together into the east street,

⁵and said unto them, "Hear me, ye Levites! Sanctify now yourselves, and sanctify the house of the LORD God of your fathers, and carry forth the filthiness out of the holy place.

⁶For our fathers have trespassed and done that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD our God, and have forsaken Him, and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the LORD, and turned their backs.

⁷Also they have shut up the doors of the porch and put out the lamps, and have not burned incense nor offered burnt offerings in the holy place unto the God of Israel.

⁸Therefore the wrath of the LORD was upon Judah and Jerusalem, and He hath delivered them to trouble, to astonishment, and to hissing, as ye see with your eyes.

⁹For lo, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity for this.

¹⁰Now it is in mine heart to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel, that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.

¹¹My sons, be not now negligent; for the LORD hath chosen you to stand before Him, to serve Him, and that ye should minister unto Him and burn incense."

¹²Then the Levites arose: Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, of the sons of the Kohathites; and of the sons of Merari, Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehalelel; and of the Gershonites, Joah the son of Zimmah and Eden the son of Joah;

¹³and of the sons of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; and of the sons of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah;

¹⁴and of the sons of Heman, Jehiel and Shimei; and of the sons of Jeduthun, Shemaiah and Uzziel.

¹⁵And they gathered their brethren and sanctified themselves, and came, according to the commandment of the king by the words of the LORD, to cleanse the house of the LORD.

¹⁶And the priests went into the inner part of the house of the LORD to cleanse it, and brought out all the uncleanness that they found in the temple of the LORD into the court of the house of the LORD. And the Levites took it to carry it out abroad into the Brook Kidron.

¹⁷Now they began on the first day of the first month to sanctify, and on the eighth day of the month came they to the porch of the LORD. So they sanctified the house of the LORD in eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished.

¹⁸Then they went in to Hezekiah the king and said, "We have cleansed all the house of the LORD, and the altar of burnt offering with all the vessels thereof, and the showbread table with all the vessels thereof.

¹⁹Moreover all the vessels which King Ahaz in his reign cast away in his transgression, have we prepared and sanctified; and behold, they are before the altar of the LORD."

²⁰Then Hezekiah the king rose early, and gathered the rulers of the city, and went up to the house of the LORD.

²¹And they brought seven bullocks, and seven rams, and seven lambs, and seven hegoats for a sin offering for the kingdom and for the sanctuary and for Judah. And he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the LORD.

²²So they killed the bullocks, and the priests received the blood and sprinkled it on the altar. Likewise, when they had killed the rams they sprinkled the blood upon the altar. They killed also the lambs, and they sprinkled the blood upon the altar.

²³And they brought forth the hegoats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation, and they laid their hands upon them.

²⁴And the priests killed them, and they made reconciliation with their blood upon the altar to make an atonement for all Israel; for the king commanded that the burnt offering and the sin offering should be made for all Israel.

²⁵And he set the Levites in the house of the LORD with cymbals, with psalteries, and with harps, according to the commandment of David, and of Gad the king's seer, and Nathan the prophet; for so was the commandment of the LORD by his prophets.

²⁶And the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets.

²⁷And Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also with the trumpets and with the instruments ordained by David king of Israel.

²⁸And all the congregation worshiped, and the singers sang and the trumpeters sounded; and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished.

²⁹And when they had made an end of offering, the king and all who were present with him bowed themselves and worshiped.

³⁰Moreover Hezekiah the king and the princes commanded the Levites to sing praise unto the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. And they sang praises with gladness, and they bowed their heads and worshiped.

³¹Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now ye have consecrated yourselves unto the LORD; come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings into the house of the LORD." And the congregation brought in sacrifices and thank offerings, and as many as were of a free heart burned offerings.

³²And the number of the burnt offerings which the congregation brought was threescore and ten bullocks, a hundred rams, and two hundred lambs. All these were for a burnt offering to the LORD.

³³And the consecrated things were six hundred oxen and three thousand sheep.

³⁴But the priests were too few, so that they could not flay all the burnt offerings. Therefore their brethren the Levites helped them till the work was ended and until the other priests had sanctified themselves; for the Levites were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.

³⁵And also the burnt offerings were in abundance, with the fat of the peace offerings, and the drink offerings for every burnt offering. So the service of the house of the LORD was set in order.

³⁶And Hezekiah rejoiced, and all the people, that God had prepared the people; for the thing was done suddenly.

30And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem to keep the Passover unto the LORD God of Israel.

²For the king had taken counsel with his princes and all the congregation in Jerusalem to keep the Passover in the second month.

³For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together at Jerusalem.

⁴And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation.

⁵So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the Passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem; for they had not done it for a long time in such manner as it was written.

⁶So the couriers went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, "Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and He will return to the remnant of you that have escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria.

⁷And be not ye like your fathers and like your brethren who trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, so that He therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see.

⁸Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD and enter into His sanctuary, which He hath sanctified for ever; and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of His wrath may turn away from you.

⁹For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before those who lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land; for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away His face from you if ye return unto Him."

¹⁰So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Zebulun; but they laughed them to scorn and mocked them.

¹¹Nevertheless some from Asher and Manasseh and from Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem.

¹²Also the hand of God was in Judah, to give them one heart to do the commandment of the king and of the princes by the word of the LORD.

¹³And there assembled at Jerusalem many people to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very great congregation.

¹⁴And they arose and took away the altars that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away and cast them into the Brook Kidron.

¹⁵Then they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the second month; and the priests and the Levites were ashamed, and sanctified themselves and brought in the burnt offerings into the house of the LORD.

¹⁶And they stood in their place according to their order, according to the law of Moses the man of God. The priests sprinkled the blood which they received from the hand of the Levites.

¹⁷For there were many in the congregation who were not sanctified: therefore the Levites had the charge of the killing of the Passover lambs for every one who was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.

¹⁸For a multitude of the people, even many from Ephraim, and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover otherwise than it was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, "The good LORD pardon every one

¹⁹who prepareth his heart to seek God, the LORD God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary."

²⁰And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people.

²¹And the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised the LORD day by day, singing with loud instruments unto the LORD.

²²And Hezekiah spoke comfortingly unto all the Levites who taught the good knowledge of the LORD; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to the LORD God of their fathers.

²³And the whole assembly took counsel to keep another seven days, and they kept another seven days with gladness.

²⁴For Hezekiah king of Judah gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and seven thousand sheep, and the princes gave to the congregation a thousand bullocks and ten thousand sheep; and a great number of priests sanctified themselves.

²⁵And all the congregation of Judah, with the priests and the Levites and all the congregation that came out of Israel, and the strangers who came out of the land of Israel and who dwelt in Judah rejoiced.

²⁶So there was great joy in Jerusalem; for since the time of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, there was not the like in Jerusalem.

²⁷Then the priests, the Levites, arose and blessed the people; and their voice was heard and their prayer came up to His holy dwelling place, even unto heaven.

31Now when all this was finished, all Israel who were present went out to the cities of Judah, and broke the images in pieces, and cut down the Asherah poles, and threw down the high places and the altars out of all Judah and Benjamin, in Ephraim also and Manasseh, until they had utterly destroyed them all. Then all the children of Israel returned, every man to his possession, into their own cities.

²And Hezekiah appointed the watches of the priests and the Levites according to their courses, every man according to his service, the priests and Levites for burnt offerings and for peace offerings, to minister and to give thanks and to praise in the gates of the tents of the LORD.

³He appointed also the king's portion of his substance for the burnt offerings, to wit: for the morning and evening burnt offerings, and the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and for the new moons and for the set feasts, as it is written in the law of the LORD.

⁴Moreover he commanded the people who dwelt in Jerusalem to give the portion of the priests and the Levites, that they might be encouraged in the law of the LORD.

⁵And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.

⁶And concerning the children of Israel and Judah, who dwelt in the cities of Judah, they also brought in the tithe of oxen and sheep, and the tithe of holy things which were consecrated unto the LORD their God, and laid them in heaps.

⁷In the third month they began to lay the foundation of the heaps, and finished them in the seventh month.

⁸And when Hezekiah and the princes came and saw the heaps, they blessed the LORD and His people Israel.

⁹Then Hezekiah questioned the priests and the Levites concerning the heaps.

¹⁰And Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him and said, "Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat and have left plenty; for the LORD hath blessed His people, and that which is left is this great store.

¹¹Then Hezekiah commanded to prepare storage chambers in the house of the LORD; and they prepared them,

¹²and faithfully brought in the offerings and the tithes and the dedicated things, over which Cononiah the Levite was ruler and Shimei his brother was the next.

¹³And Jehiel, and Azaziah, and Nahath, and Asahel, and Jerimoth, and Jozabad, and Eliel, and Ismachiah, and Mahath, and Benaiah were overseers under the hand of Cononiah and Shimei his brother at the commandment of Hezekiah the king and Azariah the ruler of the house of God.

¹⁴And Kore the son of Imnah the Levite, the gatekeeper toward the east, was over the freewill offerings of God to distribute the oblations of the LORD and the most holy things.

¹⁵And next to him were Eden, and Miniamin, and Jeshua, and Shemaiah, Amariah, and Shecaniah in the cities of the priests, in their set office, to give to their brethren by courses, as well to the great as to the small;

¹⁶besides their genealogy of males from three years old and upward, even unto every one who entereth into the house of the LORD, his daily portion for their service in their charges, according to their courses,

¹⁷both to the genealogy of the priests by the house of their fathers, and the Levites from twenty years old and upward, in their charges by their courses;

¹⁸and to the genealogy of all their little ones, their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, through all the congregation; for in their set office they sanctified themselves in holiness;

¹⁹also of the sons of Aaron the priests, who were in the fields of the suburbs of their cities in every separate city, the men who were expressed by name to give portions to all the males among the priests and to all who were reckoned by genealogies among the Levites.

²⁰And thus did Hezekiah throughout all Judah, and wrought that which was good and right and truth before the LORD his God.

²¹And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, and in the law and in the commandments, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart, and prospered.

32After these things and the establishment thereof, Sennacherib king of Assyria came and entered into Judah, and encamped against the fortified cities, and thought to win them for himself.

²And when Hezekiah saw that Sennacherib had come, and that he was purposed to fight against Jerusalem,

³he took counsel with his princes and his mighty men to stop the waters of the fountains which were outside the city; and they helped him.

⁴So there were gathered many people together, who stopped all the fountains and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, "Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?"

⁵Also he strengthened himself, and built up all the wall that was broken, and raised it up to the towers, and another wall outside, and repaired Millo in the City of David, and made darts and shields in abundance.

⁶And he set captains of war over the people, and gathered them together to him in the street of the gate of the city, and spoke comfortingly to them, saying,

⁷"Be strong and courageous. Be not afraid nor dismayed by the king of Assyria and all the multitude that is with him, for there are more with us than with him.

⁸With him is an arm of flesh, but with us is the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles." And the people rested themselves upon the words of Hezekiah king of Judah.

⁹After this Sennacherib king of Assyria sent his servants to Jerusalem (but he himself laid siege against Lachish, and all his power with him) unto Hezekiah king of Judah, and unto all Judah who were at Jerusalem, saying,

¹⁰"Thus saith Sennacherib king of Assyria: 'Whereon do ye trust, that ye abide in the siege in Jerusalem?

¹¹Doth not Hezekiah persuade you to give yourselves over to die by famine and by thirst, saying, "The LORD our God shall deliver us out of the hand of the king of Assyria"?

¹²Hath not the same Hezekiah taken away his high places and his altars, and commanded Judah and Jerusalem, saying, "Ye shall worship before one altar and burn incense upon it"?

¹³Know ye not what I and my fathers have done unto all the people of other lands? Were the gods of the nations of those lands any way able to deliver their lands out of mine hand?

¹⁴Who was there among all the gods of those nations that my fathers utterly destroyed that could deliver his people out of mine hand, that your God should be able to deliver you out of mine hand?

¹⁵Now therefore let not Hezekiah deceive you nor persuade you on this manner, neither yet believe him; for no god of any nation or kingdom was able to deliver his people out of mine hand and out of the hand of my fathers. How much less shall your God deliver you out of mine hand?'"

¹⁶And his servants spoke yet more against the LORD God and against his servant Hezekiah.

¹⁷He wrote also letters to rail at the LORD God of Israel and to speak against Him, saying, "As the gods of the nations of other lands have not delivered their people out of mine hand, so shall not the God of Hezekiah deliver his people out of mine hand."

¹⁸Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem who were on the wall to frighten them and to trouble them, that they might take the city.

¹⁹And they spoke against the God of Jerusalem as against the gods of the people of the earth, which were the work of the hands of man.

²⁰And for this cause Hezekiah the king and the prophet Isaiah, the son of Amoz, prayed and cried to heaven.

²¹And the LORD sent an angel who cut off all the mighty men of valor, and the leaders and captains in the camp of the king of Assyria. So he returned with shame of face to his own land. And when he had come into the house of his god, those who came forth from his own loins slew him there with the sword.

²²Thus the LORD saved Hezekiah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem from the hand of Sennacherib the king of Assyria and from the hand of all others, and guided them on every side.

²³And many brought gifts unto the LORD to Jerusalem, and presents to Hezekiah king of Judah, so that he was magnified in the sight of all nations from thenceforth.

²⁴In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death, and prayed unto the LORD; and He spoke unto him, and He gave him a sign.

²⁵But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him, for his heart was lifted up. Therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem.

²⁶Notwithstanding, Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the rath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah.

²⁷And Hezekiah had exceeding much riches and honor; and he made himself treasuries for silver, and for gold, and for recious stones, and for spices, and for shields, and for all manner of pleasant jewels;

²⁸storehouses also for the increase of corn and wine and oil, and stalls for all manner of beasts, and cotes for flocks.

²⁹Moreover he provided for himself cities, and possessions of flocks and herds in abundance; for God had given him very much substance.

³⁰This same Hezekiah also stopped the upper watercourse of Gihon, and brought it straight down to the west side of the City of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works.

³¹Howbeit, in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart.

³²Now the rest of the acts of Hezekiah and his goodness, behold, they are written in the vision of Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, and in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.

³³And Hezekiah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the chiefest of the sepulchers of the sons of David; and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem did him honor at his death. And Manasseh his son reigned in his stead.

33Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem.

²But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, like the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

³For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down, and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asherah poles, and worshiped all the host of heaven and served them.

⁴Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, "In Jerusalem shall My name be for ever."

⁵And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of the LORD.

⁶And he caused his children to pass through the fire in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom; also he observed omens, and used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and dealt with mediums and with wizards. He wrought much evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke Him to anger.

⁷And he set a carved image, the idol which he had made, in the house of God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, "In this house and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen before all the tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever;

⁸neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from out of the land which I have appointed for your fathers, so that they will take heed to do all that I have commanded them, according to the whole law and the statutes and the ordinances by the hand of Moses."

⁹So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err and to do worse than the heathen whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel.

¹⁰And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and to his people, but they would not hearken.

¹¹Therefore the LORD brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

¹²And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

¹³and prayed unto Him; and He was entreated by him and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD, He was God.

¹⁴Now after this he built a wall outside the City of David on the west side of Gihon in the valley, even to the entrance at the Fish Gate, and it compassed about Ophel; and he raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fortified cities of Judah.

¹⁵And he took away the strange gods and the idol out of the house of the LORD, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

¹⁶And he repaired the altar of the LORD, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁷Nevertheless the people sacrificed still in the high places, but unto the LORD their God only.

¹⁸Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

¹⁹His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sins and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places and set up Asherah poles and graven images before he was humbled, behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.

²⁰So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house; and Amon his son reigned in his stead.

²¹Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.

²²But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father; for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made and served them.

²³And he humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more.

²⁴And his servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house.

²⁵But the people of the land slew all those who had conspired against King Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.

34Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

²And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand nor to the left.

³For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father; and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of the high places, and the Asherah poles, and the carved images, and the molten images.

⁴And they broke down the altars of the Baalim in his presence, and the sun images that were on high above them he cut down; and the Asherah poles and the carved images and the molten images he broke in pieces, and made dust of them and strewed it upon the graves of those who had sacrificed unto them.

⁵And he burned the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

⁶And so did he in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

⁷And when he had broken down the altars and the Asherah poles, and had beaten the graven images into powder, and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

⁸Now in the eighteenth year of his reign, when he had purged the land and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.

⁹And when they came to Hilkiah the high priest, they delivered the money that was brought into the house of God, which the Levites who kept the doors had gathered from the hand of Manasseh and Ephraim, and from all the remnant of Israel, and from all Judah and Benjamin; and they returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁰And they put it in the hand of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD; and they gave it to the workmen who wrought in the house of the LORD to repair and mend the house.

¹¹Even to the artificers and builders they gave it to buy hewn stone and timber for couplings and to floor the houses which the kings of Judah had destroyed.

¹²And the men did the work faithfully. And the overseers of them were Jahath and Obadiah the Levites, of the sons of Merari, and Zechariah and Meshullam, of the sons of the Kohathites, to move it forward, and others of the Levites, all who had skill with instruments of music.

¹³Also they were over the bearers of burdens, and were overseers of all who wrought the work in any manner of service; and of the Levites there were scribes and officers and doorkeepers.

¹⁴And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the LORD, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the LORD given by Moses.

¹⁵And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, "I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the LORD." And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan.

¹⁶And Shaphan carried the book to the king and brought the king word back again, saying, "All that was committed to thy servants, they do it.

¹⁷And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the LORD, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and to the hand of the workmen."

¹⁸Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, "Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book." And Shaphan read it before the king.

¹⁹And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes.

²⁰And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,

²¹"Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found; for great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do according to all that is written in this book."

²²And Hilkiah and those whom the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college), and they spoke to her to that effect.

²³And she answered them, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: Tell ye the man who sent you to Me,

²⁴'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the curses that are written in the book which they have read before the king of Judah,

²⁵because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath shall be poured out upon this place and shall not be quenched.'

²⁶And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the LORD, so shall ye say unto him, 'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel concerning the words which thou hast heard:

²⁷Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God when thou heardest His words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbled thyself before Me, and didst rend thy clothes and weep before Me, I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

²⁸Behold, I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same.'" So they brought the king word again.

²⁹Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.

³⁰And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests and the Levites, and all the people, great and small; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the LORD.

³¹And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.

³²And he caused all who were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.

³³And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers.

35Moreover Josiah kept a Passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem; and they killed the Passover lamb on the fourteenth day of the first month.

²And he set the priests in their charges, and encouraged them to the service of the house of the LORD,

³and said unto the Levites who taught all Israel, who were holy unto the LORD, "Put the holy ark in the house which Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. It shall not be a burden upon your shoulders. Serve now the LORD your God and His people Israel,

⁴and prepare yourselves according to the houses of your fathers by your courses, according to the writing of David king of Israel and according to the writing of Solomon his son.

⁵And stand in the holy place according to the divisions of the families of the fathers of your brethren the people and according to the division of the families of the Levites.

⁶So kill the Passover lamb, and sanctify yourselves and prepare your brethren, that they may do according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses."

⁷And Josiah gave to the people lambs and kids from the flock, all for the Passover offerings for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand bullocks; these were from the king's substance.

⁸And his princes gave willingly unto the people, to the priests, and to the Levites. Hilkiah and Zechariah and Jehiel, rulers of the house of God, gave unto the priests for the Passover offerings two thousand and six hundred small cattle and three hundred oxen.

⁹Conaniah also, and Shemaiah and Nethaneel, his brethren, and Hashabiah and Jeiel and Jozabad, chief of the Levites, gave unto the Levites for Passover offerings five thousand small cattle and five hundred oxen.

¹⁰So the service was prepared, and the priests stood in their place and the Levites in their courses, according to the king's commandment.

¹¹And they killed the Passover lamb, and the priests sprinkled the blood from their hands, and the Levites flayed them.

¹²And they removed the burnt offerings, that they might give according to the divisions of the families of the people to offer unto the LORD, as it is written in the Book of Moses. And so did they with the oxen.

¹³And they roasted the Passover lamb with fire according to the ordinance; but the other holy offerings boiled they in pots and in caldrons and in pans, and divided them speedily among all the people.

¹⁴And afterward they made ready for themselves and for the priests, because the priests, the sons of Aaron, were busied in offering burnt offerings and the fat until night; therefore the Levites prepared for themselves and for the priests, the sons of Aaron.

¹⁵And the singers, the sons of Asaph, were in their place, according to the commandment of David and Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun the king's seer. And the doorkeepers waited at every gate; they needed not depart from their service, for their brethren the Levites prepared for them.

¹⁶So all the service of the LORD was prepared the same day to keep the Passover and to offer burnt offerings upon the altar of the LORD, according to the commandment of King Josiah.

¹⁷And the children of Israel who were present kept the Passover at that time, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days.

¹⁸And there was no Passover like to that kept in Israel since the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a Passover as Josiah kept, and the priests and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁹In the eighteenth year of the reign of Josiah was this Passover kept.

²⁰After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him.

²¹But he sent ambassadors to him, saying, "What have I to do with thee, thou king of Judah? I come not against thee this day, but against the house wherewith I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Forbear thee from meddling with God, who is with me, that He destroy thee not."

²²Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.

²³And the archers shot at King Josiah; and the king said to his servants, "Take me away, for I am sorely wounded."

²⁴His servants therefore took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had, and they brought him to Jerusalem; and he died, and was buried in one of the sepulchers of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.

²⁵And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah. And all the singing men and the singing women spoke of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel; and behold, they are written in the lamentations.

²⁶Now the rest of the acts of Josiah and his goodness, according to that which was written in the law of the LORD,

²⁷and his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah.

36Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.

²Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem.

³And the king of Egypt deposed him at Jerusalem, and levied upon the land a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold.

⁴And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother and carried him to Egypt.

⁵Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.

⁶Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters to carry him to Babylon.

⁷Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.

⁸Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.

⁹Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem; and he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD.

¹⁰And when the year had expired, King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon with the goodly vessels of the house of the LORD, and made Zedekiah his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem.

¹¹Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.

¹²And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet who spoke from the mouth of the LORD.

¹³And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him swear by God; but he stiffened his neck and hardened his heart from turning unto the LORD God of Israel.

¹⁴Moreover all the chief of the priests and the people transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen, and polluted the house of the LORD which He had hallowed in Jerusalem.

¹⁵And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by His messengers, rising up early, and sending, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place.

¹⁶But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words, and misused His prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against His people, till there was no remedy.

¹⁷Therefore He brought upon them the king of the Chaldeans, who slew their young men with the sword in the house of their sanctuary, and had no compassion upon young man or maiden, old man, or him that stooped with age; He gave them all into his hand.

¹⁸And all the vessels of the house of God, great and small, and the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king and of his princes, all these he brought to Babylon.

¹⁹And they burned the house of God, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem, and burned all the palaces thereof with fire and destroyed all the goodly vessels thereof.

²⁰And those who had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia,

²¹to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept Sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.

²²Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and put it also in writing, saying,

²³"Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and He hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all His people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up."

1The words of Nehemiah the son of Hachaliah. And it came to pass in the month of Chislev, in the twentieth year, as I was in the palace at Shushan,

²that Hanani one of my brethren came, he and certain men of Judah; and I asked them concerning the Jews who had escaped, who were left behind from the captivity, and concerning Jerusalem.

³And they said unto me, "The remnant who are left behind from the captivity there in the province are in great affliction and reproach. The wall of Jerusalem also is broken down, and the gates thereof are burned with fire."

⁴And it came to pass when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days and fasted, and prayed before the God of heaven

⁵and said: "I beseech thee, O LORD God of heaven, the great and fearsome God, who keepeth covenant and mercy for those who love Him and observe His commandments,

⁶let Thine ear now be attentive and Thine eyes open, that Thou mayest hear the prayer of Thy servant, which I pray before Thee now day and night for the children of Israel Thy servants, and confess the sins of the children of Israel which we have sinned against Thee. Both I and my father's house have sinned.

⁷We have dealt very corruptly against Thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments which Thou commanded Thy servant Moses.

⁸Remember, I beseech Thee, the word that Thou commanded Thy servant Moses, saying, 'If ye transgress, I will scatter you abroad among the nations;

⁹but if ye turn unto Me, and keep My commandments and do them, though there were some of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the heaven, yet will I gather them from thence, and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set My name there.'

¹⁰Now these are Thy servants and Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed by Thy great power and by Thy strong hand.

¹¹O Lord, I beseech Thee, let now Thine ear be attentive to the prayer of Thy servant, and to the prayer of Thy servants who desire to fear Thy name; and prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man." For I was the king's cupbearer.

2And it came to pass in the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him; and I took up the wine and gave it unto the king. Now I had not before been sad in his presence.

²Therefore the king said unto me, "Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? This is nothing else but sorrow of heart." Then I was very sore afraid,

³and said unto the king, "Let the king live for ever. Why should not my countenance be sad when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchers, lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?"

⁴Then the king said unto me, "For what dost thou make request?" So I prayed to the God of heaven.

⁵And I said unto the king, "If it please the king, and if thy servant have found favor in thy sight, that thou wouldest send me unto Judah,unto the city of my fathers' sepulchers, that I may build it."

⁶And the king said unto me (the queen also sitting by him), "For how long shall thy journey be? And when wilt thou return?" So it pleased the king to send me, and I set him a time.

⁷Moreover I said unto the king, "If it please the king, let letters be given me to the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over until I come into Judah,

⁸also a letter unto Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the palace which appertained to the house, and for the wall of the city and for the house that I shall enter into." And the king granted me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.

⁹Then I came to the governors beyond the river, and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent captains of the army and horsemen with me.

¹⁰When Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there had come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.

¹¹So I came to Jerusalem and was there three days.

¹²And I arose in the night, I and some few men with me. Neither told I any man what my God had put in my heart to do at Jerusalem; neither was there any beast with me, except the beast that I rode upon.

¹³And I went out by night by the Gate of the Valley, even before the Dragon Well and to the dung port, and viewed the walls of Jerusalem which were broken down, and the gates thereof were consumed with fire.

¹⁴Then I went on to the Gate of the Fountain and to the King's Pool, but there was no place for the beast that was under me to pass.

¹⁵Then went I up in the night by the brook and viewed the wall, and turned back and entered by the Gate of the Valley, and so returned.

¹⁶And the rulers knew not whither I went or what I did; neither had I as yet told it to the Jews, nor to the priests, nor to the nobles, nor to the rulers, nor to the rest who did the work.

¹⁷Then said I unto them, "Ye see the distress that we are in, how Jerusalem lieth waste, and the gates thereof are burned with fire. Come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we be no more a reproach."

¹⁸Then I told them of the hand of my God which was good upon me, as also the king's words that he had spoken unto me. And they said, "Let us rise up and build." So they strengthened their hands for this good work.

¹⁹But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn and despised us, and said, "What is this thing that ye do? Will ye rebel against the king?"

²⁰Then answered I them and said unto them, "The God of heaven, He will prosper us. Therefore we His servants will arise and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial in Jerusalem."

3Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They sanctified it and set up the doors of it; even unto the Tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the Tower of Hananeel.

²And next to him built the men of Jericho. And next to them built Zaccur the son of Imri.

³But the Fish Gate did the sons of Hassenaah build, who also laid the beams thereof and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof and the bars thereof.

⁴And next unto them repaired Meremoth the son of Urijah, the son of Koz. And next unto them repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah, the son of Meshezabeel. And next unto them repaired Zadok the son of Baana.

⁵And next unto them the Tekoites repaired; but their nobles put not their necks to the work of their LORD.

⁶Moreover Jehoiada the son of Paseah and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah repaired the Old Gate; they laid the beams thereof, and set up the doors thereof and the locks thereof and the bars thereof.

⁷And next unto them Melatiah the Gibeonite and Jadon the Meronothite, the men of Gibeon and of Mizpah, repaired unto the throne of the governor on this side of the river.

⁸Next unto him Uzziel the son of Harhaiah, of the goldsmiths, repaired. Next unto him also repaired Hananiah the son of one of the apothecaries; and they fortified Jerusalem unto the Broad Wall.

⁹And next unto them Rephaiah the son of Hur, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, repaired.

¹⁰And next unto them Jedaiah the son of Harumaph repaired, even opposite his house. And next unto him Hattush the son of Hashabniah repaired.

¹¹Malchijah the son of Harim and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab repaired the other piece, and the Tower of the Furnaces.

¹²And next unto him Shallum the son of Hallohesh, the ruler of the half part of Jerusalem, repaired -- he and his daughters.

¹³The Valley Gate was repaired by Hanun and the inhabitants of Zanoah; they built it and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof and the bars thereof, and a thousand cubits on the wall unto the Dung Gate.

¹⁴But Malchijah the son of Rechab, the ruler of part of Bethhaccerem repaired the Dung Gate; he built it and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof and the bars thereof.

¹⁵But the Gate of the Fountain Shallun the son of Colhozeh, the ruler of part of Mizpah, repaired; he built it and covered it, and set up the doors thereof, the locks thereof and the bars thereof, and the wall of the Pool of Shelah by the king's garden and unto the stairs that go down from the City of David.

¹⁶After him Nehemiah the son of Azbuk, the ruler of the half part of Bethzur, repaired unto the place opposite the sepulchers of David, and to the pool that was made and unto the House of the Mighty.

¹⁷After him repaired the Levites, Rehum the son of Bani. Next unto him repaired Hashabiah, the ruler of the half part of Keilah, in his part.

¹⁸After him repaired their brethren, Bavai the son of Henadad, the ruler of the half part of Keilah.

¹⁹And next to him Ezer the son of Jeshua, the ruler of Mizpah, repaired another piece opposite the ascent to the armory at the turning of the wall.

²⁰After him Baruch the son of Zabbai earnestly repaired the other piece, from the turning of the wall unto the door of the house of Eliashib the high priest.

²¹After him Meremoth the son of Urijah the son of Koz repaired another piece, from the door of the house of Eliashib even to the end of the house of Eliashib.

²²And after him repaired the priests, the men of the plain.

²³After him repaired Benjamin and Hashub opposite their house. After him repaired Azariah the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ananiah, by his house.

²⁴After him Binnui the son of Henadad repaired another piece, from the house of Azariah unto the turning of the wall, even unto the corner.

²⁵Palal the son of Uzai made repairs opposite the turning of the wall, and the tower which lieth out from the king's high house that was by the court of the prison; after him Pedaiah the son of Parosh.

²⁶Moreover the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel unto the place opposite the Water Gate toward the east, and the tower that lieth out.

²⁷After them the Tekoites repaired another piece, opposite the great tower that lieth out, even unto the wall of Ophel.

²⁸From above the Horse Gate repaired the priests, every one opposite his house.

²⁹After them Zadok the son of Immer repaired opposite his house. After him repaired also Shemaiah the son of Shechaniah, the keeper of the East Gate.

³⁰After him Hananiah the son of Shelemiah and Hanun the sixth son of Zalaph repaired another piece. After him repaired Meshullam the son of Berechiah opposite his chamber.

³¹After him Malchijah the goldsmith's son repaired unto the place of the Nethinim and of the merchants, opposite the Gate Miphkad and to the ascent of the corner chamber.

³²And between the ascent of the corner unto the Sheep Gate repaired the goldsmiths and the merchants.

4But it came to pass that when Sanballat heard that we were building the wall, he was wroth and felt great indignation and mocked the Jews.

²And he spoke before his brethren and the army of Samaria, and said, "What are these feeble Jews doing? Will they fortify themselves? Will they make sacrifice? Will they finish it in a day? Will they revive the stones out of the heaps of the rubbish which are burned?"

³Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, "Indeed that which they build, if a fox go up, even he shall break down their stone wall."

⁴Hear, O our God, for we are despised; and turn their reproach upon their own head, and give them as a prey in the land of captivity.

⁵And cover not their iniquity, and let not their sin be blotted out from before Thee; for they have provoked Thee to anger before the builders.

⁶So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

⁷But it came to pass that when Sanballat and Tobiah and the Arabians and the Ammonites and the Ashdodites heard that the walls of Jerusalem were being rebuilt, and that the breaches began to be stopped, then they were very wroth,

⁸and conspired all of them together to come and to fight against Jerusalem and to hinder it.

⁹Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.

¹⁰And Judah said, "The strength of the bearers of burdens is decayed, and there is much rubbish, so that we are not able to build the wall."

¹¹And our adversaries said, "They shall not know, neither see, until we come in the midst among them and slay them and cause the work to cease."

¹²And it came to pass that when the Jews who dwelt by them came, they said unto us ten times, "From all places whence ye shall return unto us, they will be upon you."

¹³Therefore set I men in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places; I even set the people by families with their swords, their spears, and their bows.

¹⁴And I looked, and rose up, and said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "Be not ye afraid of them; remember the Lord, who is great and fearsome, and fight for your brethren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses."

¹⁵And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.

¹⁶And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields and the bows and the jackets of mail; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah.

¹⁷Those who built on the wall and those who bore burdens with those who loaded -- every one with one of his hands wrought in the work and with the other hand held a weapon.

¹⁸For the builders, every one, had his sword girded by his side, and so built. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me.

¹⁹And I said unto the nobles and to the rulers and to the rest of the people, "The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another.

²⁰In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us. Our God shall fight for us."

²¹So we labored in the work; and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning until the stars appeared.

²²Likewise at the same time said I unto the people, "Let every one with his servant lodge within Jerusalem, that in the night they may be a guard to us, and labor in the day."

²³So neither I, nor my brethren, nor my servants, nor the men of the guard who followed me, none of us, put off our clothes, except that every one put them off for washing.

5And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.

²For there were those who said, "We, our sons and our daughters are many; therefore we take up corn for them, that we may eat and live."

³There were some also who said, "We have mortgaged our lands, vineyards, and houses, that we might buy corn because of the dearth."

⁴There were also those who said, "We have borrowed money for the king's tribute, and that upon our lands and vineyards.

⁵Yet now our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, our children as their children; and lo, we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants, and some of our daughters are brought unto bondage already; neither is it in our power to redeem them, for other men have our lands and vineyards."

⁶And I was very angry when I heard their cry and these words.

⁷Then I consulted with myself, and I rebuked the nobles and the rulers and said unto them, "Ye exact usury, every one from his brother." And I set a great assembly against them.

⁸And I said unto them, "We, according to our ability, have redeemed our brethren the Jews who were sold unto the heathen. And will ye even sell your brethren? Or shall they be sold unto us?" Then they held their peace, and found nothing to answer.

⁹Also I said, "It is not good what ye do. Ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the heathen, our enemies?

¹⁰I likewise, and my brethren and my servants, might exact from them money and corn; I pray you, let us leave off this usury.

¹¹Restore, I pray you, to them even this day their lands, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money and of the corn, the wine, and the oil that ye exact from them."

¹²Then said they, "We will restore them, and will require nothing of them. So will we do as thou sayest." Then I called the priests and took an oath from them, that they should do according to this promise.

¹³Also I shook my lap, and said, "So God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who performeth not this promise; eventhus be he shaken out and emptied." And all the congregation said, "Amen," and praised the LORD. And the people did according to this promise.

¹⁴Moreover, from the time that I was appointed to be their governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year even unto the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king (that is, twelve years), I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor.

¹⁵But the former governors who had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken from them bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver. Yea, even their servants ruled over the people, but so did I not, because of the fear of God.

¹⁶Yea, also I continued in the work of this wall, neither bought we any land; and all my servants were gathered thither for the work.

¹⁷Moreover there were at my table a hundred and fifty of the Jews and rulers, besides those who came unto us from among the heathen who are about us.

¹⁸Now that which was prepared for me daily was one ox and six choice sheep; also fowls were prepared for me, and once in ten days, a store of all sorts of wine; yet for all this I required not the bread of the governor, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.

¹⁹Think upon me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people.

6Now it came to pass, when Sanballat and Tobiah and Geshem the Arabian and the rest of our enemies heard that I had built the wall and that there was no breach left therein (though at that time I had not set up the doors upon the gates),

²that Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, "Come, let us meet together in one of the villages in the plain of Ono." But they thought to do me mischief.

³And I sent messengers unto them, saying, "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. Why should the work cease, whilst I leave it and come down to you?"

⁴Yet they sent unto me four times in this manner, and I answered them in the same manner.

⁵Then Sanballat sent his servant unto me in like manner the fifth time with an open letter in his hand,

⁶wherein was written: "It is reported among the heathen, and Geshem saith it, that thou and the Jews think to rebel; for which cause thou buildest the wall, that thou mayest be their king according to these words.

⁷And thou hast also appointed prophets to preach of thee at Jerusalem, saying, 'There is a king in Judah!' And now shall it be reported to the king according to these words. Come now therefore, and let us take counsel together."

⁸Then I sent unto him, saying, "There are no such things done as thou sayest, but thou feignest them out of thine own heart."

⁹For they all made us afraid, saying, "Their hands shall be weakened from the work, that it be not done." Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

¹⁰Afterward I came unto the house of Shemaiah the son of Delaiah the son of Mehetabeel, who was shut up; and he said, "Let us meet together in the house of God, within the temple, and let us shut the doors of the temple; for they will come to slay thee, yea, in the night will they come to slay thee."

¹¹And I said, "Should such a man as I flee? And who is there that, being as I am, would go into the temple to save his life? I will not go in."

¹²And lo, I perceived that God had not sent him, but that he pronounced this prophecy against me; for Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

¹³Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin, and that they might have cause for an evil report, that they might reproach me.

¹⁴My God, think Thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat according to these their works, and on the prophetess Noadiah and the rest of the prophets who would have put me in fear.

¹⁵So the wall was finished in the twenty and fifth day of the month of Elul, in fifty and two days.

¹⁶And it came to pass that when all our enemies heard thereof, and all the heathen who were about us saw these things, they were much cast down in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was wrought by our God.

¹⁷Moreover in those days the nobles of Judah sent many letters unto Tobiah, and the letters of Tobiah came unto them.

¹⁸For there were many in Judah sworn unto him, because he was the son-in-law of Shechaniah the son of Arah, and his son Jehohanan had taken the daughter of Meshullam the son of Berechiah.

¹⁹Also they reported his good deeds before me, and uttered my words to him. And Tobiah sent letters to put me in fear.

7Now it came to pass, when the wall was built and I had set up the doors, and the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed,

²that I gave my brother Hanani, and Hananiah the ruler of the palace, charge over Jerusalem, for he was a faithful man and feared God above many.

³And I said unto them, "Let not the gates of Jerusalem be opened until the sun be hot; and while they stand by, let them shut the doors and bar them. And appoint watches of the inhabitants of Jerusalem, every one in his watch, and every one to be opposite his house."

⁴Now the city was large and great, but the people were few therein, and the houses were not built.

⁵And my God put into mine heart to gather together the nobles and the rulers and the people, that they might be reckoned by genealogy. And I found a register of the genealogy of those who came up at the first, and found written therein:

⁶these are the children of the province who went up out of the captivity, of those who had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city,

⁷who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Azariah, Raamiah, Nahamani, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispereth, Bigvai, Nehum, Baanah. The number, I say, of the men of the people of Israel was this:

⁸the children of Parosh, two thousand a hundred seventy and two;

⁹the children of Shephatiah, three hundred seventy and two;

¹⁰the children of Arah, six hundred fifty and two;

¹¹the children of Pahathmoab, of the children of Jeshua and Joab, two thousand and eight hundred and eighteen;

¹²the children of Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four;

¹³the children of Zattu, eight hundred forty and five;

¹⁴the children of Zaccai, seven hundred and threescore;

¹⁵the children of Binnui, six hundred forty and eight;

¹⁶the children of Bebai, six hundred twenty and eight;

¹⁷the children of Azgad, two thousand three hundred twenty and two;

¹⁸the children of Adonikam, six hundred threescore and seven;

¹⁹the children of Bigvai, two thousand threescore and seven;

²⁰the children of Adin, six hundred fifty and five;

²¹the children of Ater of Hezekiah, ninety and eight;

²²the children of Hashum, three hundred twenty and eight;

²³the children of Bezai, three hundred twenty and four;

²⁴the children of Hariph, a hundred and twelve;

²⁵the children of Gibeon, ninety and five;

²⁶the men of Bethlehem and Netophah, a hundred fourscore and eight;

²⁷the men of Anathoth, a hundred twenty and eight;

²⁸the men of Bethazmaveth, forty and two;

²⁹the men of Kirjathjearim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, seven hundred forty and three;

³⁰the men of Ramah and Geba, six hundred twenty and one;

³¹the men of Michmas, a hundred and twenty and two;

³²the men of Bethel and Ai, a hundred twenty and three;

³³the men of the other Nebo, fifty and two;

³⁴the children of the other Elam, a thousand two hundred fifty and four;

³⁵the children of Harim, three hundred and twenty;

³⁶the children of Jericho, three hundred forty and five;

³⁷the children of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, seven hundred twenty and one;

³⁸the children of Senaah, three thousand nine hundred and thirty.

³⁹The priests: the children of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, nine hundred seventy and three;

⁴⁰the children of Immer, a thousand fifty and two;

⁴¹the children of Pashhur, a thousand two hundred forty and seven;

⁴²the children of Harim, a thousand and seventeen.

⁴³The Levites: the children of Jeshua, of Kadmiel and of the children of Hodevah, seventy and four.

⁴⁴The singers: the children of Asaph, a hundred forty and eight.

⁴⁵The gatekeepers: the children of Shallum, the children of Ater, the children of Talmon, the children of Akkub, the children of Hatita, the children of Shobai, a hundred thirty and eight.

⁴⁶The Nethinim: the children of Ziha, the children of Hasupha, the children of Tabbaoth,

⁴⁷the children of Keros, the children of Sia, the children of Padon,

⁴⁸the children of Lebana, the children of Hagaba, the children of Shalmai,

⁴⁹the children of Hanan, the children of Giddel, the children of Gahar,

⁵⁰the children of Reaiah, the children of Rezin, the children of Nekoda,

⁵¹the children of Gazzam, the children of Uzza, the children of Paseah,

⁵²the children of Besai, the children of Meunim, the children of Nephishesim,

⁵³the children of Bakbuk, the children of Hakupha, the children of Harhur,

⁵⁴the children of Bazlith, the children of Mehida, the children of Harsha,

⁵⁵the children of Barkos, the children of Sisera, the children of Tamah,

⁵⁶the children of Neziah, the children of Hatipha.

⁵⁷The children of Solomon's servants: the children of Sotai, the children of Sophereth, the children of Perida,

⁵⁸the children of Jaala, the children of Darkon, the children of Giddel,

⁵⁹the children of Shephatiah, the children of Hattil, the children of Pochereth of Zebaim, the children of Amon.

⁶⁰All the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants were three hundred ninety and two.

⁶¹And these were the ones who went up also from Telmelah, Telharesha, Cherub, Addon, and Immer; but they could not show their father's house nor their seed, whether they were of Israel.

⁶²The children of Delaiah, the children of Tobiah, the children of Nekoda, six hundred forty and two.

⁶³And of the priests: the children of Habaiah, the children of Koz, the children of Barzillai, who took one of the daughters of Barzillai the Gileadite for a wife, and was called after their name.

⁶⁴These sought their register among those who were reckoned by genealogy, but it was not found; therefore they were as polluted, put from the priesthood.

⁶⁵And the governor said unto them that they should not eat of the most holy things until there stood up a priest with Urim and Thummim.

⁶⁶The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand three hundred and threescore,

⁶⁷besides their manservants and their maidservants, of whom there were seven thousand three hundred thirty and seven; and they had two hundred forty and five singing men and singing women.

⁶⁸Their horses, seven hundred thirty and six; their mules, two hundred forty and five;

⁶⁹their camels, four hundred thirty and five; six thousand seven hundred and twenty asses.

⁷⁰And some of the chief of the fathers gave unto the work. The governor gave to the treasury a thousand drams of gold, fifty basins, five hundred and thirty priests' garments.

⁷¹And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasury of the work twenty thousand drams of gold and two thousand and two hundred pounds of silver.

⁷²And that which the rest of the people gave was twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand pounds of silver, and threescore and seven priests' garments.

⁷³So the priests, and the Levites, and the gatekeepers, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinim, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; and when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

8And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the Water Gate; and they spoke unto Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

²And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

³And he read therein before the street that was before the Water Gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the Book of the Law.

⁴And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah, and Urijah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah and Mishael and Malchijah, and Hashum and Hashbadana,Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people), and when he opened it all the people stood up.

⁶And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," while lifting up their hands; and they bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

⁷Also Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stood in their place.

⁸So they read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly, and gave the sense and caused them to understand the reading.

⁹And Nehemiah, who is the governor, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said unto all the people, "This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

¹⁰Then he said unto them, "Go your way, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions unto those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy unto our LORD; neither be ye sorry, for the joy of the LORD is your strength."

¹¹So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, "Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved."

¹²And all the people went their way to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

¹³And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.

¹⁴And they found written in the law, which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month;

¹⁵and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches and pine branches and myrtle branches, and palm branches and branches of thick trees to make booths, as it is written."

¹⁶So the people went forth, and brought them and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the Water Gate and in the street of the Gate of Ephraim.

¹⁷And all the congregation of those who had come again out of the captivity made booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.

¹⁸Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.

9Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting and with sackcloth and earth upon them.

²And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

³And they stood up in their place and read in the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for onefourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed and worshiped the LORD their God.

⁴Then stood up upon the stairs of the Levites, Jeshua and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.

⁵Then the Levites, Jeshua and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said: "Stand up and bless the LORD your God for ever and ever! And blessed be Thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise!

⁶Thou, even Thou, art LORD alone; Thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their host, the earth and all things that are therein, the seas and all that is therein; and Thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshipeth Thee.

⁷Thou art the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

⁸and foundest his heart faithful before Thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites and the Girgashites--to give it, I say, to his seed, and hast performed Thy words, for Thou art righteous"

⁹and didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red Sea;

¹⁰and showedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh and on all his servants and on all the people of his land. For Thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst Thou get Thee a name, as it is this day.

¹¹And Thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors Thou threwest into the deep, as a stone into the mighty waters.

¹²Moreover Thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar, and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

¹³Thou camest down also upon Mount Sinai and spokest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments and true laws, good statutes and commandments;

¹⁴and madest known unto them Thy holy Sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws by the hand of Moses Thy servant;

¹⁵and gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which Thou hadst sworn to give them.

¹⁶"But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks and hearkened not to Thy commandments.

¹⁷And they refused to obey, neither were mindful of Thy wonders that Thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage. But Thou art a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

¹⁸Yea, when they had made them a molten calf and said, 'This is thy God who brought thee up out of Egypt,' and had wrought great provocations,

¹⁹yet Thou in Thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness. The pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to show them light and the way wherein they should go.

²⁰Thou gavest also Thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not Thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

²¹Yea, forty years didst Thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old and their feet swelled not.

²²Moreover Thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners; so they possessed the land of Sihon and the land of the king of Heshbon and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

²³Their children also did Thou multiply as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land which Thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess it.

²⁴So the children went in and possessed the land, and Thou did subdue before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

²⁵And they took strong cities and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells dug out, vineyards and olive yards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in Thy great goodness.

²⁶"Nevertheless they were disobedient and rebelled against Thee, and cast Thy law behind their backs, and slew Thy prophets who testified against them to turn them to Thee; and they wrought great provocations.

²⁷Therefore Thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them. And in the time of their trouble when they cried unto Thee, Thou heardest them from heaven; and according to Thy manifold mercies Thou gavest them saviors who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

²⁸"But after they had rest, they did evil again before Thee. Therefore leftest Thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them; yet when they returned and cried unto Thee, Thou heardest them from heaven. And many times didst Thou deliver them according to Thy mercies,

²⁹and testifiedst against them, that Thou mightest bring them again unto Thy law. Yet they dealt proudly and hearkened not unto Thy commandments, but sinned against Thy judgments (which if a man do, he shall live in them), and withdrew the shoulder and hardened their neck and would not hear.

³⁰"Yet many years didst Thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by Thy Spirit in Thy prophets. Yet would they not give ear; therefore gavest Thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

³¹Nevertheless for Thy great mercies' sake Thou did not utterly consume them nor forsake them, for Thou art a gracious and merciful God.

³²"Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the fearsome God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before Thee that hath come upon us--on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all Thy people since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

³³Nevertheless, Thou art just in all that is brought upon us; for Thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly.

³⁴Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers kept Thy law, nor hearkened unto Thy commandments and Thy testimonies, wherewith Thou didst testify against them.

³⁵For they have not served Thee in their kingdom, and in Thy great goodness that Thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which Thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

³⁶Behold, we are servants this day; and for the land that Thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we are servants in it.

³⁷And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom Thou hast set over us because of our sins; also they have dominion over our bodies and over our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in great distress.

³⁸"And because of all this, we make a sure covenant, and write it; and our princes, Levites, and priests set their seal unto it."

10Now those who sealed were: Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hachaliah, and Zedekiah,

²Seraiah, Azariah, Jeremiah,

³Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

⁴Hattush, Shebaniah, Malluch,

⁵Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

⁶Daniel, Ginnethon, Baruch,

⁷Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

⁸Maaziah, Bilgai, Shemaiah; these were the priests.

⁹And the Levites: both Jeshua the son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel.

¹⁰And their brethren: Shebaniah, Hodijah, Kelita, Pelaiah, Hanan,

¹¹Micha, Rehob, Hashabiah,

¹²Zaccur, Sherebiah, Shebaniah,

¹³Hodijah, Bani, Beninu.

¹⁴The chief of the people: Parosh, Pahathmoab, Elam, Zattu, Bani,

¹⁵Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

¹⁶Adonijah, Bigvai, Adin,

¹⁷Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

¹⁸Hodijah, Hashum, Bezai,

¹⁹Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

²⁰Magpiash, Meshullam, Hezir,

²¹Meshezabeel, Zadok, Jaddua,

²²Pelatiah, Hanan, Anaiah,

²³Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

²⁴Hallohesh, Pilha, Shobek,

²⁵Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

²⁶and Ahijah, Hanan, Anan,

²⁷Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

²⁸And the rest of the people --the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the Nethinim, and all those who had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God, their wives, their sons and their daughters, every one having knowledge and having understanding

²⁹they cleaved to their brethren, their nobles, and entered into a curse and into an oath to walk in God's law, which was given by Moses the servant of God, and to observe and do all the commandments of the LORD our Lord, and His judgments and His statutes;

³⁰and that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons;

³¹and if the people of the land bring wares or any victuals on the Sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it from them on the Sabbath or on the holy day; and that we would leave the seventh year and the exaction of every debt.

³²Also we made ordinances for us to charge ourselves yearly with the third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

³³for the showbread, and for the continual meat offering, and for the continual burnt offering of the Sabbaths, of the new moons, for the set feasts, and for the holy things, and for the sin offerings to make an atonement for Israel, and for all the work of the house of our God.

³⁴And we cast the lots among the priests, the Levites, and the people for the wood offering, to bring it into the house of our God according to the houses of our fathers, at times appointed year by year to burn upon the altar of the LORD our God, as it is written in the law;

³⁵and to bring the firstfruits of our ground and the firstfruits of all fruit of all trees, year by year, unto the house of the LORD;

³⁶also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle (as it is written in the law) and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests who minister in the house of our God;

³⁷and that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests to the chambers of the house of our God, and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.

³⁸And the priest the son of Aaron shall be with the Levites when the Levites take tithes; and the Levites shall bring up a tenth of the tithes unto the house of our God, to the chambers, into the treasure house.

³⁹For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the offering of the corn, of the new wine, and the oil, unto the chambers where are the vessels of the sanctuary and the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and the singers. And we will not forsake the house of our God.

11And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem; the rest of the people also cast lots to bring one of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city, and nine parts to dwell in other cities.

²And the people blessed all the men who willingly offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem.

³Now these are the chief of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem; but in the cities of Judah dwelt every one in his possession in their cities, to wit: Israel, the priests, and the Levites, and the Nethinim, and the children of Solomon's servants.

⁴And at Jerusalem dwelt certain of the children of Judah and of the children of Benjamin. Of the children of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah,the son of Mahalaleel, of the children of Perez;

⁵and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Colhozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni.

⁶All the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were four hundred threescore and eight valiant men.

⁷And these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah.

⁸And after him Gabbai and Sallai, nine hundred twenty and eight.

⁹And Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer; and Judah the son of Senuah was second over the city.

¹⁰Of the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin.

¹¹Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, was the ruler of the house of God.

¹²And their brethren who did the work of the house were eight hundred twenty and two; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

¹³and his brethren, chief of the fathers, were two hundred forty and two; and Amashai the son of Azareel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

¹⁴and their brethren, mighty men of valor, were a hundred twenty and eight; and their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great men.

¹⁵Also of the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

¹⁶and Shabbethai and Jozabad, of the chief of the Levites, had the oversight of the outside business of the house of God.

¹⁷And Mattaniah the son of Micha, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, was the principal to begin the thanksgiving in prayer, and Bakbukiah the second among his brethren, and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

¹⁸All the Levites in the holy city were two hundred fourscore and four.

¹⁹Moreover the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the gates, were a hundred seventy and two.

²⁰And the residue of Israel, of the priests, and the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, every one in his inheritance.

²¹But the Nethinim dwelt in Ophel; and Ziha and Gishpa were over the Nethinim.

²²The overseer also of the Levites at Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micha. Of the sons of Asaph, the singers were over the business of the house of God.

²³For it was the king's commandment concerning them, that a certain portion should be for the singers, due for every day.

²⁴And Pethahiah the son of Meshezabeel, of the children of Zerah the son of Judah, was at the king's hand in all matters concerning the people.

²⁵And for the villages with their fields, some of the children of Judah dwelt at Kirjatharba and in the villages thereof, and at Dibon and in the villages thereof, and at Jekabzeel and in the villages thereof,

²⁶and at Jeshua, and at Moladah, and at Bethphelet,

²⁷and at Hazarshual and at Beersheba and in the villages thereof,

²⁸and at Ziklag and at Meconah and in the villages thereof;

²⁹and at Enrimmon and at Zorah and at Jarmuth,

³⁰Zanoah, Adullam, and in their villages; at Lachish and the fields thereof, at Azekah and in the villages thereof. And they dwelt from Beersheba unto the valley of Hinnom.

³¹The children also of Benjamin from Geba dwelt at Michmash, and Aija and Bethel and in their villages,

³²and at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

³³Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

³⁴Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

³⁵Lod, and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

³⁶And of the Levites were divisions in Judah, and in Benjamin.

12Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

²Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

³Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

⁴Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

⁵Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

⁶Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

⁷Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

⁸Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the psalms of thanksgiving, he and his brethren.

⁹Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were opposite them in the watches.

¹⁰And Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim also begot Eliashib, and Eliashib begot Joiada,

¹¹and Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

¹²And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

¹³of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

¹⁴of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

¹⁵of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

¹⁶of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

¹⁷of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

¹⁸of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

¹⁹and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

²⁰of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

²¹of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

²²The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers; also the priests, until the reign of Darius the Persian.

²³The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the Chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

²⁴And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch opposite watch.

²⁵Mattaniah and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the watch at the thresholds of the gates.

²⁶These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

²⁷And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

²⁸And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

²⁹also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages round about Jerusalem.

³⁰And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people and the gates and the wall.

³¹Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of those who gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the Dung Gate;

³²and after them went Hoshaiah and half of the princes of Judah,

³³and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

³⁴Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

³⁵and certain of the priests' sons with trumpets, namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;

³⁶and his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

³⁷And at the Fountain Gate, which was opposite them, they went up by the stairs of the City of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the Water Gate eastward.

³⁸And the other company of those who gave thanks went opposite them, and I after them with half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the Tower of the Furnaces even unto the Broad Wall,

³⁹and from above the Gate of Ephraim and above the Old Gate, and above the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananeel and the Tower of Meah, even unto the Sheep Gate; and they stood still at the Prison Gate.

⁴⁰So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and half of the rulers with me;

⁴¹and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

⁴²and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

⁴³Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the wives also and the children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

⁴⁴And at that time some were appointed over the chambers of the treasuries for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who waited.

⁴⁵And both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the watch of their God and the watch of the purification, according to the commandment of David and of Solomon his son.

⁴⁶For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

⁴⁷And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, every day his portion; and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites, and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.

13On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the audience of the people, and therein was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God, ever,

²because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them. However that be, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

³Now it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

⁴And before this, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, was allied unto Tobiah.

⁵And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where previously they laid the meat offerings, the frankincense and the vessels and the tithes of the corn, the new wine and the oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers, and the offerings of the priests.

⁶But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came unto the king, and after certain days I obtained leave from the king.

⁷And I came to Jerusalem and learned of the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

⁸And it grieved me sore; therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.

⁹Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and thither I brought back the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering and the frankincense.

¹⁰And I perceived that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled every one to his field.

¹¹Then I contended with the rulers and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

¹²Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the storehouses.

¹³And I made treasurers over the storehouses: Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.

¹⁴Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for the offices thereof.

¹⁵In those days I saw in Judah some treading of wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves and loading them on asses, as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I testified against them as to the day wherein they sold victuals.

¹⁶There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought fish and all manner of wares, and sold on the Sabbath unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem.

¹⁷Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said unto them, "What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the Sabbath day?

¹⁸Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath."

¹⁹And it came to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded that the gates should be shut,and charged that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath; and some of my servants I set at the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day.

²⁰So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

²¹Then I testified against them and said unto them, "Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you." From that time forth they came no more on the Sabbath.

²²And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy.

²³In those days also I saw Jews who had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab;

²⁴and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

²⁵And I contended with them and cursed them, and smote certain of them and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, "Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters unto your sons or for yourselves.

²⁶Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did women from other lands cause to sin.

²⁷Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying foreign wives?"

²⁸And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.

²⁹Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

³⁰Thus I cleansed them from all strangers, and appointed the watches of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business,

³¹and for the wood offering at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

1There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one who feared God and eschewed evil.

²And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters.

³His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred sheasses, and a very great household, so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the East.

⁴And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day, and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

⁵And it was so, that when the days of their feasting were ended, Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said, "It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts." Thus did Job continually.

⁶Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came among them.

⁷And the LORD said unto Satan, "From whence comest thou?" Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down upon it."

⁸And the LORD said unto Satan, "Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who feareth God and escheweth evil?"

⁹Then Satan answered the LORD and said, "Doth Job fear God for nought?

¹⁰Hast not Thou made a hedge about him and about his house, and about all that he hath on every side? Thou hast blessed the work of his hands, and his substance hath increased in the land.

¹¹But put forth Thine hand now and touch all that he hath, and he will curse Thee to Thy face!"

¹²And the LORD said unto Satan, "Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand." So Satan went forth from the presence of the LORD.

¹³And there was a day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

¹⁴and there came a messenger unto Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them,

¹⁵and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them away. Yea, they have slain the servants with the edge of the sword, and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!"

¹⁶While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, "The fire of God hath fallen from heaven, and hath burned up the sheep and the servants, and consumed them; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!"

¹⁷While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, "The Chaldeans made up three bands, and fell upon the camels and have carried them away, yea, and have slain the servants with the edge of the sword; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!"

¹⁸While he was yet speaking, there came also another and said, "Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother's house,

¹⁹and behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only have escaped alone to tell thee!"

²⁰Then Job arose, and rent his mantle and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground and worshiped,

²¹and said, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither. The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD."

²²In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.

2Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD.

²And the LORD said unto Satan, "From whence comest thou?" And Satan answered the LORD and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down upon it."

³And the LORD said unto Satan, "Hast thou considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one who feareth God and escheweth evil? And still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst Me against him to destroy him without cause."

⁴And Satan answered the LORD and said, "Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

⁵But put forth Thine hand now and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse Thee to Thy face!"

⁶And the LORD said unto Satan, "Behold, he is in thine hand; only spare his life."

⁷So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

⁸And he took him a potsherd with which to scrape himself, and he sat down among the ashes.

⁹Then said his wife unto him, "Dost thou still retain thine integrity? Curse God, and die!"

¹⁰But he said unto her, "Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?" In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

¹¹Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that had come upon him, they came every one from his own place: Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite.For they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

¹²And when they lifted up their eyes afar off and knew him not, they lifted up their voice and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

¹³So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word unto him; for they saw that his grief was very great.

3After this opened Job his mouth and cursed his day.

²And Job spoke and said:

³"Let the day perish wherein I was born, and the night in which it was said, 'There is a manchild conceived.'

⁴Let that day be darkness; let not God regard it from above, neither let the light shine upon it.

⁵Let darkness and the shadow of death stain it; let a cloud dwell upon it; let the blackness of the day terrify it.

⁶As for that night, let darkness seize upon it; let it not be joined unto the days of the year, let it not come into the number of the months.

⁷Lo, let that night be solitary; let no joyful voice come therein.

⁸Let them curse it that curse the day, who are ready to raise up their mourning.

⁹Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day,

¹⁰because it shut not up the doors of my mother's womb, nor hid sorrow from mine eyes.

¹¹"Why died I not from the womb? Why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly?

¹²Why did the knees precede me, or why the breasts that I should suck?

¹³For now should I have lain still and been quiet, I should have slept; then would I have been at rest

¹⁴with kings and counselors of the earth, who built desolate places for themselves,

¹⁵or with princes that had gold, who filled their houses with silver;

¹⁶or as a hidden untimely birth I would not have been, as infants who never saw light.

¹⁷There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest.

¹⁸There the prisoners rest together; they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

¹⁹The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master.

²⁰"Why is light given to him that is in misery, and life unto the bitter in soul,

²¹who long for death but it cometh not, and dig for it more than for hidden treasures;

²²who rejoice exceedingly, and are glad when they can find the grave?

²³Why is light given to a man whose way is hid, and whom God hath hedged in?

²⁴For my sighing cometh before I eat, and my roarings are poured out like the waters.

²⁵For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.

²⁶I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came."

4Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

²"If we attempt to commune with thee, wilt thou be grieved? But who can withhold himself from speaking?

³Behold, thou hast instructed many, and thou hast strengthened the weak hands.

⁴Thy words have upheld him that was falling, and thou hast strengthened the feeble knees.

⁵But now it is come upon thee, and thou faintest; it toucheth thee, and thou art troubled.

⁶Is not this thy fear, thy confidence, thy hope, and the uprightness of thy ways?

⁷"Remember, I pray thee, who ever perished, being innocent? Or where were the righteous cut off?

⁸Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same.

⁹By the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of His nostrils are they consumed.

¹⁰The roaring of the lion, and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions are broken.

¹¹The old lion perisheth for lack of prey, and the stout lion's whelps are scattered abroad.

¹²"Now a thing was secretly brought to me, and mine ear received a little thereof.

¹³In thoughts from the visions of the night, when deep sleep falleth on men,

¹⁴fear came upon me and trembling, which made all my bones to shake.

¹⁵Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.

¹⁶It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof; an image was before mine eyes. There was silence and I heard a voice, saying,

¹⁷'Shall mortal man be more just than God? Shall a man be more pure than his Maker?

¹⁸Behold, He put no trust in His servants, and His angels He charged with folly:

¹⁹How much less in them that dwell in houses of clay, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed before the moth?

²⁰They are destroyed from morning to evening; they perish for ever without any regarding it.

²¹Doth not their excellence which is in them go away? They die, even without wisdom.'

5"Call now, if there be any that will answer thee; and to which of the saints wilt thou turn?

²For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.

³I have seen the foolish taking root, but suddenly I cursed his habitation.

⁴His children are far from safety, and they are crushed in the gate, neither is there any to deliver them.

⁵His harvest the hungry eateth up and taketh it even out of the thorns, and the robber swalloweth up their substance.

⁶Although affliction cometh not forth of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the ground;

⁷yet man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward.

⁸"I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause.

⁹He doeth great things and unsearchable, marvelous things without number:

¹⁰He giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields,

¹¹to set up on high those that are low, that those who mourn may be exalted to safety.

¹²He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise.

¹³He taketh the wise in their own craftiness, and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

¹⁴They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night.

¹⁵But He saveth the poor from the sword, from the mouth and from the hand of the mighty.

¹⁶So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

¹⁷"Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth; therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty.

¹⁸For He maketh sore, and bindeth up; He woundeth, and His hands make whole.

¹⁹He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

²⁰In famine He shall redeem thee from death, and in war from the power of the sword.

²¹Thou shalt be hid from the scourge of the tongue, neither shalt thou be afraid of destruction when it cometh.

²²At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh; neither shalt thou be afraid of the beasts of the earth.

²³For thou shalt be in league with the stones of the field, and the beasts of the field shall be at peace with thee.

²⁴And thou shalt know that thy tabernacle shall be in peace; and thou shalt visit thy habitation, and shalt not sin.

²⁵Thou shalt know also that thy seed shall be great, and thine offspring as the grass of the earth.

²⁶Thou shalt come to thy grave at a full age, as a shock of corn cometh in in his season.

²⁷Lo, this we have searched out; so it is. Hear it, and know thou it for thy good."

6But Job answered and said:

²"Oh that my grief were thoroughly weighed, and my calamity laid in the balances together!

³For now it would be heavier than the sand of the sea; therefore my words are swallowed up.

⁴For the arrows of the Almighty are within me; the poison thereof drinketh up my spirit; the terrors of God set themselves in array against me.

⁵Doth the wild ass bray when he hath grass? Or loweth the ox over his fodder?

⁶Can that which is unsavory be eaten without salt? Or is there any taste in the white of an egg?

⁷The things that my soul refused to touch are as my distressing meat.

⁸"Oh that I might have my request, and that God would grant me the thing that I long for:

⁹even that it would please God to destroy me, that He would let loose His hand and cut me off!

¹⁰Then should I yet have comfort; yea, I would harden myself in sorrow. Let Him not spare, for I have not concealed the words of the Holy One.

¹¹What is my strength, that I should hope? And what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?

¹²Is my strength the strength of stones? Or is my flesh of brass?

¹³Is not my help in me? And is wisdom driven quite from me?

¹⁴"To him that is afflicted, pity should be shown by his friend; but he forsaketh the fear of the Almighty.

¹⁵My brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook, and as the stream of brooks they pass away,

¹⁶which are blackish by reason of the ice, and wherein the snow is hid.

¹⁷When in time they wax warm, they vanish; when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place.

¹⁸The paths of their way are turned aside; they go to nothing and perish.

¹⁹The troops of Tema looked; the companies of Sheba waited for them.

²⁰They were confounded because they had hoped; they came thither and were ashamed.

²¹For now ye are nothing; ye see my casting down and are afraid.

²²Did I say, 'Bring unto me'? or, 'Give a reward for me of your substance'?

²³Or, 'Deliver me from the enemy's hand'? or, 'Redeem me from the hand of the mighty'?

²⁴"Teach me, and I will hold my tongue; and cause me to understand wherein I have erred.

²⁵How forceful are right words! But what doth your arguing reprove?

²⁶Do ye imagine to reprove words, and the speeches of one that is desperate, which are as wind?

²⁷Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.

²⁸"Now therefore be content, look upon me; for it is evident unto you if I lie.

²⁹Return, I pray you, let there be no iniquity; yea, return again; my righteousness is in it.

³⁰Is there iniquity on my tongue? Cannot my taste discern perverse things?

7"Is there not an appointed time for man upon earth? Are not his days also like the days of a hireling?

²As a servant earnestly desireth the shadow, and as a hireling looketh for the reward of his work,

³so am I made to possess months of vanity, and wearisome nights are appointed to me.

⁴When I lie down, I say, 'When shall I arise and the night be gone?' And I am full of tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day.

⁵My flesh is clothed with worms and clods of dust; my skin is broken, and has become loathsome.

⁶My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle, and are spent without hope.

⁷"O remember that my life is wind; mine eye shall no more see good.

⁸The eye of him that hath seen me shall see me no more; Thine eyes are upon me, and I am not.

⁹As the cloud is consumed and vanisheth away, so he that goeth down to the grave shall come up no more.

¹⁰He shall return no more to his house, neither shall his place know him any more.

¹¹Therefore I will not restrain my mouth; I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain in the bitterness of my soul.

¹²Am I a sea, or a whale, that Thou settest a watch over me?

¹³When I say, 'My bed shall comfort me, my couch shall ease my complaint,'

¹⁴then Thou scarest me with dreams and terrifiest me through visions,

¹⁵so that my soul chooseth strangling, and death rather than my life.

¹⁶I loathe it; I would not live always. Let me alone, for my days are vanity.

¹⁷"What is man, that Thou shouldest magnify him, and that Thou shouldest set Thine heart upon him?

¹⁸And that Thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?

¹⁹How long wilt Thou not depart from me, nor let me alone till I swallow down my spittle?

²⁰I have sinned. What shall I do unto Thee, O Thou preserver of men? Why hast Thou set me as a mark against Thee, so that I am a burden to myself?

²¹And why dost Thou not pardon my transgression, and take away mine iniquity? For now shall I sleep in the dust, and Thou shalt seek me in the morning, but I shall not be."

8Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said:

²"How long wilt thou speak these things? And how long shall the words of thy mouth be like a strong wind?

³Doth God pervert judgment? Or doth the Almighty pervert justice?

⁴If thy children have sinned against Him and He have cast them away for their transgression,

⁵if thou wouldest seek unto God speedily and make thy supplication to the Almighty,

⁶if thou wert pure and upright, surely now He would awake for thee and make the habitation of thy righteousness prosperous.

⁷Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.

⁸"For inquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself for the searching of their fathers;

⁹for we are but of yesterday and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.

¹⁰Shall not they teach thee and tell thee, and utter words out of their heart?

¹¹Can the rush grow up without mire? Can the reed grow without water?

¹²Whilst it is yet in his greenness and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb.

¹³So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish,

¹⁴whose hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be a spider's web.

¹⁵He shall lean upon his house, but it shall not stand; he shall hold it fast, but it shall not endure.

¹⁶He is green before the sun, and his branch shooteth forth in his garden.

¹⁷His roots are wrapped about the heap, and seeth the place of stones.

¹⁸If he destroy him from his place, then it shall deny him, saying, 'I have not seen thee.'

¹⁹Behold, this is the joy of His way, and out of the earth shall others grow.

²⁰"Behold, God will not cast away a perfect man, neither will He help the evildoers,

²¹till He fill thy mouth with laughing and thy lips with rejoicing.

²²They that hate thee shall be clothed with shame, and the dwelling place of the wicked shall come to nought."

9Then Job answered and said:

²"I know in truth it is so, but how should man be just before God?

³If he will contend with Him, he cannot answer Him one in a thousand.

⁴He is wise in heart, and mighty in strength: who hath hardened himself against Him and hath prospered--

⁵Who removeth the mountains, and they know not; Who overturneth them in His anger;

⁶Who shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble;

⁷Who commandeth the sun, and it riseth not, and sealeth up the stars;

⁸Who alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea;

⁹Who maketh Arcturus, Orion and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south;

¹⁰Who doeth great things past finding out, yea, and wonders without number?

¹¹Lo, He goeth by me, and I see Him not; He passeth on also, but I perceive Him not.

¹²Behold, He taketh away. Who can hinder Him? Who will say unto him, 'What doest Thou?'

¹³"If God will not withdraw His anger, the proud helpers do stoop under Him.

¹⁴How much less shall I answer Him, and choose out my words to reason with Him--

¹⁵whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer, but I would make supplication to my Judge?

¹⁶If I had called and He had answered me, yet would I not believe that He had hearkened unto my voice.

¹⁷For He breaketh me with a tempest, and multiplieth my wounds without cause.

¹⁸He will not suffer me to take my breath, but filleth me with bitterness.

¹⁹If I speak of strength, lo, He is strong; and if of judgment, who shall set me a time to plead?

²⁰If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me; if I say, 'I am perfect,' it shall also prove me perverse.

²¹Though I were perfect, yet would I not know my soul; I would despise my life.

²²This is all one thing. Therefore I said it: 'He destroyeth the perfect and the wicked.'

²³If the scourge slay suddenly, He will laugh at the trial of the innocent.

²⁴The earth is given into the hand of the wicked. He covereth the faces of the judges thereof. If not, where and who is He?

²⁵"Now my days are swifter than a courier; they flee away, they see no good.

²⁶They are passed away as the swift ships, as the eagle that hasteneth to the prey.

²⁷If I say, 'I will forget my complaint, I will leave off my heaviness and comfort myself,'

²⁸I am afraid of all my sorrows; I know that Thou wilt not hold me innocent.

²⁹If I be wicked, why then labor I in vain?

³⁰If I wash myself with snow water and make my hands never so clean,

³¹yet shalt Thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me.

³²For He is not a man as I am, that I should answer Him and we should come together in judgment.

³³Neither is there any mediator between us who might lay his hand upon us both.

³⁴Let Him take His rod away from me, and let not fear of Him terrify me.

³⁵Then would I speak and not fear Him, but it is not so with me.

10"My soul is weary of my life; I will leave my complaint upon myself; I will speak in the bitterness of my soul.

²I will say unto God: 'Do not condemn me; show me why Thou contendest with me.

³Is it good unto Thee that Thou shouldest oppress, that Thou shouldest despise the work of Thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked?

⁴Hast Thou eyes of flesh, or seest Thou as man seeth?

⁵Are Thy days as the days of man? Are Thy years as man's days,

⁶that Thou inquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

⁷Thou knowest that I am not wicked, and there is none that can deliver out of Thine hand.

⁸"'Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet Thou dost destroy me.

⁹Remember, I beseech Thee, that Thou hast made me as the clay. And wilt Thou bring me into dust again?

¹⁰Hast Thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

¹¹Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast protected me with bones and sinews.

¹²Thou hast granted me life and favor, and Thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

¹³"'And these things hast Thou hid in Thine heart; I know that this is with Thee:

¹⁴If I sin, then Thou markest me, and Thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

¹⁵If I be wicked, woe unto me! And if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see Thou mine affliction,

¹⁶for it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion, and again Thou showest Thyself marvelous upon me.

¹⁷Thou renewest Thy witnesses against me, and increasest Thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me.

¹⁸Why then hast Thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

¹⁹I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

²⁰Are not my days few? Cease then and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little

²¹before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death"

²²a land of darkness, as darkness itself, and of the shadow of death without any order, and where the light is as darkness.'"

11Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said:

²"Should not the multitude of words be answered? And should a man full of talk be justified?

³Should thy lies make men hold their peace? And when thou mockest, shall no man make thee ashamed?

⁴For thou hast said, 'My doctrine is pure, and I am clean in Thine eyes.'

⁵But oh, that God would speak and open His lips against thee,

⁶and that He would show thee the secrets of wisdom, that they are double to that which is! Know therefore that God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth.

⁷"Canst thou by searching find out God? Canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?

⁸It is as high as heaven: What canst thou do? Deeper than hell: What canst thou know?

⁹The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.

¹⁰If He cut off, and shut up, or gather together, then who can hinder Him?

¹¹For He knoweth vain men; He seeth wickedness also. Will He not then consider it?

¹²For vain man would be wise, though man be born like a wild ass's colt.

¹³"If thou prepare thine heart, and stretch out thine hands toward Him,

¹⁴if iniquity be in thine hand, put it far away, and let not wickedness dwell in thy tabernacles.

¹⁵For then shalt thou lift up thy face without spot; yea, thou shalt be steadfast and shalt not fear,

¹⁶because thou shalt forget thy misery, and remember it as waters that pass away.

¹⁷And thine age shall be clearer than the noonday; thou shalt shine forth, thou shalt be as the morning.

¹⁸And thou shalt be secure, because there is hope; yea, thou shalt dig about thee, and thou shalt take thy rest in safety.

¹⁹Also thou shalt lie down, and none shall make thee afraid; yea, many shall make suit unto thee.

²⁰But the eyes of the wicked shall fail, and they shall not escape; and their hope shall be as the giving up of the ghost."

12And Job answered and said:

²"No doubt but ye are the people, and wisdom shall die with you.

³But I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; yea, who knoweth not such things as these?

⁴I am as one mocked by his neighbor, who calleth upon God, and He answereth him; the just and upright man is laughed to scorn.

⁵He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease.

⁶The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure, into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

⁷"But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee.

⁸Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

⁹Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this,

¹⁰in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind?

¹¹Doth not the ear test words, and the mouth taste his meat?

¹²With the ancient is wisdom, and in length of days, understanding.

¹³"With Him are wisdom and strength; He hath counsel and understanding.

¹⁴Behold, He breaketh down, and it cannot be built again; He shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening.

¹⁵Behold, He withholdeth the waters, and they dry up; also He sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

¹⁶With Him are strength and wisdom; the deceived and the deceiver are His.

¹⁷He leadeth counselors away despoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

¹⁸He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

¹⁹He leadeth princes away despoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

²⁰He removeth away the speech of the trusted, and taketh away the understanding of the aged.

²¹He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty.

²²He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

²³He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them; He enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again.

²⁴He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

²⁵They grope in the dark without light, and He maketh them to stagger like a drunken man.

13"Lo, mine eye hath seen all this; mine ear hath heard and understood it.

²What ye know, the same do I know also; I am not inferior unto you.

³Surely I would speak to the Almighty, and I desire to reason with God.

⁴But ye are forgers of lies; ye are all physicians of no value.

⁵O that ye would altogether hold your peace, and it should be your wisdom!

⁶Hear now my reasoning, and hearken to the pleadings of my lips.

⁷Will ye speak wickedly for God, and talk deceitfully for Him?

⁸Will ye accept His person; will ye contend for God?

⁹Is it good that He should search you out? Or as one man mocketh another, do ye so mock Him?

¹⁰He will surely reprove you, if ye do secretly accept persons.

¹¹Shall not His excellency make you afraid, and His dread fall upon you?

¹²Your remembrances are like unto ashes, your bodies to bodies of clay.

¹³"Hold your peace; let me alone that I may speak, and let come on me what will.

¹⁴Why do I take my flesh in my teeth, and put my life in mine hand?

¹⁵Though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him; but I will argue mine own ways before Him.

¹⁶He also shall be my salvation, for a hypocrite shall not come before Him.

¹⁷Hear diligently my speech, and my declaration with your ears.

¹⁸Behold now, I have prepared my cause; I know that I shall be justified.

¹⁹Who is he that will plead with me? For now, if I hold my tongue, I shall give up the ghost.

²⁰"Only do not two things unto me; then will I not hide myself from Thee:

²¹Withdraw Thine hand far from me, and let not Thy dread make me afraid.

²²Then call Thou, and I will answer; or let me speak, and answer Thou me.

²³How many are mine iniquities and sins? Make me to know my transgression and my sin.

²⁴Why hidest Thou Thy face, and holdest me for Thine enemy?

²⁵Wilt Thou break a leaf driven to and fro? And wilt Thou pursue the dry stubble?

²⁶For Thou writest bitter things against me, and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth.

²⁷Thou puttest my feet also in the stocks, and lookest narrowly unto all my paths; Thou settest a mark upon the heels of my feet.

²⁸And he, as a rotten thing, consumeth, as a garment that is motheaten.

14"Man that is born of a woman is of few days and full of trouble.

²He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.

³And dost Thou open Thine eyes upon such a one, and bringest me into judgment with Thee?

⁴Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one!

⁵Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with Thee; Thou hast appointed his bounds, that he cannot pass.

⁶Turn from him, that he may rest, till, as a hireling, he shall accomplish his day.

⁷For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.

⁸Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground,

⁹yet through the scent of water it will bud and bring forth boughs like a plant.

¹⁰But man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he?

¹¹As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up,

¹²so man lieth down and riseth not; till the heavens be no more they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep.

¹³"O that Thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that Thou wouldest keep me secret until Thy wrath be past; that Thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me!

¹⁴If a man die, shall he live again? All the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.

¹⁵Thou shalt call, and I will answer Thee; Thou wilt desire the work of Thine hands.

¹⁶For now Thou numberest my steps; dost Thou not watch over my sin?

¹⁷My transgression is sealed up in a bag, and Thou sewest up mine iniquity.

¹⁸And surely the mountain falling cometh to nought, and the rock is removed out of his place.

¹⁹The waters wear away the stones; Thou washest away the things which grow out of the dust of the earth, and Thou destroyest the hope of man.

²⁰Thou prevailest for ever against him, and he passeth; Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away.

²¹His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not; and they are brought low, but he perceiveth it not of them.

²²But his flesh upon him shall have pain, and his soul within him shall mourn."

15Then answered Eliphaz the Temanite and said:

²"Should a wise man utter vain knowledge, and fill his belly with the east wind?

³Should he reason with unprofitable talk, or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

⁴Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

⁵For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

⁶Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I; yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

⁷"Art thou the first man that was born? Or wast thou made before the hills?

⁸Hast thou heard the secret of God? And dost thou withhold wisdom for thyself?

⁹What knowest thou, that we know not? What understandest thou, which is not in us?

¹⁰With us are both the grayheaded and very aged men, much elder than thy father.

¹¹Are the consolations of God small with thee? Is there any secret thing with thee?

¹²Why doth thine heart carry thee away, and what do thine eyes wink at,

¹³that thou turnest thy spirit against God, and lettest such words go out of thy mouth?

¹⁴What is man, that he should be clean? And he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

¹⁵Behold, He putteth no trust in His saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in His sight.

¹⁶How much more abominable and filthy is man, who drinketh iniquity like water?

¹⁷"I will show thee, hear me; and that which I have seen I will declare,

¹⁸what wise men have told from their fathers and have not hid it,

¹⁹unto whom alone the earth was given and no stranger passed among them:

²⁰The wicked man travaileth with pain all his days, and the number of years is hidden to the oppressor.

²¹A dreadful sound is in his ears; in his prosperity the destroyer shall come upon him.

²²He believeth not that he shall return out of darkness, and he is waited for by the sword.

²³He wandereth abroad for bread, saying, 'Where is it?' He knoweth that the day of darkness is ready at his hand.

²⁴Trouble and anguish shall make him afraid; they shall prevail against him, as a king ready for the battle:

²⁵for he stretcheth out his hand against God, and strengtheneth himself against the Almighty;

²⁶he runneth upon Him, even on His neck, with the thick bosses of his bucklers.

²⁷Because he covereth his face with his fatness and maketh dollops of fat on his flanks,

²⁸and he dwelleth in desolate cities and in houses which no man inhabiteth, which are ready to become heaps,

²⁹he shall not be rich, neither shall his substance continue; neither shall he prolong the perfection thereof upon the earth.

³⁰He shall not depart out of darkness; the flame shall dry up his branches, and by the breath of His mouth shall he go away.

³¹Let not him that is deceived trust in vanity, for vanity shall be his recompense.

³²It shall be accomplished before his time, and his branch shall not be green.

³³He shall shake off his unripe grape as the vine, and shall cast off his flower as the olive.

³⁴For the congregation of hypocrites shall be desolate, and fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery.

³⁵They conceive evil and bring forth vanity, and their belly prepareth deceit."

16Then Job answered and said:

²"I have heard many such things; miserable comforters are ye all!

³Shall vain words have an end? Or what emboldeneth thee that thou answerest?

⁴I also could speak as ye do; if your soul were in my soul's stead, I could heap up words against you, and shake mine head at you.

⁵But I would strengthen you with my mouth, and the moving of my lips should assuage your grief.

⁶"Though I speak, my grief is not assuaged; and though I forbear, what am I eased?

⁷But now He hath made me weary; Thou hast made desolate all my company.

⁸And Thou hast filled me with wrinkles, which is a witness against me; and my leanness rising up in me beareth witness to my face.

⁹He teareth me in his wrath, who hateth me; he gnasheth upon me with his teeth; mine enemy sharpeneth his eyes upon me.

¹⁰They have gaped upon me with their mouth; they have smitten me upon the cheek reproachfully; they have gathered themselves together against me.

¹¹God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked.

¹²"I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder; he hath also taken me by my neck and shaken me to pieces, and set me up for his mark.

¹³His archers compass me round about; he cleaveth my reins asunder and doth not spare; he poureth out my gall upon the ground.

¹⁴He breaketh me with breach upon breach; he runneth upon me like a giant.

¹⁵"I have sewn sackcloth upon my skin, and defiled my horn in the dust.

¹⁶My face is foul with weeping, and on my eyelids is the shadow of death,

¹⁷not for any injustice in mine hands; also my prayer is pure.

¹⁸"O earth, cover not thou my blood, and let my cry have no place.

¹⁹Also now, behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high.

²⁰My friends scorn me, but mine eye poureth out tears unto God.

²¹O, that one might plead for a man with God, as a man pleadeth for his neighbor!

²²When a few years have come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return.

17"My spirit is spent, my days are extinct, the grave is ready for me.

²Are there not mockers with me? And doth not mine eye continue in their provocation?

³"Lay it down now, give me a surety with Thee. Who is he that will strike hands with me?

⁴For Thou hast hid their heart from understanding; therefore shalt Thou not exalt them.

⁵He that speaketh flattery to his friends, even the eyes of his children shall fail.

⁶"He hath made me also a byword of the people; and aforetime I was as a drum to beat on.

⁷Mine eye also is dim by reason of sorrow, and all my members are as a shadow.

⁸Upright men shall be astonished at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite.

⁹The righteous also shall hold to his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.

¹⁰"But as for you all, do ye return and come now, for I cannot find one wise man among you.

¹¹My days are past, my purposes are broken off, even the thoughts of my heart.

¹²They change the night into day; the light is short because of darkness.

¹³If I wait, the grave is mine house; I have made my bed in the darkness.

¹⁴I have said to corruption, 'Thou art my father'; to the worm, 'Thou art my mother and my sister.'

¹⁵And where is now my hope? As for my hope, who shall see it?

¹⁶It shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust."

18Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said:

²"How long will it be ere ye make an end of words? Mark, and afterwards we will speak.

³Why are we counted as beasts, and reputed vile in your sight?

⁴He teareth himself in his anger. Shall the earth be forsaken for thee? And shall the rock be removed out of his place?

⁵"Yea, the light of the wicked shall be put out, and the spark of his fire shall not shine.

⁶The light shall be dark in his tabernacle, and his candle shall be put out with him.

⁷The steps of his strength shall be straitened, and his own counsel shall cast him down.

⁸For he is cast into a net by his own feet, and he walketh upon a snare.

⁹The trap shall take him by the heel, and the robber shall prevail against him.

¹⁰The snare is laid for him in the ground, and a trap for him in the way.

¹¹Terrors shall make him afraid on every side, and shall drive him to his feet.

¹²His strength shall be hungerbitten, and destruction shall be ready at his side.

¹³It shall devour the strength of his skin; even the firstborn of death shall devour his strength.

¹⁴His confidence shall be rooted out of his tabernacle, and it shall bring him to the king of terrors.

¹⁵It shall dwell in his tabernacle, because it is none of his; brimstone shall be scattered upon his habitation.

¹⁶His roots shall be dried up beneath, and above shall his branch be cut off.

¹⁷His remembrance shall perish from the earth, and he shall have no name in the street.

¹⁸He shall be driven from light into darkness, and chased out of the world.

¹⁹He shall neither have son nor descendant among his people, nor any remaining in his dwellings.

²⁰They that come after him shall be dismayed at his day, as they that went before were frightened.

²¹Surely such are the dwellings of the wicked, and this is the place of him that knoweth not God."

19Then Job answered and said:

²"How long will ye vex my soul, and break me in pieces with words?

³These ten times have ye reproached me; ye are not ashamed that ye make yourselves strange to me.

⁴And if it be indeed that I have erred, mine error remaineth with myself.

⁵If indeed ye will magnify yourselves against me, and plead against me my reproach,

⁶know now that God hath overthrown me, and hath compassed me with His net.

⁷"Behold, I cry out because of wrong, but I am not heard; I cry aloud, but there is no judgment.

⁸He hath fenced up my way, that I cannot pass, and He hath set darkness in my paths.

⁹He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken the crown from my head.

¹⁰He hath destroyed me on every side, and I am gone; and mine hope hath He removed like a tree.

¹¹He hath also kindled His wrath against me, and He counteth me unto Him as one of His enemies.

¹²His troops come together, and raise up their way against me, and encamp round about my tabernacle.

¹³"He hath put my brethren far from me, and mine acquaintances are verily estranged from me.

¹⁴My kinsfolk have failed, and my familiar friends have forgotten me.

¹⁵They that dwell in mine house, and my maids, count me as a stranger; I am an alien in their sight.

¹⁶I called my servant, and he gave me no answer; I entreated him with my mouth.

¹⁷My breath is strange to my wife, though I entreated for the sake of the children of my own body.

¹⁸Yea, young children despised me; I arose, and they spoke against me.

¹⁹All my intimate friends abhorred me, and they whom I loved are turned against me.

²⁰My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I have escaped with the skin of my teeth.

²¹"Have pity upon me, have pity upon me, O ye my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me!

²²Why do ye persecute me as God, and are not satisfied with my flesh?

²³Oh, that my words were now written! Oh, that they were printed in a book,

²⁴that they were graven with an iron pen and lead, in the rock for ever!

²⁵For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;

²⁶and though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God,

²⁷whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me.

²⁸"But should ye say, 'Why persecute we him?'--seeing the root of the matter is found in me.

²⁹Be ye afraid of the sword; for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment."

20Then answered Zophar the Naamathite and said:

²"Therefore do my thoughts cause me to answer, and for this I make haste.

³I have heard the rebuke of my reproach, and the spirit of my understanding causeth me to answer.

⁴Knowest thou not this of old, since man was placed upon earth,

⁵that the triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment?

⁶Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds,

⁷yet he shall perish for ever like his own dung; they that have seen him shall say, 'Where is he?'

⁸He shall fly away as a dream, and shall not be found; yea, he shall be chased away as a vision of the night.

⁹The eye also which saw him shall see him no more, neither shall his place any more behold him.

¹⁰His children shall seek to please the poor, and his hands shall restore their goods.

¹¹His bones are full of the sin of his youth, which shall lie down with him in the dust.

¹²"Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he hide it under his tongue,

¹³though he spare it and forsake it not, but keep it still within his mouth,

¹⁴yet his meat in his stomach is turned; it is the gall of asps within him.

¹⁵He hath swallowed down riches, and he shall vomit them up again; God shall cast them out of his belly.

¹⁶He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall slay him.

¹⁷He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.

¹⁸That which he labored for shall he restore, and shall not swallow it down; according to his substance shall the restitution be, and he shall not rejoice therein.

¹⁹Because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor, because he hath violently taken away a house which he built not,

²⁰surely he shall not feel quietness in his belly; he shall not save of that which he desired.

²¹There shall none of his meat be left; therefore shall no man look for his goods.

²²In the fullness of his sufficiency he shall be in straits; every hand of the wicked shall come upon him.

²³When he is about to fill his belly, God shall cast the fury of His wrath upon him, and shall rain it upon him while he is eating.

²⁴He shall flee from the iron weapon, and the bow of steel shall strike him through.

²⁵It is drawn and cometh out of the body; yea, the glittering sword cometh out of his gall; terrors are upon him.

²⁶All darkness shall be hid in his secret places; a fire not blown upon shall consume him; it shall go ill with him that is left in his tabernacle.

²⁷The heaven shall reveal his iniquity, and the earth shall rise up against him.

²⁸The increase of his house shall depart, and his goods shall flow away in the day of His wrath.

²⁹"This is the portion of a wicked man from God, and the heritage appointed unto him by God."

21But Job answered and said:

²"Hear diligently my speech, and let this be your consolations.

³Suffer me that I may speak; and after I have spoken, mock on.

⁴"As for me, is my complaint to man? And if it were so, why should not my spirit be troubled?

⁵Mark me, and be astonished, and lay your hand upon your mouth!

⁶Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh.

⁷Why do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power?

⁸Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes.

⁹Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them.

¹⁰Their bull breeds, and faileth not; their cow calveth and casteth not her calf.

¹¹They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.

¹²They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ.

¹³They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave.

¹⁴Therefore they say unto God, 'Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledge of Thy ways.

¹⁵What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit should we have, if we pray unto Him?'

¹⁶Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁷"How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! And how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in His anger.

¹⁸They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away.

¹⁹God layeth up his iniquity for his children; He rewardeth him, and he shall know it.

²⁰His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

²¹For what pleasure hath he in his house after him, when the number of his months is cut off in the midst?

²²"Shall any teach God knowledge, seeing He judgeth those that are high?

²³One dieth in his full strength, being wholly at ease and quiet.

²⁴His milk pails are full of milk, and his bones are moistened with marrow.

²⁵And another dieth in the bitterness of his soul, and never eateth with pleasure.

²⁶They shall lie down alike in the dust, and the worms shall cover them.

²⁷"Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me.

²⁸For ye say, 'Where is the house of the prince? And where are the dwelling places of the wicked?'

²⁹Have ye not asked them that go along the way? And do ye not know their tokens,

³⁰that the wicked are reserved for the day of destruction? They shall be brought forth on the day of wrath.

³¹Who shall declare his way to his face? And who shall repay him what he hath done?

³²Yet shall he be brought to the grave, and shall remain in the tomb.

³³The clods of the valley shall be sweet unto him, and every man shall draw after him, as there are innumerable before him.

³⁴"How then comfort ye me in vain, seeing in your answers there remaineth falsehood?"

22Then Eliphaz the Temanite answered and said:

²"Can a man be profitable unto God, as he that is wise may be profitable unto himself?

³Is it any pleasure to the Almighty that thou art righteous? Or is it gain to Him that thou makest thy ways perfect?

⁴Will He reprove thee for fear of thee? Will He enter with thee into judgment?

⁵Is not thy wickedness great, and thine iniquities infinite?

⁶For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing.

⁷Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withheld bread from the hungry.

⁸But as for the mighty man, he had the earth, and the honorable man dwelt in it.

⁹Thou hast sent widows away empty, and the arms of the fatherless have been broken.

¹⁰Therefore snares are round about thee, and sudden fear troubleth thee,

¹¹or darkness, that thou canst not see, and abundance of waters cover thee.

¹²"Is not God in the height of heaven? And behold the height of the stars, how high they are!

¹³And thou sayest, 'How doth God know? Can He judge through the dark cloud?

¹⁴Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He seeth not; and He walketh in the circuit of heaven.'

¹⁵Hast thou marked the old way which wicked men have trodden,

¹⁶who were cut down before their time, whose foundation was overflown with a flood,

¹⁷who said unto God, 'Depart from us. And what can the Almighty do to them?'

¹⁸Yet He filled their houses with good things; but the counsel of the wicked is far from me.

¹⁹The righteous see it and are glad, and the innocent laugh them to scorn;

²⁰whereas our substance is not cut down, but the remnant of them the fire consumeth.

²¹"Acquaint now thyself with Him, and be at peace; thereby good shall come unto thee.

²²Receive, I pray thee, the law from His mouth, and lay up His words in thine heart.

²³If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up; thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.

²⁴Then shalt thou lay up gold as dust, and the gold of Ophir as the stones of the brooks.

²⁵Yea, the Almighty shall be thy gold, and thou shalt have plenty of silver.

²⁶For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God.

²⁷Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy vows.

²⁸Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy ways.

²⁹When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, 'There is lifting up!' And He shall save the humble person.

³⁰He shall deliver the island of the innocent; and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands."

23Then Job answered and said:

²"Even today is my complaint bitter; my stroke is heavier than my groaning.

³Oh that I knew where I might find Him, that I might come even to His seat!

⁴I would place my cause before Him, and fill my mouth with arguments.

⁵I would know the words which He would answer me, and understand what He would say unto me.

⁶Will He plead against me with His great power? No, but He would put strength in me.

⁷There the righteous might dispute with Him; so should I be delivered for ever from my Judge.

⁸"Behold, I go forward, but He is not there, and backward, but I cannot perceive Him;

⁹on the left hand where He doth work, but I cannot behold Him; He hideth himself on the right hand, that I cannot see Him.

¹⁰But He knoweth the way that I take; when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

¹¹My foot hath held His steps; His way have I kept, and not declined.

¹²Neither have I gone back from the commandment of His lips; I have esteemed the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.

¹³But He is of one mind, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth.

¹⁴For He performeth the thing that is appointed for me; and many such things are with Him.

¹⁵Therefore am I troubled at His presence; when I consider, I am afraid of Him.

¹⁶For God maketh my heart soft, and the Almighty troubleth me;

¹⁷because I was not cut off before the darkness, neither hath He covered the darkness from my face.

24"Why, seeing times are not hidden from the Almighty, do they that know Him not, see His days?

²Some remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and feed thereof.

³They drive away the ass of the fatherless; they take the widow's ox as a pledge.

⁴They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.

⁵Behold, as wild asses in the desert go they forth to their work, rising early for a prey; the wilderness yieldeth food for them and for their children.

⁶They reap every one his corn in the field, and they gather the vintage of the wicked.

⁷They cause the naked to lodge without clothing, that they have no covering in the cold.

⁸They are wet with the showers of the mountains, and embrace the rock for want of a shelter.

⁹They pluck the fatherless from the breast, and take a pledge from the poor.

¹⁰They cause him to go naked without clothing, and they take away the sheaf from the hungry,

¹¹who make oil within their walls, and tread their wine presses, and suffer thirst.

¹²Men groan from out of the city, and the soul of the wounded crieth out; yet God layeth not folly to them.

¹³"They are of those that rebel against the light; they know not the ways thereof, nor abide in the paths thereof.

¹⁴The murderer, rising with the light, killeth the poor and needy, and in the night is as a thief.

¹⁵The eye also of the adulterer waiteth for the twilight, saying, 'No eye shall see me,' and disguiseth his face.

¹⁶In the dark they dig through houses which they had marked for themselves in the daytime; they know not the light.

¹⁷For the morning is to them even as the shadow of death; if one know them, they are in the terrors of the shadow of death.

¹⁸"He is swift as the waters; their portion is cursed on the earth; he beholdeth not the way of the vineyards.

¹⁹Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so doth the grave those who have sinned.

²⁰The womb shall forget him, the worm shall feed sweetly on him; he shall be no more remembered, and wickedness shall be broken as a tree.

²¹He evilly treateth the barren that beareth not, and doeth not good to the widow.

²²He draweth also the mighty with his power; he riseth up, and no man is sure of life.

²³Though it be given him to be in safety whereon he resteth, yet his eyes are upon their ways.

²⁴They are exalted for a little while, but are gone and brought low; they are taken out of the way as all others, and cut off as the tops of the ears of corn.

²⁵And if it be not so now, who will make me a liar and make my speech worth nothing?"

25Then answered Bildad the Shuhite and said:

²"Dominion and fear are with Him; He maketh peace in His high places.

³Is there any number to His armies? And upon whom doth not His light arise?

⁴How then can man be justified before God? Or how can he be clean that is born of a woman?

⁵Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in His sight.

⁶How much less man, that is a worm? And the son of man, that is a worm?"

26But Job answered and said:

²"How hast thou helped him that is without power? How savest thou the arm that hath no strength?

³How hast thou counseled him that hath no wisdom? And how hast thou plentifully declared the thing as it is?

⁴To whom hast thou uttered words? And whose spirit came from thee?

⁵Dead things are formed from under the waters, and the inhabitants thereof.

⁶"Hell is naked before Him, and destruction hath no covering.

⁷He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing.

⁸He bindeth up the waters in His thick clouds, and the cloud is not rent under them.

⁹He holdeth back the face of His throne, and spreadeth His cloud upon it.

¹⁰He hath compassed the waters with bounds, until the day and night come to an end.

¹¹The pillars of heaven tremble, and are astonished at His reproof.

¹²He divideth the sea with His power, and by His understanding He smiteth through the proud.

¹³By His Spirit He hath garnished the heavens; His hand hath formed the crooked serpent.

¹⁴Lo, these are parts of His ways, but how little a portion is heard of Him! But the thunder of His power, who can understand?"

27Moreover Job continued his parable and said:

²"As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment, and the Almighty, who hath vexed my soul,

³while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils,

⁴my lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.

⁵God forbid that I should justify you; till I die I will not remove mine integrity from me.

⁶My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

⁷"Let mine enemy be as the wicked, and he that riseth up against me as the unrighteous.

⁸For what is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained, when God taketh away his soul?

⁹Will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him?

¹⁰Will he delight himself in the Almighty? Will he always call upon God?

¹¹I will teach you by the hand of God; that which is with the Almighty will I not conceal.

¹²Behold, all ye yourselves have seen it; why then are ye thus altogether vain?

¹³"This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive from the Almighty.

¹⁴If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword; and his offspring shall not be satisfied with bread.

¹⁵Those that remain of him shall be buried in death; and his widows shall not weep.

¹⁶Though he heap up silver as the dust and prepare raiment as the clay,

¹⁷he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on and the innocent shall divide the silver.

¹⁸He buildeth his house as a moth, and as a booth that the keeper maketh.

¹⁹The rich man shall lie down, but he shall not be gathered; he openeth his eyes, and he is not.

²⁰Terrors take hold on him as waters; a tempest stealeth him away in the night.

²¹The east wind carrieth him away and he departeth, and as a storm, hurleth him out of his place.

²²For God shall cast upon him, and not spare; he would eagerly flee out of His hand.

²³Men shall clap their hands at him, and shall hiss him out of his place.

28"Surely there is a vein for the silver, and a place for gold where they refine it.

²Iron is taken out of the earth, and brass is smelted out of the stone.

³Man setteth an end to darkness, and searcheth out all perfection, the stones of darkness, and the shadow of death.

⁴The flood breaketh out from the inhabitant, even the waters forgotten by the foot; they are dried up, they are gone away from men.

⁵As for the earth, out of it cometh bread, and under it is turned up as it were fire.

⁶The stones of it are the place of sapphires, and it hath dust of gold.

⁷There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen.

⁸The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.

⁹Man putteth forth his hand upon the rock; he overturneth the mountains by the roots;

¹⁰he cutteth out rivers among the rocks, and his eye seeth every precious thing;

¹¹he bindeth the floods from overflowing; and the thing that is hid bringeth he forth to light.

¹²But where shall wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding?

¹³Man knoweth not the price thereof; neither is it found in the land of the living.

¹⁴The deep saith, 'It is not in me'; and the sea saith, 'It is not with me.'

¹⁵It cannot be gotten for gold; neither shall silver be weighed for the price thereof.

¹⁶It cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, with the precious onyx or the sapphire.

¹⁷The gold and the crystal cannot equal it; and the exchange of it shall not be for jewels of fine gold.

¹⁸No mention shall be made of coral or of pearls, for the price of wisdom is above rubies.

¹⁹The topaz of Ethiopia shall not equal it; neither shall it be valued with pure gold.

²⁰"Whence then cometh wisdom? And where is the place of understanding--

²¹seeing it is hid from the eyes of all living, and kept close from the fowls of the air?

²²Destruction and death say, 'We have heard the fame thereof with our ears.'

²³God understandeth the way thereof, and He knoweth the place thereof.

²⁴For He looketh to the ends of the earth, and seeth under the whole heaven,

²⁵to make the weight for the winds, and He weigheth the waters by measure.

²⁶When He made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder,

²⁷then did He see it and declare it; He prepared it, yea, and searched it out.

²⁸And unto man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord: that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.'"

29Moreover Job continued his parable and said:

²"Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God preserved me;

³when His candle shone upon my head, and when by His light I walked through darkness,

⁴as I was in the days of my youth, when the secret of God was upon my tabernacle;

⁵when the Almighty was yet with me, when my children were about me;

⁶when I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil;

⁷when I went out to the gate through the city, when I prepared my seat in the street!

⁸The young men saw me and hid themselves, and the aged arose and stood up.

⁹The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth.

¹⁰The nobles held their peace, and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth.

¹¹When the ear heard me, then it blessed me, and when the eye saw me, it gave witness to me;

¹²because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless and him that had none to help him.

¹³The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

¹⁴I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

¹⁵I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

¹⁶I was a father to the poor, and the cause which I knew not I searched out.

¹⁷And I broke the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

¹⁸"Then I said, 'I shall die in my nest, and I shall multiply my days as the sand.'

¹⁹My root was spread out by the waters, and the dew lay all night upon my branch.

²⁰My glory was fresh in me, and my bow was renewed in my hand.

²¹"Unto me men gave ear and waited, and kept silence at my counsel.

²²After my words they spoke not again, and my speech dropped upon them.

²³And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the latter rain.

²⁴If I laughed on them, they believed it not, and the light of my countenance they cast not down.

²⁵I chose out their way and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners.

30"But now they that are younger than I hold me in derision, whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock.

²Yea, for what might the strength of their hands profit me, in whom old age was perished?

³From want and famine they were solitary, fleeing into the wilderness, in former time desolate and waste,

⁴who cut up mallow by the bushes, and juniper roots for their meat.

⁵They were driven forth from among men; they cried after them as after a thief,

⁶to dwell in the cliffs of the valleys, in caves of the earth and in the rocks.

⁷Among the bushes they brayed; under the nettles they were gathered together.

⁸They were children of fools, yea, children of base men; they were viler than the earth.

⁹"And now am I their song; yea, I am their byword.

¹⁰They abhor me, they flee far from me, and spare not to spit in my face.

¹¹Because He hath loosed my cord and afflicted me, they have also let loose the bridle before me.

¹²Upon my right hand rise the youth; they push away my feet, and they raise up against me the ways of their destructiveness.

¹³They mar my path, they set forward my calamity; they have no helper.

¹⁴They came upon me as a wide breaking in of waters; in the desolation they rolled themselves upon me.

¹⁵Terrors are turned upon me; they pursue my soul as the wind, and my welfare passeth away as a cloud.

¹⁶"And now my soul is poured out upon me; the days of affliction have taken hold upon me.

¹⁷My bones are pierced in me in the night season, and my sinews take no rest.

¹⁸By the great force of my disease is my garment changed; it bindeth me about as the collar of my coat.

¹⁹He hath cast me into the mire, and I am become like dust and ashes.

²⁰I cry unto Thee, and Thou dost not hear me; I stand up, and Thou regardest me not.

²¹Thou art become cruel to me; with Thy strong hand Thou opposest Thyself against me.

²²Thou liftest me up to the wind; Thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance.

²³For I know that Thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

²⁴"Yet He will not stretch out His hand to the grave, though they cry in His destruction.

²⁵Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? Was not my soul grieved for the poor?

²⁶When I looked for good, then evil came unto me; and when I waited for light, there came darkness.

²⁷My bowels boiled, and rested not; the days of affliction came upon me.

²⁸I went mourning without the sun; I stood up, and I cried in the congregation.

²⁹I am a brother to dragons, and a companion to owls.

³⁰My skin is black upon me, and my bones are burned with heat.

³¹My harp also is turned to mourning, and my flute into the voice of them that weep.

31"I made a covenant with mine eyes. Why then should I think upon a maid?

²For what portion from God is there from above, and what inheritance of the Almighty from on high?

³Is not destruction for the wicked, and a strange punishment for the workers of iniquity?

⁴Doth not He see my ways, and count all my steps?

⁵If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hastened to deceit,

⁶let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.

⁷If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands,

⁸then let me sow and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.

⁹"If mine heart has been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbor's door,

¹⁰then let my wife grind for another, and let others bow down upon her.

¹¹For this is a heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.

¹²For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.

¹³"If I have despised the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant when they contended with me,

¹⁴what then shall I do when God riseth up? And when He visiteth, what shall I answer Him?

¹⁵Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?

¹⁶"If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

¹⁷or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof

¹⁸(for from my youth he was brought up with me as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb);

¹⁹if I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;

²⁰if his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;

²¹if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate"

²²then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone.

²³For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of His highness I could not endure.

²⁴"If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, 'Thou art my confidence';

²⁵if I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;

²⁶if I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness,

²⁷and my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand--

²⁸this also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge, for I should have denied the God that is above.

²⁹"If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him,

³⁰neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.

³¹If the men of my tent said not, 'Oh that we had of his flesh! We cannot be satisfied'.

³²The stranger did not lodge in the street, but I opened my doors to the traveler.

³³If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,

³⁴did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence and went not out of the door?

³⁵Oh, that One would hear me! Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book!

³⁶Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.

³⁷I would declare unto Him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto Him.

³⁸"If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain,

³⁹if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life,

⁴⁰let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley." The words of Job are ended.

32So these three men ceased to answer Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

²Then was kindled the wrath of Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, of the kindred of Ram. Against Job was his wrath kindled, because he justified himself rather than God.

³Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer and yet had condemned Job.

⁴Now Elihu had waited until Job had spoken, because they were older than he.

⁵When Elihu saw that there was no answer in the mouth of these three men, then his wrath was kindled.

⁶And Elihu, the son of Barachel the Buzite, answered and said: "I am young, and ye are very old; therefore I was afraid, and dared not show you mine opinion.

⁷I said, 'Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom.'

⁸But there is a spirit in man, and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them understanding.

⁹Great men are not always wise, neither do the aged understand judgment.

¹⁰Therefore I say, 'Hearken to me; I also will show mine opinion.'

¹¹"Behold, I waited for your words; I gave ear to your reasons, whilst ye searched out what to say.

¹²Yea, I attended unto you, and behold, there was none of you that convinced Job or that answered his words,

¹³lest ye should say, 'We have found out wisdom. God thrusteth him down, not man.'

¹⁴Now he hath not directed his words against me, neither will I answer him with your speeches.

¹⁵"They were amazed, they answered no more; they left off speaking.

¹⁶When I had waited (for they spoke not, but stood still and answered no more),

¹⁷I said, 'I will answer also my part; I also will show mine opinion.

¹⁸For I am full of matters; the spirit within me constraineth me.

¹⁹Behold, my belly is as wine which hath no vent; it is ready to burst like new wineskins.'

²⁰I will speak, that I may be refreshed; I will open my lips and answer.

²¹Let me not, I pray you, accept any man's person, neither let me give flattering titles unto man.

²²For I know not to give flattering titles; in so doing my Maker would soon take me away.

33"Therefore, Job, I pray thee, hear my speeches and hearken to all my words.

²Behold, now I have opened my mouth; my tongue hath spoken in my mouth.

³My words shall be from the uprightness of my heart, and my lips shall utter knowledge clearly.

⁴The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.

⁵If thou canst answer me, set thy words in order before me and stand up.

⁶Behold, I am according to thy wish in God's stead, I also am formed out of the clay.

⁷Behold, terror of me shall not make thee afraid, neither shall my hand be heavy upon thee.

⁸"Surely thou hast spoken in mine hearing, and I have heard the voice of thy words, saying,

⁹'I am clean, without transgression, I am innocent; neither is there iniquity in me.

¹⁰Behold, He findeth occasions against me; He counteth me for His enemy.

¹¹He putteth my feet in the stocks; He marketh all my paths.'

¹²"Behold, in this thou art not just; I will answer thee: that God is greater than man.

¹³Why dost thou strive against Him? For He giveth not account of any of His matters.

¹⁴For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

¹⁵In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed,

¹⁶then He openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction,

¹⁷that He may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man.

¹⁸He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword.

¹⁹"He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain,

²⁰so that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat.

²¹His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen, and his bones that were not seen stick out.

²²Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

²³If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand to show unto man his uprightness,

²⁴then he is gracious unto him and saith, 'Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.'

²⁵His flesh shall be fresher than a child's; he shall return to the days of his youth.

²⁶He shall pray unto God, and He will be favorable unto him; and he shall see His face with joy, for He will render unto man His righteousness.

²⁷He looketh upon men, and if any say, 'I have sinned and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not,'

²⁸He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light.

²⁹"Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man,

³⁰to bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

³¹Mark well, O Job, hearken unto me; hold thy peace, and I will speak.

³²If thou hast any thing to say, answer me; speak, for I desire to justify thee.

³³If not, hearken unto me; hold thy peace, and I shall teach thee wisdom."

34Furthermore, Elihu answered and said:

²"Hear my words, O ye wise men; and give ear unto me, ye that have knowledge.

³For the ear trieth words, as the mouth tasteth meat.

⁴Let us choose for us judgment; let us know among ourselves what is good.

⁵For Job hath said, 'I am righteous, and God hath taken away my judgment.

⁶Should I lie against my right? My wound is incurable, without transgression.'

⁷What man is like Job, who drinketh up scorning like water,

⁸who goeth in company with the workers of iniquity, and walketh with wicked men?

⁹For he hath said, 'It profiteth a man nothing that he should delight himself with God.'

¹⁰"Therefore hearken unto me, ye men of understanding; far be it from God that He should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that He should commit iniquity.

¹¹For the work of a man shall He render unto him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

¹²Yea, surely God will not do wickedly, neither will the Almighty pervert judgment.

¹³Who hath given Him a charge over the earth? Or who hath disposed the whole world?

¹⁴If He set His heart upon man, if He gather unto Himself his Spirit and his breath,

¹⁵all flesh shall perish together, and man shall turn again unto dust.

¹⁶"If now thou hast understanding, hear this; hearken to the voice of my words:

¹⁷Shall even he that hateth right govern? And wilt thou condemn him that is most just?

¹⁸Is it fit to say to a king, 'Thou art wicked'? And to princes, 'Ye are ungodly'?

¹⁹How much less to Him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor! For they all are the work of His hands.

²⁰In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away; and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.

²¹"For His eyes are upon the ways of man, and He seeth all his goings.

²²There is no darkness, nor shadow of death where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

²³For He will not lay upon man more than right, that he should enter into judgment with God.

²⁴He shall break in pieces mighty men without number, and set others in their stead.

²⁵Therefore He knoweth their works, and He overturneth them in the night, so that they are destroyed.

²⁶He striketh them as wicked men in the open sight of others,

²⁷because they turned back from Him, and would not consider any of His ways,

²⁸so that they cause the cry of the poor to come unto Him, and He heareth the cry of the afflicted.

²⁹When He giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? And when He hideth His face, who then can behold Him, whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only?--

³⁰that the hypocrite reign not, lest the people be ensnared.

³¹"Surely it is meet to be said unto God, 'I have borne chastisement; I will not offend any more.

³²That which I see not, teach Thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.'

³³Should it be according to thy mind? He will recompense it, whether thou refuse or whether thou choose, and not I; therefore speak what thou knowest.

³⁴Let men of understanding tell me, and let a wise man hearken unto me.

³⁵"Job hath spoken without knowledge, and his words were without wisdom.

³⁶My desire is that Job may be tried unto the end, because of his answers for wicked men.

³⁷For he addeth rebellion unto his sin; he clappeth his hands among us, and multiplieth his words against God."

35Elihu spoke moreover and said:

²"Thinkest thou this to be right that thou saidst, 'My righteousness is more than God's'?

³For thou saidst, 'What advantage will it be unto Thee?' and, 'What profit shall I have if I be cleansed from my sin?'

⁴I will answer thee, and thy companions with thee.

⁵Look unto the heavens and see; and behold the clouds which are higher than thou.

⁶If thou sinnest, what doest thou against Him? Or if thy transgressions be multiplied, what doest thou unto Him?

⁷If thou be righteous, what givest thou Him? Or what receiveth He of thine hand?

⁸Thy wickedness may hurt a man as thou art; and thy righteousness may profit the son of man.

⁹"By reason of the multitude of oppressions they make the oppressed to cry; they cry out by reason of the arm of the mighty.

¹⁰But none saith, 'Where is God my Maker, who giveth songs in the night,

¹¹who teacheth us more than the beasts of the earth, and maketh us wiser than the fowls of heaven?'

¹²There they cry, but none giveth answer, because of the pride of evil men.

¹³Surely God will not hear vanity, neither will the Almighty regard it.

¹⁴Although thou sayest thou shalt not see Him, yet judgment is before Him; therefore trust thou in Him.

¹⁵But now, because it is not so, He hath visited in His anger; yet he knoweth it not in his great extremity.

¹⁶Therefore doth Job open his mouth in vain; he multiplieth words without knowledge."

36Elihu also proceeded and said:

²"Suffer me a little, and I will show thee that I have yet to speak on God's behalf.

³I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and will ascribe righteousness to my Maker.

⁴For truly my words shall not be false; He that is perfect in knowledge is with thee.

⁵"Behold, God is mighty and despiseth not any; He is mighty in strength and wisdom.

⁶He preserveth not the life of the wicked, but giveth right to the poor.

⁷He withdraweth not His eyes from the righteous, but with kings are they on the throne; yea, He doth establish them for ever, and they are exalted.

⁸And if they be bound in fetters, and be held in cords of affliction,

⁹then He showeth them their work, and their transgressions that they have exceeded.

¹⁰He openeth also their ear to discipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity.

¹¹If they obey and serve Him, they shall spend their days in prosperity and their years in pleasures.

¹²But if they obey not, they shall perish by the sword, and they shall die without knowledge.

¹³"But the hypocrites in heart heap up wrath; they cry not when He bindeth them.

¹⁴They die in youth, and their life is among the unclean.

¹⁵He delivereth the poor in his affliction, and openeth their ears in oppression.

¹⁶Even so would He have removed thee out of thy straits into a broad place where there is no straitness; and that which should be set on thy table should be full of fatness.

¹⁷"But thou hast fulfilled the judgment of the wicked; judgment and justice take hold on thee.

¹⁸Because there is wrath, beware lest He take thee away with His stroke; then a great ransom cannot deliver thee.

¹⁹Will He esteem thy riches? No, not gold nor all the forces of strength.

²⁰Desire not the night, when people are cut off in their place.

²¹Take heed, regard not iniquity, for this hast thou chosen rather than affliction.

²²Behold, God exalteth by His power. Who teacheth like Him?

²³Who hath enjoined Him His way? Or who can say, 'Thou hast wrought iniquity'?

²⁴"Remember that thou magnify His work, which men behold.

²⁵Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.

²⁶Behold, God is great, and we know Him not; neither can the number of His years be searched out.

²⁷For He maketh small the drops of water; they pour down rain according to the vapor thereof,

²⁸which the clouds do drop and distill upon man abundantly.

²⁹Also, can any understand the spreadings of the clouds, or the noise of His tabernacle?

³⁰Behold, He spreadeth His light upon it, and covereth the bottom of the sea.

³¹For by them judgeth He the people; He giveth meat in abundance.

³²With clouds He covereth the light, and commandeth it not to shine by the cloud that cometh between.

³³The noise thereof showeth concerning it; the cattle also, concerning the vapor.

37"At this also my heart trembleth, and is moved out of his place.

²Hear attentively the noise of His voice, and the sound that goeth out of His mouth.

³He directeth it under the whole heaven, and His lightning unto the ends of the earth.

⁴After it a voice roareth; He thundereth with the voice of His excellency, and He will not stay them when His voice is heard.

⁵God thundereth marvelously with His voice; great things doeth He, which we cannot comprehend!

⁶For He saith to the snow, 'Be thou on the earth'; likewise to the small rain and to the great rain of His strength.

⁷He sealeth up the hand of every man, that all men may know His work.

⁸Then the beasts go into dens, and remain in their places.

⁹Out of the south cometh the whirlwind, and cold out of the north.

¹⁰By the breath of God frost is given, and the breadth of the waters is straitened.

¹¹Also by watering He wearieth the thick cloud; He scattereth His bright cloud,

¹²and it is turned round about by His counsels, that they may do whatsoever He commandeth them upon the face of the world in the earth.

¹³He causeth it to come--whether for correction, or for His land, or for mercy.

¹⁴"Hearken unto this, O Job; stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.

¹⁵Dost thou know when God disposed them, and caused the light of His cloud to shine?

¹⁶Dost thou know the balancings of the clouds, the wondrous works of Him who is perfect in knowledge?

¹⁷How thy garments are warm, when He quieteth the earth by the south wind?

¹⁸Hast thou with Him spread out the sky, which is strong and as a molten looking glass?

¹⁹Teach us what we shall say unto Him, for we cannot order our speech by reason of darkness.

²⁰Shall it be told Him that I speak? If a man speak, surely he shall be swallowed up.

²¹And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds, but the wind passeth and cleanseth them.

²²Fair weather cometh out of the north; with God is fearsome majesty.

²³Concerning the Almighty, we cannot find Him out; He is excellent in power and in judgment, and abounding in justice; He will not afflict.

²⁴Men do therefore fear Him; He respecteth not any that are wise of heart."

38Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:

²"Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge?

³Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou Me.

⁴Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? Declare, if thou hast understanding.

⁵Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? Or who hath stretched the line upon it?

⁶"Whereupon are the foundations thereof fastened? Or who laid the cornerstone thereof,

⁷when the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?

⁸Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it broke forth as if it had issued out of the womb;

⁹when I made the cloud the garment thereof and thick darkness a swaddling band for it,

¹⁰and broke up for it My decreed place, and set bars and doors,

¹¹and said, 'Hitherto shalt thou come, but no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed'?

¹²"Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days, and caused the dayspring to know his place,

¹³that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it?

¹⁴It is turned as clay under the seal; and they stand out as a garment.

¹⁵And from the wicked their light is withheld, and the high arm shall be broken.

¹⁶"Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the search of the depths?

¹⁷Have the gates of death been opened unto thee? Or hast thou seen the doors of the shadow of death?

¹⁸Hast thou perceived the breadth of the earth? Declare if thou knowest it all.

¹⁹"Where is the way where light dwelleth? And as for darkness, where is the place thereof,

²⁰that thou shouldest take it to the boundary thereof, and that thou shouldest know the paths to the house thereof?

²¹Knowest thou it, because thou wast then born, or because the number of thy days is great?

²²"Hast thou entered into the treasure house of the snow, or hast thou seen the treasure house of the hail,

²³which I have reserved against the time of trouble, against the day of battle and war?

²⁴By what way is the light parted, which scattereth the east wind upon the earth?

²⁵Who hath divided a watercourse for the overflowing of waters, or a way for the lightning of thunder,

²⁶to cause it to rain on the earth where no man is, on the wilderness wherein there is no man;

²⁷to satisfy the desolate and waste ground, and to cause the bud of the tender herb to spring forth?

²⁸"Hath the rain a father? Or who hath begotten the drops of dew?

²⁹Out of whose womb came the ice? And the hoary frost of heaven, who hath engendered it?

³⁰The waters are hid as with a stone, and the face of the deep is frozen.

³¹"Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

³²Canst thou bring forth Mazzaroth in his season? Or canst thou guide Arcturus with his sons?

³³Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? Canst thou set the dominion thereof over the earth?

³⁴"Canst thou lift up thy voice to the clouds, that abundance of waters may cover thee?

³⁵Canst thou send lightnings, that they may go and say unto thee, 'Here we are'?

³⁶Who hath put wisdom in the inward parts, or who hath given understanding to the heart?

³⁷Who can number the clouds by wisdom? Or who can stay the bottles of heaven,

³⁸when the dust groweth into hardness, and the clods cleave fast together?

³⁹"Wilt thou hunt the prey for the lion, or fill the appetite of the young lions,

⁴⁰when they crouch in their dens, and abide in the covert to lie in wait?

⁴¹Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of meat?

39"Knowest thou the time when the wild goats of the rock bring forth? Or canst thou mark when the hinds do calve?

²Canst thou number the months that they fulfill? Or knowest thou the time when they bring forth?

³They bow themselves, they bring forth their young ones; they cast out their sorrows.

⁴Their young ones are sturdy; they grow up with corn; they go forth and return not unto them.

⁵"Who hath sent out the wild ass free? Or who hath loosed the bands of the wild ass,

⁶whose house I have made the wilderness and the barren land his dwellings?

⁷He scorneth the multitude of the city, neither regardeth he the crying of the driver.

⁸The range of the mountains is his pasture, and he searcheth after every green thing.

⁹Will the unicorn be willing to serve thee, or abide by thy crib?

¹⁰Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band to the furrow? Or will he harrow the valleys behind thee?

¹¹Wilt thou trust him because his strength is great? Or wilt thou leave thy labor to him?

¹²Wilt thou believe him, that he will bring home the seed and gather it into thy barn?

¹³"Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacocks? Or wings and feathers unto the ostrich,

¹⁴which leaveth her eggs in the earth, and warmeth them in dust,

¹⁵and forgetteth that the foot may crush them, or that the wild beast may break them?

¹⁶She is hardened against her young ones, as though they were not hers; her labor is in vain without fear;

¹⁷because God hath deprived her of wisdom, neither hath He imparted to her understanding.

¹⁸Yet when she lifteth up herself on high, she scorneth the horse and his rider.

¹⁹"Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?

²⁰Canst thou make him afraid as a grasshopper? The glory of his nostrils is terrible.

²¹He paweth in the valley, and rejoiceth in his strength; he goeth on to meet the armed men.

²²He mocketh at fear, and is not frightened, neither turneth he back from the sword.

²³The quiver rattleth against him, the glittering spear and the shield.

²⁴He swalloweth the ground with fierceness and rage, neither believeth he that it is the sound of the trumpet.

²⁵He saith among the trumpets, 'Ha, ha!' And he smelleth the battle afar off, the thunder of the captains, and the shouting.

²⁶"Doth the hawk fly by thy wisdom, and stretch her wings toward the south?

²⁷Doth the eagle mount up at thy command, and make her nest on high?

²⁸She dwelleth and abideth on the rock, upon the crag of the rock and the strong place.

²⁹From thence she seeketh the prey, and her eyes behold afar off.

³⁰Her young ones also suck up blood; and where the slain are, there is she."

40Moreover the LORD answered Job and said:

²"Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct Him? He that reproveth God, let him answer it."

³Then Job answered the LORD and said:

⁴"Behold, I am vile. What shall I answer Thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

⁵Once have I spoken, but I will not answer; yea, twice, but I will proceed no further."

⁶Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind and said:

⁷"Gird up thy loins now like a man; I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto Me.

⁸Wilt thou also disannul My judgment? Wilt thou condemn Me, that thou mayest be righteous?

⁹Hast thou an arm like God? Or canst thou thunder with a voice like Him?

¹⁰"Deck thyself now with majesty and excellency; and array thyself with glory and beauty.

¹¹Cast abroad the rage of thy wrath; and behold every one that is proud, and abase him.

¹²Look on every one that is proud, and bring him low; and tread down the wicked in their place.

¹³Hide them in the dust together; and bind their faces in secret.

¹⁴Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee.

¹⁵"Behold now Behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox.

¹⁶Lo now, his strength is in his loins, and his force is in the navel of his belly.

¹⁷He moveth his tail like a cedar; the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.

¹⁸His bones are as strong pieces of brass; his bones are like bars of iron.

¹⁹He is the chief of the ways of God; He that made him can make His sword to approach unto him.

²⁰Surely the mountains bring him forth food, where all the beasts of the field play.

²¹He lieth under the shady trees, in the covert of the reed and fens.

²²The shady trees cover him with their shadow; the willows of the brook compass him about.

²³Behold, he drinketh up a river and hasteneth not; he trusteth that he can draw up the Jordan into his mouth.

²⁴Will any take him with his sight, or bore his nose with a snare?

41"Canst thou draw out Leviathan with a hook? Or his tongue with a cord which thou lettest down?

²Canst thou put a hook into his nose, or bore his jaw through with a thorn?

³Will he make many supplications unto thee? Will he speak soft words unto thee?

⁴Will he make a covenant with thee? Wilt thou take him as a servant for ever?

⁵Wilt thou play with him as with a bird? Or wilt thou bind him for thy maidens?

⁶Shall the companions make a banquet of him? Shall they parcel him among the merchants?

⁷Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with fish spears?

⁸Lay thine hand upon him; remember the battle, and do so no more!

⁹Behold, the hope against him is in vain. Shall not one be cast down even at the sight of him?

¹⁰None is so fierce that dare stir him up. Who then is able to stand before Me?

¹¹Who hath come before Me, that I should repay him? Whatsoever is under the whole heaven is Mine.

¹²"I will not conceal his parts, nor his power, nor his comely proportion.

¹³Who can uncover the face of his garment? Or who can come to him with his double bridle?

¹⁴Who can open the doors of his face? His teeth are terrible round about.

¹⁵His scales are his pride, shut up together as with a tight seal.

¹⁶One is so near to another that no air can come between them.

¹⁷They are joined one to another; they stick together, that they cannot be sundered.

¹⁸By his sneezings a light doth shine, and his eyes are like the eyelids of the morning.

¹⁹Out of his mouth go burning lamps, and sparks of fire leap out.

²⁰Out of his nostrils goeth smoke, as out of a seething pot or caldron.

²¹His breath kindleth coals, and a flame goeth out of his mouth.

²²In his neck remaineth strength, and sorrow is turned into joy before him.

²³The folds of his flesh are joined together; they are firm in themselves; they cannot be moved.

²⁴His heart is as firm as a stone, yea, as hard as a piece of the nether millstone.

²⁵When he raiseth up himself, the mighty are afraid; by reason of breakings they purify themselves.

²⁶The sword of him that layeth at him cannot hold the spear, the dart, nor the breastplate.

²⁷He esteemeth iron as straw, and brass as rotten wood.

²⁸The arrow cannot make him flee; slingstones are turned by him into stubble.

²⁹Darts are counted as stubble; he laugheth at the shaking of a spear.

³⁰Sharp potsherds are his undersides; he spreadeth sharp pointed things upon the mire.

³¹He maketh the deep to boil like a pot; he maketh the sea like a pot of ointment.

³²He maketh a path to shine after him; one would think the deep to be hoary.

³³Upon earth there is not his like, who is made without fear.

³⁴He beholdeth all high things; he is a king over all the children of pride."

42Then Job answered the LORD and said:

²"I know that Thou canst do every thing, and that no thought can be withheld from Thee.

³'Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge?' Therefore have I uttered what I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not.

⁴'Hear, I beseech thee, and I will speak; I will question thee, and declare thou unto Me.'

⁵I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth Thee.

⁶Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes."

⁷And it was so, that after the LORD had spoken these words unto Job, the LORD said to Eliphaz the Temanite, "My wrath is kindled against thee and against thy two friends; for ye have not spoken of Me the thing that is right, as My servant Job hath.

⁸Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering. And My servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, lest I deal with you after your folly in that ye have not spoken of Me the thing which is right, like My servant Job."

⁹So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and did according as the LORD commanded them. The LORD also accepted Job.

¹⁰And the LORD released Job from captivity when he prayed for his friends. Also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.

¹¹Then came there unto him all his brethren and all his sisters, and all those who had been of his acquaintance before, and ate bread with him in his house. And they bemoaned him and comforted him over all the evil that the LORD had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, and every one an earring of gold.

¹²So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning; for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand sheasses.

¹³He had also seven sons and three daughters.

¹⁴And he called the name of the first Jemimah, and the name of the second Keziah, and the name of the third Kerenhappuch.

¹⁵And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job, and their father gave them an inheritance among their brethren.

¹⁶After this Job lived one hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and his sons' sons, even four generations.

¹⁷So Job died, being old and full of days.

PSALM 1

¹Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful;

²but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on His law doth he meditate day and night.

³And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.

⁴The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.

⁵Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

⁶For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

PSALM 2

¹Why do the heathen rage, and the people devise a vain thing?

²The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against His Anointed, saying,

³"Let us break Their bonds asunder, and cast away Their cords from us."

⁴He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the LORD shall hold them in derision.

⁵Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath, and vex them in His sore displeasure:

⁶"Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Zion."

⁷"I will declare the decree: The LORD hath said unto Me, 'Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee.

⁸Ask of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.

⁹Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.'"

¹⁰Be wise now therefore, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth.

¹¹Serve the LORD with fear and rejoice with trembling.

¹²Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him.

PSALM 3

¹LORD, how they have increased that trouble me! Many are they that rise up against me!

²Many there be that say of my soul, "There is no help for him in God." Selah

³But Thou, O LORD, art a shield for me, my glory and the lifter up of mine head.

⁴I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

⁵I laid me down and slept; I awaked, for the LORD sustained me.

⁶I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people that have set themselves against me round about.

⁷Arise, O LORD! Save me, O my God! For Thou hast smitten all mine enemies upon the cheekbone; Thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

⁸Salvation belongeth unto the LORD. Thy blessing is upon Thy people. Selah

PSALM 4

¹Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness! Thou hast set me at large when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.

²O ye sons of men, how long will ye turn my glory into shame? How long will ye love vanity and seek after lies? Selah

³But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for Himself; the LORD will hear when I call unto Him.

⁴Stand in awe, and sin not; commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah

⁵Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

⁶There are many that say, "Who will show us any good?" LORD, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us.

⁷Thou hast put gladness in my heart, more than in the time when their corn and wine increased.

⁸I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep; for Thou LORD only, makest me dwell in safety.

PSALM 5

¹Give ear to my words, O LORD; consider my meditation.

²Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my God, for unto Thee will I pray.

³My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee and will look up.

⁴For Thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness; neither shall evil dwell with Thee.

⁵The foolish shall not stand in Thy sight; Thou hatest all workers of iniquity.

⁶Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies; the LORD will abhor the bloody and deceitful man.

⁷But as for me, I will come into Thy house in the multitude of Thy mercy, and in Thy fear will I worship toward Thy holy temple.

⁸Lead me, O LORD, in Thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make Thy way straight before my face.

⁹For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is exceeding wickedness. Their throat is an open sepulcher; they flatter with their tongue.

¹⁰Destroy Thou them, O God! Let them fall by their own counsels. Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions, for they have rebelled against Thee.

¹¹But let all those that put their trust in Thee rejoice; let them ever shout for joy, because Thou defendest them; let them also that love Thy name be joyful in Thee.

¹²For Thou, LORD, wilt bless the righteous; with favor wilt Thou compass him about as with a shield.

PSALM 6

¹O LORD, rebuke me not in Thine anger, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure.

²Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak; O LORD, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

³My soul is also sore vexed, but Thou, O LORD, how long?

⁴Return, O LORD, deliver my soul! O save me for Thy mercies' sake!

⁵For in death there is no remembrance of Thee; in the grave who shall give Thee thanks?

⁶I am weary with my groaning; all the night I make my bed to swim, I water my couch with my tears.

⁷Mine eye is consumed because of grief; it waxeth old because of all mine enemies.

⁸Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity, for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

⁹The LORD hath heard my supplication; the LORD will receive my prayer.

¹⁰Let all mine enemies be ashamed and sorely vexed; let them turn back and be put to shame suddenly.

PSALM 7

¹O LORD my God, in Thee do I put my trust. Save me from all them that persecute me; and deliver me,

²lest they tear my soul like a lion, rending it in pieces while there is none to deliver.

³O LORD my God, if I have done this, if there be iniquity on my hands,

⁴if I have rewarded evil unto him that was at peace with me (yea, I have delivered him that without cause is mine enemy),

⁵let the enemy persecute my soul and take it; yea, let him tread down my life upon the earth, and lay mine honor in the dust. Selah

⁶Arise, O LORD, in Thine anger; lift up Thyself against the rage of mine enemies, and awaken for me the judgment that Thou hast commanded.

⁷So shall the congregation of the people compass Thee about; for their sakes, therefore, return Thou on high.

⁸The LORD shall judge the people: Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to mine integrity that is in me.

⁹O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

¹⁰My defense is of God, who saveth the upright in heart.

¹¹God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

¹²If he turn not, He will whet His sword; He hath bent His bow and made it ready.

¹³He hath also prepared for Him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors.

¹⁴Behold, the wicked travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood.

¹⁵He made a pit and dug it, and has fallen into the ditch which he hath made.

¹⁶His mischief shall return upon his own head; and his violent dealings shall come down upon his own pate.

¹⁷I will praise the LORD according to His righteousness, and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High.

PSALM 8

¹O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth, who hast set Thy glory above the heavens!

²Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.

³When I consider Thy heavens, the work of Thy fingers, the moon and the stars which Thou hast ordained,

⁴what is man that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that Thou dost visit him?

⁵For Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶Thou hast made him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet,

⁷all sheep and oxen, yea, and the beasts of the field,

⁸the fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas.

⁹O LORD, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth!

PSALM 9

¹I will praise Thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will show forth all Thy marvelous works.

²I will be glad and rejoice in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou Most High.

³When mine enemies are turned back, they shall fall and perish at Thy presence.

⁴For Thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou sittest on the throne judging right.

⁵Thou hast rebuked the heathen, Thou hast destroyed the wicked; Thou hast blotted out their name for ever and ever.

⁶O thou enemy, destructions are come to a perpetual end: and Thou hast destroyed their cities; their memorial is perished with them.

⁷But the LORD shall endure for ever; He hath prepared His throne for judgment.

⁸And He shall judge the world with righteousness; He shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness.

⁹The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times of trouble.

¹⁰And they that know Thy name will put their trust in Thee; for Thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek Thee.

¹¹Sing praises to the LORD who dwelleth in Zion! Declare among the people His doings.

¹²When He maketh inquisition for blood, He remembereth them; He forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

¹³Have mercy upon me, O LORD! Consider my trouble which I suffer from them that hate me, Thou that liftest me up from the gates of death,

¹⁴that I may show forth all Thy praise at the gates of the daughter of Zion. I will rejoice in Thy salvation.

¹⁵The heathen have sunk down into the pit that they made; in the net which they hid, their own foot is taken.

¹⁶The LORD is known by the judgment which He executeth; the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. Higgaion. Selah

¹⁷The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God.

¹⁸For the needy shall not always be forgotten; the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.

¹⁹Arise, O LORD, let not man prevail; let the heathen be judged in Thy sight.

²⁰Put them in fear, O LORD; that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

PSALM 10

¹Why standest Thou afar off, O LORD? Why hidest Thou Thyself in times of trouble?

²The wicked in his pride doth persecute the poor; let them be caught in the devices that they have contrived.

³For the wicked boasteth of his heart's desire, and blesseth the covetous whom the LORD abhorreth.

⁴The wicked, in the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God; God is not in all his thoughts.

⁵His ways are always grievous; Thy judgments are far above, out of his sight; as for all his enemies, he puffeth at them.

⁶He hath said in his heart, "I shall not be moved, for I shall never be in adversity."

⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud; under his tongue is mischief and vanity.

⁸He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages; in secret places doth he murder the innocent; his eyes are privily set against the poor.

⁹He lieth in wait secretly as a lion in his den; he lieth in wait to catch the poor; he doth catch the poor when he draweth him into his net.

¹⁰He croucheth and humbleth himself, that the poor may fall by his strong ones.

¹¹He hath said in his heart, "God hath forgotten; He hideth His face, He will never see it."

¹²Arise, O LORD! O God, lift up Thine hand! Forget not the humble.

¹³Why doth the wicked contemn God? He hath said in his heart, "Thou wilt not keep account."

¹⁴But Thou hast seen it, for Thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with Thy hand. The poor committeth himself unto Thee; Thou art the helper of the fatherless.

¹⁵Break Thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man; seek out his wickedness until Thou find none.

¹⁶The LORD is King for ever and ever; the heathen have perished out of His land.

¹⁷LORD, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble; Thou wilt prepare their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to hear,

¹⁸to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

PSALM 11

¹In the LORD I put my trust; how say ye to my soul, "Flee as a bird to your mountain,

²for lo, the wicked bend their bow and make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart;

³if the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?"

⁴The LORD is in His holy temple! The LORD'S throne is in heaven! His eyes behold; His eyelids test the children of men!

⁵The LORD trieth the righteous; but the wicked and him that loveth violence, His soul hateth.

⁶Upon the wicked He shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and a horrible tempest: this shall be the portion of their cup.

⁷For the righteous LORD loveth righteousness; His countenance doth behold the upright.

PSALM 12

¹Help, LORD, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men.

²They speak vanity every one with his neighbor; with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.

³The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things,

⁴who have said, "With our tongue, we will prevail; our lips are our own; who is lord over us?"

⁵"For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise," saith the LORD; "I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him."

⁶The words of the LORD are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

⁷Thou shalt keep them, O LORD; Thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.

⁸The wicked walk on every side, when the vilest men are exalted.

PSALM 13

¹How long wilt Thou forget me, O LORD? For ever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me?

²How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily? How long shall mine enemy be exalted over me?

³Consider and hear me, O LORD my God; lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

⁴lest mine enemy say, "I have prevailed against him"; and those that trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵But I have trusted in Thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.

⁶I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt bountifully with me.

PSALM 14

¹The fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt; they have done abominable works; there is none that doeth good.

²The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God.

³They have all turned aside; they are all together become filthy. There is none that doeth good; no, not one.

⁴Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread and call not upon the LORD?

⁵There were they in great fear, for God is in the generation of the righteous.

⁶Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.

⁷Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the LORD bringeth back His people from captivity, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

PSALM 15

¹LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?

²He that walketh uprightly and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart;

³he that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor spreadeth a reproach against his neighbor;

⁴in whose eyes a vile person is contemned, but he honoreth them that fear the LORD; he that taketh an oath to his own hurt, and changeth not;

⁵he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh a bribe against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.

PSALM 16

¹Preserve me, O God, for in Thee do I put my trust.

²O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, "Thou art my Lord; my goodness extendeth not to Thee,

³but to the saints that are on the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight."

⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten after another god; their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names upon my lips.

⁵The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup; Thou maintainest my lot.

⁶The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

⁷I will bless the LORD who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

⁸I have set the LORD always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad and my spirit rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope.

¹⁰For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.

¹¹Thou wilt show me the path of life; in Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

PSALM 17

¹Hear the right, O LORD; attend unto my cry! Give ear unto my prayer, which goeth not out of feigned lips.

²Let my sentence come forth from Thy presence; let Thine eyes behold things with equity.

³Thou hast tested mine heart; Thou hast visited me in the night; Thou hast tried me and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.

⁴Concerning the works of men, by the word of Thy lips I have been kept from the paths of the destroyer.

⁵Uphold my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.

⁶I have called upon Thee, for Thou wilt hear me, O God; incline Thine ear unto me and hear my speaking.

⁷Show Thy marvelous lovingkindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand them that put their trust in Thee from those that rise up against them.

⁸Keep me as the apple of the eye; hide me under the shadow of Thy wings,

⁹from the wicked that oppress me, from my deadly enemies who compass me about.

¹⁰They are enclosed in their own fat; with their mouth they speak proudly.

¹¹They have now encompassed us in our steps; they have set their eyes, bowing down to the earth,

¹²like a lion that is greedy for his prey, even as a young lion lurking in secret places.

¹³Arise, O LORD, disappoint them! Cast them down; deliver my soul from the wicked by Thy sword,

¹⁴from men which are Thy hand, O LORD, from men of the world that have their portion in this life, and whose belly Thou fillest with Thy hid treasure: They are full of children, and leave the rest of their substance to their babes.

¹⁵As for me, I will behold Thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with Thy likeness.

PSALM 18

¹I will love Thee, O LORD, my strength.

²The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

³I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from mine enemies.

⁴The sorrows of death encompassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

⁵The sorrows of hell compassed me about; the snares of death lay before me.

⁶In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried unto my God; He heard my voice out of His temple, and my cry came before Him, even unto His ears.

⁷Then the earth shook and trembled; the foundations also of the hills moved and were shaken, because He was wroth.

⁸There went up smoke out of His nostrils, and a devouring fire out of His mouth; coals were kindled by it.

⁹He bowed the heavens also and came down; and darkness was under His feet.

¹⁰And He rode upon a cherub and flew; yea, He flew upon the wings of the wind.

¹¹He made darkness His secret place; His pavilion round about Him was dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

¹²At the brightness that was before Him, His thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

¹³The LORD also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest uttered His voice with hail stones and coals of fire.

¹⁴Yea, He sent out His arrows and scattered them; and He shot out lightnings and discomfited them.

¹⁵Then the channels of the waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were uncovered at Thy rebuke, O LORD, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils.

¹⁶He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.

¹⁷He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them that hated me, for they were too strong for me.

¹⁸They came against me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was my stay.

¹⁹He brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

²⁰The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath He recompensed me.

²¹For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.

²²For all His judgments were before me, and I did not put away His statutes from me.

²³I was also upright before Him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity.

²⁴Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in His eyes.

²⁵With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful; with an upright man Thou wilt show Thyself upright;

²⁶with the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; and with the froward Thou wilt show Thyself froward.

²⁷For Thou wilt save the afflicted people, but wilt bring down haughty looks.

²⁸For Thou wilt light my candle; the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.

²⁹For by Thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.

³⁰As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the LORD is proved; He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.

³¹For who is God, except the LORD? Or who is a rock, except our God?

³²It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

³³He maketh my feet like hinds' feet, and setteth me upon my high places.

³⁴He teacheth my hands to war, so that the bow of steel is broken by mine arms.

³⁵Thou hast also given me the shield of Thy salvation; Thy right hand hath held me up, and Thy gentleness hath made me great.

³⁶Thou hast enlarged my path under me, that my feet did not slip.

³⁷I have pursued mine enemies and overtaken them; neither did I turn back until they were consumed.

³⁸I have wounded them, that they were not able to rise; they have fallen under my feet.

³⁹For Thou hast girded me with strength for the battle; Thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

⁴⁰Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies, that I might destroy them that hate me.

⁴¹They cried, but there was none to save them, even unto the LORD, but He answered them not.

⁴²Then did I beat them small as the dust before the wind; I did cast them out as the dirt in the streets.

⁴³Thou hast delivered me from the strivings of the people; and Thou hast made me the head of the heathen; a people whom I have not known shall serve me.

⁴⁴As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.

⁴⁵The strangers shall fade away, and be afraid out of their close places.

⁴⁶The LORD liveth, and blessed be my Rock! And let the God of my salvation be exalted!

⁴⁷It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me;

⁴⁸He delivereth me from mine enemies. Yea, Thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me; Thou hast delivered me from violent men.

⁴⁹Therefore will I give thanks unto Thee, O LORD, among the heathen, and sing praises unto Thy name.

⁵⁰Great deliverance giveth He to His king and showeth mercy to His anointed, to David and to his seed for evermore.

PSALM 19

¹The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth His handiwork.

²Day upon day uttereth speech, and night upon night showeth knowledge.

³There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

⁴Their sound has gone forth through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tabernacle for the sun,

⁵which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race.

⁶His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof.

⁷The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.

⁸The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes.

⁹The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever; the judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.

¹¹Moreover by them is Thy servant warned, and in keeping of them there is great reward.

¹²Who can understand his errors? Cleanse Thou me from secret faults.

¹³Keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then shall I be upright, and I shall be innocent of the great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my Strength and my Redeemer.

PSALM 20

¹The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob defend thee!

²May He send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion.

³May He remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Selah

⁴May He grant thee according to thine own heart, and fulfill all thy counsel.

⁵We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners; the LORD fulfill all thy petitions!

⁶Now I know that the LORD saveth His anointed; He will hear him from His holy heaven with the saving strength of His right hand.

⁷Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

⁸They are brought down and fallen; but we are risen and stand upright.

⁹Save us, LORD! Let the King hear us when we call.

PSALM 21

¹The king shall rejoice in Thy strength, O LORD; and in Thy salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!

²Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withheld the request of his lips. Selah

³For Thou goest before him with the blessings of goodness; Thou settest a crown of pure gold on his head.

⁴He asked life of Thee and Thou gavest it to him, even length of days for ever and ever.

⁵His glory is great in Thy salvation; honor and majesty hast Thou laid upon him.

⁶For Thou hast made him most blessed for ever; Thou hast made him exceeding glad with Thy countenance.

⁷For the king trusteth in the LORD, and through the mercy of the Most High he shall not be moved.

⁸Thine hand shall find out all Thine enemies; Thy right hand shall find out those that hate Thee.

⁹Thou shalt make them as a fiery oven in the time of Thine anger; the LORD shall swallow them up in His wrath, and the fire shall devour them.

¹⁰Their fruit shalt Thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from among the children of men.

¹¹For they intended evil against Thee; they contrived a mischievous device, which they are not able to perform.

¹²Therefore shalt Thou make them turn their back when Thou shalt ready Thine arrows upon Thy strings against the face of them.

¹³Be Thou exalted, LORD, in Thine own strength; so will we sing and praise Thy power!

PSALM 22

¹My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? Why art Thou so far from helping Me, and from the words of My groaning?

²O My God, I cry in the daytime, but Thou hearest not; and in the night season I am not silent.

³But Thou art holy, O Thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

⁴Our fathers trusted in Thee; they trusted, and Thou didst deliver them.

⁵They cried unto Thee and were delivered; they trusted in Thee and were not confounded.

⁶But I am a worm and no man, a reproach of men and despised by the people.

⁷All they that see Me laugh Me to scorn; they shoot out their lip, they shake their head, saying,

⁸"He trusted in the LORD that He would deliver him; let Him deliver him, seeing He delighted in him!"

⁹But Thou art He that took Me out of the womb; Thou didst make Me hope when I was upon My mother's breasts.

¹⁰I was cast upon Thee from the womb; Thou art My God from My mother's belly.

¹¹Be not far from Me, for trouble is near; for there is none to help.

¹²Many bulls have compassed Me about; strong bulls of Bashan have beset Me round.

¹³They gaped at Me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion.

¹⁴I am poured out like water, and all My bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of My body.

¹⁵My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and My tongue cleaveth to My jaws; and Thou hast brought Me into the dust of death.

¹⁶For dogs have surrounded Me; the assembly of the wicked have enclosed Me; they pierced My hands and My feet.

¹⁷I can count all My bones; they look and stare upon Me.

¹⁸They part My garments among them, and cast lots upon My vesture.

¹⁹But be Thou not far from Me, O LORD; O My Strength, hasten Thee to help Me!

²⁰Deliver My soul from the sword, My only one from the power of the dog.

²¹Save Me from the lion's mouth; for Thou hast heard Me from the horns of the unicorns.

²²I will declare Thy name unto My brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee.

²³Ye that fear the LORD, praise Him! All ye the seed of Jacob, glorify Him; and fear Him, all ye the seed of Israel.

²⁴For He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath He hid His face from Him, but when He cried unto Him, He heard.

²⁵My praise shall be of Thee in the great congregation; I will pay My vows before them that fear Him.

²⁶The meek shall eat and be satisfied; they shall praise the LORD that seek Him. Your heart shall live for ever.

²⁷All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD, and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.

²⁸For the kingdom is the LORD'S, and He is the governor among the nations.

²⁹All they that are fat upon the earth shall eat and worship; all they that go down to the dust shall bow before Him, for none can keep alive his own soul.

³⁰A seed shall serve Him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

³¹They shall come and shall declare His righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that He hath done this.

PSALM 23

¹The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

²He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; He leadeth me beside the still waters.

³He restoreth my soul; He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

⁴Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.

⁵Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

⁶Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

PSALM 24

¹The earth is the LORD'S, and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.

²For He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

³Who shall ascend onto the hill of the LORD? Or who shall stand in His Holy Place?

⁴He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

⁵He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation.

⁶Such is the generation of them that seek Him, that seek Thy face, O God of Jacob. Selah

⁷Lift up your heads, O ye gates! And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

⁸Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, the LORD mighty in battle.

⁹Lift up your heads, O ye gates! Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in.

¹⁰Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He is the King of glory. Selah

PSALM 25

¹Unto Thee, O LORD, do I lift up my soul;

²O my God, I trust in Thee. Let me not be ashamed; let not mine enemies triumph over me.

³Yea, let none that wait on Thee be ashamed; let them be ashamed that transgress without cause.

⁴Show me Thy ways, O LORD; teach me Thy paths.

⁵Lead me in Thy truth and teach me, for Thou art the God of my salvation; on Thee do I wait all the day.

⁶Remember, O LORD, Thy tender mercies and Thy lovingkindnesses; for they have been ever of old.

⁷Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Thy mercy remember Thou me, for Thy goodness' sake, O LORD.

⁸Good and upright is the LORD; therefore will He teach sinners in the way.

⁹The meek will He guide in judgment, and the meek will He teach His way.

¹⁰All the paths of the LORD are mercy and truth, unto them that keep His covenant and His testimonies.

¹¹For Thy name's sake, O LORD, pardon mine iniquity, for it is great.

¹²What man is he that feareth the LORD? Him shall He teach in the way that He shall choose.

¹³His soul shall dwell at ease, and his seed shall inherit the earth.

¹⁴The secret of the LORD is with them that fear Him, and He will show them His covenant.

¹⁵Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD, for He shall pluck my feet out of the net.

¹⁶Turn Thee unto me and have mercy upon me, for I am desolate and afflicted.

¹⁷The troubles of my heart are enlarged; O bring Thou me out of my distresses.

¹⁸Look upon mine affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins.

¹⁹Consider mine enemies, for they are many; they hate me with cruel hatred.

²⁰O keep my soul and deliver me; let me not be ashamed, for I put my trust in Thee.

²¹Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on Thee.

²²Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his troubles!

PSALM 26

¹Judge me, O LORD, for I have walked in mine integrity. I have also trusted in the LORD; therefore I shall not slide.

²Examine me, O LORD, and test me; try my reins and my heart.

³For Thy lovingkindness is before mine eyes, and I have walked in Thy truth.

⁴I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I consort with dissemblers.

⁵I have hated the congregation of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.

⁶I will wash mine hands in innocence; so will I compass Thine altar, O LORD,

⁷that I may proclaim with the voice of thanksgiving, and tell of all Thy wondrous works.

⁸LORD, I have loved the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth.

⁹Gather not my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloody men,

¹⁰in whose hands is mischief, and their right hand is full of bribes.

¹¹But as for me, I will walk in mine integrity; redeem me and be merciful unto me.

¹²My foot standeth on a level place; in the congregations will I bless the LORD.

PSALM 27

¹The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?

²When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell.

³Though an army should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war should rise against me, even in this will I be confident.

⁴One thing have I desired of the LORD; that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in His temple.

⁵For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret places of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me upon a rock.

⁶And then shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me; therefore I will offer in His tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD.

⁷Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice! Have mercy also upon me and answer me.

⁸When Thou saidst, "Seek ye My face," my heart said unto Thee, "Thy face, LORD, will I seek."

⁹Hide not Thy face far from me; put not Thy servant away in anger. Thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation.

¹⁰When my father and my mother forsake me, then the LORD will take me up.

¹¹Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a level path because of mine enemies.

¹²Deliver me not over unto the will of mine enemies; for false witnesses have risen up against me, and such as breathe out cruelty.

¹³I would have fainted, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.

¹⁴Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart. Wait, I say, on the LORD!

PSALM 28

¹Unto Thee will I cry, O LORD my rock; be not silent to me, lest, if Thou be silent, I become like them that go down into the pit.

²Hear the voice of my supplications when I cry unto Thee, when I lift up my hands toward the oracle of Thy sanctuary.

³Draw me not away with the wicked and with the workers of iniquity, who speak peace to their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.

⁴Give to them according to their deeds and according to the wickedness of their endeavors; give to them according to the work of their hands; render to them their deserts.

⁵Because they regard not the works of the LORD, nor the operation of His hands, He shall destroy them and not build them up.

⁶Blessed be the LORD, because He hath heard the voice of my supplications!

⁷The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in Him, and I am helped. Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth, and with my song will I praise Him.

⁸The LORD is their strength, and He is the saving strength of His anointed.

⁹Save the people, and bless Thine inheritance; feed them also, and lift them up forever.

PSALM 29

¹Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty; give unto the LORD glory and strength.

²Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.

³The voice of the LORD is upon the waters; the God of glory thundereth; the LORD is upon many waters.

⁴The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.

⁵The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedars; yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.

⁶He maketh them also to skip like a calf, Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn.

⁷The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire.

⁸The voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness; the LORD shaketh the Wilderness of Kadesh.

⁹The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to calve, and layeth bare the forests, and in His temple doth every one speak of His glory.

¹⁰The LORD sitteth over the flood; yea, the LORD sitteth as King for ever.

¹¹The LORD will give strength unto His people; the LORD will bless His people with peace.

PSALM 30

¹I will extol Thee, O LORD, for Thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.

²O LORD my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.

³O LORD, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave; Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

⁴Sing unto the LORD, O ye His saints, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

⁵For His anger endureth but a moment, and in His favor is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

⁶And in my prosperity I said, "I shall never be moved."

⁷LORD, by Thy favor Thou hast made my mountain to stand strong; when Thou didst hide Thy face, I was troubled.

⁸I cried to Thee, O LORD; and unto the LORD I made supplication:

⁹"What profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? Shall it declare Thy truth?

¹⁰Hear, O LORD, and have mercy upon me; LORD, be Thou my helper!"

¹¹Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing; Thou hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness,

¹²to the end that my glory may sing praise to Thee and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto Thee for ever.

PSALM 31

¹In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed; deliver me in Thy righteousness.

²Bow down Thine ear to me, deliver me speedily; be Thou my strong rock, a house of defense to save me.

³For Thou art my rock and my fortress; therefore for the sake of Thy name, lead me and guide me.

⁴Pull me out of the net that they have laid privily for me, for Thou art my strength.

⁵Into Thine hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

⁶I have hated them that have regard for lying vanities; but I trust in the LORD.

⁷I will be glad and rejoice in Thy mercy, for Thou hast considered my trouble. Thou hast known my soul in adversities,

⁸And hast not delivered me into the hands of the enemy; Thou hast set my feet in a large room.

⁹Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am in trouble; mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly.

¹⁰For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing; my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

¹¹I am a reproach among all mine enemies, but especially among my neighbors, and a fear to mine acquaintances; they that see me in the streets flee from me.

¹²I am forgotten as a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.

¹³For I have heard the slander of many; fear was on every side; while they took counsel together against me, they schemed to take away my life.

¹⁴But I have trusted in Thee, O LORD; I said, "Thou art my God."

¹⁵My times are in Thy hand; deliver me from the hand of mine enemies and from them that persecute me.

¹⁶Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; save me for Thy mercies' sake.

¹⁷Let me not be ashamed, O LORD, for I have called upon Thee; let the wicked be ashamed, and let them be silent in the grave.

¹⁸Let the lying lips be put to silence, which speak grievous things proudly and contemptuously against the righteous.

¹⁹O how great is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee, which Thou hast wrought for them that trust in Thee before the sons of men!

²⁰Thou shalt hide them in the safety of Thy presence from the pride of man; Thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.

²¹Blessed be the LORD, for He hath shown me His marvelous kindness in a stronghold city!

²²For I said in my haste, "I am cut off from before Thine eyes!" Nevertheless Thou heard the voice of my supplications when I cried unto Thee.

²³O love the LORD, all ye His saints! For the LORD preserveth the faithful, but plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

²⁴Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.

PSALM 32

¹Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.

²Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

³When I kept silent, my bones waxed old through my groaning all the day long.

⁴For day and night Thy hand was heavy upon me; the sap of my soul was turned into the drought of summer. Selah

⁵I acknowledged my sin unto Thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, "I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD," and Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah

⁶For this shall every one that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; surely the floods of great waters shall not come nigh unto him.

⁷Thou art my hiding place; Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah

⁸"I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with Mine eye.

⁹Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they not come near unto thee."

¹⁰Many shall be the sorrows of the wicked; but he that trusteth in the LORD, mercy shall compass him about.

¹¹Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, ye righteous; and shout for joy, all ye that are upright in heart!

PSALM 33

¹Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous! For praise is comely for the upright.

²Praise the LORD with the harp; sing unto Him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings.

³Sing unto Him a new song; play skillfully with a loud noise.

⁴For the word of the LORD is right, and all His works are done in truth.

⁵He loveth righteousness and judgment; the earth is full of the goodness of the LORD.

⁶By the word of the LORD were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.

⁷He gathereth the waters of the sea together as a heap; He layeth up the deep in storehouses.

⁸Let all the earth fear the LORD; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.

⁹For He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.

¹⁰The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought; He maketh the devices of the people of no effect.

¹¹The counsel of the LORD standeth for ever, the thoughts of His heart to all generations.

¹²Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance.

¹³The LORD looketh down from heaven; He beholdeth all of the sons of men.

¹⁴From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth;

¹⁵He fashioneth the hearts of all; He considereth all their works.

¹⁶No king is saved by the multitude of an army; a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.

¹⁷A horse is a vain thing for safety; neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.

¹⁸Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear Him, upon them that hope in His mercy,

¹⁹to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

²⁰Our soul waiteth for the LORD; He is our help and our shield.

²¹For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name.

²²Let Thy mercy, O LORD, be upon us, according as we hope in Thee.

PSALM 34

¹I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth.

²My soul shall make her boast in the LORD; the humble shall hear thereof and be glad.

³O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together.

⁴I sought the LORD, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

⁵They looked unto Him and were lightened, and their faces were not ashamed.

⁶This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

⁷The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.

⁸O taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man that trusteth in Him!

⁹O fear the LORD, ye His saints! For them that fear Him suffer no want.

¹⁰The young lions lack and suffer hunger, but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.

¹¹Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

¹²What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?

¹³Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

¹⁴Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

¹⁵The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and His ears are open unto their cry.

¹⁶The face of the LORD is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.

¹⁷The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

¹⁸The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and saveth such as are of a contrite spirit.

¹⁹Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

²⁰He keepeth all his bones; not one of them is broken.

²¹Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

²²The LORD redeemeth the soul of His servants, and none of them that trust in Him shall be desolate.

PSALM 35

¹Plead my cause, O LORD, with them that strive with me; fight against them that fight against me.

²Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help.

³Draw out also the spear, and block the way against them that persecute me. Say unto my soul, "I am thy salvation."

⁴Let them be confounded and put to shame that seek after my soul; let them be turned back and brought to confusion that devise my hurt.

⁵Let them be as chaff before the wind, and let the angel of the LORD chase them.

⁶Let their way be dark and slippery, and let the angel of the LORD persecute them.

⁷For without cause they have hid their net for me in a pit, which without cause they have dug for my soul.

⁸Let destruction come upon him unawares; and let the net which he hath hidden catch himself; into that very destruction let him fall.

⁹Then my soul shall be joyful in the LORD; it shall rejoice in His salvation.

¹⁰All my bones shall say, "LORD, who is like unto Thee, who deliverest the poor from him that is too strong for him, yea, the poor and needy from him that would plunder him?"

¹¹False witnesses rose up; they laid to my charge things that I knew not.

¹²They rewarded me evil for good, to the grieving of my soul.

¹³But as for me, when they were sick my clothing was sackcloth; I humbled my soul with fasting, and my prayer returned unto mine own bosom.

¹⁴I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother; I bowed down in heaviness, as one that mourneth for his mother.

¹⁵But in mine adversity they rejoiced and gathered themselves together; yea, the abjects gathered themselves together against me, and I knew it not; they tore at me and ceased not.

¹⁶With hypocritical mockers at feasts they gnashed their teeth against me.

¹⁷Lord, how long wilt Thou look on? Rescue my soul from their destructions, my precious soul from the lions.

¹⁸I will give Thee thanks in the great congregation; I will praise Thee among many people.

¹⁹Let not them that are mine enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let them wink with the eye that hate me without a cause.

²⁰For they speak not peace, but they devise deceitful matters against them that are quiet in the land.

²¹Yea, they opened their mouths wide against me and said, "Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen it."

²²This Thou hast seen, O LORD; keep not silence; O Lord, be not far from me.

²³Stir up Thyself, and awake to my judgment, even unto my cause, my God and my Lord.

²⁴Judge me, O LORD my God, according to Thy righteousness; and let them not rejoice over me.

²⁵Let them not say in their hearts, "Ah, so would we have it!" Let them not say, "We have swallowed him up."

²⁶Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion together that rejoice at my hurt; let them be clothed with shame and dishonor that magnify themselves against me.

²⁷Let them shout for joy and be glad that favor my righteous cause; yea, let them say continually, "Let the LORD be magnified who hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servant."

²⁸And my tongue shall speak of Thy righteousness and of Thy praise all the day long.

PSALM 36

¹The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart that there is no fear of God before his eyes.

²For he flattereth himself in his own eyes until his iniquity be found to be hateful.

³The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit; he hath ceased to be wise and to do good.

⁴He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.

⁵Thy mercy, O LORD, is in the heavens, and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.

⁶Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep; O LORD, Thou preservest man and beast.

⁷How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.

⁸They shall be abundantly satisfied with the bounty of Thy house, and Thou shalt make them drink of the river of Thy pleasures.

⁹For with Thee is the fountain of life; in Thy light shall we see light.

¹⁰O continue Thy lovingkindness unto them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart.

¹¹Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.

¹²There the workers of iniquity lie fallen; they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.

PSALM 37

¹Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity.

²For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb.

³Trust in the LORD and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

⁴Delight thyself also in the LORD, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.

⁵Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

⁶And He shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.

⁷Rest in the LORD and wait patiently for Him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

⁸Cease from anger and forsake wrath; fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.

⁹For evildoers shall be cut off; but those that wait upon the LORD, they shall inherit the earth.

¹⁰For yet a little while and the wicked shall not be; yea, thou shalt diligently look for his place, and it shall not be.

¹¹But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.

¹²The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth.

¹³The Lord shall laugh at him, for He seeth that his day is coming.

¹⁴The wicked have drawn out the sword and have bent their bows to cast down the poor and needy, and to slay such as be of upright manner of living.

¹⁵Their sword shall enter into their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

¹⁶A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.

¹⁷For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholdeth the righteous.

¹⁸The LORD knoweth the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall be for ever.

¹⁹They shall not be ashamed in the evil time, and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.

²⁰But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the LORD shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall be consumed; into smoke shall they be consumed away.

²¹The wicked borroweth and payeth not back, but the righteous showeth mercy and giveth:

²²for such as are blessed by Him shall inherit the earth, but they that are cursed by Him shall be cut off.

²³The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, and He delighteth in his way.

²⁴Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down; for the LORD upholdeth him with His hand.

²⁵I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging for bread.

²⁶He is ever merciful and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.

²⁷Depart from evil and do good, and dwell for evermore.

²⁸For the LORD loveth judgment, and forsaketh not His saints; they are preserved for ever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off.

²⁹The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein for ever.

³⁰The mouth of the righteous speaketh wisdom, and his tongue talketh of judgment.

³¹The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.

³²The wicked watcheth the righteous, and seeketh to slay him.

³³But the LORD will not leave him in his hand, nor condemn him when he is judged.

³⁴Wait on the LORD and keep His way, and He shall exalt thee to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

³⁵I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree.

³⁶Yet he passed away, and lo, he was no more; yea, I sought him, but he could not be found.

³⁷Mark the perfect man and behold the upright, for the end of that man is peace.

³⁸But the transgressors shall be destroyed together; the end of the wicked shall be cut off.

³⁹But the salvation of the righteous is in the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.

⁴⁰And the LORD shall help them and deliver them; He shall deliver them from the wicked and save them, because they trust in Him.

PSALM 38

¹O LORD, rebuke me not in Thy wrath, neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure!

²For Thine arrows stick fast in me, and Thy hand presseth me sorely.

³There is no soundness in my flesh, because of Thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones, because of my sin.

⁴For mine iniquities have gone over mine head; as a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

⁵My wounds are foul and corrupt because of my foolishness.

⁶I am troubled, I am bowed down greatly; I go mourning all the day long.

⁷For my loins are filled with a loathsome disease, and there is no soundness in my flesh.

⁸I am feeble and sorely broken; I have groaned because of the disquiet of my heart.

⁹Lord, all my desires are known to Thee; and my groaning is not hidden from Thee.

¹⁰My heart panteth, my strength faileth me; as for the light of mine eyes, it also is gone from me.

¹¹My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my sore, and my kinsmen stand afar off.

¹²They also that seek after my life lay snares for me; and they that seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and devise deceits all the day long.

¹³But I, as a deaf man, heard not; and I was as a dumb man that openeth not his mouth.

¹⁴Thus I was as a man that heareth not, and in whose mouth are no reproofs.

¹⁵For in Thee, O LORD, do I hope; Thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.

¹⁶For I said, "Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me; when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me."

¹⁷For I am ready for halting, and my sorrow is continually before me.

¹⁸For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.

¹⁹But mine enemies are alive and they are strong; and they that hate me wrongfully are multiplied.

²⁰They also that render evil for good are mine adversaries, because I follow the thing that is good.

²¹Forsake me not, O LORD; O my God, be not far from me!

²²Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation!

PSALM 39

¹I said, "I will take heed of my ways, that I sin not with my tongue; I will keep my mouth with a bridle while the wicked is before me."

²I was dumb with silence; I held my peace, even from good, and my sorrow was stirred.

³My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue:

⁴"LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is, that I may know how frail I am.

⁵Behold, Thou hast made my days as a handbreadth, and mine age is as nothing before Thee; verily every man in his best state is altogether vanity. Selah

⁶"Surely every man walketh in a vain show; surely they are disquieted in vain; he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

⁷"And now, Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in Thee.

⁸Deliver me from all my transgressions; make me not the reproach of the foolish.

⁹I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, because Thou didst it.

¹⁰Remove Thy stroke away from me; I am consumed by the blow of Thine hand.

¹¹When with rebukes Thou dost correct man for iniquity, Thou makest his beauty to be consumed away like a moth; surely every man is vanity. Selah

¹²"Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear unto my cry; hold not Thy peace at my tears; for I am a stranger with Thee and a sojourner, as all my fathers were.

¹³O spare me, that I may recover strength before I go hence and am no more."

PSALM 40

¹I waited patiently for the LORD; and He inclined unto me and heard my cry.

²He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings.

³And He hath put a new song in my mouth; even praise unto our God; many shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.

⁴Blessed is that man that maketh the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies.

⁵Many, O LORD my God, are Thy wonderful works which Thou hast done; and Thy thoughts which are directed toward us, they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee. If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.

⁶Sacrifice and offering Thou didst not desire; mine ears hast Thou opened; burnt offering and sin offering hast Thou not required.

⁷Then said I, "Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me:

⁸I delight to do Thy will, O my God; yea, Thy law is within my heart."

⁹I have preached righteousness in the great congregation; lo, I have not restrained my lips, O LORD, Thou knowest.

¹⁰I have not hid Thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared Thy faithfulness and Thy salvation; I have not concealed Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth from the great congregation.

¹¹Withhold not Thou Thy tender mercies from me, O LORD; let Thy lovingkindness and Thy truth continually preserve me.

¹²For innumerable evils have compassed me about; mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of mine head; therefore my heart faileth me.

¹³Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me!

¹⁴Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil.

¹⁵Let them be desolate as a reward for their shame, that say unto me, "Aha, aha!"

¹⁶Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; let those that love Thy salvation say continually, "The LORD be magnified!"

¹⁷But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh of me. Thou art my help and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God!

PSALM 41

¹Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble.

²The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, and he shallbe blessed upon the earth; and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

³The LORD will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing; Thou wilt turn him on his bed in his sickness.

⁴I said, "LORD, be merciful unto me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee."

⁵Mine enemies speak evil of me and say, "When shall he die and his name perish?"

⁶And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity; his heart gathereth iniquity to itself, and when he goeth out, he telleth it.

⁷All that hate me whisper together against me; against me do they devise my hurt.

⁸"An evil disease," they say, "cleaveth fast unto him, and now that he lieth down, he shall rise up no more."

⁹Yea, mine own familiar friend in whom I trusted, that ate of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.

¹⁰But Thou, O LORD, be merciful unto me, and raise me up that I may requite them.

¹¹By this I know that Thou favorest me: because mine enemy doth not triumph over me.

¹²And as for me, Thou upholdest me in mine integrity, and settest me before Thy face for ever.

¹³Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! Amen and Amen.

PSALM 42

¹As the hart panteth for the water brooks, so panteth my soul for Thee, O God.

²My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God; when shall I come and appear before God?

³My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, "Where is thy God?"

⁴When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me, for I had gone with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.

⁵Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.

⁶O my God, my soul is cast down within me; therefore will I remember Thee from the land of Jordan and of the Hermonites, from the hill of Mizar.

⁷Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of Thy waterspouts; all Thy waves and Thy billows have gone over me.

⁸Yet the LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me and my prayer unto the God of my life.

⁹I will say unto God my rock, "Why hast Thou forgotten me? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?"

¹⁰As with a sword in my bones, mine enemies reproach me, while they say daily unto me, "Where is thy God?"

¹¹Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.

PSALM 43

¹Judge me, O God, and plead my cause against an ungodly nation; O deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man.

²For Thou art the God of my strength; why dost Thou cast me off? Why go I mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

³O send out Thy light and Thy truth! Let them lead me. Let them bring me unto Thy holy hill and to Thy tabernacles.

⁴Then will I go unto the altar of God, unto God my exceeding joy; yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God, my God.

⁵Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.

PSALM 44

¹We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us what work Thou didst in their days, in the times of old:

²how Thou didst drive out the heathen with Thy hand, and planted them; how Thou didst afflict the people, and cast them out.

³For they got not the land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them, but by Thy right hand and Thine arm and the light of Thy countenance, because Thou hadst favor unto them.

⁴Thou art my King, O God; command deliverances for Jacob.

⁵Through Thee will we push down our enemies; through Thy name will we tread them under that rise up against us.

⁶For I will not trust in my bow, neither shall my sword save me;

⁷but Thou hast saved us from our enemies, and hast put them to shame that hated us.

⁸In God we boast all the day long, and praise Thy name for ever. Selah

⁹But Thou hast cast us off and put us to shame, and goest not forth with our armies.

¹⁰Thou makest us to turn back from the enemy, and they that hate us despoil us for themselves.

¹¹Thou hast given us up like sheep appointed for slaughter, and hast scattered us among the heathen.

¹²Thou sellest Thy people for nought, and dost not increase Thy wealth by their price.

¹³Thou makest us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to them that are round about us.

¹⁴Thou makest us a byword among the heathen, a shaking of the head among the people.

¹⁵My confusion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me,

¹⁶for the voice of him that reproacheth and blasphemeth by reason of the enemy and avenger.

¹⁷All this has come upon us; yet have we not forgotten Thee, neither have we dealt falsely in Thy covenant.

¹⁸Our heart has not turned back, neither have our steps turned from Thy way,

¹⁹though Thou hast sorely broken us in the place of dragons, and covered us with the shadow of death.

²⁰If we had forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god,

²¹shall not God search this out? For He knoweth the secrets of the heart.

²²Yea, for Thy sake are we killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

²³Awake! Why sleepest Thou, O Lord? Arise! Cast us not off for ever.

²⁴Why hidest Thou Thy face, and forgettest our affliction and our oppression?

²⁵For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth.

²⁶Arise for our help, and redeem us for Thy mercies' sake.

PSALM 45

¹My heart is composing a goodly matter; I speak of the verses which I have made concerning the King; my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

²Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into Thy lips; therefore God hath blessed Thee for ever.

³Gird Thy sword upon Thy thigh, O most Mighty, with Thy glory and Thy majesty.

⁴And in Thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and Thy right hand shall teach Thee fearsome things.

⁵Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the King's enemies, whereby the people fall under Thee.

⁶Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever; the scepter of Thy Kingdom is a righteous scepter.

⁷Thou lovest righteousness and hatest wickedness; therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.

⁸All Thy garments smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia, out of the ivory palaces whereby they have made Thee glad.

⁹Kings' daughters were among Thy honorable women; at Thy right hand stood the queen in gold of Ophir.

¹⁰Hearken, O daughter, and consider and incline thine ear; forget also thine own people and thy father's house.

¹¹So shall the King greatly desire thy beauty, for He is thy Lord; worship thou Him.

¹²And the daughter of Tyre shall be there with a gift; even the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor.

¹³The King's daughter is all glorious within; her clothing is of wrought gold.

¹⁴She shall be brought unto the King in raiment of needlework; the virgins, her companions that follow her, shall be brought unto Thee.

¹⁵With gladness and rejoicing shall they be brought; they shall enter into the King's palace.

¹⁶Instead of Thy fathers shall be Thy children, whom Thou mayest make princes in all the earth.

¹⁷I will make Thy name to be remembered in all generations; therefore shall the people praise Thee for ever and ever.

PSALM 46

¹God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

²Therefore will we not fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea,

³though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah

⁴There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.

⁵God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, and that right early.

⁶The heathen raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

⁷The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

⁸Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations He hath made on the earth.

⁹He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; He breaketh the bow and cutteth the spear in sunder; He burneth the chariot with fire.

¹⁰Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted on the earth.

¹¹The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

PSALM 47

¹O clap your hands, all ye people! Shout unto God with the voice of triumph!

²For the LORD Most High is to be feared; He is a great King over all the earth.

³He shall subdue the people under us, and the nations under our feet.

⁴He shall choose our inheritance for us, the excellency of Jacob whom He loved. Selah

⁵God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises unto our King, sing praises!

⁷For God is the King of all the earth; sing ye praises with understanding.

⁸God reigneth over the heathen; God sitteth upon the throne of His holiness.

⁹The princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong unto God; He is greatly exalted.

PSALM 48

¹Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, on the mountain of His holiness.

²Beautiful in situation, the joy of the whole earth is Mount Zion; on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

³God is known in her palaces as a refuge.

⁴For lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together.

⁵They saw it and so they marveled; they were troubled and hastened away.

⁶Fear took hold upon them there, and pain as of a woman in travail;

⁷Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with an east wind.

⁸As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God: God will establish it for ever. Selah

⁹We have thought of Thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple.

¹⁰According to Thy name, O God, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth; Thy right hand is full of righteousness.

¹¹Let Mount Zion rejoice! Let the daughters of Judah be glad because of Thy judgments!

¹²Walk about Zion and go round about her, count the towers thereof;

¹³mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces, that ye may tell it to the generation that follows.

¹⁴For this God is our God for ever and ever; He will be our guide even unto death.

PSALM 49

¹Hear this, all ye people; give ear, all ye inhabitants of the world,

²both low and high, rich and poor together.

³My mouth shall speak of wisdom, and the meditation of my heart shall be of understanding.

⁴I will incline mine ear to a parable; I will open my dark saying upon the harp.

⁵Why should I fear in the days of evil, when the iniquity at my heels shall compass me about?

⁶They that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches,

⁷none of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him

⁸(for the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever),

⁹that they should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

¹⁰For he seeth that wise men die; likewise the fool and the brutish person perish and leave their wealth to others.

¹¹Their inward thought is that their houses shall continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations; they call their lands after their own names.

¹²Nevertheless man, though he be in honor, abideth not; he is like the beasts that perish.

¹³This their way is their folly, yet their posterity approve their sayings. Selah

¹⁴Like sheep they are laid in the grave; death shall feed on them, and the upright shall have dominion over them in the morning, and their beauty shall be consumed in the grave away from their dwelling.

¹⁵But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me. Selah

¹⁶Be not thou afraid when one is made rich, when the glory of his house is increased.

¹⁷For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away; his glory shall not descend after him.

¹⁸Though while he lived he blessed his soul (and men will praise thee when thou doest well for thyself),

¹⁹he shall go to the generation of his fathers; they shall never see light.

²⁰Man, though he is in honor but understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish.

PSALM 50

¹The Mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof.

²Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.

³Our God shall come and shall not keep silence; a devouring fire shall go before Him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about Him.

⁴He shall call to the heavens from above and to the earth, that He may judge His people:

⁵"Gather My saints together unto Me, those that have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice."

⁶And the heavens shall declare His righteousness, for God Himself is judge. Selah

⁷"Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God.

⁸I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before Me.

⁹I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor hegoats out of thy folds.

¹⁰For every beast of the forest is Mine and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

¹¹I know all the fowls of the mountains, and the wild beasts of the field are Mine.

¹²If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is Mine and the fullness thereof.

¹³Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?

¹⁴"Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High,

¹⁵and call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify Me."

¹⁶But unto the wicked God saith: "What hast thou to do to declare My statutes, or that thou shouldest take My covenant in thy mouth,

¹⁷seeing thou hatest instruction and castest My words behind thee?

¹⁸When thou sawest a thief, then thou consented with him, and thou hast been partaker with adulterers.

¹⁹Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit.

²⁰Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.

²¹These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such a one as thyself. But I will reprove thee and set them in order before thine eyes.

²²"Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces and there be none to deliver:

²³Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me; and to him that ordereth his manner of living aright, I will show the salvation of God."

PSALM 51

¹Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.

²Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

³For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.

⁴Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight, that Thou mightest be justified when Thou speakest, and be clear when Thou judgest.

⁵Behold, I was shaped in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

⁶Behold, Thou desirest truth in my inward parts; in the hidden part Thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

⁷Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

⁸Make me to hear joy and gladness, that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice.

⁹Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

¹⁰Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.

¹¹Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy holy Spirit from me.

¹²Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and uphold me with Thy free Spirit.

¹³Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.

¹⁴Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Thy righteousness.

¹⁵O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.

¹⁶For Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it; Thou delightest not in burnt offering.

¹⁷The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise.

¹⁸Do good in Thy good pleasure unto Zion; build Thou the walls of Jerusalem.

¹⁹Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering; then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

PSALM 52

¹Why boastest thou in thine own mischief, O mighty man? The goodness of God endureth continually.

²Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.

³Thou lovest evil more than good, and lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah

⁴Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

⁵God shall likewise destroy thee for ever; He shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah

⁶The righteous also shall see this and fear, and shall laugh at him:

⁷"Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength, but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his own wickedness."

⁸But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.

⁹I will praise Thee for ever, because Thou hast done it, and I will wait on Thy name, for it is good before Thy saints.

PSALM 53

¹The fool hath said in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt and have done abominable iniquity; there is none that doeth good.

²God looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see if there were any that understood, that had sought God.

³Every one of them has turned back; they have altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

⁴Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge--those who eat up my people as they eat bread? They have not called upon God.

⁵There they were in great fear, where no fear was; for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee; thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.

⁶O that the salvation of Israel might come out of Zion! When God bringeth back His captive people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.

PSALM 54

¹Save me, O God, by Thy name, and judge me by Thy strength.

²Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.

³For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul; they have not set God before them. Selah

⁴Behold, God is mine helper; the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.

⁵He shall reward evil unto mine enemies; cut them off in Thy truth.

⁶I will freely sacrifice unto Thee; I will praise Thy name, O LORD, for it is good.

⁷For He hath delivered me out of all trouble, and mine eye hath seen my desire upon mine enemies.

PSALM 55

¹Give ear to my prayer, O God, and hide not Thyself from my supplication.

²Attend unto me and hear me; I mourn in my complaint and moan,

³because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.

⁴My heart is sorely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me.

⁵Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.

⁶And I said, "Oh, that I had wings like a dove! For then would I fly away and be at rest.

⁷Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness; Selah

⁸I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest."

⁹Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I have seen violence and strife in the city.

¹⁰Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.

¹¹Wickedness is in the midst thereof; deceit and guile depart not from her streets.

¹²For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it. Neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him.

¹³But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide and mine acquaintance.

¹⁴We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.

¹⁵Let death seize upon them, and let them go down alive into hell; for wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

¹⁶As for me, I will call upon God, and the LORD shall save me.

¹⁷Evening and morning and at noon will I pray and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice.

¹⁸He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, for there were many with me.

¹⁹God shall hear and afflict them, even He that abideth of old. Selah Because they have not changed, therefore they fear not God.

²⁰He hath put forth his hands against those that are at peace with him; he hath broken his covenant.

²¹The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.

²²Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and He shall sustain thee. He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

²³But Thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction; bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in Thee.

PSALM 56

¹Be merciful unto me, O God, for man would swallow me up; he, fighting daily, oppresseth me.

²Mine enemies would daily swallow me up, for they are many that fight against me, O Thou Most High.

³In the time I am afraid, I will trust in Thee.

⁴In God I will praise His word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.

⁵Every day they wrest my words; all their thoughts are against me for evil.

⁶They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps as they lie in wait for my soul.

⁷Shall they escape by iniquity? In Thine anger cast down the people, O God.

⁸Thou countest my wanderings; put Thou my tears into Thy bottle: are they not in Thy book?

⁹When I cry unto Thee, then shall mine enemies turn back! This I know, for God is for me.

¹⁰In God will I praise His word; in the LORD will I praise His word.

¹¹In God have I put my trust; I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

¹²Thy vows are upon me, O God; I will render praises unto Thee.

¹³For Thou hast delivered my soul from death; wilt Thou not deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

PSALM 57

¹Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me, for my soul trusteth in Thee. Yea, in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge until these calamities pass by.

²I will cry unto God Most High, unto God that performeth all things for me.

³He shall send from heaven and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up; Selah God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

⁴My soul is among lions, and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.

⁵Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth.

⁶They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down. They have dug a pit before me, into the midst whereof they themselves are fallen. Selah

⁷My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise.

⁸Awake, my glory! Awake, psaltery and harp! I myself will awaken early.

⁹I will praise Thee, O Lord, among the people; I will sing unto Thee among the nations.

¹⁰For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the clouds.

¹¹Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth.

PSALM 58

¹Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? Do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

²Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh out violence by your hands in the earth.

³The wicked are estranged from the womb; they go astray as soon as they are born, speaking lies.

⁴Their poison is like the poison of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear,

⁵which will not hearken to the voice of charmers, charm they ever so wisely.

⁶Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth; break out the great teeth of the young lions, O LORD!

⁷Let them melt away as waters which run continually; when he bendeth his bow to shoot his arrows, let them be as cut in pieces.

⁸As a snail which melteth, let every one of them pass away like the untimely birth of a woman, that they may not see the sun.

⁹Before your pots can feel the thorns, He shall take them away as with a whirlwind, both living, and in His wrath.

¹⁰The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance; he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked,

¹¹so that a man shall say, "Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily He is a God that judgeth on the earth."

PSALM 59

¹Deliver me from mine enemies, O my God; defend me from them that rise up against me.

²Deliver me from the workers of iniquity, and save me from bloody men.

³For lo, they lie in wait for my soul; the mighty are gathered against me, not for my transgression, nor for my sin, O LORD.

⁴They run and prepare themselves though I am not at fault. Awake to help me, and behold!

⁵Thou therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to visit all the heathen; be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah

⁶They return at evening; they make a noise like a dog and go round about the city.

⁷Behold, they belch out with their mouth; swords are in their lips; "For who," say they, "doth hear?"

⁸But Thou, O LORD, shalt laugh at them; Thou shalt hold all the heathen in derision.

⁹Because of his strength, I will wait upon Thee; for God is my defense.

¹⁰The God of my mercy shall go before me; God shall let me see my desire upon mine enemies.

¹¹Slay them not, lest my people forget; scatter them by Thy power and bring them down, O Lord our shield.

¹²For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips, let them even be taken in their pride, and for the cursing and lying which they speak.

¹³Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be; and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth. Selah

¹⁴And at evening let them return, and let them make a noise like a dog and go round about the city.

¹⁵Let them wander up and down for meat, and grumble if they be not satisfied.

¹⁶But I will sing of Thy power, yea, I will sing aloud of Thy mercy in the morning; for Thou hast been my defense and refuge in the day of my trouble.

¹⁷Unto Thee, O my Strength, will I sing; for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.

PSALM 60

¹O God, Thou hast cast us off, Thou hast scattered us, Thou hast been displeased; O, turn Thyself to us again!

²Thou hast made the earth to tremble, Thou hast broken it; heal the breaches thereof, for it shaketh.

³Thou hast shown Thy people hard things; Thou hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.

⁴Thou hast given a banner to them that fear Thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. Selah

⁵That Thy beloved may be delivered, save with Thy right hand and hear me!

⁶God hath spoken in His holiness: "I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem and portion out the Valley of Succoth.

⁷Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the strength of Mine head; Judah is My lawgiver.

⁸Moab is My washpot; over Edom will I cast out My shoe; Philistia, triumph thou because of Me."

⁹Who will bring me into the stronghold city? Who will lead me into Edom?

¹⁰Will not Thou, O God, who hadst cast us off, and Thou, O God, who didst not go out with our armies?

¹¹Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.

¹²Through God we shall do valiantly, for He it is that shall tread down our enemies.

PSALM 61

¹Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer.

²From the end of the earth will I cry unto Thee when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

³For Thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy.

⁴I will abide in Thy tabernacle for ever; I will trust in the refuge of Thy wings. Selah

⁵For Thou, O God, hast heard my vows; Thou hast given me the heritage of those that fear Thy name.

⁶Thou wilt prolong the king's life, and his years shall be as many generations.

⁷He shall abide before God for ever; O prepare mercy and truth, that they may preserve him.

⁸So will I sing praise unto Thy name for ever, that I may daily perform my vows.

PSALM 62

¹Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from Him cometh my salvation.

²He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.

³How long will ye conjure mischief against a man? Ye shall be slain, all of you; as a bulging wall shall ye be, and as a tottering fence.

⁴They consult only to cast him down from his excellency, they delight in lies, they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly. Selah

⁵My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from Him.

⁶He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.

⁷In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength and my refuge is in God.

⁸Trust in Him at all times, ye people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah

⁹Surely men of low degree are vanity, and men of high degree are a lie; if weighed in the balance, they are altogether lighter than vanity.

¹⁰Trust not in oppression, and put not vain hope in robbery; if riches increase, set not your heart upon them.

¹¹God hath spoken this once, twice have I heard this: that power belongeth unto God.

¹²Also unto Thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy, for Thou renderest to every man according to his work.

PSALM 63

¹O God, Thou art my God; early will I seek Thee. My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh longeth for Thee, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is,

²to see Thy power and Thy glory as I have seen Thee in the sanctuary.

³Because Thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise Thee.

⁴Thus will I bless Thee while I live; I will lift up my hands in Thy name.

⁵My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips,

⁶when I remember Thee upon my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches.

⁷Because Thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice.

⁸My soul followeth hard after Thee; Thy right hand upholdeth me.

⁹But those that seek my soul to destroy it shall go into the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁰They shall fall by the sword; they shall be a portion for foxes.

¹¹But the king shall rejoice in God; every one that sweareth by Him shall glory, but the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.

PSALM 64

¹Hear my voice, O God, in my prayer; preserve my life from fear of the enemy.

²Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked, from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity,

³who whet their tongue like a sword and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words,

⁴that they may shoot in secret at the perfect; suddenly do they shoot at him and fear not.

⁵They encourage each other in an evil purpose; they commune in laying snares privily; they say, "Who shall see them?"

⁶They search out iniquities, they conduct a diligent search; both the inward thought of every one of them, and the heart, is deep.

⁷But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.

⁸So shall they make their own tongue to fall upon themselves; all that see them shall flee away.

⁹And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God, for they shall wisely consider His doing.

¹⁰The righteous shall be glad in the LORD and shall trust in Him, and all the upright in heart shall glory.

PSALM 65

¹Praise waiteth for Thee, O God, in Zion; and unto Thee shall the vow be performed.

²O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come.

³Iniquities prevail against me; as for our transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away.

⁴Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and causest to approach unto Thee, that he may dwell in Thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple.

⁵By fearsome deeds of righteousness wilt Thou answer us, O God of our salvation, who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of them that are afar off upon the sea,

⁶who by His strength setteth fast the mountains, being girded with power,

⁷who stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves and the tumult of the people.

⁸They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at Thy signs; Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.

⁹Thou visitest the earth and waterest it; Thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water; Thou preparest them corn when Thou hast so provided it.

¹⁰Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly, Thou settlest the furrows thereof; Thou makest it soft with showers, Thou blessest the sprouting thereof.

¹¹Thou crownest the year with Thy goodness, and Thy paths drip with fatness.

¹²They drip upon the pastures of the wilderness, and the little hills rejoice on every side.

¹³The pastures are clothed with flocks, the valleys also are covered over with corn. They shout for joy, they also sing.

PSALM 66

¹Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands!

²Sing forth the honor of His name; make His praise glorious.

³Say unto God, "How fearsome art Thou in Thy works! Through the greatness of Thy power shall Thine enemies submit themselves unto Thee.

⁴All the earth shall worship Thee and shall sing unto Thee; they shall sing to Thy name." Selah

⁵Come and see the works of God; He is fearsome in His doings toward the children of men.

⁶He turned the sea into dry land, they went through the flood on foot; there did we rejoice in Him.

⁷He ruleth by His power for ever, His eyes behold the nations; let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

⁸O bless our God, ye people; and make the voice of His praise to be heard,

⁹who holdeth our soul in life and alloweth not our feet to be moved.

¹⁰For Thou, O God, hast tried us; Thou hast tried us as silver is tried.

¹¹Thou broughtest us into the net; Thou laidst affliction upon our loins.

¹²Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water, but Thou broughtest us out into a fruitful place.

¹³I will go into Thy house with burnt offerings; I will pay Thee my vows,

¹⁴which my lips have uttered and my mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble.

¹⁵I will offer unto Thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks and goats. Selah

¹⁶Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what He hath done for my soul.

¹⁷I cried unto Him with my mouth, and He was extolled with my tongue.

¹⁸If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

¹⁹But verily God hath heard me; He hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

²⁰Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me!

PSALM 67

¹God be merciful unto us and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us, Selah

²that Thy way may be known upon earth, Thy saving health among all nations.

³Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee.

⁴O let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for Thou shalt judge the people righteously and govern the nations upon the earth. Selah

⁵Let the people praise Thee, O God; let all the people praise Thee.

⁶Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us.

⁷God shall bless us, and all the ends of the earth shall fear Him.

PSALM 68

¹Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered; let them also that hate Him flee before Him.

²As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

³But let the righteous be glad, let them rejoice before God; yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.

⁴Sing unto God, sing praises to His name! Extol Him that rideth upon the heavens by His name Jehovah; and rejoice before Him.

⁵A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in His holy habitation.

⁶God setteth the solitary in families, He bringeth out those who are bound with chains; but the rebellious dwell in a dry land.

⁷O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, when Thou didst march through the wilderness, Selah

⁸the earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God; even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

⁹Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby Thou didst confirm Thine inheritance when it was weary.

¹⁰Thy congregation hath dwelt therein; Thou, O God, hast prepared of Thy goodness for the poor.

¹¹The Lord gave the word; great was the company of those that proclaimed it.

¹²Kings and armies did flee apace, and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.

¹³Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ye be as the wings of a dove, covered with silver and her feathers with yellow gold.

¹⁴When the Almighty scattered kings in it, it was white as snow in Zalmon.

¹⁵The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan, a high hill as the hill of Bashan.

¹⁶Why leap ye, ye high hills? This is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the LORD will dwell in it for ever.

¹⁷The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place.

¹⁸Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive; Thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

¹⁹Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah

²⁰He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belongeth the discharge from death.

²¹But God shall wound the head of His enemies, and the hairy scalp of such a one as goeth on still in his trespasses.

²²The Lord said, "I will bring again from Bashan; I will bring My people again from the depths of the sea,

²³that thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongues of thy dogs in the same."

²⁴They have seen Thy goings, O God, even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary.

²⁵The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels:

²⁶"Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord from the fountain of Israel."

²⁷There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes of Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun and the princes of Naphtali.

²⁸Thy God hath commanded thy strength; strengthen, O God, that which Thou hast wrought for us.

²⁹Because of Thy temple at Jerusalem shall kings bring presents unto Thee.

³⁰Rebuke the company of spearmen, the multitude of the bulls with the calves of the people, until every one submit himself with pieces of silver; scatter Thou the people that delight in war.

³¹Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.

³²Sing unto God, ye kingdoms of the earth! O sing praises unto the Lord, Selah

³³to Him that rideth upon the heavens of heavens, which were of old; lo, He doth send out His voice, and that a mighty voice.

³⁴Ascribe ye strength unto God; His excellency is over Israel, and His strength is in the clouds.

³⁵O God, Thou art fearsome out of Thy holy places; the God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto His people. Blessed be God!

PSALM 69

¹Save me, O God, for the waters have come in unto my soul.

²I sink into deep mire where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters where the floods overflow me.

³I am weary of my crying, my throat is dry; mine eyes fail while I wait for my God.

⁴They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head; they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty. Then I was made to restore that which I took not away.

⁵O God, Thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not hid from Thee.

⁶Let not them that wait on Thee, O Lord GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my sake, let not those that seek Thee be confounded for my sake, O God of Israel,

⁷because for Thy sake I have borne reproach; shame hath covered my face.

⁸I have become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.

⁹For the zeal for Thine house hath eaten me up, and the reproaches of them that reproached Thee have fallen upon me.

¹⁰When I wept and chastened my soul with fasting, that was turned to my reproach.

¹¹I also made sackcloth my garment, and I became a proverb to them.

¹²They that sit at the gate speak against me, and I have become the song of the drunkards.

¹³But as for me, my prayer is unto Thee: O LORD, in an acceptable time, O God, in the multitude of Thy mercy hear me in the truth of Thy salvation.

¹⁴Deliver me out of the mire, and let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me and out of the deep waters.

¹⁵Let not the floodwater overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.

¹⁶Hear me, O LORD, for Thy lovingkindness is good; turn unto me according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies.

¹⁷And hide not Thy face from Thy servant, for I am in trouble; hear me speedily.

¹⁸Draw nigh unto my soul and redeem it; deliver me because of mine enemies.

¹⁹Thou hast known my reproach and my shame and my dishonor; mine adversaries are all before Thee.

²⁰Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am full of heaviness; I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none.

²¹They gave me also gall for my meat, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

²²Let their table become a snare before them, and that which should have been for their welfare, let it become a trap.

²³Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to shake.

²⁴Pour out Thine indignation upon them, and let Thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

²⁵Let their habitation be desolate, and let none dwell in their tents.

²⁶For they persecute him whom Thou hast smitten, and they talk of the grief of those whom Thou hast wounded.

²⁷Add iniquity unto their iniquity, and let them not come into Thy righteousness.

²⁸Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and not be written with the righteous.

²⁹But I am poor and sorrowful; let Thy salvation, O God, set me up on high.

³⁰I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving.

³¹This also shall please the LORD better than an ox or a bullock that hath horns and hoofs.

³²The humble shall see this and be glad, and your heart shall live, that seek God.

³³For the LORD heareth the poor, and despiseth not His prisoners.

³⁴Let the heaven and earth praise Him, the seas and every thing that moveth therein.

³⁵For God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it.

³⁶The seed also of His servants shall inherit it, and them that love His name shall dwell therein.

PSALM 70

¹Make haste, O God, to deliver me; make haste to help me, O LORD!

²Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my soul; let them be turned backward and put to confusion that desire my hurt.

³Let them be turned back as a reward for their shame that say, "Aha, aha!"

⁴Let all those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; and let such as love Thy salvation say continually, "Let God be magnified!"

⁵But I am poor and needy; make haste unto me, O God. Thou art my help and my deliverer; O LORD, make no tarrying.

PSALM 71

¹In Thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion.

²Deliver me in Thy righteousness, and cause me to escape; incline Thine ear unto me, and save me.

³Be Thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort; Thou hast given commandment to save me, for Thou art my rock and my fortress.

⁴Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

⁵For Thou art my hope, O Lord GOD; Thou art my trust from my youth.

⁶By Thee have I been held from the womb; Thou art He that took me out of my mother's womb. My praise shall be continually of Thee.

⁷I am as a wonder unto many, but Thou art my strong refuge.

⁸Let my mouth be filled with Thy praise, and with Thy honor all the day.

⁹Cast me not off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.

¹⁰For mine enemies speak against me, and they that lie in wait for my soul take counsel together,

¹¹saying, "God hath forsaken him; persecute and take him, for there is none to deliver him."

¹²O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me.

¹³Let them be confounded and consumed that are adversaries to my soul; let them be covered with reproach and dishonor that seek my hurt.

¹⁴But I will hope continually and will yet praise Thee more and more.

¹⁵My mouth shall show forth Thy righteousness and Thy salvation all the day, for I know not the numbers thereof.

¹⁶I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD; I will make mention of Thy righteousness, even of Thine only.

¹⁷O God, Thou hast taught me from my youth, and hitherto have I declared Thy wondrous works.

¹⁸Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not, until I have shown Thy strength unto this generation and Thy power to every one that is to come.

¹⁹Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things. O God, who is like unto Thee!

²⁰Thou, who hast shown me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

²¹Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

²²I will also praise Thee with the psaltery for Thy truth, O my God; unto Thee will I sing with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel.

²³My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto Thee, and my soul which Thou hast redeemed.

²⁴My tongue also shall talk of Thy righteousness all the day long; for they are confounded, for they are brought to shame that seek my hurt.

PSALM 72

¹Give the king Thy judgments, O God, and Thy righteousness unto the king's son.

²Then shall he judge Thy people with righteousness, and Thy poor with judgment.

³The mountains shall bring peace to the people and the little hills, by righteousness.

⁴He shall judge the poor of the people; he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

⁵They shall fear Thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

⁶He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass, as showers that water the earth.

⁷In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

⁸He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

⁹They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him, and his enemies shall lick the dust.

¹⁰The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

¹¹Yea, all kings shall fall down before him; all nations shall serve him.

¹²For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also and him that hath no helper.

¹³He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

¹⁴He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence, and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

¹⁵And he shall live, and to him shall be given from the gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for him continually, and daily shall he be praised.

¹⁶There shall be corn by the handful in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall wave like Lebanon, and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth.

¹⁷His name shall endure for ever, his name shall be continued as long as the sun, and men shall be blessed in him; all nations shall call him blessed.

¹⁸Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone doeth wondrous things.

¹⁹And blessed be His glorious name for ever, and let the whole earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen.

²⁰The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended.

PSALM 73

¹Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart.

²But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped.

³For I was envious of the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

⁴For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is firm.

⁵They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men.

⁶Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment.

⁷Their eyes stand out with fatness; they have more than heart could wish.

⁸They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression; they speak loftily.

⁹They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth.

¹⁰Therefore His people return hither, and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them.

¹¹And they say, "How doth God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?"

¹²Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches.

¹³Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain and washed my hands in innocence.

¹⁴For all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning.

¹⁵If I say, "I will speak thus," behold, I should offend against the generation of Thy children.

¹⁶When I thought to understand this, it was too painful for me,

¹⁷until I went into the sanctuary of God. Then understood I their end:

¹⁸surely Thou didst set them in slippery places. Thou didst cast them down into destruction!

¹⁹How they are brought into desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors!

²⁰As a dream when one awaketh, so, O Lord, when Thou awakest, Thou shalt despise their image.

²¹Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.

²²So foolish was I and ignorant; I was as a beast before Thee.

²³Nevertheless I am continually with Thee; Thou hast held me by my right hand.

²⁴Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel and afterward receive me to glory.

²⁵Whom have I in heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.

²⁶My flesh and my heart faileth, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion for ever.

²⁷For lo, they that are far from Thee shall perish; Thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from Thee.

²⁸But it is good for me to draw near to God. I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all Thy works.

PSALM 74

¹O God, why hast Thou cast us off for ever? Why doth Thine anger smoke against the sheep of Thy pasture?

²Remember Thy congregation, which Thou hast purchased of old, the rod of Thine inheritance, which Thou hast redeemed, this Mount Zion, wherein Thou hast dwelt.

³Lift up Thy feet unto the perpetual desolations, even all that the enemy hath done wickedly in the sanctuary.

⁴Thine enemies roar in the midst of Thy congregations; they set up their ensigns for signs.

⁵Once a man was famous according as he had lifted up axes upon the thick trees,

⁶but now they break down the carved work thereof at once with axes and hammers.

⁷They have cast fire into Thy sanctuary; they have defiled by casting down to the ground the dwelling place of Thy name.

⁸They said in their hearts, "Let us destroy them together!" They have burned up all the synagogues of God in the land.

⁹We see not our signs; there is no more any prophet; neither is there among us any that knoweth how long.

¹⁰O God, how long shall the adversary reproach? Shall the enemy blaspheme Thy name for ever?

¹¹Why withdrawest Thou Thy hand, even Thy right hand? Pluck it out of Thy bosom!

¹²For God is my King of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

¹³Thou didst divide the sea by Thy strength; Thou breakest the heads of the dragons in the waters.

¹⁴Thou breakest the heads of Leviathan in pieces, and gavest him to be meat to the people inhabiting the wilderness.

¹⁵Thou didst cleave the fountain and the flood; Thou driedst up mighty rivers.

¹⁶The day is Thine, the night also is Thine; Thou hast prepared the light and the sun.

¹⁷Thou hast set all the borders of the earth; Thou hast made summer and winter.

¹⁸Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached, O LORD, and that the foolish people have blasphemed Thy name.

¹⁹O deliver not the soul of Thy turtledove unto the multitude of the wicked; forget not the congregation of Thy poor for ever.

²⁰Have respect unto the covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.

²¹O let not the oppressed return ashamed; let the poor and needy praise Thy name.

²²Arise, O God, plead Thine own cause; remember how the foolish man reproacheth Thee daily.

²³Forget not the voice of Thine enemies; the tumult of those that rise up against Thee increaseth continually.

PSALM 75

¹Unto Thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto Thee do we give thanks. For that Thy name is near, Thy wondrous works declare.

²When I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly.

³When the earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved, I bear up the pillars of it. Selah

⁴I said unto the fools, "Deal not foolishly," and to the wicked, "Lift not up the horn.

⁵Lift not up your horn on high; speak not with a stiff neck."

⁶For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south,

⁷but God is the Judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.

⁸For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup, and the wine is red and fully mixed; and He poureth out the same. But as for the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them.

⁹But I will declare it for ever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.

¹⁰All the horns of the wicked will I also cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.

PSALM 76

¹In Judah is God known; His name is great in Israel.

²In Salem also is His tabernacle, and His dwelling place in Zion.

³There broke He the arrows of the bow, the shield and the sword and the battle. Selah

⁴Thou art more glorious and excellent than the mountains of prey.

⁵The stouthearted are despoiled; they have slept their sleep, and none of the men of might have found their hands.

⁶At Thy rebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and horse are cast into a dead sleep.

⁷Thou, Thou alone, art to be feared; and who may stand in Thy sight when once Thou art angry?

⁸Thou didst cause judgment to be heard from heaven; the earth feared and was still,

⁹when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah

¹⁰Surely the wrath of man shall praise Thee; the remainder of wrath shalt Thou restrain.

¹¹Make vows, and pay them unto the LORD your God; let all that be round about Him bring presents unto Him that ought to be feared.

¹²He shall cut off the spirit of princes; He is fearsome to the kings of the earth.

PSALM 77

¹I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and He gave ear unto me.

²In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; my sore ran in the night and ceased not; my soul refused to be comforted.

³I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

⁴Thou holdest mine eyes awake; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.

⁵I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times.

⁶I call to remembrance my song in the night; I commune with mine own heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.

⁷"Will the Lord cast off for ever? And will He be favorable no more?

⁸Is His mercy clean gone for ever? Doth His promise fail for evermore?

⁹Hath God forgotten to be gracious? Hath He in anger shut up His tender mercies?" Selah

¹⁰And I said, "This is my infirmity, but I will remember the years of the right hand of the Most High."

¹¹I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Thy wonders of old.

¹²I will meditate also on all of Thy work, and talk of Thy doings.

¹³Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. Who is so great a god as our God?

¹⁴Thou art the God that doest wonders; Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people.

¹⁵Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

¹⁶The waters saw Thee, O God, the waters saw Thee; they were afraid; the depths also were troubled.

¹⁷The clouds poured out water, the skies sent out a sound; Thine arrows also went abroad.

¹⁸The voice of Thy thunder was in the heavens, the lightnings lightened the world; the earth trembled and shook.

¹⁹Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known.

²⁰Thou didst lead Thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.

PSALM 78

¹Give ear, O my people, to my law; incline your ears to the words of my mouth.

²I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings of old,

³which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.

⁴We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD and His strength, and His wonderful works that He hath done.

⁵For He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which He commanded to our fathers, that they should make them known to their children;

⁶that the generation to come might know them, even the children who should be born, who should arise and declare them to their children,

⁷that they might set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments;

⁸and so might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God.

⁹The children of Ephraim, being armed and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.

¹⁰They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in His law;

¹¹they forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them.

¹²Marvelous things did He in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan.

¹³He divided the sea and caused them to pass through; and He made the waters to stand as a heap.

¹⁴In the daytime also He led them with a cloud, and all the night with a light of fire.

¹⁵He cleaved the rocks in the wilderness, and gave them drink as out of the great depths.

¹⁶He brought streams also out of the rock, and caused waters to run down like rivers.

¹⁷And they sinned yet more against Him by provoking the Most High in the wilderness.

¹⁸And they tempted God in their heart by asking for meat for their lust.

¹⁹Yea, they spoke against God: they said, "Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

²⁰Behold, He smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed. Can He give bread also? Can He provide flesh for His people?"

²¹Therefore the LORD heard this and was wroth; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also rose up against Israel,

²²because they believed not in God and trusted not in His salvation,

²³though He had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,

²⁴and had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.

²⁵Man ate angels' food; He sent them meat to the full.

²⁶He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven, and by His power He brought in the south wind.

²⁷He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls as the sand of the sea.

²⁸And He let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.

²⁹So they ate and were well filled, for He gave them their own desire.

³⁰But they were not estranged from their lust; but while their meat was yet in their mouths,

³¹the wrath of God came upon them and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.

³²For all this, they sinned still and believed not in His wondrous works.

³³Therefore their days did He consume in vanity, and their years in trouble.

³⁴When He slew them, then they sought Him; and they returned and inquired early after God.

³⁵And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God, their redeemer.

³⁶Nevertheless they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied unto Him with their tongues.

³⁷For their heart was not right with Him, neither were they steadfast in His covenant.

³⁸But He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity and destroyed them not. Yea, many a time turned He His anger away, and did not stir up all His wrath;

³⁹for He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passeth away and cometh not again.

⁴⁰How oft did they provoke Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert!

⁴¹Yea, they turned back and tested God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.

⁴²They remembered not His hand, nor the day when He delivered them from the enemy,

⁴³how He had wrought His signs in Egypt and His wonders in the field of Zoan,

⁴⁴and had turned their rivers into blood, and their streams, that they could not drink.

⁴⁵He sent divers sorts of flies among them which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them.

⁴⁶He gave also their harvest unto the caterpillar, and their labor unto the locust.

⁴⁷He destroyed their vines with hail, and their sycamore trees with frost.

⁴⁸He gave up their cattle also to the hail, and their flocks to hot thunderbolts.

⁴⁹He cast upon them the fierceness of His anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angels among them.

⁵⁰He made a path to His anger; He spared not their soul from death, but gave their life over to the pestilence,

⁵¹and smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham.

⁵²But He made His own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock.

⁵³And He led them on safely, so that they feared not; but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.

⁵⁴And He brought them to the border of His sanctuary, even to this mountain, which His right hand had purchased.

⁵⁵He cast out the heathen also before them, and apportioned them an inheritance by line, and made the tribes of Israel to dwell in their tents.

⁵⁶Yet they tested and provoked the Most High God and kept not His testimonies,

⁵⁷but turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers; they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.

⁵⁸For they provoked Him to anger with their high places, and loved Him to jealousy with their graven images.

⁵⁹When God heard this, He was wroth and greatly abhorred Israel,

⁶⁰so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent which He had placed among men,

⁶¹and delivered His strength into captivity, and His glory into the enemy's hand.

⁶²He gave His people over also unto the sword, and was wroth with His inheritance.

⁶³The fire consumed their young men, and their maidens were not given to marriage.

⁶⁴Their priests fell by the sword, and their widows made no lamentation.

⁶⁵Then the LORD awakened as one out of sleep, like a mighty man that shouteth by reason of wine.

⁶⁶And He smote His enemies in the hinder parts, and laid upon them a perpetual reproach.

⁶⁷Moreover He refused the tabernacle of Joseph and chose not the tribe of Ephraim,

⁶⁸but chose the tribe of Judah, the Mount Zion which He loved.

⁶⁹And He built His sanctuary like high palaces, like the earth which He hath established for ever.

⁷⁰He also chose David His servant, and took him from the sheepfolds;

⁷¹from following the ewes great with young He brought him to feed Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance.

⁷²So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands.

PSALM 79

¹O God, the heathen have come into Thine inheritance; Thy holy temple have they defiled, they have laid Jerusalem in heaps.

²The dead bodies of Thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heavens, the flesh of Thy saints unto the beasts of the earth.

³Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem, and there was none to bury them.

⁴We have become a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and derision to them that are round about us.

⁵How long, LORD? Wilt Thou be angry for ever? Shall Thy jealousy burn like fire?

⁶Pour out Thy wrath upon the heathen that have not known Thee, and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon Thy name;

⁷for they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his dwelling place.

⁸O remember not former iniquities against us; let Thy tender mercies go speedily before us, for we are brought very low.

⁹Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name; and deliver us and purge away our sins, for Thy name's sake.

¹⁰Why should the heathen say, "Where is their God?" Let Him be known among the heathen in our sight by the avenging of the blood of Thy servants which is shed.

¹¹Let the sighing of the prisoner come before Thee; according to the greatness of Thy power, preserve Thou those that are appointed to die.

¹²And render unto the bosom of our neighbors sevenfold their reproach wherewith they have reproached Thee, O Lord.

¹³So we Thy people and the sheep of Thy pasture, will give Thee thanks for ever; we will show forth Thy praise to all generations.

PSALM 80

¹Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that dwellest between the cherubims, shine forth.

²Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up Thy strength, and come and save us.

³Turn us again, O God, and cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

⁴O LORD God of hosts, how long wilt Thou be angry against the prayer of Thy people?

⁵Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears to drink in great measure.

⁶Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves.

⁷Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

⁸Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt; Thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it.

⁹Thou preparedst room for it, and didst cause it to take deep root, and it filled the land.

¹⁰The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars.

¹¹She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river.

¹²Why hast Thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they that pass by the way do pluck her?

¹³The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it.

¹⁴Return, we beseech Thee, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and behold and visit this vine,

¹⁵and the vineyard which Thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that Thou madest strong for Thyself.

¹⁶It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Thy countenance.

¹⁷Let Thy hand be upon the man of Thy right hand, upon the son of man whom Thou madest strong for Thyself.

¹⁸So will we not go back from Thee; quicken us, and we will call upon Thy name.

¹⁹Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts; cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved!

PSALM 81

¹Sing aloud unto God our strength; make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.

²Take a psalm, and bring hither the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery.

³Blow the trumpet in the new moon, at the time appointed, on our solemn feast day.

⁴For this was a statute for Israel, and a law of the God of Jacob.

⁵This He ordained in Joseph as a testimony, when He went out through the land of Egypt, where I heard a language that I understood not:

⁶"I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were delivered from the pots.

⁷Thou called in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder. I tested thee at the waters of Meribah. Selah

⁸Hear, O My people, and I will testify unto thee, O Israel, if thou wilt hearken unto Me!

⁹There shall be no strange god among thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.

¹⁰I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt. Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it.

¹¹"But My people would not hearken to My voice, and Israel would have none of Me.

¹²So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust, and they walked in their own counsels.

¹³Oh that My people had hearkened unto Me, and Israel had walked in My ways!

¹⁴I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned My and against their adversaries."

¹⁵The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto Him, but their time should have endured for ever.

¹⁶He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat, and, "With honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee."

PSALM 82

¹God standeth in the congregation of the mighty; He judgeth among the gods.

²How long will ye judge unjustly and accept persons of the wicked? Selah

³Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy.

⁴Deliver the poor and needy; rescue them out of the hand of the wicked.

⁵They know not, neither will they understand. They walk on in darkness: all the foundations of the earth are out of course.

⁶I have said, "Ye are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High."

⁷But ye shall die like men and fall like one of the princes.

⁸Arise, O God, judge the earth, for Thou shalt inherit all nations.

PSALM 83

¹Keep Thou not silence, O God; hold not Thy peace, and be not still, O God.

²For lo, Thine enemies make a tumult, and they that hate Thee have lifted up the head.

³They have taken crafty counsel against Thy people, and consulted against Thy hidden ones.

⁴They have said, "Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation, that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance."

⁵For they have consulted together with one accord; they are confederate against Thee:

⁶the tabernacles of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagarites,

⁷Gebal and Ammon and Amalek, the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre.

⁸Assyria also has joined with them; they have helped the children of Lot. Selah

⁹Do unto them as unto the Midianites, as to Sisera, as to Jabin at the Brook of Kishon,

¹⁰who perished at Endor; they became as dung for the earth.

¹¹Make their nobles like Oreb and like Zeeb, yea, all their princes as Zebah and as Zalmunna,

¹²who said, "Let us take to ourselves the houses of God in possession."

¹³O my God, make them like a wheel, as the stubble before the wind.

¹⁴As the fire burneth a wood, and as the flame setteth the mountains on fire,

¹⁵so persecute them with Thy tempest, and make them afraid with Thy storm.

¹⁶Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek Thy name, O LORD.

¹⁷Let them be confounded and troubled for ever; yea, let them be put to shame and perish,

¹⁸that men may know that Thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the Most High over all the earth.

PSALM 84

¹How amiable are Thy tabernacles, O LORD of hosts!

²My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the LORD; my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

³Yea, the sparrow hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself where she may lay her young" even Thine altars, O LORD of hosts, my King and my God.

⁴Blessed are they that dwell in Thy house; they will be ever praising Thee. Selah

⁵Blessed is the man whose strength is in Thee, in whose heart are Thy ways,

⁶who passing through the Valley of Baca makes it a well; the rain also filleth the pools.

⁷They go from strength to strength; every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.

⁸O LORD God of hosts, hear my prayer; give ear, O God of Jacob. Selah

⁹Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed.

¹⁰For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.

¹¹For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory; no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.

¹²O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in Thee!

PSALM 85

¹LORD, Thou hast been favorable unto Thy land; Thou hast released the captives of Jacob.

²Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of Thy people; Thou hast covered all their sin. Selah

³Thou hast taken away all Thy wrath; Thou hast turned Thyself from the fierceness of Thine anger.

⁴Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause Thine anger toward us to cease.

⁵Wilt Thou be angry with us for ever? Wilt Thou draw out Thine anger to all generations?

⁶Wilt Thou not revive us again, that Thy people may rejoice in Thee?

⁷Show us Thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us Thy salvation.

⁸I will hear what God the LORD will speak, for He will speak peace unto His people and to His saints; but let them not turn again to folly.

⁹Surely His salvation is nigh them that fear Him, that glory may dwell in our land.

¹⁰Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.

¹¹Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

¹²Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good, and our land shall yield her increase.

¹³Righteousness shall go before Him, and shall set us in the way of His steps.

PSALM 86

¹Bow down Thine ear, O LORD; hear me, for I am poor and needy.

²Preserve my soul, for I am holy; O Thou my God, save Thy servant that trusteth in Thee.

³Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for I cry unto Thee daily.

⁴Make the soul of Thy servant rejoice, for unto Thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul.

⁵For Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive, and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon Thee.

⁶Give ear, O LORD, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.

⁷In the day of my trouble I will call upon Thee, for Thou wilt answer me.

⁸Among the gods there is none like unto Thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto Thy works.

⁹All nations whom Thou hast made shall come and worship before Thee, O Lord, and shall glorify Thy name.

¹⁰For Thou art great and doest wondrous things: Thou alone art God.

¹¹Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth; unite my heart to fear Thy name.

¹²I will praise Thee, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and I will glorify Thy name for evermore.

¹³For great is Thy mercy toward me, and Thou hast delivered my soul from the lowest hell.

¹⁴O God, the proud have risen against me, and the assemblies of violent men have sought after my soul, and have not set Thee before them.

¹⁵But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth.

¹⁶O turn unto me and have mercy upon me; give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the son of Thine handmaid.

¹⁷Show me a token for good, that they that hate me may see it and be ashamed, because Thou, LORD, hast helped me and comforted me.

PSALM 87

¹His foundation is in the holy mountains.

²The LORD loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

³Glorious things are spoken of thee, O city of God! Selah

⁴"I will make mention of Rahab and Babylon to them that know Me; behold, Philistia and Tyre, with Ethiopia: 'This man was born there.'"

⁵And of Zion it shall be said, "This and that man were born in her; and the Highest Himself shall establish her."

⁶The LORD shall count, when He writeth up the people, that this man was born there. Selah

⁷Singers as well as players on instruments shall be there and say, "All my springs are in thee."

PSALM 88

¹O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before Thee.

²Let my prayer come before Thee; incline Thine ear unto my cry.

³For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh unto the grave.

⁴I am counted with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength,

⁵cast among the dead like the slain that lie in the grave, whom Thou rememberest no more, and who are cut off from Thy hand.

⁶Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps.

⁷Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and Thou hast afflicted me with all Thy waves. Selah

⁸Thou hast put away mine acquaintances far from me; Thou hast made me an abomination unto them. I am shut up, and I cannot come forth;

⁹mine eye mourneth by reason of affliction. LORD, I have called daily upon Thee; I have stretched out my hands unto Thee.

¹⁰Wilt Thou show wonders to the dead? Shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Selah

¹¹Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? Or Thy faithfulness in destruction?

¹²Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? And Thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?

¹³But unto Thee have I cried, O LORD, and in the morning shall my prayer come before Thee.

¹⁴LORD, why castest Thou off my soul? Why hidest Thou Thy face from me?

¹⁵I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up; while I suffer Thy terrors I am distraught.

¹⁶Thy fierce wrath goeth over me; Thy terrors have cut me off.

¹⁷They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together.

¹⁸Lover and friend hast Thou put far from me, and mine acquaintances into darkness.

PSALM 89

¹I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever; with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.

²For I have said, "Mercy shall be built up for ever; Thy faithfulness shalt Thou establish in the very heavens."

³"I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn unto David My servant:

⁴'Thy Seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations.'" Selah

⁵And the heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O LORD, Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the saints.

⁶For who in the heaven can be compared unto the LORD? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the LORD?

⁷God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be held in reverence by all them that are about Him.

⁸O LORD God of hosts, who is a strong LORD like unto Thee? Or to Thy faithfulness round about Thee?

⁹Thou rulest the raging of the sea; when the waves thereof arise, Thou stillest them.

¹⁰Thou hast broken Rahab in pieces, as one that is slain; Thou hast scattered Thine enemies with Thy strong arm.

¹¹The heavens are Thine, the earth also is Thine; as for the world and the fullness thereof, Thou hast founded them.

¹²The north and the south, Thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Thy name.

¹³Thou hast a mighty arm; strong is Thy hand, and high is Thy right hand.

¹⁴Justice and judgment are the habitation of Thy throne; mercy and truth shall go before Thy face.

¹⁵Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound! They shall walk, O LORD, in the light of Thy countenance.

¹⁶In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted.

¹⁷For Thou art the glory of their strength, and in Thy favor our horn shall be exalted.

¹⁸For the LORD is our defense, and the Holy One of Israel is our King.

¹⁹Then Thou didst speak in a vision to Thy holy one and said, "I have laid help upon one that is mighty; I have exalted one chosen out of the people.

²⁰I have found David My servant; with My holy oil have I anointed him.

²¹With him My hand shall be established; Mine arm shall also strengthen him.

²²The enemy shall not exact from him, nor the son of wickedness afflict him.

²³And I will beat down his foes before his face, and plague them that hate him.

²⁴But My faithfulness and My mercy shall be with him, and in My name shall his horn be exalted.

²⁵I will set his hand also over the sea, and his right hand over the rivers.

²⁶He shall cry unto Me, 'Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation.'

²⁷Also I will make him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.

²⁸My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and My covenant shall stand fast with him.

²⁹His Seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.

³⁰If his children forsake My law and walk not in My judgments,

³¹if they break My statutes and keep not My commandments,

³²then will I visit their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.

³³Nevertheless My lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor permit My faithfulness to fail.

³⁴My covenant will I not break, nor alter the things which have gone out of My lips.

³⁵Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie unto David.

³⁶His Seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me.

³⁷It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in the heaven." Selah

³⁸But Thou hast cast off and abhorred; Thou hast been wroth with Thine anointed.

³⁹Thou hast made void the covenant of Thy servant; Thou hast profaned his crown by casting it to the ground.

⁴⁰Thou hast broken down all his hedges; Thou hast brought his strongholds to ruin.

⁴¹All that pass by the way despoil him; he is a reproach to his neighbors.

⁴²Thou hast set up the right hand of his adversaries; Thou hast made all his enemies to rejoice.

⁴³Thou hast also turned the edge of his sword, and hast not made him to stand in the battle.

⁴⁴Thou hast made his glory to cease, and cast his throne down to the ground.

⁴⁵The days of his youth hast Thou shortened, Thou hast covered him with shame. Selah

⁴⁶How long, LORD? Wilt Thou hide Thyself for ever? Shall Thy wrath burn like fire?

⁴⁷Remember how short my time is; why hast Thou made all men in vain?

⁴⁸What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave? Selah

⁴⁹Lord, where are Thy former lovingkindnesses, which Thou hast sworn unto David in Thy truth?

⁵⁰Remember, Lord, the reproach against Thy servants" how I bear in my bosom the reproach of all the mighty people

⁵¹wherewith Thine enemies have reproached, O LORD, wherewith they have reproached the footsteps of Thine anointed.

⁵²Blessed be the LORD for evermore! Amen and Amen.

PSALM 90

¹LORD, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.

²Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art God.

³Thou turnest man to destruction, and sayest, "Return, ye children of men."

⁴For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

⁵Thou carriest them away as with a flood; they are as a sleep: in the morning they are like grass which groweth up;

⁶in the morning it flourisheth and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down and withereth.

⁷For we are consumed by Thine anger, and by Thy wrath are we troubled.

⁸Thou hast set our iniquities before Thee, our secret sins in the light of Thy countenance.

⁹For all our days are passed away in Thy wrath; we spend our years as a tale that is told.

¹⁰The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off and we fly away.

¹¹Who knoweth the power of Thine anger? Even according to the fear of Thee, so is Thy wrath.

¹²So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

¹³Return, O LORD! How long? And let Thee repent concerning Thy servants.

¹⁴O satisfy us early with Thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.

¹⁵Make us glad according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil.

¹⁶Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants, and Thy glory unto their children.

¹⁷And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish Thou the work of our hands for us--yea, the work of our hands, establish Thou it.

PSALM 91

¹He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him will I trust."

³Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome pestilence.

⁴He shall cover thee with His feathers, and under His wings shalt thou trust; His truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵Thou shalt not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flieth by day,

⁶nor of the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor of the destruction that layeth waste at noonday.

⁷A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand, but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

⁹Because thou hast made the LORD, who is my refuge, even the Most High, thy habitation,

¹⁰there shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

¹¹For He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹²They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

¹³Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder; the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample underfoot.

¹⁴"Because he hath set his love upon Me, therefore will I deliver him; I will set him on high, because he hath known My name.

¹⁵He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.

¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him, and show him My salvation."

PSALM 92

¹It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto Thy name, O Most High,

²to show forth Thy lovingkindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night,

³upon an instrument of ten strings and upon the psaltery, upon the harp with a solemn sound.

⁴For Thou, LORD, hast made me glad through Thy work; I will triumph in the works of Thy hands.

⁵O LORD, how great are Thy works! And Thy thoughts are very deep.

⁶A brutish man knoweth not, neither doth a fool understand this:

⁷when the wicked spring up as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed for ever;

⁸but Thou, LORD, art Most High for evermore.

⁹For lo, Thine enemies, O LORD, for lo, Thine enemies shall perish; all the workers of iniquity shall be scattered.

¹⁰But my horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn of a unicorn; I shall be anointed with fresh oil.

¹¹Mine eye also shall see what I desire on mine enemies, and mine ears shall hear what I desire upon the wicked that rise up against me.

¹²The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

¹³Those that are planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

¹⁴They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing to show

¹⁵that the LORD is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

PSALM 93

¹The LORD reigneth; He is clothed with majesty. The LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith He hath girded Himself. The world also is established, that it cannot be moved.

²Thy throne is established of old; Thou art from everlasting.

³The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves.

⁴The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

⁵Thy testimonies are very sure; holiness becometh Thine house, O LORD, for ever.

PSALM 94

¹O LORD God, to whom vengeance belongeth--O God, to whom vengeance belongeth, show Thyself.

²Lift up Thyself, Thou judge of the earth; render to the proud their due reward.

³LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph?

⁴How long shall they utter and speak hard things, and all the workers of iniquity boast?

⁵They break in pieces Thy people, O LORD, and afflict Thine heritage.

⁶They slay the widow and the stranger, and murder the fatherless.

⁷Yet they say, "The LORD shall not see, neither shall the God of Jacob regard it."

⁸Understand, ye brutish among the people; and ye fools, when will ye be wise?

⁹He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see?

¹⁰He that chastiseth the heathen, shall not He correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall not He know?

¹¹The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

¹²Blessed is the man whom Thou chastenest, O LORD, and teachest him out of Thy law,

¹³that Thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be dug for the wicked.

¹⁴For the LORD will not cast off His people, neither will He forsake His inheritance.

¹⁵But judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow it.

¹⁶Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? Or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?

¹⁷Unless the LORD had been my help, my soul had almost dwelt in silence.

¹⁸When I said, "My foot slippeth," Thy mercy, O LORD, held me up.

¹⁹In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.

²⁰Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with Thee, which frameth mischief by a law?

²¹They gather themselves together against the soul of the righteous, and condemn the innocent blood.

²²But the LORD is my defense, and my God is the rock of my refuge.

²³And He shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off!

PSALM 95

¹O come, let us sing unto the LORD! Let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!

²Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

³For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

⁴In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the strength of the hills is His also.

⁵The sea is His, and He made it; and His hands formed the dry land.

⁶O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.

⁷For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand. Today, if ye will hear His voice:

⁸"Harden not your heart as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness

⁹when your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work.

¹⁰Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said 'It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways.'

¹¹Unto them I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest."

PSALM 96

¹O sing unto the LORD a new song; sing unto the LORD, all the earth.

²Sing unto the LORD, bless His name; show forth His salvation from day to day.

³Declare His glory among the heathen, His wonders among all people.

⁴For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods.

⁵For all the gods of the nations are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.

⁶Honor and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.

⁷Give unto the LORD, O ye kindreds of the people; give unto the LORD glory and strength.

⁸Give unto the LORD the glory due unto His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts.

⁹O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness; fear before Him, all the earth.

¹⁰Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth; the world also shall be established, that it shall not be moved; He shall judge the people righteously.

¹¹Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fullness thereof.

¹²Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice

¹³before the LORD. For He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world with righteousness, and the people with His truth.

PSALM 97

¹The LORD reigneth, let the earth rejoice! Let the multitude of isles be glad thereof!

²Clouds and darkness are round about Him; righteousness and judgment are the habitation of His throne.

³A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about.

⁴His lightnings enlightened the world; the earth saw and trembled.

⁵The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

⁶The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory.

⁷Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols. Worship Him, all ye gods!

⁸Zion heard and was glad, and the daughters of Judah rejoiced because of Thy judgments, O LORD.

⁹For Thou, LORD, art high above all the earth; Thou art exalted far above all gods.

¹⁰Ye that love the LORD, hate evil! He preserveth the souls of His saints; He delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

¹¹Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart.

¹²Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous, and give thanks at the remembrance of His holiness.

PSALM 98

¹O sing unto the LORD a new song, for He hath done marvelous things! His right hand and His holy arm hath gotten Him the victory.

²The LORD hath made known His salvation; His righteousness hath He openly shown in the sight of the heathen.

³He hath remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

⁴Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth! Make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise!

⁵Sing unto the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the voice of a psalm.

⁶With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King!

⁷Let the sea roar and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein.

⁸Let the floods clap their hands, let the hills be joyful together

⁹before the LORD. For He cometh to judge the earth; with righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity.

PSALM 99

¹The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble! He sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved!

²The LORD is great in Zion, and He is high above all the people.

³Let them praise Thy great and fearsome name, for it is holy.

⁴The King's strength also loveth judgment; Thou dost establish equity; Thou executest judgment and righteousness in Jacob.

⁵Exalt ye the LORD our God, and worship at His footstool, for He is holy!

⁶Moses and Aaron are among His priests, and Samuel among them that call upon His name; they called upon the LORD, and He answered them.

⁷He spoke unto them in the cloudy pillar; they kept His testimonies and the ordinance that He gave them.

⁸Thou didst answer them, O LORD our God; Thou wast a God that forgavest them, though Thou took vengeance on their inventions.

⁹Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at His holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

PSALM 100

¹Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands!

²Serve the LORD with gladness; come before His presence with singing!

³Know ye that the LORD, He is God; it is He that hath made us, and not we ourselves. We are His people, and the sheep of His pasture.

⁴Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise! Be thankful unto Him, and bless His name!

⁵For the LORD is good, His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.

PSALM 101

¹I will sing of mercy and judgment; unto Thee, O LORD, will I sing.

²I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.

³I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.

⁴A froward heart shall depart from me; I will not know a wicked person.

⁵Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off; him that hath a haughty look and a proud heart will I not suffer.

⁶Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.

⁷He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house; he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.

⁸I will early destroy all the wicked of the land, that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of the LORD.

PSALM 102

¹Hear my prayer, O ORD, and let my cry come unto Thee.

²Hide not Thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline Thine ear unto me. In the day when I call, answer me speedily.

³For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth.

⁴My heart is smitten and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread.

⁵By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

⁶I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.

⁷I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the housetop.

⁸Mine enemies reproach me all the day, and them that are mad against me are sworn against me.

⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread and mingled my drink with weeping,

¹⁰because of Thine indignation and Thy wrath; for Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

¹¹My days are like a shadow that declineth, and I am withered like grass.

¹²But Thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever, and Thy remembrance unto all generations.

¹³Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Zion; for the time to favor her, yea, the set time has come.

¹⁴For Thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favor the dust thereof.

¹⁵So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory.

¹⁶When the LORD shall build up Zion, He shall appear in His glory.

¹⁷He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

¹⁸This shall be written for the generation to come, and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

¹⁹For He hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth,

²⁰to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to death,

²¹to declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem,

²²when people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

²³He weakened my strength on the way; He shortened my days.

²⁴I said, "O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days; Thy years are throughout all generations.

²⁵Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands.

²⁶They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure; yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; and as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed.

²⁷But Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end.

²⁸The children of Thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before Thee."

PSALM 103

¹Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name!

²Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits--

³who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases,

⁴who redeemeth thy life from destruction, who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies,

⁵who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

⁶The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

⁷He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.

⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy.

⁹He will not always chide, neither will He keep His anger for ever.

¹⁰He hath not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

¹¹For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.

¹²As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.

¹³As a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.

¹⁴For He knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

¹⁶For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

¹⁷But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children's children,

¹⁸to such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹The LORD hath prepared His throne in the heavens, and His Kingdom ruleth over all.

²⁰Bless the LORD, ye His angels that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.

²¹Bless ye the LORD, all ye His hosts, ye ministers of His, that do His pleasure.

²²Bless the LORD, all His works, in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

PSALM 104

¹Bless the LORD, O my soul! O LORD my God, Thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty--

²who coverest Thyself with light as with a garment, who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;

³who layeth the beams of His chambers in the waters, who maketh the clouds His chariot, who walketh upon the wings of the wind;

⁴who maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire;

⁵who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should never be removed.

⁶Thou covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.

⁷At Thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of Thy thunder they hastened away.

⁸They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which Thou hast founded for them.

⁹Thou hast set a boundary that they may not pass over, that they turn not again to cover the earth.

¹⁰He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.

¹¹They give drink to every beast of the field; the wild asses quench their thirst.

¹²By them shall the fowls of the heavens have their habitation, which sing among the branches.

¹³He watereth the hills from His chambers; the earth is satisfied with the fruit of Thy works.

¹⁴He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle and herbs for the service of man, that he may bring forth food out of the earth,

¹⁵and wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

¹⁶The trees of the LORD are full of sap, the cedars of Lebanon which He hath planted,

¹⁷where the birds make their nests; as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.

¹⁸The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats, and the rocks for the conies.

¹⁹He appointed the moon for seasons; the sun knoweth his time to go down.

²⁰Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.

²¹The young lions roar after their prey and seek their meat from God.

²²When the sun ariseth, they gather themselves together and lay them down in their dens.

²³Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labor until the evening.

²⁴O LORD, how manifold are Thy works! In wisdom hast Thou made them all; the earth is full of Thy riches.

²⁵So also is this great and wide sea, wherein are innumerable creeping things, both small and great beasts.

²⁶There go the ships; there also is that leviathan, whom Thou hast made to play therein.

²⁷These all wait upon Thee, that Thou mayest give them their meat in due season.

²⁸What Thou givest them, they gather: Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good.

²⁹Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they die and return to their dust.

³⁰Thou sendest forth Thy Spirit, they are created; and Thou renewest the face of the earth.

³¹The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever; the LORD shall rejoice in His works.

³²He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the hills, and they smoke.

³³I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.

³⁴My meditation of Him shall be sweet; I will be glad in the LORD.

³⁵Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD, O my soul! Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 105

¹O give thanks unto the LORD, call upon His name; make known His deeds among the people.

²Sing unto Him, sing psalms unto Him; talk ye of all His wondrous works.

³Glory ye in His holy name; let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.

⁴Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His face evermore.

⁵Remember His marvelous works that He hath done, His wonders and the judgments of His mouth,

⁶O ye seed of Abraham, His servant, ye children of Jacob, His chosen.

⁷He is the LORD our God; His judgments are over all the earth.

⁸He hath remembered His covenant for ever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations,

⁹which covenant He made with Abraham, and His oath unto Isaac,

¹⁰and confirmed the same unto Jacob as a law, and to Israel for an everlasting covenant,

¹¹saying, "Unto thee will I give the land of Canaan, the lot of your inheritance,"

¹²when they were but a few men in number, yea, very few and strangers in it.

¹³When they went from one nation to another, from one kingdom to another people,

¹⁴He suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, He reproved kings for their sakes,

¹⁵saying, "Touch not Mine anointed, and do My prophets no harm."

¹⁶Moreover He called for a famine upon the land; He broke the whole staff of bread.

¹⁷He sent a man before them, even Joseph who was sold as a servant,

¹⁸whose feet they hurt with fetters; he was laid in irons.

¹⁹Until the time when his word came to pass, the word of the LORD tried him.

²⁰The king sent and loosed him, even the ruler of the people, and let him go free.

²¹He made him lord of his house and ruler of all his possessions,

²²to command his princes at his pleasure and teach his elders wisdom.

²³Israel also came into Egypt, and Jacob sojourned in the land of Ham.

²⁴And He increased His people greatly, and made them stronger than their enemies.

²⁵He turned their heart to hate His people and to deal subtly with His servants.

²⁶He sent Moses His servant, and Aaron whom He had chosen.

²⁷They showed His signs among them, and wonders in the land of Ham.

²⁸He sent darkness and made it dark, and they rebelled not against His word.

²⁹He turned their waters into blood, and slew their fish.

³⁰Their land brought forth frogs in abundance, even in the chambers of their kings.

³¹He spoke and there came divers sorts of flies and lice in all their borders.

³²He gave them hail for rain and flaming fire in their land.

³³He smote their vines also and their fig trees, and broke the trees of their borders.

³⁴He spoke and the locusts came, and caterpillars without number,

³⁵and they ate up all the herbs in their land and devoured the fruit of their ground.

³⁶He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.

³⁷He brought them forth also with silver and gold, and there was not one feeble person among their tribes.

³⁸Egypt was glad when they departed, for the fear of them had fallen upon them.

³⁹He spread a cloud for a covering and fire to give light in the night.

⁴⁰The people asked, and He brought quails and satisfied them with the bread of heaven.

⁴¹He opened the rock and the waters gushed out, and ran in the dry places like a river.

⁴²For He remembered His holy promise and Abraham His servant.

⁴³And He brought forth His people with joy, His chosen with gladness,

⁴⁴and gave them the lands of the heathen; and they inherited the labor of the people,

⁴⁵that they might observe His statutes and keep His laws. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 106

¹Praise ye the LORD! O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.

²Who can utter the mighty acts of the LORD? Who can show forth all His praise?

³Blessed are they that keep judgment and he that doeth righteousness at all times.

⁴Remember me, O LORD, with the favor which Thou bearest unto Thy people; O visit me with Thy salvation,

⁵that I may see the good of Thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy nation, that I may glory with Thine inheritance.

⁶We have sinned with our fathers, we have committed iniquity, we have done wickedly.

⁷Our fathers understood not Thy wonders in Egypt; they remembered not the multitude of Thy mercies, but provoked Thee at the sea, even at the Red Sea.

⁸Nevertheless He saved them for His name's sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known.

⁹He rebuked the Red Sea also, and it was dried up; so He led them through the depths, as through the wilderness.

¹⁰And He saved them from the hand of him that hated them, and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

¹¹And the waters covered their enemies; there was not one of them left.

¹²Then believed they His words; they sang His praise.

¹³They soon forgot His works; they waited not for His counsel,

¹⁴but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness, and tempted God in the desert.

¹⁵And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul.

¹⁶They also envied Moses in the camp, and Aaron the saint of the LORD.

¹⁷The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram.

¹⁸And a fire was kindled in their company; the flame burned up the wicked.

¹⁹They made a calf in Horeb, and worshiped the molten image.

²⁰Thus they changed their glory into the similitude of an ox that eateth grass.

²¹They forgot God their Savior, who had done great things in Egypt,

²²wondrous works in the land of Ham, and fearsome things by the Red Sea.

²³Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach, to turn away His wrath, lest He should destroy them.

²⁴Yea, they despised the pleasant land; they believed not His word,

²⁵but murmured in their tents and hearkened not unto the voice of the LORD.

²⁶Therefore He lifted up His hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness,

²⁷to overthrow their seed also among the nations and to scatter them in the lands.

²⁸They joined themselves also with Baal of Peor, and ate the sacrifices to the dead.

²⁹Thus they provoked Him to anger with their inventions, and the plague broke in upon them.

³⁰Then stood up Phinehas and executed judgment, and so the plague was stayed.

³¹And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

³²They angered Him also at the waters of strife, so that it went ill with Moses for their sakes,

³³because they provoked his spirit, so that he spoke unadvisedly with his lips.

³⁴They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them;

³⁵but they mingled among the heathen and learned their works,

³⁶and they served their idols, which were a snare unto them.

³⁷Yea, they sacrificed their sons and daughters unto devils,

³⁸and shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was polluted with blood.

³⁹Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own schemes.

⁴⁰Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against His people, insomuch that He abhorred His own inheritance.

⁴¹And He gave them into the hand of the heathen, and they that hated them ruled over them.

⁴²Their enemies also oppressed them, and they were brought into subjection under their hand.

⁴³Many times did He deliver them, but they provoked Him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity.

⁴⁴Nevertheless He regarded their affliction when He heard their cry,

⁴⁵and He remembered for them His covenant, and repented according to the multitude of His mercies.

⁴⁶He made them also to be pitied by all those that carried them captive.

⁴⁷Save us, O LORD our God, and gather us from among the heathen, to give thanks unto Thy holy name, and to triumph in Thy praise.

⁴⁸Blessed be the LORD God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, and let all the people say, "Amen." Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 107

¹O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever.

²Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy,

³and gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the west, from the north and from the south.

⁴They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

⁵Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted within them.

⁶Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distresses.

⁷And He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city for habitation.

⁸Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

⁹For He satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

¹⁰They that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and irons,

¹¹because they rebelled against the words of God and contemned the counsel of the Most High,

¹²therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down and there was none to help.

¹³Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.

¹⁴He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and broke their bonds asunder.

¹⁵Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

¹⁶For He hath broken the gates of brass and cut the bars of iron asunder.

¹⁷Fools, because of their transgression and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

¹⁸Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat, and they draw near unto the gates of death.

¹⁹Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He saveth them out of their distresses.

²⁰He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.

²¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

²²And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing!

²³They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters:

²⁴these see the works of the LORD and His wonders in the deep.

²⁵For He commandeth and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.

²⁶They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble.

²⁷They reel to and fro and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wits' end.

²⁸Then they cry unto the LORD in their trouble, and He bringeth them out of their distresses.

²⁹He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

³⁰Then are they glad because they are quiet; so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.

³¹Oh that men would praise the LORD for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!

³²Let them exalt Him also in the congregation of the people, and praise Him in the assembly of the elders.

³³He turneth rivers into a wilderness and the watersprings into dry ground,

³⁴a fruitful land into barrenness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

³⁵He turneth the wilderness into a standing water and dry ground into watersprings;

³⁶and there He maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation,

³⁷and sow the fields and plant vineyards, which may yield fruitful increase.

³⁸He blesseth them also so that they are multiplied greatly, and alloweth not their cattle to decrease.

³⁹Again, they are diminished and brought low through oppression, affliction, and sorrow.

⁴⁰He poureth contempt upon princes, and causeth them to wander in the wilderness where there is no way.

⁴¹Yet setteth He the poor on high from affliction, and maketh their families like a flock.

⁴²The righteous shall see it and rejoice, and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

⁴³Whoso is wise and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD.

PSALM 108

¹O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise, even with my inmost being.

²Awake, psaltery and harp! I myself will awake early.

³I will praise Thee, O LORD, among the people, and I will sing praises unto Thee among the nations.

⁴For Thy mercy is great above the heavens, and Thy truth reacheth unto the clouds.

⁵Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens, and Thy glory above all the earth.

⁶That Thy beloved may be delivered, save with Thy right hand, and answer me.

⁷God hath spoken in His holiness: "I will rejoice; I will divide Shechem, and mete out the Valley of Succoth.

⁸Gilead is Mine; Manasseh is Mine; Ephraim also is the strength of Mine head; Judah is My lawgiver.

⁹Moab is My washpot; over Edom will I cast My shoe; over Philistia will I triumph."

¹⁰Who will bring me into the stronghold city? Who will lead me into Edom?

¹¹Wilt not Thou, O God, who hast cast us off? And wilt not Thou, O God, go forth with our hosts?

¹²Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man.

¹³Through God we shall do valiantly, for He it is that shall tread down our enemies.

PSALM 109

¹Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise.

²For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me; they have spoken against me with a lying tongue.

³They compassed me about also with words of hatred, and fought against me without a cause.

⁴For my love they are my adversaries, but I give myself unto prayer.

⁵They have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love.

⁶Set Thou a wicked man over him, and let Satan stand at his right hand.

⁷When he shall be judged, let him be condemned, and let his prayer be counted as sin.

⁸Let his days be few, and let another take his office.

⁹Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

¹⁰Let his children be continually vagabonds and beg; let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places.

¹¹Let the extortioner catch all that he hath, and let the strangers despoil his labor.

¹²Let there be none to extend mercy unto him, neither let there be any to favor his fatherless children.

¹³Let his posterity be cut off, and in the generation to follow let their name be blotted out.

¹⁴Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered by the LORD, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.

¹⁵Let them be before the LORD continually, that He may cut off the memory of them from the earth;

¹⁶because he remembered not to show mercy, but persecuted the poor and needy man, that he might even slay the broken in heart.

¹⁷As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him; as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him.

¹⁸As he clothed himself with cursing as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water and like oil into his bones.

¹⁹Let it be unto him as the garment which covereth him, and as a girdle wherewith he is girded continually.

²⁰Let this be the reward of mine adversaries from the LORD and of them that speak evil against my soul.

²¹But do Thou for me, O GOD the Lord, for Thy name's sake; because Thy mercy is good, deliver Thou me.

²²For I am poor and needy, and my heart is wounded within me.

²³I am gone like the shadow when it declineth; I am tossed up and down as the locust.

²⁴My knees are weak through fasting, and my flesh faileth of fatness.

²⁵I have become a reproach also unto them; when they looked upon me they shook their heads.

²⁶Help me, O LORD my God! O save me according to Thy mercy,

²⁷that they may know that this is Thy hand--that Thou, LORD, hast done it.

²⁸Let them curse, but Thou bless; when they arise let them be ashamed, but let Thy servant rejoice.

²⁹Let mine adversaries be clothed with shame, and let them cover themselves with their own confusion, as with a mantle.

³⁰I will greatly praise the LORD with my mouth; yea, I will praise Him among the multitude.

³¹For He shall stand at the right hand of the poor, to save him from those that condemn his soul.

PSALM 110

¹The LORD said unto my Lord, "Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool."

²The LORD shall send the rod of Thy strength out of Zion. Rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies!

³Thy people shall be willing in the day of Thy power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, Thou hast the dew of Thy youth.

⁴The LORD hath sworn and will not repent: "Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedek."

⁵The Lord at Thy right hand shall strike through kings in the day of His wrath.

⁶He shall judge among the heathen, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall wound the heads over many countries.

⁷He shall drink of the brook on the way; therefore shall He lift up the head.

PSALM 111

¹Praise ye the LORD! I will praise the LORD with my whole heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

²The works of the LORD are great, sought out by all them that have pleasure therein.

³His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endureth for ever.

⁴He hath made His wonderful works to be remembered; the LORD is gracious and full of compassion.

⁵He hath given meat unto them that fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant.

⁶He hath shown His people the power of His works, that He may give them the heritage of the heathen.

⁷The works of His hands are verity and judgment; all His commandments are sure.

⁸They stand fast for ever and ever, and are done in truth and uprightness.

⁹He sent redemption unto His people; He hath commanded His covenant for ever; holy and reverend is His name.

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do His commandments. His praise endureth for ever!

PSALM 112

¹Praise ye the LORD! Blessed is the man that feareth the LORD, that delighteth greatly in His commandments.

²His seed shall be mighty upon the earth; the generation of the upright shall be blessed.

³Wealth and riches shall be in his house, and his righteousness endureth for ever.

⁴Unto the upright there ariseth light in the darkness; he is gracious and full of compassion and righteous.

⁵A good man showeth favor and lendeth; he will guide his affairs with discretion.

⁶Surely he shall not be moved forever; the righteous shall be held in everlasting remembrance.

⁷He shall not be afraid of evil tidings; his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD.

⁸His heart is established; he shall not be afraid until he sees his desires upon his enemies.

⁹He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor.

¹⁰The wicked shall see it and be grieved, he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked shall perish.

PSALM 113

¹Praise ye the LORD! Praise, O ye servants of the LORD; praise the name of the LORD!

²Blessed be the name of the LORD from this time forth and for evermore.

³From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the LORD'S name is to be praised.

⁴The LORD is high above all nations, and His glory above the heavens.

⁵Who is like unto the LORD our God who dwelleth on high,

⁶who humbleth Himself to behold the things that are in heaven and on the earth?

⁷He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill,

⁸that He may set him with princes, even with the princes of His people.

⁹He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 114

¹When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of a strange language,

²Judah was His sanctuary, and Israel His dominion.

³The sea saw it, and fled; Jordan was driven back.

⁴The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lambs.

⁵What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? Thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?

⁶Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams, and ye little hills, like lambs?

⁷Tremble, thou earth, at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

⁸who turned the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of waters.

PSALM 115

¹Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory, for Thy mercy and for Thy truth's sake.

²Why should the heathen say, "Where now is their God?"

³But our God is in the heavens; He hath done whatsoever He hath pleased.

⁴Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

⁵They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not.

⁶They have ears, but they hear not; noses have they, but they smell not.

⁷They have hands, but they handle not; feet have they, but they walk not; neither speak they through their throat.

⁸They that make them are like unto them; so is everyone that trusteth in them.

⁹O Israel, trust thou in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.

¹⁰O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.

¹¹Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: He is their help and their shield.

¹²The LORD hath been mindful of us; He will bless us; He will bless the house of Israel; He will bless the house of Aaron.

¹³He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great.

¹⁴The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children.

¹⁵Ye are blessed by the LORD who made heaven and earth.

¹⁶The heaven, even the heavens, are the LORD's; but the earth hath He given to the children of men.

¹⁷The dead praise not the LORD, neither do any that go down into silence.

¹⁸But we will bless the LORD from this time forth and for evermore. Praise the LORD!

PSALM 116

¹I love the LORD, because He hath heard my voice and my supplications.

²Because He hath inclined His ear unto me, therefore will I call upon Him as long as I live.

³The sorrows of death encompassed me, and the pains of hell got hold upon me; I found trouble and sorrow.

⁴Then I called upon the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I beseech Thee, deliver my soul!"

⁵Gracious is the LORD and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

⁶The LORD preserveth the simple; I was brought low, and He helped me.

⁷Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with thee.

⁸For Thou hast delivered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

⁹I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

¹⁰I believed, therefore have I spoken: "I was greatly afflicted."

¹¹I said in my haste, "All men are liars."

¹²What shall I render unto the LORD for all His benefits toward me?

¹³I will take the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the LORD.

¹⁴I will pay my vows unto the LORD now, in the presence of all His people.

¹⁵Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of His saints.

¹⁶O LORD, truly I am Thy servant; I am Thy servant and the son of Thine handmaid; Thou hast loosed my bonds.

¹⁷I will offer to Thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.

¹⁸I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all His people,

¹⁹in the courts of the LORD's house, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 117

¹O praise the LORD, all ye nations! Praise Him, all ye people!

²For His merciful kindness is great toward us, and the truth of the LORD endureth for ever. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 118

¹O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever!

²Let Israel now say that His mercy endureth for ever.

³Let the house of Aaron now say that His mercy endureth for ever.

⁴Let them that fear the LORD now say that His mercy endureth for ever.

⁵I called upon the LORD in distress; the LORD answered me, and set me in an ample place.

⁶The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do unto me?

⁷The LORD taketh my part among them that help me; therefore shall I see what I desire upon them that hate me.

⁸It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man.

⁹It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.

¹⁰All the nations compassed me about, but in the name of the LORD will I destroy them.

¹¹They compassed me about, yea, they compassed me about; but in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

¹²They compassed me about like bees, they are quenched as the fire of thorns; for in the name of the LORD I will destroy them.

¹³Thou hast thrust sorely at me that I might fall, but the LORD helped me.

¹⁴The LORD is my strength and song, and has become my salvation.

¹⁵The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous; the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

¹⁶The right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly.

¹⁷I shall not die, but live and declare the works of the LORD.

¹⁸The LORD hath chastened me sorely, but He hath not given me over unto death.

¹⁹Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will go into them, and I will praise the LORD"

²⁰this gate of the LORD, into which the righteous shall enter.

²¹I will praise Thee, for Thou hast heard me and art become my salvation.

²²The stone which the builders refused has become the head stone of the corner.

²³This is the LORD'S doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.

²⁴This is the day which the LORD hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

²⁵Save now, I beseech Thee, O LORD; O LORD, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity.

²⁶Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD! We have blessed you from the house of the LORD.

²⁷God is the LORD, who hath shown us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.

²⁸Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee; Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee.

²⁹O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good; for His mercy endureth for ever!

PSALM 119

¹Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.

²Blessed are they that keep His testimonies and that seek Him with the whole heart.

³They also do no iniquity; they walk in His ways.

⁴Thou hast commanded us to keep Thy precepts diligently;

⁵O that my ways were directed to keep Thy statutes!

⁶Then shall I not be ashamed when I have respect unto all Thy commandments.

⁷I will praise Thee with uprightness of heart when I shall have learned Thy righteous judgments.

⁸I will keep Thy statutes; O forsake me not utterly!

⁹How shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word.

¹⁰With my whole heart have I sought Thee; O let me not wander from Thy commandments!

¹¹Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.

¹²Blessed art Thou, O LORD; teach me Thy statutes.

¹³With my lips have I declared all the judgments of Thy mouth.

¹⁴I have rejoiced in the way of Thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.

¹⁵I will meditate on Thy precepts and attend unto Thy ways.

¹⁶I will delight myself in Thy statutes; I will not forget Thy word.

¹⁷Deal bountifully with Thy servant, that I may live and keep Thy word.

¹⁸Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law.

¹⁹I am a stranger on the earth; hide not Thy commandments from me.

²⁰My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath for Thy judgments at all times.

²¹Thou hast rebuked the proud that are cursed, that err from Thy commandments.

²²Remove from me reproach and contempt, for I have kept Thy testimonies.

²³Princes also sat and spoke against me, but Thy servant meditated on Thy statutes.

²⁴Thy testimonies also are my delight and my counselors.

²⁵My soul cleaveth unto the dust; quicken Thou me according to Thy word.

²⁶I have declared my ways, and Thou heardest me; teach me Thy statutes.

²⁷Make me to understand the way of Thy precepts; so shall I talk of Thy wondrous works.

²⁸My soul melteth from heaviness; strengthen Thou me according to Thy word.

²⁹Remove from me the way of lying, and grant me Thy law graciously.

³⁰I have chosen the way of truth; Thy judgments have I laid before me.

³¹I have held fast unto Thy testimonies; O LORD, put me not to shame.

³²I will run in the way of Thy commandments, when Thou shalt enlarge my heart.

³³Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall keep it unto the end.

³⁴Give me understanding and I shall keep Thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.

³⁵Make me to go in the path of Thy commandments, for therein do I delight.

³⁶Incline my heart unto Thy testimonies, and not to covetousness;

³⁷turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken Thou me in Thy way.

³⁸Establish Thy word unto Thy servant, who is devoted to the fear of Thee.

³⁹Turn away my reproach which I fear, for Thy judgments are good.

⁴⁰Behold, I have longed after Thy precepts; quicken me in Thy righteousness.

⁴¹Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O LORD, even Thy salvation according to Thy word;

⁴²so shall I have the answer for him that reproacheth me, for I trust in Thy word.

⁴³And take not the word of truth utterly out of my mouth, for I have hoped in Thy judgments.

⁴⁴So shall I keep Thy law continually, for ever and ever.

⁴⁵And I will walk in liberty, for I seek Thy precepts.

⁴⁶I will speak of Thy testimonies also before kings, and will not be ashamed.

⁴⁷And I will delight myself in Thy commandments which I have loved.

⁴⁸My hands also will I lift up unto Thy commandments, which I have loved; and I will meditate on Thy statutes.

⁴⁹Remember the word unto Thy servant, upon which Thou hast caused me to hope.

⁵⁰This is my comfort in my affliction, for Thy word hath quickened me.

⁵¹The proud have held me greatly in derision, yet have I not departed from Thy law.

⁵²I remembered Thy judgments of old, O LORD, and have comforted myself.

⁵³Horror hath taken hold upon me, because of the wicked that forsake Thy law.

⁵⁴Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

⁵⁵I have remembered Thy name, O LORD, in the night and have kept Thy law.

⁵⁶This I had, because I kept Thy precepts.

⁵⁷Thou art my portion, O LORD; I have said that I would keep Thy words.

⁵⁸I entreated Thy favor with my whole heart; be merciful unto me according to Thy word.

⁵⁹I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies.

⁶⁰I made haste, and delayed not to keep Thy commandments.

⁶¹The cords of the wicked have robbed me, but I have not forgotten Thy law.

⁶²At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee, because of Thy righteous judgments.

⁶³I am a companion of all them that fear Thee, and of them that keep Thy precepts.

⁶⁴The earth, O LORD, is full of Thy mercy; teach me Thy statutes.

⁶⁵Thou hast dealt well with Thy servant, O LORD, according to Thy word.

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I have believed Thy commandments.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now have I kept Thy word.

⁶⁸Thou art good, and doest good; teach me Thy statutes.

⁶⁹The proud have forged a lie against me, but I will keep Thy precepts with my whole heart.

⁷⁰Their heart is as fat as grease, but I delight in Thy law.

⁷¹It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learn Thy statutes.

⁷²The law of Thy mouth is better for me than thousands of gold and silver.

⁷³Thy hands have made me and fashioned me; give me understanding, that I may learn Thy commandments.

⁷⁴They that fear Thee will be glad when they see me, because I have hoped in Thy word.

⁷⁵I know, O LORD, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

⁷⁶Let, I pray Thee, Thy merciful kindness be for my comfort, according to Thy word unto Thy servant.

⁷⁷Let Thy tender mercies come unto me, that I may live; for Thy law is my delight.

⁷⁸Let the proud be ashamed, for they dealt perversely with me without cause; but I will meditate on Thy precepts.

⁷⁹Let those that fear Thee turn unto me, and those that have known Thy testimonies.

⁸⁰Let my heart be sound in Thy statutes, that I not be ashamed.

⁸¹My soul fainteth for Thy salvation, but I hope in Thy word.

⁸²Mine eyes fail from seeking Thy word, saying, "When wilt Thou comfort me?"

⁸³For I have become like a wineskin in the smoke, yet do I not forget Thy statutes.

⁸⁴How many are the days of Thy servant? When wilt Thou execute judgment on them that persecute me?

⁸⁵The proud have dug pits for me, which is not according to Thy law.

⁸⁶All Thy commandments are faithful; they persecute me wrongfully; help Thou me!

⁸⁷They had almost consumed me from the earth, but I forsook not Thy precepts.

⁸⁸Quicken me according to Thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of Thy mouth.

⁸⁹Forever, O LORD, Thy word is settled in heaven.

⁹⁰Thy faithfulness is unto all generations; Thou hast established the earth, and it abideth.

⁹¹They continue this day according to Thine ordinances, for all are Thy servants.

⁹²Had not Thy law been my delight, I should have perished in mine affliction.

⁹³I will never forget Thy precepts, for with them Thou hast quickened me.

⁹⁴I am Thine, save me; for I have sought Thy precepts.

⁹⁵The wicked have waited for me to destroy me, but I will consider Thy testimonies.

⁹⁶I have seen an end of all perfection, but Thy commandment is exceeding broad.

⁹⁷O how I love Thy law! It is my meditation all the day.

⁹⁸Thou, through Thy commandments, hast made me wiser than mine enemies; for Thy commands are ever with me.

⁹⁹I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation.

¹⁰⁰I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts.

¹⁰¹I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I might keep Thy word.

¹⁰²I have not departed from Thy judgments, for Thou hast taught me.

¹⁰³How sweet are Thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!

¹⁰⁴Through Thy precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

¹⁰⁶I have sworn an oath, and I will perform it, that I will keep Thy righteous judgments.

¹⁰⁷I am afflicted very much; quicken me, O LORD, according unto Thy word.

¹⁰⁸Accept, I beseech Thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD, and teach me Thy judgments.

¹⁰⁹My soul is continually in my hand, yet I do not forget Thy law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me, yet I erred not from Thy precepts.

¹¹¹Thy testimonies have I taken as a heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of my heart.

¹¹²I have inclined mine heart to perform Thy statutes alway, even unto the end.

¹¹³I hate vain thoughts, but Thy law do I love.

¹¹⁴Thou art my hiding place and my shield; I hope in Thy word.

¹¹⁵Depart from me, ye evildoers, for I will keep the commandments of my God.

¹¹⁶Uphold me according to Thy word, that I may live, and let me not be ashamed of my hope.

¹¹⁷Hold Thou me up, and I shall be safe, and I will have regard unto Thy statutes continually.

¹¹⁸Thou hast trodden down all them that err from Thy statutes, for their deceit is falsehood.

¹¹⁹Thou puttest away all the wicked of the earth like dross; therefore I love Thy testimonies.

¹²⁰My flesh trembleth for fear of Thee, and I am afraid of Thy judgments.

¹²¹I have done judgment and justice; leave me not to mine oppressors.

¹²²Be surety for Thy servant for good; let not the proud oppress me.

¹²³Mine eyes fail, seeking for Thy salvation and for the word of Thy righteousness.

¹²⁴Deal with Thy servant according unto Thy mercy, and teach me Thy statutes.

¹²⁵I am Thy servant; give me understanding, that I may know Thy testimonies.

¹²⁶It is time for Thee, LORD, to work, for they have made void Thy law.

¹²⁷Therefore I love Thy commandments above gold, yea, above fine gold.

¹²⁸Therefore I esteem all Thy precepts concerning all things to be right, and I hate every false way.

¹²⁹Thy testimonies are wonderful; therefore doth my soul keep them.

¹³⁰The entering of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.

¹³¹I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Thy commandments.

¹³²Look Thou upon me and be merciful unto me, as Thou used to do unto those that love Thy name.

¹³³Order my steps in Thy word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.

¹³⁴Deliver me from the oppression of man; so will I keep Thy precepts.

¹³⁵Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant, and teach me Thy statutes.

¹³⁶Rivers of water run down mine eyes, because men keep not Thy law.

¹³⁷Righteous art Thou, O LORD, and upright are Thy judgments.

¹³⁸Thy testimonies that Thou hast commanded are righteous and very faithful.

¹³⁹My zeal hath consumed me, because mine enemies have forgotten Thy words.

¹⁴⁰Thy word is very pure; therefore Thy servant loveth it.

¹⁴¹I am small and despised, yet I do not forget Thy precepts.

¹⁴²Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and Thy law is the truth.

¹⁴³Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me, yet Thy commandments are my delights.

¹⁴⁴The righteousness of Thy testimonies is everlasting; give me understanding, and I shall live.

¹⁴⁵I cried with my whole heart: hear me, O LORD; I will keep Thy statutes.

¹⁴⁶I cried unto Thee: save me, and I shall keep Thy testimonies.

¹⁴⁷I awaited the dawning of the morning and cried; I hoped in Thy word.

¹⁴⁸Mine eyes awaited the night watches, that I might meditate on Thy word.

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according unto Thy lovingkindness; O LORD, quicken me according to Thy judgment.

¹⁵⁰They draw nigh that follow after mischief; they are far from Thy law.

¹⁵¹Thou art near, O LORD, and all Thy commandments are truth.

¹⁵²Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known of old that Thou hast founded them for ever.

¹⁵³Consider mine affliction and deliver me, for I do not forget Thy law.

¹⁵⁴Plead my cause and deliver me; quicken me according to Thy word.

¹⁵⁵Salvation is far from the wicked, for they seek not Thy statutes.

¹⁵⁶Great are Thy tender mercies, O LORD; quicken me according to Thy judgments.

¹⁵⁷Many are my persecutors and mine enemies, yet do I not depart from Thy testimonies.

¹⁵⁸I beheld the transgressors and was grieved, because they kept not Thy word.

¹⁵⁹Consider how I love Thy precepts; quicken me, O LORD, according to Thy lovingkindness.

¹⁶⁰Thy word is true from the beginning, and every one of Thy righteous judgments endureth for ever.

¹⁶¹Princes have persecuted me without cause, but my heart standeth in awe of Thy word.

¹⁶²I rejoice at Thy word, as one that findeth great spoil.

¹⁶³I hate and abhor lying, but Thy law do I love.

¹⁶⁴Seven times a day do I praise Thee, because of Thy righteous judgments.

¹⁶⁵Great peace have they that love Thy law, and nothing shall cause them to fall.

¹⁶⁶LORD, I have hoped for Thy salvation and have done Thy commandments.

¹⁶⁷My soul hath kept Thy testimonies, and I love them exceedingly.

¹⁶⁸I have kept Thy precepts and Thy testimonies, for all my ways are before Thee.

¹⁶⁹Let my cry come near before Thee, O LORD; give me understanding according to Thy word.

¹⁷⁰Let my supplication come before Thee; deliver me according to Thy word.

¹⁷¹My lips shall utter praise when Thou hast taught me Thy statutes.

¹⁷²My tongue shall speak of Thy word, for all Thy commandments are righteousness.

¹⁷³Let Thine hand help me, for I have chosen Thy precepts.

¹⁷⁴I have longed for Thy salvation, O LORD, and Thy law is my delight.

¹⁷⁵Let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee; and let Thy judgments help me.

¹⁷⁶I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek Thy servant, for I do not forget Thy commandments.

PSALM 120

¹In my distress I cried unto the LORD, and He heard me.

²Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and from a deceitful tongue.

³What shall be given unto thee, or what shall be done unto thee, thou false tongue?

⁴Sharp arrows of the mighty, with coals of juniper!

⁵Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar!

⁶My soul hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.

⁷I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

PSALM 121

¹I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help!

²My help cometh from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

³He will not permit thy foot to be moved; He that keepeth thee will not slumber.

⁴Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.

⁶The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

⁷The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil; He shall preserve thy soul.

⁸The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

PSALM 122

¹I was glad when they said unto me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD."

²Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.

³Jerusalem is built as a city that is united together,

⁴whither the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, according to the testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the name of the LORD.

⁵For there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David.

⁶Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "They shall prosper that love thee.

⁷Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces."

⁸For my brethren and companions' sakes I will now say, "Peace be within thee."

⁹Because of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek thy good.

PSALM 123

¹Unto Thee I lift up mine eyes, O Thou that dwellest in the heavens.

²Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress, so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God until He has mercy upon us.

³Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we are exceedingly filled with contempt.

⁴Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

PSALM 124

¹"If it had not been the LORD who was on our side"--now may Israel say--

²"if it had not been the LORD who was on our side when men rose up against us,

³then would they have swallowed us up alive when their wrath was kindled against us;

⁴then would the waters have overwhelmed us, the stream would have gone over our soul;

⁵then the proud waters would have gone over our soul."

⁶Blessed be the LORD, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

⁷Our soul has escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.

⁸Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

PSALM 125

¹They that trust in the LORD shall be as Mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

²As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about His people from henceforth, even for ever.

³For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the allotment of the righteous, lest the righteous put forth their hands to do iniquity.

⁴Do good, O LORD, unto those that are good and to them that are upright in their hearts.

⁵As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity; but peace shall be upon Israel.

PSALM 126

¹When the LORD returned the captives to Zion, we were like them that dream.

²Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then said they among the heathen, "The LORD hath done great things for them."

³The LORD hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.

⁴Turn back our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South.

⁵They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

⁶He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

PSALM 127

¹Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

²It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He giveth His beloved sleep.

³Lo, children are a heritage of the LORD, and the fruit of the womb is His reward.

⁴As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children of the youth.

⁵Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies at the gate.

PSALM 128

¹Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD, that walketh in His ways.

²For thou shalt eat the labor of thine hands; happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee.

³Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house, thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

⁴Behold that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.

⁵The LORD shall bless thee out of Zion, and thou shalt see the good of Jerusalem all the days of thy life.

⁶Yea, thou shalt see thy children's children, and peace upon Israel.

PSALM 129

¹"Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth"--may Israel now say--

²"many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.

³The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows."

⁴The LORD is righteous; He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

⁵Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

⁶Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth before it groweth up,

⁷wherewith the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth sheaves, his bosom.

⁸Neither do those who go by say, "The blessing of the LORD be upon you; we bless you in the name of the LORD."

PSALM 130

¹Out of the depths have I cried unto Thee, O LORD;

²LORD, hear my voice! Let Thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

³If Thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O LORD, who shall stand?

⁴But there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared.

⁵I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in His word do I hope.

⁶My soul waiteth for the LORD more than they that watch for the morning-- I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

⁷Let Israel hope in the LORD, for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is plenteous redemption.

⁸And He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.

PSALM 131

¹LORD, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself with great matters, or in things too high for me.

²Surely I have behaved and quieted myself as a child that is weaned from his mother; my soul is even as a weaned child.

³Let Israel hope in the LORD from henceforth and for ever.

PSALM 132

¹LORD, remember David and all his afflictions--

²how he swore unto the LORD and vowed unto the Mighty God of Jacob:

³"Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed;

⁴I will not give sleep to mine eyes or slumber to mine eyelids

⁵until I find out a place for the LORD, a habitation for the Mighty God of Jacob."

⁶Lo, we heard of it at Ephrathah; we found it in the fields of the wood:

⁷"We will go into His tabernacles; we will worship at His footstool."

⁸Arise, O LORD, into Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy strength.

⁹Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Thy saints shout for joy.

¹⁰For Thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of Thine anointed.

¹¹The LORD hath sworn in truth unto David; He will not turn from it: "Of the fruit of thy body I will set upon thy throne.

¹²If thy children will keep My covenant and My testimony that I shall teach them, their children shall also sit upon thy throne for evermore."

¹³For the LORD hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation:

¹⁴"This is My rest for ever; here will I dwell, for I have desired it.

¹⁵I will abundantly bless her provision, I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷There will I make the horn of David to bud; I have ordained a lamp for Mine anointed.

¹⁸His enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish."

PSALM 133

¹Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

²It is like the precious ointment upon the head that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard that went down to the skirts of his garments.

³It is as the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion; for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.

PSALM 134

¹Behold, bless ye the LORD, all ye servants of the LORD, who by night stand in the house of the LORD.

²Lift up your hands in the sanctuary, and bless the LORD!

³The LORD who made heaven and earth bless thee out of Zion!

PSALM 135

¹Praise ye the LORD, praise ye the name of the LORD! Praise Him, O ye servants of the LORD!

²Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,

³praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing praises unto His name, for it is pleasant.

⁴For the LORD hath chosen Jacob for Himself, and Israel for His peculiar treasure.

⁵For I know that the LORD is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.

⁶Whatsoever the LORD pleased, that did He in heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all deep places.

⁷He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth; He maketh lightnings for the rain; He bringeth the wind out of His treasuries.

⁸He smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

⁹He sent tokens and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and upon all his servants.

¹⁰He smote great nations, and slew mighty kings:

¹¹Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan;

¹²and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage unto Israel His people.

¹³Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever, and Thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.

¹⁴For the LORD will judge His people, and He will repent Himself concerning His servants.

¹⁵The idols of the heathen are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.

¹⁶They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

¹⁷they have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

¹⁸They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

¹⁹Bless the LORD, O house of Israel! Bless the LORD, O house of Aaron!

²⁰Bless the LORD, O house of Levi! Ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!

²¹Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, who dwelleth in Jerusalem! Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 136

¹O give thanks unto the LORD, for He is good, for His mercy endureth for ever.

²O give thanks unto the God of gods, for His mercy endureth for ever.

³O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His mercy endureth for ever;

⁴to Him who alone doeth great wonders, for His mercy endureth for ever;

⁵to Him that by wisdom made the heavens, for His mercy endureth for ever;

⁶to Him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endureth for ever;

⁷to Him that made great lights, for His mercy endureth for ever;

⁸the sun to rule by day, for His mercy endureth for ever;

⁹the moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹⁰to Him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹¹and brought out Israel from among them, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹²with a strong hand and with a stretched out arm, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹³to Him who divided the Red Sea into parts, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹⁴and made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹⁵but overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹⁶to Him who led His people through the wilderness, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹⁷to Him who smote great kings, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹⁸and slew famous kings, for His mercy endureth for ever;

¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites, for His mercy endureth for ever;

²⁰and Og the king of Bashan, for His mercy endureth for ever;

²¹and gave their land as a heritage, for His mercy endureth for ever;

²²even a heritage unto Israel His servant, for His mercy endureth for ever;

²³who remembered us in our low estate, for His mercy endureth for ever;

²⁴and hath redeemed us from our enemies, for His mercy endureth for ever;

²⁵who giveth food to all flesh, for His mercy endureth for ever:

²⁶O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for His mercy endureth for ever!

PSALM 137

¹By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

²We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

³For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song, and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, "Sing us one of the songs of Zion!"

⁴How shall we sing the LORD's song in a strange land?

⁵If I forget thee, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget her cleverness.

⁶If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷Remember, O LORD, the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem's fall, who said, "Raze it, raze it, even to the foundation thereof!"

⁸O daughter of Babylon who art to be destroyed, happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us.

⁹Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.

PSALM 138

¹I will praise Thee with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee.

²I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy lovingkindness and for Thy truth, for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name.

³In the day when I cried, Thou answered me, and strengthened me with strength in my soul.

⁴All the kings of the earth shall praise Thee, O LORD, when they hear the words of Thy mouth.

⁵Yea, they shall sing of the ways of the LORD, for great is the glory of the LORD.

⁶Though the LORD be high, yet hath He respect unto the lowly, but the proud He knoweth afar off.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, Thou wilt revive me; Thou shalt stretch forth Thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and Thy right hand shall save me.

⁸The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me; Thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of Thine own hands.

PSALM 139

¹O LORD, Thou hast searched me and known me.

²Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising; Thou understandest my thought afar off.

³Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

⁴For there is not a word on my tongue, but lo, O LORD, Thou knowest it altogether.

⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid Thine hand upon me.

⁶Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit? Or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?

⁸If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.

⁹If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

¹⁰even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.

¹¹If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me," even the night shall be light about me.

¹²Yea, the darkness hideth not from Thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness and the light are both alike to Thee.

¹³For Thou hast possessed my reins. Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.

¹⁴I will praise Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵My substance was not hid from Thee when I was made in secret, and intricately wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

¹⁶Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuity were fashioned, when as yet there were none of them.

¹⁷How precious also are Thy thoughts unto me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

¹⁸If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with Thee.

¹⁹Surely, Thou wilt slay the wicked, O God. Depart from me therefore, ye bloody men.

²⁰For they speak against Thee wickedly, and Thine enemies take Thy name in vain.

²¹Do I not hate them, O LORD, that hate Thee? And am I not grieved with those that rise up against Thee?

²²I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them mine enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts.

²⁴And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

PSALM 140

¹Deliver me, O LORD, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man,

²who imagine mischiefs in their heart; continually are they gathered together for war.

³They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah

⁴Keep me, O LORD, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from the violent man, who has purposed to overthrow my goings.

⁵The proud have hid a snare for me, and with cords they have spread a net by the wayside; they have set traps for me. Selah

⁶I said unto the LORD, "Thou art my God; hear the voice of my supplications, O LORD.

⁷O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked; further not his wicked device, lest they exalt themselves. Selah

⁹"As for the head of those that compass me about, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

¹⁰Let burning coals fall upon them; let them be cast into the fire, into deep pits, that they rise not up again.

¹¹Let not an evil speaker be established on the earth; evil shall hunt the violent man to overthrow him."

¹²I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted and the right of the poor.

¹³Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto Thy name; the upright shall dwell in Thy presence.

PSALM 141

¹LORD, I cry unto Thee! Make haste unto me! Give ear unto my voice when I cry unto Thee.

²Let my prayer be set before Thee as incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

³Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

⁴Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵Let the righteous smite me: it shall be a kindness. And let him reprove me: it shall be as an excellent oil, which shall not break my head; for yet my prayer shall be with them in their calamities.

⁶When their judges are overthrown onto stony places, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.

⁷Our bones are scattered at the grave's mouth, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

⁸But mine eyes are unto Thee, O GOD the Lord; in Thee is my trust; leave not my soul destitute.

⁹Keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the traps of the workers of iniquity.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst I thereupon escape.

PSALM 142

¹I cried unto the LORD with my voice; with my voice unto the LORD did I make my supplication.

²I poured out my complaint before Him; I laid before Him my trouble.

³When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then Thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.

⁴I looked on my right hand and beheld, but there was no man that would know me. Refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.

⁵I cried unto Thee, O LORD; I said, "Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.

⁶Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.

⁷Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise Thy name; the righteous shall compass me about, for Thou shalt deal bountifully with me."

PSALM 143

¹Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications; in Thy faithfulness answer me, and in Thy righteousness.

²And enter not into judgment with Thy servant, for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.

³For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground. He hath made me to dwell in darkness, as those that have been long dead.

⁴Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.

⁵I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Thy works; I muse on the work of Thy hands.

⁶I stretch forth my hands unto Thee; my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land. Selah

⁷Hear me speedily, O LORD; my spirit faileth. Hide not Thy face from me, lest I be like them that go down into the pit.

⁸Cause me to hear Thy lovingkindness in the morning, for in Thee do I trust. Cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul unto Thee.

⁹Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies; I flee unto Thee to hide me.

¹⁰Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God. Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

¹¹Quicken me, O LORD, for Thy name's sake; for Thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

¹²And in Thy mercy cut off mine enemies, and destroy all them that afflict my soul; for I am Thy servant.

PSALM 144

¹Blessed be the LORD my strength, who teacheth my hands to war and my fingers to fight;

²my goodness and my fortress, my high tower and my deliverer, my shield and He in whom I trust, who subdueth my people under me.

³LORD, what is man that Thou takest notice of him? Or the son of man that Thou makest account of him?

⁴Man is like vanity; his days are as a shadow that passeth away.

⁵Bow Thy heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke.

⁶Cast forth lightning and scatter them; shoot out Thine arrows and destroy them.

⁷Send Thine hand from above; rescue me and deliver me out of great waters from the hand of strangers,

⁸whose mouth speaketh vanity and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹I will sing a new song unto Thee, O God; upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto Thee.

¹⁰It is He that giveth salvation unto kings, who delivereth David His servant from the hurtful sword.

¹¹Rescue me and deliver me from the hand of strangers, whose mouth speaketh vanity and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood,

¹²that our sons may be as plants full grown in their youth, that our daughters may be as cornerstones, polished after the similitude of a palace;

¹³that our garners may be full, affording all manner of store, that our sheep may bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets;

¹⁴that our oxen may be strong to labor, that there be no breaking in, nor going out, that there be no complaining in our streets.

¹⁵Happy is that people for whom such is the case; yea, happy is that people whose God is the LORD.

PSALM 145

¹I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever.

²Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever.

³Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised, and His greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts.

⁵I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy majesty, and of Thy wondrous works.

⁶And men shall speak of the might of Thy fearsome acts, and I will declare Thy greatness.

⁷They shall abundantly utter the memory of Thy great goodness, and shall sing of Thy righteousness.

⁸The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great mercy.

⁹The LORD is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works.

¹⁰All Thy works shall praise Thee, O LORD, and Thy saints shall bless Thee.

¹¹They shall speak of the glory of Thy Kingdom and talk of Thy power,

¹²to make known to the sons of men His mighty acts and the glorious majesty of His Kingdom.

¹³Thy Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and Thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.

¹⁴The LORD upholdeth all that fall, and raiseth up all those that are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all wait upon Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in due season.

¹⁶Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The LORD is righteous in all His ways, and holy in all His works.

¹⁸The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth.

¹⁹He will fulfill the desire of them that fear Him; He also will hear their cry and will save them.

²⁰The LORD preserveth all them that love Him, but all the wicked will He destroy.

²¹My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD, and let all flesh bless His holy name for ever and ever.

PSALM 146

¹Praise ye the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!

²While I live will I praise the LORD; I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.

³Put not your trust in princes, nor in a son of man in whom there is no help.

⁴His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.

⁵Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God,

⁶who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that therein is, who keepeth truth for ever;

⁷who executeth judgment for the oppressed, who giveth food to the hungry; the LORD looseth the prisoners.

⁸The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind; the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down; the LORD loveth the righteous.

⁹The LORD preserveth the strangers, He relieveth the fatherless and the widow; but the way of the wicked He turneth upside down.

¹⁰The LORD shall reign for ever, even Thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 147

¹Praise ye the LORD! For it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant, and praise is comely.

²The LORD doth build up Jerusalem; He gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

³He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

⁴He telleth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names.

⁵Great is our Lord, and of great power; His understanding is infinite.

⁶The LORD lifteth up the meek; He casteth the wicked down to the ground.

⁷Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God,

⁸who covereth the heavens with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

⁹He giveth to the beast his food and to the young ravens which cry.

¹⁰He delighteth not in the strength of the horse; He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

¹¹The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy.

¹²Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise thy God, O Zion!

¹³For He hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; He hath blessed thy children within thee.

¹⁴He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

¹⁵He sendeth forth His commandment upon the earth; His word runneth very swiftly.

¹⁶He giveth snow like wool; He scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes;

¹⁷He casteth forth His ice like morsels; who can stand before His cold?

¹⁸He sendeth out His word, and melteth them; He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow.

¹⁹He showeth His word unto Jacob, His statutes and His judgments unto Israel.

²⁰He hath not dealt so with any nation; and as for His judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 148

¹Praise ye the LORD! Praise ye the LORD from the heavens; praise Him in the heights!

²Praise ye Him, all His angels; praise ye Him, all His hosts!

³Praise ye Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars of light!

⁴Praise Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens!

⁵Let them praise the name of the LORD, for He commanded and they were created.

⁶He hath also established them for ever and ever; He hath made a decree which shall not pass.

⁷Praise the LORD from the earth, ye dragons and all deeps,

⁸fire and hail, snow and vapors, stormy wind fulfilling His word,

⁹mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars,

¹⁰beasts and all cattle, creeping things and flying fowl,

¹¹kings of the earth and all people, princes and all judges of the earth,

¹²both young men and maidens, old men and children.

¹³Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven.

¹⁴He also exalteth the horn of His people, the praise of all His saints, even of the children of Israel, a people near unto Him. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 149

¹Praise ye the LORD! Sing unto the LORD a new song, and His praise in the congregation of saints!

²Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him; let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

³Let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp.

⁴For the LORD taketh pleasure in His people; He will beautify the meek with salvation.

⁵Let the saints be joyful in glory; let them sing aloud upon their beds.

⁶Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand

⁷to execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people;

⁸to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁹to execute upon them the judgment written: this honor have all His saints. Praise ye the LORD!

PSALM 150

¹Praise ye the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the firmament of His power!

²Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to His excellent greatness!

³Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp!

⁴Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and organs!

⁵Praise Him upon the loud cymbals; praise Him upon the high sounding cymbals!

⁶Let everything that hath breath praise the LORD! Praise ye the LORD!

1The Proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel:

²to know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;

³to receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, judgment, and equity;

⁴to give subtlety to the simple, and to the young man knowledge and discretion.

⁵A wise man will hear and will increase learning, and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsel

⁶to understand a proverb and the interpretation, the words of the wise and their dark sayings.

⁷The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

⁸My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother;

⁹for they shall be an ornament of grace unto thy head, and chains about thy neck.

¹⁰My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

¹¹If they say, "Come with us; let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk privily for the innocent without cause;

¹²let us swallow them up alive as the grave, and whole, as those that go down to the pit;

¹³we shall find much precious substance, we shall fill our houses with spoil;

¹⁴cast in thy lot among us, let us all have one purse""

¹⁵my son, walk not thou in the way with them; restrain thy foot from their path;

¹⁶for their feet run to evil and make haste to shed blood.

¹⁷Surely in vain the net is spread in the sight of any bird!

¹⁸And they lie in wait for their own blood; they lurk privily for their own lives.

¹⁹So are the ways of every one that is greedy for gain, which taketh away the life of the owners thereof.

²⁰Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets.

²¹She crieth in the chief places of concourse, in the openings of the gates; in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

²²"How long, ye simple ones, will ye love to be simple, and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

²³Turn you at my reproof: Behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you; I will make known my words unto you.

²⁴"Because I have called and ye refused, I have stretched out my hand and no man heeded,

²⁵but ye have set at nought all my counsel and would have none of my reproof,

²⁶I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh,

²⁷when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

²⁸Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me,

²⁹because they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD.

³⁰They would have none of my counsel, and they despised all my reproof:

³¹therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own ways, and be filled with their own devices.

³²For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them;

³³but whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall have quiet from fear of evil."

2My son, if thou wilt receive my words and hide my commandments within thee,

²so that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom and apply thine heart to understanding;

³yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

⁴if thou seekest her as silver and searchest for her as for hidden treasure,

⁵then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God.

⁶For the LORD giveth wisdom; out of His mouth cometh knowledge and understanding.

⁷He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a buckler to them that walk uprightly.

⁸He keepeth the paths of judgment, and preserveth the way of His saints.

⁹Then shalt thou understand righteousness and judgment and equity, yea, every good path.

¹⁰When wisdom entereth into thine heart, and knowledge is pleasant unto thy soul,

¹¹discretion shall preserve thee, and understanding shall keep thee,

¹²to deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from men that speaketh froward things,

¹³who leave the paths of uprightness to walk in the ways of darkness,

¹⁴who rejoice to do evil and delight in the frowardness of the wicked,

¹⁵whose ways are crooked and who are froward in their paths.

¹⁶Wisdom will deliver thee from the strange woman, even from the stranger, who flattereth with her words,

¹⁷who forsaketh the guide of her youth, and forgetteth the covenant of her God;

¹⁸for her house inclineth unto death, and her paths unto the dead.

¹⁹None that go unto her return again, neither take they hold of the paths of life.

²⁰Thus thou mayest walk in the way of good men, and keep to the paths of the righteous.

²¹For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it;

²²but the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.

3My son, forget not my law, but let thine heart keep my commandments;

²for length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee.

³Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about thy neck, write them upon the tablet of thine heart.

⁴So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

⁵Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding;

⁶in all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.

⁷Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the LORD and depart from evil.

⁸It shall be health to thy flesh and marrow to thy bones.

⁹Honor the LORD with thy substance and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:

¹⁰so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

¹¹My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD, neither be weary of His correction;

¹²for whom the LORD loveth, He correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.

¹³Happy is the man that findeth wisdom and the man that getteth understanding;

¹⁴for the merchandising of it is better than the merchandising of silver, and the gain thereof than fine gold.

¹⁵She is more precious than rubies, and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her.

¹⁶Length of days is in her right hand, and in her left hand riches and honor.

¹⁷Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

¹⁸She is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone that retaineth her.

¹⁹The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath He established the heavens;

²⁰by His knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew.

²¹My son, let not these depart from thine eyes: keep sound wisdom and discretion;

²²so shall they be life unto thy soul, and grace around thy neck.

²³Then shalt thou walk in thy way safely, and thy foot shall not stumble;

²⁴when thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid; yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet.

²⁵Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked when it cometh;

²⁶for the LORD shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being snared.

²⁷Withhold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

²⁸Say not unto thy neighbor, "Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give," when thou hast it with thee.

²⁹Devise not evil against thy neighbor, seeing he dwelleth securely beside thee.

³⁰Strive not with a man without cause if he has done thee no harm.

³¹Envy thou not the oppressor, and choose none of his ways;

³²for the froward is an abomination to the LORD, but His secret is with the righteous.

³³The curse of the LORD is on the house of the wicked, but He blesseth the habitation of the just.

³⁴Surely He scorneth the scorners, but He giveth grace unto the lowly.

³⁵The wise shall inherit glory, but shame shall be the promotion of fools.

4Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and be attentive to know understanding.

²For I give you good doctrine; forsake ye not my law.

³For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother.

⁴He taught me also and said unto me, "Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments and live.

⁵Get wisdom, get understanding; forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

⁶Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee; love her, and she shall keep thee.

⁷Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom; and with all thy getting, get understanding.

⁸Exalt her, and she shall promote thee; she shall bring thee honor when thou dost embrace her.

⁹She shall give to thine head an ornament of grace; a crown of glory shall she deliver to thee."

¹⁰Hear, O my son, and receive my sayings, and the years of thy life shall be many.

¹¹I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

¹²When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

¹³Hold fast to instruction, let her not go; keep her, for she is thy life.

¹⁴Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men;

¹⁵avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it and pass away.

¹⁶For they sleep not unless they have done mischief, and their sleep is taken away unless they cause some to fall.

¹⁷For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

¹⁸But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

¹⁹The way of the wicked is as darkness; they know not at what they stumble.

²⁰My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear unto my sayings.

²¹Let them not depart from thine eyes, keep them in the midst of thine heart;

²²for they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh.

²³Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the outflowings of life.

²⁴Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee.

²⁵Let thine eyes look right ahead, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

²⁶Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

²⁷Turn not to the right hand nor to the left; remove thy foot from evil.

5My son, attend unto my wisdom and bow thine ear to my understanding,

²that thou mayest have regard for discretion, and that thy lips may keep knowledge.

³For the lips of a strange woman drip as a honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil;

⁴but her end is as bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword.

⁵Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell.

⁶Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are wandering, that thou canst not know them.

⁷Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth.

⁸Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house,

⁹lest thou give thine honor unto others, and thy years unto the cruel,

¹⁰lest strangers be filled with thy wealth and thy labors be in the house of a stranger,

¹¹and thou mourn at the last when thy flesh and thy body are consumed,

¹²and thou sayest, "How have I hated instruction and my heart despised reproof;

¹³and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers, nor inclined mine ear to them that instructed me!

¹⁴I was almost in total evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly."

¹⁵Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.

¹⁶Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.

¹⁷Let them be only thine own, and not for strangers with thee.

¹⁸Let thy fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.

¹⁹Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times, and be thou ravished always with her love.

²⁰And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?

²¹For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He pondereth all his doings.

²²His own iniquities shall entrap the wicked himself, and he shall be held by the cords of his sins.

²³He shall die without instruction, and in the greatness of his folly shall he go astray.

6My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast struck thy hand with a stranger,

²thou art snared with the words of thy mouth; thou art taken with the words of thy mouth.

³Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself when thou hast come into the hand of thy friend: Go, humble thyself, so that thou shalt prevail with thy friend.

⁴Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids.

⁵Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

⁶Look to the ant, thou sluggard! Consider her ways and be wise,

⁷which, having no guide, overseer or ruler,

⁸provideth her meat in the summer and gathereth her food in the harvest.

⁹How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

¹⁰Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep"

¹¹so shall thy poverty come as a marauder, and thy want as an armed man.

¹²A vile person, a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth;

¹³he winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers;

¹⁴frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually, he soweth discord.

¹⁵Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.

¹⁶These six things doth the LORD hate, yea, seven are an abomination unto Him:

¹⁷a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,

¹⁸a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

¹⁹a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

²⁰My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother.

²¹Bind them continually upon thine heart, and tie them about thy neck.

²²When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.

²³For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life

²⁴to keep thee from the evil woman, from the flattery of the tongue of a strange woman.

²⁵Lust not after her beauty in thine heart, neither let her take thee with her eyelids.

²⁶For by means of a whorish woman a man is brought down to a piece of bread, and the adulteress will hunt for the precious life.

²⁷Can a man take fire to his bosom, and his clothes not be burned?

²⁸Can one go upon hot coals, and his feet not be burned?

²⁹So he that goeth in to his neighbor's wife; whosoever toucheth her shall not be innocent.

³⁰Men do not despise a thief if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.

³¹But if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

³²But whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding; he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul.

³³A wound and dishonor shall he get, and his reproach shall not be wiped away.

³⁴For jealousy is the rage of a man; therefore he will not spare in the day of vengeance;

³⁵he will not consider any ransom; neither will he rest content, though thou givest many gifts.

7My son, keep my words, and lay up my commandments with thee.

²Keep my commandments and live, and my law as the apple of thine eye.

³Bind them upon thy fingers; write them upon the tablet of thine heart.

⁴Say unto wisdom, "Thou art my sister," and call understanding thy kinswoman,

⁵that they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the harlot who flattereth with her words.

⁶For at the window of my house I looked through my casement,

⁷and I beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youth, a young man void of understanding,

⁸passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house,

⁹in the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night.

¹⁰And behold, there met him a woman with the attire of a harlot and subtle of heart.

¹¹(She is loud and stubborn, her feet abide not in her house;

¹²now is she outside, now in the streets and lieth in wait at every corner.)

¹³So she caught him and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him:

¹⁴"I have peace offerings with me; this day have I paid my vows.

¹⁵Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently seeking thy face, and I have found thee.

¹⁶I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt.

¹⁷I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

¹⁸Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning; let us solace ourselves with love.

¹⁹For the master is not at home; he is gone on a long journey.

²⁰He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed."

²¹With her much fair speech she caused him to yield; with the flattering of her lips she forced him.

²²He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks,

²³until a dart strike through his liver, as a bird hasteneth to the snare and knoweth not that it is for his life.

²⁴Hearken unto me now, therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth.

²⁵Let not thine heart decline to her ways; go not astray in her paths.

²⁶For she hath cast down many wounded; yea, many strong men have been slain by her.

²⁷Her house is the way to hell, leading down to the chambers of death.

8Doth not wisdom cry out, and understanding put forth her voice?

²She standeth at the top of high places, by the wayside where the paths meet.

³She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors:

⁴"Unto you, O men, I call, and my voice is to the sons of man.

⁵O ye simple, understand wisdom; and ye fools, be ye of an understanding heart.

⁶Hear, for I will speak of excellent things, and the opening of my lips shall be of right things;

⁷for my mouth shall speak truth, and wickedness is an abomination to my lips.

⁸All the words of my mouth are in righteousness; there is nothing froward or perverse in them.

⁹They are all plain to him that understandeth, and right to them that find knowledge.

¹⁰Receive my instruction and not silver, and knowledge rather than choice gold;

¹¹for wisdom is better than rubies, and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it.

¹²"I, wisdom, dwell with prudence, and disclose knowledge of learned thoughts.

¹³The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the froward mouth do I hate.

¹⁴Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength.

¹⁵By me kings reign, and princes decree justice.

¹⁶By me princes rule and nobles, even all the judges of the earth.

¹⁷I love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find me.

¹⁸Riches and honor are with me, yea, durable riches and righteousness.

¹⁹My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold, and my revenue than choice silver.

²⁰I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of judgment,

²¹that I may cause those that love me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasuries.

²²"The LORD possessed me at the beginning of His way, before His works of old.

²³I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.

²⁴When there were no depths I was brought forth, when there were no fountains abounding with water.

²⁵Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth,

²⁶while as yet He had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the first parts of dust of the world.

²⁷When He prepared the heavens, I was there; when He set a compass upon the face of the deep,

²⁸when He established the clouds above, when He strengthened the fountains of the deep,

²⁹when He gave to the sea His decree that the waters should not pass His commandment, when He appointed the foundations of the earth"

³⁰then I was by Him, as one brought up with Him, and I was daily His delight, rejoicing always before Him,

³¹rejoicing in the habitable part of His earth; and my delights were with the sons of men.

³²"Now therefore hearken unto me, O ye children, for blessed are they that keep my ways.

³³Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not.

³⁴Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

³⁵For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain the favor of the LORD.

³⁶But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul; all they that hate me love death."

9Wisdom hath built her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars.

²She hath killed her beasts, she hath mingled her wine, she hath also furnished her table.

³She hath sent forth her maidens, she crieth from the highest places of the city:

⁴"Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither!" As for him that wanteth understanding, she saith to him:

⁵"Come, eat of my bread and drink of the wine which I have mixed.

⁶Forsake the foolish and live, and go in the way of understanding."

⁷He that reproveth a scorner getteth for himself shame, and he that rebuketh a wicked man getteth himself a reproach.

⁸Reprove not a scorner, lest he hate thee; rebuke a wise man, and he will love thee.

⁹Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a just man, and he will increase in learning.

¹⁰The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.

¹¹For by me thy days shall be multiplied, and the years of thy life shall be increased.

¹²If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself; but if thou be a scorner, thou alone shall bear it.

¹³A foolish woman is clamorous; she is simple and knoweth nothing.

¹⁴For she sitteth at the door of her house on a seat in the high places of the city,

¹⁵to call passers by who go rightly on their ways:

¹⁶"Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither." And as for him that lacketh understanding, she saith to him,

¹⁷"Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant."

¹⁸But he knoweth not that the dead are there, and that her guests are in the depths of hell. The proverbs of Solomon:

10A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.

²Treasures from wickedness profit nothing, but righteousness delivereth from death.

³The LORD will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish, but He casteth away the substance of the wicked.

⁴He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand, but the hand of the diligent maketh rich.

⁵He that gathereth in summer is a wise son, but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

⁶Blessings are upon the head of the just, but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

⁷The memory of the just is blessed, but the name of the wicked shall rot.

⁸The wise in heart will receive commandments, but a prating fool shall fall.

⁹He that walketh uprightly walketh surely, but he that perverteth his ways shall be made known.

¹⁰He that winketh with the eye causeth sorrow, but a prating fool shall fall.

¹¹The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life, but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.

¹²Hatred stirreth up strifes, but love covereth all sins.

¹³On the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.

¹⁴Wise men lay up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction.

¹⁵The rich man's wealth is his strong city; the destruction of the poor is their poverty.

¹⁶The labor of the righteous tendeth to life, the fruit of the wicked to sin.

¹⁷He that keepeth instruction is in the way of life, but he that refuseth reproof erreth.

¹⁸He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth slander, is a fool.

¹⁹In the multitude of words there lacketh not sin, but he that restraineth his lips is wise.

²⁰The tongue of the just is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is of little worth.

²¹The lips of the righteous feed many, but fools die for want of wisdom.

²²The blessings of the LORD maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it.

²³It is as sport to a fool to do mischief, but a man of understanding hath wisdom.

²⁴The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon him; but the desire of the righteous shall be granted.

²⁵As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more; but the righteous is as an everlasting foundation.

²⁶As vinegar to the teeth and as smoke to the eyes, so is the sluggard to them that send him.

²⁷The fear of the LORD prolongeth days, but the years of the wicked shall be shortened.

²⁸The hope of the righteous shall be gladness, but the expectation of the wicked shall perish.

²⁹The way of the LORD is strength to the upright, but destruction shall come to the workers of iniquity.

³⁰The righteous shall never be removed, but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.

³¹The mouth of the just bringeth forth wisdom, but the froward tongue shall be cut out.

³²The lips of the righteous know what is acceptable, but the mouth of the wicked speaketh frowardness.

11A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is His delight.

²When pride cometh, then cometh shame, but with the lowly is wisdom.

³The integrity of the upright shall guide them, but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.

⁴Riches profit not in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivereth from death.

⁵The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way, but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

⁶The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them, but the transgressors shall be taken in their own wickedness.

⁷When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish; and the hope of unjust men perisheth.

⁸The righteous is delivered out of trouble, and the wicked cometh in his stead.

⁹A hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbor, but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.

¹⁰When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth; and when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

¹¹By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

¹²He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbor, but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.

¹³A talebearer revealeth secrets, but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter.

¹⁴Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

¹⁵He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it, and he that hateth suretyship is sure.

¹⁶A gracious woman retaineth honor, and strong men retain riches.

¹⁷The merciful man doeth good to his own soul, but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

¹⁸The wicked worketh a deceitful work, but to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure reward.

¹⁹As rghteousness tendeth to life, so he that pursueth evil pursueth it to his own death.

²⁰They that are of a froward heart are an abomination to the LORD, but such as are upright in their ways are His delight.

²¹Though they join hand in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished; but the seed of the righteous shall be delivered.

²²As is a jewel of gold in a swine's snout, so also is a fair woman who is without discretion.

²³The desire of the righteous is only good, but the expectation of the wicked is wrath.

²⁴There is one that scattereth and yet prospereth; and there is another that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.

²⁵The liberal soul shall prosper, and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.

²⁶He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him; but blessings shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.

²⁷He that diligently seeketh good procureth favor; but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him.

²⁸He that trusteth in his riches shall fall, but the righteous shall flourish as a branch.

²⁹He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind, and the fool shall be servant to the wise of heart.

³⁰The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and he that winneth souls is wise.

³¹Behold, the righteous shall be recompensed on earth; much more shall the wicked and the sinner!

12Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge, but he that hateth reproof is brutish.

²A good man obtaineth favor of the LORD, but a man of wicked devices will He condemn.

³A man shall not be established by wickedness, but the root of the righteous shall not be moved.

⁴A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband, but she that causeth shame is rottenness in his bones.

⁵The thoughts of the righteous are right, but the counsels of the wicked are deceit.

⁶The counsels of the wicked are to lie in wait for blood, but the mouths of the upright shall deliver them.

⁷The wicked are overthrown and are no more, but the house of the righteous shall stand.

⁸A man shall be commended according to his wisdom, but he that is of a perverse heart shall be despised.

⁹He that is lowly and hath a servant is better off than he that honoreth himself and lacketh bread.

¹⁰A righteous man hath regard for the life of his beast, but the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

¹¹He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread, but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding.

¹²The wicked desireth the net of evil men, but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.

¹³The wicked is snared by the transgression of his lips, but the just shall come out of trouble.

¹⁴A man shall be satisfied with good by the fruit of his mouth, and the recompense of a man's hands shall be rendered unto him.

¹⁵The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.

¹⁶A fool's wrath is known at once, but a prudent man covereth shame.

¹⁷He that speaketh truth showeth forth righteousness, but a false witness, deceit.

¹⁸There is he that speaketh like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise is healing.

¹⁹The lips of truth shall be established for ever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.

²⁰Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil, but to the counselors of peace there is joy.

²¹There shall no evil happen to the just, but the wicked shall be filled with troubles.

²²Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD, but they that deal truly are His delight.

²³A prudent man concealeth knowledge, but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness.

²⁴The hand of the diligent shall exercise rule, but the slothful shall be under tribute.

²⁵Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop, but a good word maketh it glad.

²⁶The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor, but the way of the wicked seduceth them.

²⁷The slothful man roasteth not that which he took in hunting, but the substance of a diligent man is precious.

²⁸In the way of righteousness is life, and in the pathway thereof there is no death.

13A wise son heareth his father's instruction, but a scorner heareth not rebuke.

²A man shall eat good by the fruit of his mouth, but the soul of the transgressor shall eat violence.

³He that guardeth his mouth keepeth his life, but he that openeth wide his lips shall meet destruction.

⁴The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing, but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.

⁵A righteous man hateth lying, but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.

⁶Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way, but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

⁷There is one that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing; there is one that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

⁸The ransom of a man's life is his riches, but the poor heareth not rebuke.

⁹The light of the righteous rejoiceth, but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.

¹⁰Only by pride cometh contention, but with the welladvised is wisdom.

¹¹Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished, but he that gathereth by labor shall increase.

¹²Hope deferred maketh the heart sick, but when a desire is fulfilled, it is a tree of life.

¹³Whoso despiseth the Word shall be destroyed, but he that feareth the commandment shall be rewarded.

¹⁴The law of the wise is a fountain of life, to turn him from the snares of death.

¹⁵Good understanding giveth favor, but the way of transgressors is hard.

¹⁶Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge, but a fool layeth open his folly.

¹⁷A wicked messenger falleth into mischief, but a faithful ambassador is health.

¹⁸Poverty and shame shall be with him that refuseth instruction, but he that hath regard for reproof shall be honored.

¹⁹The desire accomplished is sweet to the soul, but it is an abomination to fools to depart from evil.

²⁰He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

²¹Evil pursueth sinners, but to the righteous, good shall be repaid.

²²A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children, and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.

²³Much food is in the tillage of the poor, but there is that which is destroyed for want of judgment.

²⁴He that spareth his rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him in good season.

²⁵The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul, but the belly of the wicked shall want.

14Every wise woman buildeth her house, but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands.

²He that walketh in his uprightness feareth the LORD, but he that is perverse in his ways despiseth Him.

³The mouth of the foolish is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise shall preserve him.

⁴Where no oxen are, the crib is clean, but much increase comes by the strength of the ox.

⁵A faithful witness will not lie, but a false witness will utter lies.

⁶A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not, but knowledge is easy unto him that understandeth.

⁷Go from the presence of a foolish man when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge.

⁸The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way, but the folly of fools is to be deceived.

⁹Fools mock at sin, but among the righteous there is favor.

¹⁰The heart knoweth his own bitterness, and a stranger doth not intermeddle with his joy.

¹¹The house of the wicked shall be overthrown, but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

¹²There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

¹³Even in laughter the heart is sorrowful, and the end of that mirth is heaviness.

¹⁴The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied from himself.

¹⁵The simple believeth every word, but the prudent man looketh well to his going.

¹⁶A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil, but the fool rageth and is confident.

¹⁷He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly, and a man of wicked devices is hated.

¹⁸The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge.

¹⁹The evil bow before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

²⁰The poor is hated even by his own neighbor, but the rich hath many friends.

²¹He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth, but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.

²²Do they not err that devise evil? But mercy and truth shall be to them that devise good.

²³In all labor there is profit, but the talk of the lips tendeth only to penury.

²⁴The crown of the wise is their riches, but the foolishness of fools is folly.

²⁵A truthful witness delivereth souls, but a deceitful witness speaketh lies.

²⁶In the fear of the LORD is strong confidence, and His children shall have a place of refuge.

²⁷The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life to depart from the snares of death.

²⁸In a multitude of people is the honor of the king, but the lack of people is the destruction of the prince.

²⁹He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding, but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.

³⁰A sound heart is the life of the flesh, but envy is the rottenness of the bones.

³¹He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker, but he that honoreth Him hath mercy on the poor.

³²The wicked is driven away in his wickedness, but the righteous hath hope in his death.

³³Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding, but that which is innermost in fools is made known.

³⁴Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

³⁵The king's favor is toward a wise servant, but his wrath is against him that causeth shame.

15A soft answer turneth away wrath, but grievous words stir up anger.

²The tongue of the wise useth knowledge aright, but the mouth of fools poureth out foolishness.

³The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

⁴A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

⁵A fool despiseth his father's instruction, but he that heedeth reproof is prudent.

⁶In the house of the righteous is much treasure, but the revenues of the wicked bring trouble.

⁷The lips of the wise disperse knowledge, but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

⁸The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.

⁹The way of the wicked is an abomination unto the LORD, but He loveth him that followeth after righteousness.

¹⁰Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way, and he that hateth reproof shall die.

¹¹Hell and destruction are the concern of the LORD; how much more then, the hearts of the children of men?

¹²A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him, neither will he go unto the wise.

¹³A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance, but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

¹⁴The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge, but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness.

¹⁵All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

¹⁶Better is little with the fear of the LORD, than great treasure and trouble therewith.

¹⁷Better is a dinner of herbs where love is, than a fattened ox and hatred therewith.

¹⁸A wrathful man stirreth up strife, but he that is slow to anger appeaseth strife.

¹⁹The way of a slothful man is as a hedge of thorns, but the path of the righteous is made a plain.

²⁰A wise son maketh a glad father, but a foolish man despiseth his mother.

²¹Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom, but the man of understanding walketh uprightly.

²²Without counsel purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.

²³A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season -- how good it is!

²⁴The path of life is upward for the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.

²⁵The LORD will destroy the house of the proud, but He will establish the border of the widow.

²⁶The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the LORD, but the words of the pure are pleasant words.

²⁷He that is greedy for gain troubleth his own house, but he that hateth bribes shall live.

²⁸The heart of the righteous studieth how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked poureth out evil things.

²⁹The LORD is far from the wicked, but He heareth the prayer of the righteous.

³⁰The light of the eyes maketh the heart rejoice, and a good report maketh the bones fat.

³¹The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise.

³²He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul, but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding.

³³The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, and before honor is humility.

16The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.

²All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but the LORD weigheth his spirit.

³Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

⁴The LORD hath made all things for Himself, yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

⁵Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD; though they join hands, they shall not go unpunished.

⁶By mercy and truth iniquity is purged, and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

⁷When man's ways please the LORD, He maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

⁸Better is a little with righteousness, than great revenues without righteousness.

⁹A man's heart deviseth his way, but the LORD directeth his steps.

¹⁰A divine sentence is in the lips of the king; his mouth transgresseth not in judgment.

¹¹A just weight and balance are the LORD'S; all the weights of the bag are His work.

¹²It is an abomination for kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness.

¹³Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and they love him that speaketh right.

¹⁴The wrath of a king is as a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.

¹⁵In the light of the king's countenance there is life, and his favor is as a cloud of latter rain.

¹⁶How much better it is to get wisdom than gold! And to get understanding is rather to be chosen than silver!

¹⁷The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he that keepeth his way preserveth his soul.

¹⁸Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

¹⁹Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud.

²⁰He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good, and whoso trusteth in the LORD, happy is he.

²¹The wise in heart shall be called prudent, and sweetness of the lips increaseth learning.

²²Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it, but the instruction of fools is folly.

²³The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips.

²⁴Pleasant words are as a honeycomb: sweet to the soul and health to the bones.

²⁵There are ways which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.

²⁶He that laboreth, laboreth for himself, for his mouth craveth it of him.

²⁷A froward man diggeth up evil, and on his lips there is a burning fire.

²⁸A froward man soweth strife, and a whisperer separateth closest friends.

²⁹A violent man enticeth his neighbor and leadeth him into the way that is not good.

³⁰He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things; moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.

³¹The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness.

³²He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.

³³The lot is cast into the lap, but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.

17Better is a dry morsel and quietness therewith than a house full of feasting with strife.

²A wise servant shall have rule over a son that causeth shame, and shall have part of the inheritance among the brethren.

³The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, but the LORD trieth the hearts.

⁴A wicked doer giveth heed to false lips, and a liar giveth ear to a wicked tongue.

⁵Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker, and he that is glad at calamities shall not go unpunished.

⁶Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children are their fathers.

⁷Excellent speech becometh not a fool, much less do lying lips a prince.

⁸A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.

⁹He that covereth a transgression seeketh love, but he that repeateth a matter separateth good friends.

¹⁰A reproof entereth deeper into a wise man than a hundred stripes into a fool.

¹¹An evil man seeketh only rebellion; therefore a cruel messenger shall be sent against him.

¹²Let a man meet a bear robbed of her whelps, rather than a fool in his folly.

¹³Whoso returneth evil for good, evil shall not depart from his house.

¹⁴The beginning of strife is like the letting out of water: therefore break off contention before it is meddled with.

¹⁵He that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just, both alike are an abomination to the LORD.

¹⁶Why should there be in the hands of a fool the price to purchase wisdom, seeing he hath no heart to acquire it?

¹⁷A friend is loving at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

¹⁸A man void of understanding shaketh hands in pledge, and becometh surety in the presence of his friend.

¹⁹He loveth transgression that loveth strife, and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

²⁰He that hath a froward heart findeth no good, and he that hath a perverse tongue falleth into iniquity.

²¹He that begetteth a fool doeth so to his sorrow, and the father of a fool hath no joy.

²²A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

²³A wicked man taketh a bribe out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.

²⁴Wisdom is before him that hath understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

²⁵A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bore him.

²⁶Also to punish the just is not good, nor to strike princes for their equity.

²⁷He that hath knowledge spareth his words, and a man of understanding is of excelling spirit.

²⁸Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise, and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding.

18Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.

²A fool hath no delight in understanding, unless his heart may discover itself.

³When the wicked cometh, then cometh also contempt; and with ignominy, reproach.

⁴The words of a man's mouth are as deep waters, and the wellspring of wisdom as a flowing brook.

⁵It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

⁶A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for blows.

⁷A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul.

⁸The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

⁹He that is slothful in his work is a brother to him that is a great waster.

¹⁰The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous runneth into it and is safe.

¹¹The rich man's wealth is his stronghold, and as a high wall in his own conceit.

¹²Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, and before honor is humility.

¹³He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him.

¹⁴The spirit of a man will sustain his infirmity; but a wounded spirit, who can bear?

¹⁵The heart of the prudent getteth knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeketh knowledge.

¹⁶A man's gift maketh room for him and bringeth him before great men.

¹⁷He that first states his own cause seemeth just, but then his neighbor cometh and searcheth him.

¹⁸Casting lots causeth contentions to cease, and parteth the strife of the mighty.

¹⁹An offended brother is harder to be won back than a stronghold city, and his contentions are like the bars of a castle.

²⁰A man's belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; and with the harvest of his lips shall he be filled.

²¹Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

²²Whosoever findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth the favor of the LORD.

²³The poor useth entreaties, but the rich answereth roughly.

²⁴A man that hath friends must show himself friendly, and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

19Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, than he that is perverse in his lips and is a fool.

²Even as a soul without knowledge is not good, so he that maketh haste with his feet sinneth.

³The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the LORD.

⁴Wealth maketh many friends, but the poor is separated from his neighbor.

⁵A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall not escape.

⁶Many will entreat the favor of the prince, and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.

⁷All the brethren of the poor hate him--how much more do his friends go far from him! He pursueth them with words, yet they are not forthcoming to him.

⁸He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul; he that keepeth understanding shall find good.

⁹A false witness shall not be unpunished, and he that speaketh lies shall perish.

¹⁰Delight is not seemly for a fool, much less for a servant to have rule over princes.

¹¹The discretion of a man deferreth his anger, and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

¹²The king's wrath is as the roaring of a lion, but his favor is as dew upon the grass.

¹³A foolish son is the calamity of his father, and the contentions of a wife are a continual dripping.

¹⁴House and riches are the inheritance from fathers, and a prudent wife is from the LORD.

¹⁵Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep, and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

¹⁶He that keepeth the commandment keepeth his own soul, but he that despiseth His ways shall die.

¹⁷He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD, and that which he hath given, He will repay him again.

¹⁸Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare him for his crying.

¹⁹A man of great wrath shall suffer punishment; for if thou rescue him, yet thou must do it again.

²⁰Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

²¹There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the LORD, that shall stand.

²²What is desired of a man is his kindness, and a poor man is better than a liar.

²³The fear of the LORD tendeth to life, and he that hath it shall abide satisfied; he shall not be visited with evil.

²⁴A slothful man hideth his hand in his bosom, and will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

²⁵Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware; reprove one that hath understanding, and he will gain knowledge.

²⁶He that afflicteth his father and chaseth away his mother is a son that causeth shame and bringeth reproach.

²⁷Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth thee to err from the words of knowledge.

²⁸An ungodly witness scorneth judgment, and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.

²⁹Judgments are prepared for scorners, and stripes for the back of fools.

20Wine is a mocker, strong drink is enraging; and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.

²The wrath of a king is as the roaring of a lion; whoso provoketh him to anger sinneth against his own soul.

³It is an honor for a man to cease from strife, but every fool will be meddling.

⁴The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing.

⁵Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water, but a man of understanding will draw it out.

⁶Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness; but a faithful man, who can find?

⁷The just man walketh in his integrity; his children are blessed after him.

⁸A king that sitteth on the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes.

⁹Who can say, "I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin"?

¹⁰Differing weights and differing measures--both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.

¹¹Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure and whether it be right.

¹²The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

¹³Love not sleep lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

¹⁴"It is nought, it is worthless!" saith the buyer; but when he has gone his way, then he boasteth.

¹⁵There is gold and a multitude of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel.

¹⁶Take his garment that is surety for a stranger; and take a pledge of him for a strange woman.

¹⁷The bread of deceit is sweet to a man, but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

¹⁸Every purpose is established by counsel, but only with good advice make war.

¹⁹He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets; therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.

²⁰Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness.

²¹An inheritance may be gotten hastily in the beginning, but the end thereof shall not be blessed.

²²Say thou not, "I will recompense evil"; but wait on the LORD, and He shall save thee.

²³Differing weights are an abomination unto the LORD, and a false balance is not good.

²⁴Man's goings are of the LORD; how then can a man understand his own way?

²⁵It is a snare for a man to devour that which is holy, and after vows to make inquiry.

²⁶A wise king scattereth the wicked, and driveth the wheel over them.

²⁷The spirit of man is the candle of the LORD, searching all the inward parts of his being.

²⁸Mercy and truth preserve the king, and his throne is upheld by mercy.

²⁹The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the gray head.

³⁰The bruising of a wound cleanseth away evil--so also do stripes the inward parts of the being.

21The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD; as the rivers of water, He turneth it whithersoever He will.

²Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

³To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.

⁴A haughty look and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, are sin.

⁵The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteousness, but of everyone that is hasty, only to want.

⁶The getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity which is tossed to and fro by them that seek death.

⁷The robberies of the wicked shall destroy them, because they refuse to do judgment.

⁸The way of man is froward and strange, but as for the pure, his work is right.

⁹It is better to dwell in a corner of the housetop than with a brawling woman in a large house.

¹⁰The soul of the wicked desireth evil; his neighbor findeth no favor in his eyes.

¹¹When the scorner is punished, the simple is made wise; and when the wise is instructed, he receiveth knowledge.

¹²The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked, how God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

¹³Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall himself cry, but shall not be heard.

¹⁴A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.

¹⁵It is a joy to the just to do judgment, but destruction shall come to the workers of iniquity.

¹⁶The man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.

¹⁷He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man; he that loveth wine and oil shall not be rich.

¹⁸The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, and the transgressor for the upright.

¹⁹It is better to dwell in the wilderness than with a contentious and angry woman.

²⁰There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man spendeth it up.

²¹He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness and honor.

²²A wise man scaleth the city of the mighty, and casteth down the strength of their confidence.

²³Whoso guardeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles.

²⁴Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.

²⁵The desire of the slothful killeth him, for his hands refuse to labor;

²⁶he coveteth greedily all the day long, but the righteous giveth and spareth not.

²⁷The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more so when he bringeth it with a wicked mind!

²⁸A false witness shall perish, but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.

²⁹A wicked man hardeneth his face, but as for the upright, he considereth his ways.

³⁰There is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel against the LORD.

³¹The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but safety is from the LORD.

22A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.

²The rich and poor meet together; the LORD is the maker of them all.

³A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass by and are punished.

⁴With humility and the fear of the LORD come riches and honor and life.

⁵Thorns and snares are in the path of the froward; he that doth keep his soul shall stay far from them.

⁶Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.

⁷The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

⁸He that soweth iniquity shall reap vanity, and the rod of his anger shall fail.

⁹He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

¹⁰Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go away; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

¹¹He that loveth pureness of heart: for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend.

¹²The eyes of the LORD preserve knowledge, and He overthroweth the words of the transgressor.

¹³The slothful man saith, "There is a lion without! I shall be slain in the streets!"

¹⁴The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit; he that is abhorred by the LORD shall fall therein.

¹⁵Foolishness is bound into the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.

¹⁶He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want.

¹⁷Bow down thine ear and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge.

¹⁸For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee, that they may indeed be ready upon thy lips.

¹⁹That thy trust may be in the LORD, I have made it known to thee this day, even to thee!

²⁰Have I not written to thee excellent things of counsel and knowledge,

²¹that I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth, that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee?

²²Rob not the poor because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted at the gate;

²³for the LORD will plead their cause, and despoil the soul of those that despoiled them.

²⁴Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man thou shalt not go,

²⁵lest thou learn his ways and get a snare for thy soul.

²⁶Be not thou one of them that strike hands or of them that are sureties for debts;

²⁷if thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

²⁸Remove not the ancient landmark which thy fathers have set.

²⁹Seest thou a man diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before men of low estate.

23When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee;

²and put a knife to thy throat if thou be a man given to appetite.

³Be not desirous of his dainties, for they are deceitful meat.

⁴Labor not to be rich; cease from thine own wisdom.

⁵Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly build themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward the heavens.

⁶Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainty meats;

⁷for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he. "Eat and drink," saith he to thee, but his heart is not with thee.

⁸The morsel which thou hast eaten shalt thou vomit up, and lose thy sweet words.

⁹Speak not to the ears of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of thy words.

¹⁰Remove not the old landmark, and enter not into the fields of the fatherless;

¹¹for their Redeemer is mighty; He shall plead their cause against thee.

¹²Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge.

¹³Withhold not correction from the child, for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die.

¹⁴Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.

¹⁵My son, if thine heart be wise, my heart shall rejoice, even mine;

¹⁶yea, my reins shall rejoice when thy lips speak right things.

¹⁷Let not thine heart envy sinners, but be thou in fear of the LORD all the day long.

¹⁸For surely there is a reward, and thine expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁹Hear thou, my son, and be wise, and guide thine heart in the way.

²⁰Be not among winebibbers, among riotous eaters of flesh;

²¹for the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

²²Hearken unto thy father that begot thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.

²³Buy the truth and sell it not, also wisdom and instruction and understanding.

²⁴The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice, and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy in him.

²⁵Thy father and thy mother shall be glad, and she that bore thee shall rejoice.

²⁶My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways;

²⁷for a whore is a deep ditch, and a strange woman is a narrow pit.

²⁸She also lieth in wait as for a prey, and increaseth the transgressors among men.

²⁹Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes?

³⁰They that tarry long at wine, they that go to seek mixed wine.

³¹Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

³²At the last it biteth like a serpent and stingeth like an adder:

³³Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things.

³⁴Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast.

³⁵"They have struck me," shalt thou say, "and I was not sick! They have beaten me, and I felt it not! When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again!"

24Be thou not envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;

²for their heart studieth destruction, and their lips talk of mischief.

³Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established;

⁴and by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.

⁵A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

⁶For by wise counsel thou shalt wage thy war, and in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

⁷Wisdom is too high for a fool; he openeth not his mouth in the gate.

⁸He that deviseth to do evil shall be called a wicked person.

⁹The thinking of foolishness is sin, and the scorner is an abomination to men.

¹⁰If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

¹¹If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain--

¹²if thou sayest, "Behold, we knew it not"--doth not He that pondereth the heart consider it? And He that keepeth thy soul, doth He not know it? And shall not He render to every man according to his works?

¹³My son, eat thou honey because it is good, and the honeycomb which is sweet to thy taste.

¹⁴So shall the knowledge of wisdom be unto thy soul when thou hast found it; then there shall be a reward, and thy expectation shall not be cut off.

¹⁵Lie not in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; spoil not his resting place;

¹⁶for a just man falleth seven times and riseth up again, but the wicked shall fall into trouble.

¹⁷Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth,

¹⁸lest the LORD see it and it displease Him, and He turn away His wrath from him.

¹⁹Fret not thyself because of evil men, neither be thou envious of the wicked;

²⁰for there shall be no reward to the evil man; the candle of the wicked shall be put out.

²¹My son, fear thou the LORD and the king, and mingle not with them that are given to change;

²²for their calamity shall rise suddenly, and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

²³These sayings also belong to the wise: It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

²⁴He that saith unto the wicked, "Thou art righteous": him shall the people curse; nations shall abhor him.

²⁵But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

²⁶Every man that answereth right words, giveth a kiss on the lips.

²⁷Prepare thy work outside, and make ready the field for thyself; and afterwards build thine house.

²⁸Be not a witness against thy neighbor without cause, and deceive not with thy lips.

²⁹Say not: "I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his work."

³⁰I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding;

³¹and lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

³²Then I saw and considered it well; I looked upon it, and received instruction:

³³Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep--

³⁴so shall thy poverty come as one that wandereth, and thy want as an armed man.

25These are also proverbs of Solomon, which the men of Hezekiah, king of Judah, copied out:

²It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honor of kings is to search out a matter.

³As the heaven for height and the earth for depth, so the heart of kings is unsearchable.

⁴Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the refiner.

⁵Take away the wicked from the presence of the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness.

⁶Put not forth thyself in the presence of the king, and stand not in the place of great men;

⁷for better it is that it be said unto thee, "Come up hither," than that thou shouldest be put lower in the presence of the prince whom thine eyes have seen.

⁸Go not forth hastily to contend, lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof when thy neighbor hath put thee to shame.

⁹Debate thy cause with thy neighbor himself, and disclose not a secret to another,

¹⁰lest he that heareth it put thee to shame, and thine infamy turn not away.

¹¹A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.

¹²As an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.

¹³As the cold of snow at the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him, for he refresheth the soul of his masters.

¹⁴Whoso boasteth himself of his gifts falsely is like clouds and wind without rain.

¹⁵By much forbearance is a prince persuaded, and a soft tongue breaketh the bone.

¹⁶Hast thou found honey? Eat only so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith and vomit it.

¹⁷Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house, lest he be weary of thee and so come to hate thee.

¹⁸A man that beareth false witness against his neighbor is a maul and a sword and a sharp arrow.

¹⁹Confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint.

²⁰As he that taketh away a garment in cold weather, and as vinegar upon soda, so is he that singeth songs to a heavy heart.

²¹If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink;

²²for thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.

²³The north wind driveth away rain; so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

²⁴It is better to dwell in the corner of the housetop, than with a brawling woman in a large house.

²⁵As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country.

²⁶A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring.

²⁷It is not good to eat much honey; so also for men to search after their own glory is not glory.

²⁸He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down and without walls.

26As snow in summer and as rain in harvest, so honor is not seemly for a fool.

²As the bird by wandering, as a swallow by flying, so a curse without cause shall not alight.

³A whip for the horse, a bridle for the ass, and a rod for the fool's back.

⁴Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.

⁵Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he think himself wise in his own conceit.

⁶He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet and drinketh violence.

⁷The legs of the lame are not equal; so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

⁸As he that bindeth a stone in a sling, so is he that giveth honor to a fool.

⁹As a thorn pierceth into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

¹⁰The great God who formed all things both rewardeth the fool and rewardeth transgressors.

¹¹As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.

¹²Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

¹³The slothful man saith, "There is a lion in the way; a lion is in the streets!"

¹⁴As the door turneth upon his hinges, so doth the slothful upon his bed.

¹⁵The slothful hideth his hand in his bosom; it grieveth him to bring it again to his mouth.

¹⁶The sluggard is wiser in his own conceit than seven men that can render an answer.

¹⁷He that passeth by and meddleth in strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

¹⁸As a mad man who casteth firebrands, arrows and death,

¹⁹so is the man that deceiveth his neighbor and saith, "Am I not in jest?"

²⁰Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; so, where there is no talebearer, the strife ceaseth.

²¹As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

²²The words of a talebearer are as wounds, and they go down into the innermost parts of the belly.

²³Burning lips and a wicked heart are like a potsherd covered with silver dross.

²⁴He that hateth dissembleth with his lips and layeth up deceit within him;

²⁵when he speaketh fair believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart.

²⁶Whose hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness shall be shown before the whole congregation.

²⁷Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein, and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him.

²⁸A lying tongue hateth those that are afflicted by it, and a flattering mouth worketh ruin.

27Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.

²Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; a stranger, and not thine own lips.

³A stone is heavy and the sand weighty, but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both.

⁴Wrath is cruel and anger is outraging, but who is able to stand before envy?

⁵Open rebuke is better than secret love.

⁶Faithful are the wounds from a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.

⁷The full soul loathes a honeycomb, but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.

⁸As a bird that wandereth from her nest, so is a man who wandereth from his place.

⁹Ointment and perfume make the heart rejoice; so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by counsel from the heart.

¹⁰Thine own friend and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go to thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity; for better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.

¹¹My son, be wise and make my heart glad, that I may answer him that reproacheth me.

¹²A prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.

¹³Take his garment that is surety for a stranger, but take a pledge from him for a strange woman.

¹⁴He that, rising early in the morning, blesseth his friend with a loud voice: it shall be counted as a curse to him.

¹⁵A continual dripping on a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike.

¹⁶Whosoever would hide her would hide the wind, and the ointment of his right hand which betrayeth itself.

¹⁷Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

¹⁸Whoso keepeth the fig tree shall eat the fruit thereof; so he that waiteth on his master shall be honored.

¹⁹As in water face answereth to face, so the heart of man to man.

²⁰Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied.

²¹As the refining pot for silver and the furnace for gold, so is a man tried by praise.

²²Though thou shouldest grind a fool in a mortar among wheat with a pestle, yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

²³Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds,

²⁴for riches are not for ever; and doth the crown endure to every generation?

²⁵The hay appeareth, and the tender grass showeth itself, and herbs of the mountains are gathered;

²⁶the lambs are for thy clothing, and the goats pay the price of the field;

²⁷and thou shalt have goats' milk enough for thy food, for the food for thy household, and for the maintenance of thy maidens.

28The wicked flee when no man pursueth, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

²For the transgression of a land, many are the princes thereof; but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.

³A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.

⁴They that forsake the law praise the wicked, but such as keep the law contend with them.

⁵Evil men understand not judgment, but they that seek the LORD understand all things.

⁶Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

⁷Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son, but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

⁸He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.

⁹He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

¹⁰Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way shall himself fall into his own pit, but the upright shall possess good things.

¹¹The rich man is wise in his own conceit, but the poor man that hath understanding searcheth him out.

¹²When righteous men rejoice, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.

¹³He that covereth his sins shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

¹⁴Happy is the man that feareth God always, but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into evil.

¹⁵As a roaring lion and a ranging bear, so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.

¹⁶The prince that lacketh understanding is also a great oppressor, but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.

¹⁷A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.

¹⁸Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved, but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once!

¹⁹He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread, but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.

²⁰A faithful man shall abound with blessings, but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.

²¹To have respect of persons is not good, for that man will transgress for a piece of bread.

²²He that hasteneth to be rich hath an evil eye and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.

²³He that rebuketh a man shall afterwards find more favor than he that flattereth with his tongue.

²⁴Whoso robbeth his father or his mother and saith, "It is no transgression," the same is the companion of a destroyer.

²⁵He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife, but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall prosper.

²⁶He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool, but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.

²⁷He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack, but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.

²⁸When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous increase.

29He that, being often reproved, stiffeneth his neck shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

²When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people mourn.

³Whoso loveth wisdom maketh his father rejoice, but he that keepeth company with harlots spendeth his substance.

⁴The king by judgment establisheth the land, but he that receiveth bribes overthroweth it.

⁵A man that flattereth his neighbor spreadeth a net for his feet.

⁶In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare, but the righteous doth sing and rejoice.

⁷The righteous considereth the cause of the poor, but the wicked regardeth not to know it.

⁸Scornful men bring a city into a snare, but wise men turn away wrath.

⁹If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.

¹⁰The bloodthirsty hate the upright, but the just seek his soul.

¹¹A fool uttereth all his mind, but a wise man keepeth it in until afterwards.

¹²If a ruler hearken to lies, all his servants will be wicked.

¹³The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the LORD lighteneth their eyes.

¹⁴The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever.

¹⁵The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.

¹⁶When the wicked are multiplied, transgression increaseth; but the righteous shall see their fall.

¹⁷Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.

¹⁸Where there is no vision, the people perish; but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

¹⁹A servant will not be corrected by words; for though he understand, he will not give heed.

²⁰Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.

²¹He that delicately bringeth up his servant from childhood shall have him become his son in the end.

²²An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.

²³A man's pride shall bring him low, but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

²⁴Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul; he heareth cursings, but revealeth it not.

²⁵The fear of man bringeth a snare, but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.

²⁶Many seek the ruler's favor, but every man's judgment cometh from the LORD.

²⁷An unjust man is an abomination to the just, and he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.

30The words of Agur the son of Jakeh, even the prophecy: the man spoke unto Ithiel, even unto Ithiel and Ucal:

²Surely I am more brutish than any man, and have not the understanding of a man.

³I neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy.

⁴Who hath ascended up into heaven or hath descended? Who hath gathered the wind in His fists? Who hath bound the waters in a garment? Who hath established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is His Son's name, if thou canst tell?

⁵Every word of God is pure; He is a shield unto them that put their trust in Him.

⁶Add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee and thou be found a liar.

⁷Two things have I required of Thee; deny me them not before I die:

⁸Remove far from me vanity and lies; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me only food sufficient for me,

⁹lest I be full, and deny Thee, and say, "Who is the LORD?"-- or lest I be poor and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

¹⁰Accuse not a servant unto his master, lest he curse thee and thou be found guilty.

¹¹There is a generation that curseth their father, and doth not bless their mother.

¹²There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness.

¹³There is a generation -- O how lofty are their eyes, and their eyelids are lifted up!

¹⁴There is a generation whose teeth are as swords, and their jaw teeth as knives, to devour the poor from off the earth, and the needy from among men.

¹⁵The horseleech hath two daughters, crying, "Give, give!" There are three things that are never satisfied, yea, four things that say not, "It is enough":

¹⁶the grave, the barren womb, the earth that is not filled with water, and the fire that saith not, "It is enough."

¹⁷The eye that mocketh at his father and despiseth to obey his mother, the ravens of the valley shall pick it out, and the young eagles shall eat it.

¹⁸There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yea, four which I know not:

¹⁹the way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent upon a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a maid.

²⁰Such is the way of an adulterous woman: she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, "I have done no wickedness."

²¹For three things the earth is disquieted, and for four which it cannot bear:

²²for a servant when he reigneth, and a fool when he is filled with meat,

²³for an odious woman when she is married, and a handmaid who is heir to her mistress.

²⁴There are four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise:

²⁵the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer;

²⁶the conies are but a feeble folk, yet they make their houses in the rocks;

²⁷the locusts have no king, yet they go forth, all of them in ranks;

²⁸the spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces.

²⁹There are three things which go well, yea, four which are comely in their goings:

³⁰a lion which is strongest among beasts, and turneth not away for any;

³¹a greyhound, a hegoat also, and a king against whom there is no rising up.

³²If thou hast done foolishly in exalting thyself, or if thou hast thought evil, lay thine hand upon thy mouth.

³³Surely the churning of milk bringeth forth butter, and the wringing of the nose bringeth forth blood: so the stirring of wrath bringeth forth strife.

31The words of King Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him:

²What, my son? And what, the son of my womb? And what, the son of my vows?

³Give not thy strength unto women, nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings.

⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel -- it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink,

⁵lest they drink and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.

⁶Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

⁷Let them drink and forget their poverty, and remember their misery no more.

⁸Open thy mouth for the dumb, in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction.

⁹Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

¹⁰Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.

¹¹The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

¹²She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

¹³She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

¹⁴She is like the merchants' ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

¹⁵She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household and a portion to her maidens.

¹⁶She considereth a field and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

¹⁷She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

¹⁸She perceiveth that her merchandise is good; her candle goeth not out by night.

¹⁹She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

²⁰She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

²¹She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

²²She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

²³Her husband is known at the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

²⁴She maketh fine linen and selleth it, and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

²⁵Strength and honor are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in time to come.

²⁶She openeth her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness.

²⁷She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

²⁸Her children arise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her:

²⁹"Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all."

³⁰Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman who feareth the LORD, she shall be praised!

³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her at the gates.

1The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

²Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the LORD hath spoken: "I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against Me.

³The ox knoweth his owner and the ass his master's crib; but Israel doth not know, My people doth not consider."

⁴Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters! They have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they have gone away backward.

⁵Why should ye be stricken anymore? Ye will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint.

⁶From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores; they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

⁷Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire; your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers.

⁸And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a shed in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city.

⁹Unless the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah.

¹⁰Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah:

¹¹"To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me?" saith the LORD. "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs or of hegoats.

¹²When you come to appear before Me, who hath required this from your hand, to tread My courts?

¹³Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto Me. The new moons and Sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot endure. It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.

¹⁴Your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hateth; they are a trouble unto Me, I am weary of bearing them.

¹⁵And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide Mine eyes from you; yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear; your hands are full of blood.

¹⁶Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes. Cease to do evil,

¹⁷learn to do well. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed; judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

¹⁸"Come now, and let us reason together," saith the LORD. "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

¹⁹If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land;

²⁰but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword"; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

²¹How the faithful city has become a harlot! It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers.

²²Thy silver has become dross, thy wine mixed with water.

²³Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

²⁴Therefore saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel: "Ah, I will ease Me of Mine adversaries, and avenge Me of Mine enemies.

²⁵And I will turn My hand against thee, and wholly purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.

²⁶I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning. Afterward thou shalt be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City."

²⁷Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

²⁸And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.

²⁹For ye shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

³⁰For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

³¹And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them.

2The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:

²And it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

³And many people shall go and say, "Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will teach us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

⁴And He shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.

⁵O house of Jacob, come ye and let us walk in the light of the LORD.

⁶For Thou hast forsaken Thy people, the house of Jacob, because they are replenished from the East, and are soothsayers like the Philistines; and they please themselves with the children of strangers.

⁷Their land also is full of silver and gold, neither is there any end of their treasures; their land is also full of horses, neither is there any end of their chariots.

⁸Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made.

⁹And the lowly man boweth down, and the great man humbleth himself; therefore forgive them not.

¹⁰Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD and for the glory of His majesty.

¹¹The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down; and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

¹²For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up--and he shall be brought low"

¹³and upon all the cedars of Lebanon that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan;

¹⁴and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up;

¹⁵and upon every high tower, and upon every fortified wall;

¹⁶and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant sights.

¹⁷And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low; and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day,

¹⁸and the idols He shall utterly abolish.

¹⁹And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

²⁰In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold (which he made each one for himself to worship) to the moles and to the bats,

²¹to go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD and for the glory of His majesty, when He ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

²²Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for of what account is he?

3For behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole store of bread and the whole store of water,

²the mighty man and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the prudent and the ancient,

³the captain of fifty and the honorable man, and the counselor and the skilled artificer and the eloquent orator.

⁴"And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

⁵And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another and every one by his neighbor; the child shall behave himself proudly against the elder, and the base against the honorable."

⁶When a man shall take hold of his brother in the house of his father, saying, "Thou hast clothing; be thou our ruler, and let this ruin be under thy hand,"

⁷in that day he shall swear, saying, "I will not be a healer, for in my house is neither bread nor clothing: Make me not a ruler of the people!"

⁸For Jerusalem is ruined, and Judah is fallen, because their tongue and their doings are against the LORD, to provoke the eyes of His glory.

⁹The show of their countenance doth witness against them, and they declare their sin as Sodom; they hide it not. Woe unto their soul! For they have rewarded evil unto themselves.

¹⁰Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruits of their doings.

¹¹Woe unto the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for the reward of his hands shall be given him.

¹²As for My people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them! O My people, they that lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

¹³The LORD standeth up to plead and standeth to judge the people.

¹⁴The LORD will enter into judgment with the elders of His people and the princes thereof: "For ye have eaten up the vineyard, and the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

¹⁵What mean ye that ye beat My people to pieces and grind the faces of the poor?" saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

¹⁶Moreover the LORD saith: "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet,

¹⁷therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the LORD will uncover their secret parts."

¹⁸In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments about their feet, and their hair nets and their round ornaments like the moon,

¹⁹the chains and the bracelets and the spangled ornaments,

²⁰the bonnets and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands and the tablets and the earrings,

²¹the rings and nose jewels,

²²the changeable suits of apparel and the mantles and the shawls and the crisping pins,

²³the mirrors and the fine linen, and the hoods and the veils.

²⁴And it shall come to pass that instead of sweet smell there shall be stench; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of wellset hair, baldness; and instead of a sash, a girding of sackcloth; and branding instead of beauty.

²⁵Thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy mighty in the war.

²⁶And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she, being desolate, shall sit upon the ground.

4And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, "We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach."

²In that day shall the Branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious; and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for those who have escaped of Israel.

³And it shall come to pass that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy -- even every one who is written among the living in Jerusalem --

⁴when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from her midst by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of burning.

⁵And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory shall be a defense.

⁶And there shall be a tabernacle for shade in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge and for a covert from storm and from rain.

5Now will I sing to my Well-beloved a song of my Beloved concerning His vineyard: my Well-beloved hath a vineyard on a very fruitful hill.

²And He fenced it, and gathered out the stones thereof, and planted it with the choicest vine; and built a tower in the midst of it, and also made a wine press therein. And He looked for it to bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes.

³"And now, O inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard.

⁴What could have been done more to My vineyard than I have not done in it? Why, when I looked for it to bring forth good grapes, brought it forth wild grapes?

⁵"And now, I will tell you what I will do to My vineyard: I will take away the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down.

⁶And I will lay it waste; it shall not be pruned nor dug, but there shall come up briers and thorns. I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it."

⁷For the vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah, His pleasant plant. And He looked for judgment, but behold, oppression; for righteousness, but behold, a cry.

⁸Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!

⁹In mine ears said the LORD of hosts: "In truth many houses shall be desolate, even the great and fair, without inhabitant.

¹⁰Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield but one bath, and a homer of seed shall yield but an ephah."

¹¹Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may pursue strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them!

¹²And the harp and the viol, and the taboret and pipe, and wine are in their feasts; but they regard not the work of the LORD, neither consider the operation of His hands.

¹³Therefore my people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge; and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

¹⁴Therefore hell hath enlarged herself, and opened her mouth beyond measure; and their glory and their multitude and their pomp, and he that rejoiceth, shall descend into it.

¹⁵And the lowly man shall be brought down, and the mighty man shall be humbled, and the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled.

¹⁶But the LORD of hosts shall be exalted in judgment, and God who is holy shall be sanctified in righteousness.

¹⁷Then shall the lambs feed according to their manner, and the waste places of the fat ones shall strangers eat.

¹⁸Woe unto them that draw along iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope;

¹⁹who say, "Let Him make speed and hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it."

²⁰Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that count darkness as light, and light as darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

²¹Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!

²²Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink,

²³who justify the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

²⁴Therefore as the fire devoureth the stubble, and the flame consumeth the chaff, so their root shall be rottenness, and their blossom shall go up as dust; because they have cast away the law of the LORD of hosts, and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel.

²⁵Therefore is the anger of the LORD kindled against His people, and He hath stretched forth His hand against them, and hath smitten them; and the hills did tremble, and their carcasses were torn in the midst of the streets. For all this, His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

²⁶And He will lift up an ensign to the nations from afar, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly.

²⁷None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken;

²⁸whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind.

²⁹Their roaring shall be like a lion; they shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it.

³⁰And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow; and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.

6In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple.

²Above it stood the seraphims; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew.

³And one cried unto another and said, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory."

⁴And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke.

⁵Then said I, "Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

⁶Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar.

⁷And he laid it upon my mouth and said, "Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged."

⁸Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" Then said I, "Here am I. Send me!"

⁹And He said, "Go, and tell this people: "'Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not.'

¹⁰Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert and be healed."

¹¹Then said I, "Lord, how long?" And He answered, "Until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land be utterly desolate,

¹²and the LORD have removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in the midst of the land.

¹³"But yet in it shall be a tenth, and it shall return and shall be eaten, as a teil tree and as an oak whose substance is in them when they cast their leaves: so the holy seed shall be the substance thereof."

7And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, that Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it.

²And it was told the house of David, saying, "Syria is confederate with Ephraim." And his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind.

³Then said the LORD unto Isaiah, "Go forth now to meet Ahaz, thou and Shearjashub [that is, The remnant shall return], thy son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the Fuller's Field,

⁴and say unto him: 'Take heed, and be quiet. Fear not, neither be fainthearted at the two tails of these smoking firebrands -- at the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah.

⁵Because Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah have taken evil counsel against thee, saying,

⁶"Let us go up against Judah and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel,"

⁷thus saith the Lord GOD: It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass.

⁸For the head of Syria is Damascus, and the head of Damascus is Rezin; and within threescore and five years shall Ephraim be broken, that it be not a people.

⁹And the head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah's son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established.'"

¹⁰Moreover the LORD spoke again unto Ahaz, saying,

¹¹"Ask thee a sign of the LORD thy God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above."

¹²But Ahaz said, "I will not ask, neither will I tempt the LORD."

¹³And Isaiah said, "Hear ye now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will ye weary my God also?

¹⁴Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign: Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

¹⁵Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to refuse the evil and choose the good.

¹⁶For before the Child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings.

¹⁷The LORD shall bring upon thee and upon thy people and upon thy father's house days that have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah: even the king of Assyria."

¹⁸And it shall come to pass in that day that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

¹⁹And they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the desolate valleys and in the holes of the rocks, and upon all thorns and upon all bushes.

²⁰In the same day shall the Lord shave with a hired razor (namely, by those beyond the river, by the king of Assyria) the head and the hair of the feet, and it shall also consume the beard.

²¹And it shall come to pass in that day that a man shall nourish a young cow and two sheep;

²²and it shall come to pass, for the abundance of milk that they shall give, that he shall eat butter, for butter and honey shall every one eat that is left in the land.

²³And it shall come to pass in that day in every place where there were a thousand vines worth a thousand silverlings, that it shall be even for briers and thorns.

²⁴With arrows and with bows shall men come thither, because all the land shall become briers and thorns.

²⁵And on all hills that shall be dug with the mattock, there shall not be a coming thither for fear of briers and thorns, but it shall be for the sending forth of oxen and for the treading of lesser cattle.

8Moreover the LORD said unto me, "Take thee a great scroll, and write in it with a man's pen concerning Mahershalalhashbaz."

²And I took unto me faithful witnesses to attest: Uriah the priest and Zechariah the son of Jeberechiah.

³And I went unto the prophetess, and she conceived and bore a son. Then said the LORD to me, "Call his name Mahershalalhashbaz.

⁴For before the child shall have knowledge to cry 'My father,' and 'My mother,' the riches of Damascus and the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away to the king of Assyria."

⁵The LORD spoke also unto me again, saying,

⁶"Inasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that flow softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son,

⁷now therefore, behold, the Lord bringeth up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, even the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall come up over all his channels and go over all his banks.

⁸And he shall pass through Judah; he shall overflow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck. And the stretching out of his wings shall fill the breadth of thy land, O Immanuel."

⁹Associate yourselves, O ye people, yet ye shall be broken in pieces! And give ear, all ye of far countries. Gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces; gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces!

¹⁰Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought; speak the word, and it shall not stand, for God is with us.

¹¹For the LORD spoke thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying,

¹²"Say ye not, 'A confederacy,' to all those to whom this people shall say, 'A confederacy'; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid.

¹³Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.

¹⁴And He shall be for you a sanctuary, but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offense to both the houses of Israel, for a trap and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁵And many among them shall stumble and fall and be broken, and be snared and be taken."

¹⁶Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples.

¹⁷And I will wait upon the LORD, who hideth His face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for Him.

¹⁸Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwelleth in Mount Zion.

¹⁹And when they shall say unto you, "Seek unto those who have familiar spirits and wizards, who peep and who mutter," should not a people seek unto their God? For the living, to the dead?

²⁰To the law and to the testimony! If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.

²¹And they shall pass through it sorely beset and hungry; and it shall come to pass that, when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves and curse their king and their God, and look upward;

²²and they shall look unto the earth and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish, and they shall be driven to darkness.

9Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first He lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward more grievously afflicted her by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

²The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

³Thou hast multiplied the nation and not increased the joy; they joy before Thee according to the joy in harvest, and as men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

⁴For Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, as in the day of Midian.

⁵For every battle of the warrior is with confused noise and garments rolled in blood, but this shall be with burning and fuel of fire.

⁶For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder. And His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

⁷Of the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David and upon His Kingdom, to order it and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

⁸The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath lighted upon Israel.

⁹And all the people shall know--even Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria" that say in the pride and stoutness of heart:

¹⁰"The bricks are fallen down, but we will build with hewn stones; the sycamores are cut down, but we will change them into cedars."

¹¹Therefore the LORD shall set up the adversaries of Rezin against him and join his enemies together,

¹²the Syrians before and the Philistines behind; and they shall devour Israel with open mouth. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

¹³For the people turneth not unto Him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of hosts.

¹⁴Therefore the LORD will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.

¹⁵The ancient and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

¹⁶For the leaders of this people cause them to err, and they that are led by them are destroyed.

¹⁷Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows; for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

¹⁸For wickedness burneth as the fire; it shall devour the briers and thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke.

¹⁹Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire; no man shall spare his brother.

²⁰And he shall snatch on the right hand and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm.

²¹Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; and they together shall be against Judah. For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

10"Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed

²to turn aside the needy from judgment and to take away the right from the poor of My people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless!

³And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? To whom will ye flee for help? And where will ye leave your glory?

⁴Without Me they shall bow down under the prisoners, and they shall fall under the slain." For all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand is stretched out still.

⁵"Woe to the Assyrian, the rod of Mine anger, and the staff in their hand is Mine indignation!

⁶I will send him against a hypocritical nation, and against the people of My wrath will I give him a charge, to take the spoil and to take the prey, and to tread them down like the mire of the streets.

⁷Yet he meaneth not so, neither doth his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy and cut off nations not a few.

⁸For he saith, 'Are not my princes altogether kings?

⁹Is not Calno as Carchemish? Is not Hamath as Arpad? Is not Samaria as Damascus?

¹⁰As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols and whose graven images excelled them of Jerusalem and of Samaria,

¹¹shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?'"

¹²Therefore it shall come to pass when the Lord hath performed His whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem: "I will punish the fruit of the stout heart of the king of Assyria and the glory of his high looks.

¹³For he saith, "'By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am prudent; and I have removed the bounds of the people and have robbed their treasures, and I have put down the inhabitants like a valiant man.

¹⁴And my hand hath found as a nest the riches of the people, and as one gathereth eggs that are left, have I gathered all the earth; and there was none that moved the wing, or opened the mouth, or peeped.'"

¹⁵Shall the ax boast itself against him that heweth therewith? Or shall the saw magnify itself against him that shaketh it? As if the rod should shake itself against them that lift it up, or as if the staff should lift up itself, as if it were no wood!

¹⁶Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among His fat ones leanness; and under His glory He shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.

¹⁷And the Light of Israel shall be for a fire and his Holy One for a flame; and it shall burn and devour his thorns and his briers in one day,

¹⁸and shall consume the glory of his forest and of his fruitful field, both soul and body; and they shall be as when a standardbearer fainteth.

¹⁹And the rest of the trees of his forest shall be few, that a child may write them.

²⁰And it shall come to pass in that day that the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again depend upon him that smote them, but shall stand upon the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.

²¹The remnant shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God.

²²For though thy people Israel be as the sand of the sea, yet a remnant of them shall return; the consuming decreed shall overflow with righteousness.

²³For the Lord GOD of hosts shall cause a consuming, even determined, in the midst of all the land.

²⁴Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts: "O My people that dwellest in Zion, be not afraid of the Assyrian. He shall smite thee with a rod and shall lift up his staff against thee, after the manner of Egypt.

²⁵For yet a very little while and the indignation shall cease, and Mine anger in their destruction."

²⁶And the LORD of hosts shall stir up a scourge for him according to the slaughter of Midian at the rock of Oreb; and as His rod was upon the sea, so shall He lift it up after the manner of Egypt.

²⁷And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.

²⁸He is come to Aiath, he is passed to Migron; at Michmash he hath laid up his baggage.

²⁹They are gone over the passage; they have taken up their lodging at Geba. Ramah is afraid; Gibeah of Saul is fled.

³⁰Lift up thy voice, O daughter of Gallim; cause it to be heard unto Laish, O poor Anathoth.

³¹Madmenah is removed; the inhabitants of Gebim gather themselves to flee.

³²As yet shall he remain at Nob that day; he shall shake his hand against the mount of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem.

³³Behold, the Lord, the LORD of hosts, shall lop the bough with terror; and the high ones of stature shall be hewn down, and the haughty shall be humbled.

³⁴And He shall cut down the thickets of the forest with iron, and Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one.

11And there shall come forth a Rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

²And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him--the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD"

³and shall make Him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD; and He shall not judge after the sight of His eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of His ears.

⁴But with righteousness shall He judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips shall He slay the wicked.

⁵And righteousness shall be the girdle of His loins, and faithfulness the girdle of His reins.

⁶"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

⁷And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

⁸And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

⁹They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰"And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, who shall stand for an ensign of the people; to It shall the Gentiles seek, and His rest shall be glorious."

¹¹And it shall come to pass in that day that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time to recover the remnant of His people who shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

¹²And He shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.

¹³The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim.

¹⁴But they shall fly upon the shoulders of the Philistines toward the west; they shall despoil them of the east together. They shall lay their hand upon Edom and Moab, and the children of Ammon shall obey them.

¹⁵And the LORD shall utterly destroy the tongue of the Egyptian Sea; and with His mighty wind shall He shake His hand over the river, and shall smite it in the seven streams and make men go over dryshod.

¹⁶And there shall be a highway for the remnant of His people who shall be left from Assyria, as it was to Israel in the day that he came up out of the land of Egypt.

12And in that day thou shalt say: "O LORD, I will praise Thee; though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comforted me.

²Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid; for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also has become my salvation."

³Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation;

⁴and in that day shall ye say: "Praise the LORD! Call upon His name! Declare His doings among the people; make mention that His name is exalted.

⁵Sing unto the LORD, for He hath done excellent things; this is known in all the earth.

⁶Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion! For great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee."

13The burden of Babylon, which Isaiah the son of Amoz saw:

²"Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain; exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.

³I have commanded My sanctified ones; I have also called My mighty ones for Mine anger, even them that rejoice in My highness."

⁴The noise of a multitude in the mountains, as of a great people! A tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together! The LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.

⁵They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD and the weapons of His indignation, to destroy the whole land.

⁶Howl ye, for the day of the LORD is at hand! It shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.

⁷Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt.

⁸And they shall be afraid; pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them. They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth; they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.

⁹Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel, both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.

¹⁰For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

¹¹"And I will punish the world for their evil and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogance of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

¹²I will make a man more precious than fine gold, even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

¹³Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger.

¹⁴And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up; they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.

¹⁵Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword.

¹⁶Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be despoiled and their wives ravished.

¹⁷"Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, who shall not regard silver; and as for gold, they shall not delight in it.

¹⁸Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eye shall not spare children.

¹⁹And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldeans' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.

²⁰It shall never be inhabited, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation; neither shall the Arabian pitch tent there, neither shall the shepherds make their fold there.

²¹But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there, and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.

²²And the wild beasts of the islands shall cry in their desolate houses, and dragons in their pleasant palaces; and her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged."

14For the LORD will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel and set them in their own land; and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob.

²And the people shall take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the LORD for servants and handmaids; and they shall take them captive whose captives they were, and they shall rule over their oppressors.

³And it shall come to pass in the day that the LORD shall give thee rest from thy sorrow and from thy fear and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve,

⁴that thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: "How hath the oppressor ceased! The golden city ceased!

⁵The LORD hath broken the staff of the wicked and the scepter of the rulers.

⁶He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

⁷The whole earth is at rest and is quiet; they break forth into singing.

⁸Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, 'Since thou art laid down, no hewer has come up against us.'

⁹Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming; it stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; it hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

¹⁰All they shall speak and say unto thee: 'Art thou also become weak as we? Art thou become like unto us?'

¹¹Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols; the worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

¹²"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, who didst weaken the nations!

¹³For thou hast said in thine heart, 'I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north.

¹⁴I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.'

¹⁵Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

¹⁶They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee and consider thee, saying, 'Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms,

¹⁷that made the world as a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof, that opened not the house of his prisoners?'

¹⁸All the kings of the nations, even all of them, lie in glory, every one in his own house.

¹⁹But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, and as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, that go down to the stones of the pit, as a carcass trodden under feet.

²⁰Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, because thou hast destroyed thy land and slain thy people. The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

²¹Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers, that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities."

²²"For I will rise up against them," saith the LORD of hosts, "and cut off from Babylon the name and remnant, and son and grandson," saith the LORD.

²³"I will also make it a possession for the bittern, and pools of water; and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction," saith the LORD of hosts.

²⁴The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, "Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass, and as I have purposed, so shall it stand;

²⁵that I will break the Assyrian in My land, and upon My mountains tread him under foot. Then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden depart from off their shoulders."

²⁶This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations.

²⁷For the LORD of hosts hath purposed, and who shall disannul it? And His hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

²⁸In the year that King Ahaz died was this burden:

²⁹"Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, because the rod of him that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth an adder, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

³⁰And the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant.

³¹Howl, O gate! Cry, O city! Thou, whole Philistia art dissolved! For there shall come from the north a smoke, and none shall be alone in his appointed times."

³²What shall one then answer the messengers of the nation? "That the LORD hath founded Zion, and the poor of His people shall trust in it."

15The burden of Moab: Because in the night Ar of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence, because in the night Kir of Moab is laid waste and brought to silence,

²he is gone up to Bajith and to Dibon, the high places, to weep. Moab shall howl over Nebo and over Medeba; on all their heads shall be baldness and every beard cut off.

³In their streets they shall gird themselves with sackcloth; on the tops of their houses and in their streets every one shall howl, weeping abundantly.

⁴And Heshbon shall cry, and Elealeh; their voice shall be heard even unto Jahaz; therefore the armed soldiers of Moab shall cry out; his life shall be grievous unto him.

⁵"My heart shall cry out for Moab; his fugitives shall flee unto Zoar, a heifer of three years old; for by the mounting up of Luhith with weeping shall they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they shall raise up a cry of destruction.

⁶For the waters of Nimrim shall be desolate; for the hay is withered away, the grass faileth, there is no green thing.

⁷Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up shall they carry away to the Brook of the Willows.

⁸For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the howling thereof unto Eglaim and the howling thereof unto Beerelim.

⁹For the waters of Dimon shall be full of blood; for I will bring more upon Dimon, lions upon him that escapeth from Moab and upon the remnant of the land."

16Send ye the lamb to the ruler of the land, from Sela to the wilderness, unto the mount of the daughter of Zion.

²For it shall be that as a wandering bird cast out of the nest, so the daughters of Moab shall be at the fords of Arnon.

³"Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts, betray not him that wandereth.

⁴Let Mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the despoiler; for the extortioner is at an end, the despoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

⁵And in mercy shall the throne be established; and He shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment and hastening righteousness."

⁶We have heard of the pride of Moab--he is very proud" even of his haughtiness and his pride and his wrath; but his lies shall not be so.

⁷Therefore shall Moab howl for Moab, every one shall howl; for the foundations of Kirhareseth shall ye mourn; surely they are stricken.

⁸For the fields of Heshbon languish, and the vine of Sibmah; the lords of the heathen have broken down the principal plants thereof. They are come even unto Jazer; they wandered through the wilderness; her branches are stretched out; they are gone over the sea.

⁹Therefore I will bewail with the weeping of Jazer the vine of Sibmah; I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh, for upon thy summer fruits and upon thy harvest the shouting has fallen.

¹⁰And gladness is taken away and joy out of the plentiful field; and in the vineyards there shall be no singing, neither shall there be shouting. The treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; I have made their vintage shouting to cease.

¹¹Therefore my heart shall sound like a harp for Moab, and mine inward parts for Kirharesh.

¹²And it shall come to pass, when it is seen that Moab is weary on the high place, that he shall come to his sanctuary to pray; but he shall not prevail.

¹³This is the word that the LORD hath spoken concerning Moab since that time.

¹⁴But now the LORD hath spoken, saying, "Within three years, as the years of a hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be contemned with all that great multitude; and the remnant shall be very small and feeble."

17The burden of Damascus: "Behold, Damascus is taken away from being a city, and it shall be a ruinous heap.

²The cities of Aroer are forsaken; they shall be for flocks, which shall lie down, and none shall make them afraid.

³The fortress also shall cease from Ephraim, and the kingdom from Damascus and the remnant of Syria; they shall be as the glory of the children of Israel," saith the LORD of hosts.

⁴"And in that day it shall come to pass that the glory of Jacob shall be made thin, and the fatness of his flesh shall wax lean.

⁵And it shall be as when the harvestman gathereth the corn and reapeth the ears with his arm; and it shall be as he that gathereth ears in the Valley of Rephaim.

⁶Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof," saith the LORD God of Israel.

⁷At that day shall a man look to his Maker, and his eyes shall have respect for the Holy One of Israel.

⁸And he shall not look to the altars, the work of his hands, neither shall respect that which his fingers have made, either the Asherah poles or the sun images.

⁹In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel; and there shall be desolation.

¹⁰Because thou hast forgotten the God of thy salvation and hast not been mindful of the Rock of thy strength, therefore shalt thou plant pleasant plants, and shalt set them with strange slips.

¹¹In that day shalt thou make thy plant to grow, and in the morning shalt thou make thy seed to flourish; but the harvest shall be a heap in the day of grief and of desperate sorrow.

¹²Woe to the multitude of many people, who make a noise like the noise of the seas, and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing like the rushing of mighty waters!

¹³The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters; but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.

¹⁴And behold, at eventide, trouble; and before the morning, he is no more. This is the portion of them that despoil us, and the lot of them that rob us.

18Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia,

²that sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, "Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled!"

³All ye inhabitants of the world and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when He bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.

⁴For so the LORD said unto me: "I will take My rest, and I will consider in My dwelling place, like a clear heat upon herbs and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest."

⁵For before the harvest, when the bud is perfect and the sour grape is ripening in the flower, He shall both cut off the sprigs with pruning hooks, and take away and cut down the branches.

⁶They shall be left together for the fowls of the mountains and to the beasts of the earth; and the fowls shall summer upon them, and all the beasts of the earth shall winter upon them.

⁷In that time shall a present be brought unto the LORD of hosts of a people scattered and peeled, and from a people terrible from their beginning hitherto, a nation meted out and trodden under foot, whose land the rivers have spoiled--to the place of the name of the LORD of hosts, the mount Zion.

19The burden of Egypt: Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt; and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at His presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it.

²"And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians; and they shall fight every one against his brother and every one against his neighbor, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom.

³And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof; and they shall seek the idols and the charmers, and them that have familiar spirits and the wizards.

⁴And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord, and a fierce king shall rule over them," saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts.

⁵And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up.

⁶And they shall turn the rivers far away, and the brooks of defense shall be emptied and dried up; the reeds and flags shall wither.

⁷The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and every thing sown by the brooks shall wither, be driven away, and be no more.

⁸The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast hook into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish.

⁹Moreover they that work in fine flax and they that weave network shall be confounded.

¹⁰And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

¹¹Surely the princes of Zoan are fools; the counsel of the wise counselors of Pharaoh has become brutish. How say ye unto Pharaoh, "I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings"?

¹²Where are they? Where are thy wise men? And let them tell thee now, and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt.

¹³The princes of Zoan are become fools; the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof.

¹⁴The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof; and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit.

¹⁵Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.

¹⁶In that day shall Egypt be like unto women; and it shall be afraid and fear, because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which He shaketh over it.

¹⁷And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt; every one that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which He hath determined against it.

¹⁸In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called the City of Destruction.

¹⁹In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD.

²⁰And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and He shall send them a savior and a great one, and He shall deliver them.

²¹And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD and perform it.

²²And the LORD shall smite Egypt; He shall smite and heal it; and they shall return even to the LORD, and He shall be entreated by them and shall heal them.

²³In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians.

²⁴In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land,

²⁵whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, "Blessed be Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance."

20In the year that Tartan came unto Ashdod (when Sargon the king of Assyria sent him), and fought against Ashdod and took it,

²at the same time spoke the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, "Go, and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot." And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

³And the LORD said, "As My servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia,

⁴so shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt.

⁵And they shall be afraid and ashamed of Ethiopia their expectation and of Egypt their glory.

⁶And the inhabitants of this isle shall say in that day, 'Behold, such is our expectation wherever we flee for help to be delivered from the king of Assyria! And how shall we escape?'"

21The burden of the Desert of the Sea: As whirlwinds in the South pass through, so it cometh from the desert, from a terrible land.

²A grievous vision is declared unto me; the treacherous dealer dealeth treacherously, and the spoiler spoileth. Go up, O Elam! Besiege, O Media! All the sighing thereof have I made to cease.

³Therefore are my loins filled with pain; pangs have taken hold upon me, as the pangs of a woman that travaileth. I was bowed down at the hearing of it; I was dismayed at the seeing of it.

⁴My heart panted, fearfulness affrighted me; the night of my pleasure hath He turned into fear unto me.

⁵Prepare the table, watch in the watchtower, eat, drink; arise, ye princes and anoint the shield.

⁶For thus hath the Lord said unto me: "Go, set a watchman, let him declare what he seeth."

⁷And he saw a chariot with a couple of horsemen, a chariot of asses and a chariot of camels; and he hearkened diligently with much heed.

⁸And he cried, "A lion! My lord, I stand continually upon the watchtower in the daytime, and I am set at my post whole nights.

⁹And behold, here cometh a chariot of men with a couple of horsemen!" And he answered and said, "Babylon is fallen, is fallen! And all the graven images of her gods He hath broken unto the ground!"

¹⁰O my threshing and the corn of my floor, that which I have heard of the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, have I declared unto you.

¹¹The burden of Dumah: He calleth to me out of Seir, "Watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?"

¹²The watchman said, "The morning cometh, and also the night. If ye will inquire, inquire ye; return, come."

¹³The burden upon Arabia: In the forest in Arabia shall ye lodge, O ye traveling companies of Dedanites.

¹⁴The inhabitants of the land of Tema brought water to him that was thirsty; they were ready with their bread for him that fled.

¹⁵For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow and from the grievousness of war.

¹⁶For thus hath the Lord said unto me: "Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, all the glory of Kedar shall fail.

¹⁷And the residue of the number of archers, the mighty men of the children of Kedar, shall be diminished. For the LORD God of Israel hath spoken it."

22The burden of the Valley of Vision: What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

²Thou that art full of stirrings, a tumultuous city, a joyous city; thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

³All thy rulers have fled together; they are bound by the archers. All that are found in thee are bound together, who have fled from afar.

⁴Therefore said I, "Look away from me; I will be bitter in weeping. Labor not to comfort me, because of the despoiling of the daughter of my people."

⁵For it is a day of trouble and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the Valley of Vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

⁶And Elam bore the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

⁷And it shall come to pass that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

⁸And He uncovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armor of the House of the Forest.

⁹Ye have seen also the breaches of the City of David, that they are many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

¹⁰And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

¹¹Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool; but ye have not looked unto the Maker thereof, neither had respect unto Him that fashioned it long ago.

¹²And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth.

¹³But behold, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine! "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shall die!"

¹⁴And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts: "Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die," saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

¹⁵Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts: "Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, who is over the house, and say:

¹⁶What hast thou here? And whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulcher here, as he that heweth him out a sepulcher on high and that carves out a habitation for himself in a rock?

¹⁷Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

¹⁸He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country. There shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord's house.

¹⁹And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

²⁰"And it shall come to pass in that day that I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah.

²¹And I will clothe him with thy robe and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand; and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

²²And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open and none shall shut, and he shall shut and none shall open.

²³And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place, and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father's house.

²⁴And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father's house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups even to all the vessels of flagons.

²⁵In that day," saith the LORD of hosts, "shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed and be cut down and fall, and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off; for the LORD hath spoken it."

23The burden of Tyre: Howl, ye ships of Tarshish! For it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no entering in; from the land of Cyprus it is revealed to them.

²Be still, ye inhabitants of the isle, thou whom the merchants of Sidon that pass over the sea have replenished.

³And by great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, is her revenue; and she is a mart of nations.

⁴Be thou ashamed, O Sidon; for the sea hath spoken, even the strength of the sea, saying, "I travail not, nor bring forth children, neither do I nourish up young men nor bring up virgins."

⁵As at the report concerning Egypt, so shall they be sorely pained at the report of Tyre.

⁶Pass ye over to Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the isle!

⁷Is this your joyous city, whose antiquity is of ancient days? Her own feet shall carry her afar off to sojourn.

⁸Who hath taken this counsel against Tyre, the crowning city, whose merchants are princes, whose traffickers are the honorableof the earth?

⁹The LORD of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honorable of the earth.

¹⁰Pass through thy land as a river, O daughter of Tarshish; there is no more strength.

¹¹He stretched out His hand over the sea, He shook the kingdoms; the LORD hath given a commandment against the merchant city, to destroy the strongholds thereof.

¹²And He said, "Thou shalt no more rejoice, O thou oppressed virgin, daughter of Sidon. Arise, pass over to Cyprus; there also shalt thou have no rest."

¹³Behold the land of the Chaldeans. This people was not, till the Assyrian founded it for those who dwell in the wilderness. They set up the towers thereof, they raised up the palaces thereof, and he brought it to ruin.

¹⁴Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for your strength is laid waste!

¹⁵And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king; after the end of seventy years shall Tyre sing as a harlot.

¹⁶"Take a harp, go about the city, thou harlot that hast been forgotten; make sweet melody, sing many songs, that thou mayest be remembered."

¹⁷And it shall come to pass, after the end of seventy years, that the LORD will visit Tyre; and she shall turn to her hire and shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the world upon the face of the earth.

¹⁸And her merchandise and her hire shall be holiness to the LORD. It shall not be treasured nor laid up, for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before the LORD, to eat sufficiently and for durable clothing.

24Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

²And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of interest, so with the giver of interest to him.

³The land shall be utterly emptied and utterly despoiled; for the LORD hath spoken this word.

⁴The earth mourneth and fadeth away; the world languisheth and fadeth away; the haughty people of the earth do languish.

⁵The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof, because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.

⁶Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate; therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left.

⁷The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh.

⁸The mirth of taborets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.

⁹They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall bebitter to them that drink it.

¹⁰The city of confusion is broken down; every house is shut up, that no man may come in.

¹¹There is a crying for wine in the streets; all joy is darkened, the mirth of the land is gone.

¹²In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction.

¹³When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning of grapes when the vintage is done.

¹⁴They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing; for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

¹⁵Therefore glorify ye the LORD in the valleys, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

¹⁶From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs, even glory to the righteous. But I said, "My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! The treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously, yea, the treacherous dealers have dealt very treacherously."

¹⁷Fear and the pit and the snare are upon thee, O inhabitant of the earth.

¹⁸And it shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare; for the windows from on high are open, and the foundations of the earth do shake.

¹⁹The earth is utterly broken down, the earth is clean dissolved, the earth is moved exceedingly.

²⁰The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again.

²¹And it shall come to pass in that day that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.

²²And they shall be gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit, and shall be shut up in the prison, and after many days shall they be visited.

²³Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed, when the LORD of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before His elders gloriously.

25O LORD, Thou art my God. I will exalt Thee, I will praise Thy name, for Thou hast done wonderful things; Thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

²For Thou hast made of a city a heap, of a fortified city a ruin, a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be rebuilt.

³Therefore shall the strong people glorify Thee; the city of the terrible nations shall fear Thee.

⁴For Thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

⁵Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place, even the heat with the shadow of a cloud; the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

⁶And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.

⁷And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.

⁸He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth; for the LORD hath spoken it.

⁹And it shall be said in that day: "Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."

¹⁰For in this mountain shall the hand of the LORD rest, and Moab shall be trodden down under Him, even as straw is trodden down for the dunghill.

¹¹And He shall spread forth His hands in the midst of them, as he that swimmeth spreadeth forth his hands to swim; and He shall bring down their pride together with the spoils of their hands.

¹²And the fortress of the high fort of thy walls shall He bring down, lay low, and bring to the ground, even to the dust.

26In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: "We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

²Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in.

³Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.

⁴Trust ye in the LORD for ever, for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.

⁵For He bringeth down them that dwell on high; the lofty city, He layeth it low; He layeth it low, even to the ground; He bringeth it even to the dust.

⁶The foot shall tread it down, even the feet of the poor and the steps of the needy."

⁷The way of the just is uprightness; Thou, Most Upright, dost weigh the path of the just.

⁸Yea, in the way of Thy judgments, O LORD, have we waited for Thee; the desire of our soul is to Thy name and to the remembrance of Thee.

⁹With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early; for when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

¹⁰Let favor be shown to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.

¹¹LORD, when Thy hand is lifted up, they will not see; but they shall see and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of Thine enemies shall devour them.

¹²LORD, Thou wilt ordain peace for us; for Thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

¹³O LORD our God, other lords besides Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name.

¹⁴They are dead, they shall not live; they are deceased, they shall not rise; therefore hast Thou visited and destroyed them, and made all their memory to perish.

¹⁵Thou hast increased the nation, O LORD, Thou hast increased the nation. Thou art glorified; Thou hadst removed it far unto all the ends of the earth.

¹⁶LORD, in trouble have they visited Thee, they poured out a prayer when Thy chastening was upon them.

¹⁷As a woman with child, that draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth out in her pangs, so have we been in Thy sight, O LORD.

¹⁸We have been with child, we have been in pain; we have, as it were, brought forth wind; we have not wrought any deliverance in the earth, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen.

¹⁹Thy dead men shall live; together with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust; for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead.

²⁰Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be past.

²¹For, behold, the LORD cometh out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain.

27In that day the LORD with His sore and great and strong sword shall punish Leviathan the piercing serpent, even Leviathan that crooked serpent; and He shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

²In that day sing ye unto her, "A vineyard of red wine!

³I, the LORD, do keep it; I will water it every moment. Lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day.

⁴Fury is not in Me. Who would set the briers and thorns against Me in battle? I would go through them; I would burn them together.

⁵Or let him take hold of My strength, that he may make peace with Me; and he shall make peace with Me."

⁶He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root; Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit.

⁷Hath He smitten him, as He smote those that smote him? Or is he slain according to the slaughter of them that are slain by him?

⁸In measure, when it shooteth forth, Thou wilt debate with it; He stayeth His rough wind in the day of the east wind.

⁹By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin: When he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten asunder, the Asherah poles and sun images shall not stand up.

¹⁰Yet the fortified city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken and left like a wilderness; there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down and consume the branches thereof.

¹¹When the boughs thereof are withered, they shall be broken off; the women come and set them on fire, for it is a people of no understanding. Therefore He that made them will not have mercy on them, and He that formed them will show them no favor.

¹²And it shall come to pass in that day that the LORD shall beat off from the channel of the river unto the stream of Egypt, and ye shall be gathered one by one, O ye children of Israel.

¹³And it shall come to pass in that day that the great trumpet shall be blown; and they shall come who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.

28Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which is on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

²Behold, the Lord hath a mighty and strong one, which as a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, as a flood of mighty waters overflowing, shall cast down to the earth with the hand.

³The crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, shall be trodden under feet;

⁴and the glorious beauty, which is on the head of the fat valley, shall be a fading flower and as the early fruit before the summer, which when he that looketh upon it seeth; while it is yet in his hand he eateth it up.

⁵In that day shall the LORD of hosts be for a crown of glory, and for a diadem of beauty unto the residue of His people,

⁶and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, and for strength to them that turn the battle to the gate.

⁷But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way. The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink; they are swallowed up by wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

⁸For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean.

⁹"Whom shall he teach knowledge? And whom shall he make to understand doctrine? Them that are weaned from the milk and drawn from the breasts.

¹⁰For precept must be upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little."

¹¹For with stammering lips and another tongue will He speak to this people,

¹²to whom He said, "This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest," and, "This is the refreshing" -- yet they would not hear.

¹³But the word of the LORD was unto them precept upon precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a little and there a little, that they might go, and fall backward, and be broken and snared and taken.

¹⁴Therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye scornful men, that rule this people which is in Jerusalem,

¹⁵because ye have said, "We have made a covenant with death, and with hell are we in agreement. When the overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us; for we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood have we hid ourselves."

¹⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; he that believeth shall not make haste.

¹⁷Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet; and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place.

¹⁸And your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand; when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down by it.

¹⁹From the time that it goeth forth it shall take you, for morning by morning shall it pass over, by day and by night; and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report."

²⁰For the bed is shorter than that a man can stretch himself on it, and the covering narrower than that he can wrap himself in it.

²¹For the LORD shall rise up as in Mount Perazim; He shall be wroth as in the Valley of Gibeon, that He may do His work, His strange work, and bring to pass His act, His strange act.

²²Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bonds be made strong; for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consuming even determined upon the whole earth.

²³Give ye ear and hear my voice; hearken and hear my speech.

²⁴Doth the plowman plow all day to sow? Doth he open and break the clods of his ground?

²⁵When he hath made plain the face thereof, doth he not cast abroad the dill and scatter the cummin, and cast in the principal wheat and the appointed barley and the rye in their place?

²⁶For his God doth instruct him to discretion, and doth teach him.

²⁷For the dill is not threshed with a threshing instrument, neither is a cart wheel turned about upon the cummin; but the dill is beaten out with a staff and the cummin with a rod.

²⁸Bread corn is beaten, because he will not ever be threshing it, nor break it with the wheel of his cart, nor bruise it with his horsemen.

²⁹This also cometh forth from the LORD of hosts, who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working.

29"Woe to Ariel, to Ariel, the city where David dwelt! Add ye year to year; let them kill sacrifices.

²Yet I will distress Ariel, and there shall be heaviness and sorrow; and it shall be unto Me as Ariel.

³And I will camp against thee round about, and will lay siege against thee with a mound, and I will raise forts against thee.

⁴And thou shalt be brought down and shalt speak out of the ground, and thy speech shall be low out of the dust; and thy voice shall be as of one that hath a familiar spirit, out of the ground, and thy speech shall whisper out of the dust."

⁵Moreover the multitude of thy strangers shall be like small dust, and the multitude of the terrible ones shall be as chaff that passeth away; yea, it shall be at an instant suddenly.

⁶Thou shalt be visited by the LORD of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with storm and tempest and the flame of devouring fire.

⁷And the multitude of all the nations that fight against Ariel, even all that fight against her and her fortifications, and that distress her, shall be as a dream of a night vision.

⁸It shall even be as when a hungry man dreameth, and behold, he eateth; but he awaketh, and his soul is empty. Or as when a thirsty man dreameth, and behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold, he is faint and his soul hath appetite. So shall the multitude of all the nations be that fight against Mount Zion.

⁹Stay yourselves, and wonder! Cry ye out, and cry! They are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink.

¹⁰For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath He covered.

¹¹And the vision of all has become unto you as the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one that is learned, saying, "Read this, I pray thee"; and he saith, "I cannot, for it is sealed."

¹²And the book is delivered to him that is not learned, saying, "Read this, I pray thee"; and he saith, "I am not learned."

¹³Therefore the Lord said: "Inasmuch as this people draw near Me with their mouth and with their lips do honor Me, but have removed their heart far from Me, and their fear toward Me is taught by the precept of men,

¹⁴therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder; for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid."

¹⁵Woe unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD and their works are in the dark, and they say, "Who seeth us?" and, "Who knoweth us?"

¹⁶Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay; for shall the work say of him that made it, "He made me not"? Or shall the thing formed say of him that formed it, "He had no understanding"?

¹⁷Is it not yet a very little while and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

¹⁸And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness.

¹⁹The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

²⁰For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off--

²¹who make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

²²Therefore thus saith the LORD, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob: "Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

²³But when he seeth his children, the work of Mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify My name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

²⁴They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine."

30"Woe to the rebellious children," saith the LORD, "that take counsel, but not of Me, and that cover with a covering, but not of My Spirit, that they may add sin to sin;

²that walk to go down into Egypt, and have not asked at My mouth, to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt!

³Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion.

⁴For his princes were at Zoan, and his ambassadors came to Hanes.

⁵They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them, nor be a help nor profit, but a shame and also a reproach."

⁶The burden of the beasts of the South: Into the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the young and old lion, the viper and fiery flying serpent, they will carry their riches upon the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures upon the humps of camels, to a people that shall not profit them.

⁷For the Egyptians shall help in vain and to no purpose; therefore have I cried to her concerning this, "Their strength is to sit still."

⁸Now go, write it before them on a tablet and note it in a book, that it may be for the time to come for ever and ever,

⁹that this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD,

¹⁰who say to the seers, "See not," and to the prophets, "Prophesy not unto us right things; speak unto us smooth things; prophesy deceits.

¹¹Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us."

¹²Therefore thus saith the Holy One of Israel: "Because ye despise this word, and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stand thereon,

¹³therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant.

¹⁴And he shall break it as the breaking of the potter's vessel that is broken in pieces; he shall not spare, so that there shall not be found in the bursting of it a shard to take fire from the hearth, or to take water threby out of the pit."

¹⁵For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel: "In returning and rest shall ye be saved, in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength; but ye would not.

¹⁶But ye said, 'No, for we will flee upon horses'; therefore shall ye flee! And, 'We will ride upon the swift'; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift!

¹⁷One thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one; at the rebuke of five shall ye flee, till ye be left as a beacon upon the top of a mountain and as an ensign on a hill."

¹⁸And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you. For the LORD is a God of judgment; blessed are all they that wait for Him.

¹⁹For the people shall dwell in Zion at Jerusalem; thou shalt weep no more. He will be very gracious unto thee at the voice of thy cry; when He shall hear it, He will answer thee.

²⁰And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers.

²¹And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, "This is the way; walk ye in it," when ye turn to the right hand and when ye turn to the left.

²²Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver and the ornament of thy molten images of gold. Thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, "Get thee hence."

²³Then shall He give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground therewith, and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous. In that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures.

²⁴The oxen likewise and the young asses that till the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan.

²⁵And there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall.

²⁶Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that the LORD bindeth up the breach of His people and healeth the stroke of their wound.

²⁷Behold, the name of the LORD cometh from far, burning with His anger, and the burden thereof is heavy; His lips are full of indignation and His tongue as a devouring fire.

²⁸And His breath, as an overflowing stream, shall reach to the midst of the neck to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity; and there shall be a bridle in the jaws of the people, causing them to err.

²⁹Ye shall have a song as in the night when a holy solemnity is kept, and gladness of heart as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of the LORD, to the Mighty One of Israel.

³⁰And the LORD shall cause His glorious voice to be heard, and shall show the lighting down of His arm, with the indignation of His anger and with the flame of a devouring fire, with scattering and tempest and hailstones.

³¹For through the voice of the LORD shall the Assyrian be beaten down, who smote with a rod.

³²And in every place where the grounded staff shall pass, which the LORD shall lay upon him, it shall be with taborets and harps; and in battles of weapon shaking will He fight with it.

³³For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared. He hath made it deep and large; the pile thereof is fire and much wood. The breath of the LORD, like a stream of brimstone, doth kindle it.

31Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help, and depend upon horses and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD!

²Yet He also is wise, and will bring evil, and will not call back His words, but will arise against the house of the evildoers and against the help of them that work iniquity.

³Now the Egyptians are men, and not God; and their horses flesh, and not spirit. When the LORD shall stretch out His hand, both he that helpeth shall fall and he that is helped shall fall down, and they all shall fail together.

⁴For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me: As the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them; so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for Mount Zion and for the hill thereof.

⁵As birds flying, so will the LORD of hosts defend Jerusalem; defending, also He will deliver it; and passing over, He will preserve it.

⁶Turn ye unto Him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted.

⁷For in that day every man shall cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin.

⁸"Then shall the Assyrian fall by the sword, but not of a mighty man; and the sword, not of a lowly man, shall devour him; but he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be discomfited.

⁹And he shall pass over to his stronghold for fear, and his princes shall be afraid of the ensign," saith the LORD, whose fire is in Zion and His furnace in Jerusalem.

32Behold, a King shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment.

²And a man shall be as a hiding place from the wind and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.

³And the eyes of them that see shall not be dim, and the ears of them that hear shall hearken.

⁴The heart also of the rash shall understand knowledge, and the tongue of the stammerers shall be ready to speak plainly.

⁵The vile person shall be no more called liberal, nor the churl said to be bountiful.

⁶For the vile person will speak villainy, and his heart will work iniquity, to practice hypocrisy and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry; and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.

⁷The instruments also of the churl are evil; he deviseth wicked devices to destroy the poor with lying words, even when the needy speaketh right.

⁸But the liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

⁹Rise up, ye women that are at ease; hear my voice, ye careless daughters; give ear unto my speech.

¹⁰Many days and years shall ye be troubled, ye careless women; for the vintage shall fail, the gathering shall not come.

¹¹Tremble, ye women that are at ease; be troubled, ye careless ones. Strip you and make you bare, and gird sackcloth upon your loins;

¹²they shall lament for the teats, for the pleasant fields, for the fruitful vine.

¹³Upon the land of my people shall come up thorns and briers, yea, upon all the houses of joy in the joyous city.

¹⁴Because the palaces shall be forsaken, the multitude of the city shall be left; the forts and towers shall be for dens for ever, a joy of wild asses, a pasture of flocks,

¹⁵until the Spirit be poured upon us from on high, and the wilderness be a fruitful field, and the fruitful field be counted for a forest.

¹⁶Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field.

¹⁷And the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance for ever.

¹⁸And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings and in quiet resting places

¹⁹when it shall hail, coming down on the forest; and the city shall be low in a low place.

²⁰Blessed are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth thither the feet of the ox and the ass.

²O LORD, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee; be Thou their arm every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble.

³At the noise of the tumult the people fled; at the lifting up of Thyself the nations were scattered.

⁴And your spoil shall be gathered like the gathering of the caterpillar; as the running to and fro of locusts shall he run upon them.

⁵The LORD is exalted, for He dwelleth on high; He hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness.

⁶And wisdom and knowledge shall be the stability of thy times and strength of salvation; the fear of the LORD is his treasure.

⁷Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without; the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.

⁸The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth; he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.

⁹The earth mourneth and languisheth; Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down. Sharon is like a wilderness, and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.

¹⁰"Now will I rise," saith the LORD; "now will I be exalted; now will I lift up Myself.

¹¹Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble; your breath, as fire, shall devour you.

¹²And the people shall be as the burnings of lime; as thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire.

¹³Hear, ye that are far off, what I have done, and ye that are near, acknowledge My might."

¹⁴The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites: "Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"

¹⁵He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil--

¹⁶he shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the fortifications of rocks; bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.

¹⁷Thine eyes shall see the King in His beauty; they shall behold the land that is very far off.

¹⁸Thine heart shall meditate terror: "Where is the scribe? Where is the receiver? Where is he that counted the towers?"

¹⁹Thou shalt not see a fierce people, a people of a deeper speech than thou canst perceive, of a stammering tongue that thou canst not understand.

²⁰Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.

²¹But there the glorious LORD will be unto us a place of broad rivers and streams, wherein shall go no galley with oars, neither shall gallant ship pass thereby.

²²For the LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; He will save us.

²³Thy tacklings are loosed; they could not well strengthen their mast, they could not spread the sail; then is the prey of a great spoil divided; the lame take the prey.

²⁴And the inhabitant shall not say, "I am sick"; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

34Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people! let the earth hear, and all that is therein, the world, and all things that come forth from it.

²For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and His fury upon all their armies; He hath utterly destroyed them; He hath delivered them to the slaughter.

³Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stench shall come up out of their carcasses, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.

⁴And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

⁵"For My sword shall be bathed in heaven; behold, it shall come down upon Edom and upon the people of My curse in judgment."

⁶The sword of the LORD is filled with blood; it is made fat with fatness and with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

⁷And the unicorns shall come down with them, and the bullocks with the bulls; and their land shall be soaked with blood, and their dust made fat with fatness.

⁸For it is the day of the LORD's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.

⁹And the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch and the dust thereof into brimstone, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch.

¹⁰It shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up for ever. From generation to generation it shall lie waste; none shall pass through it for ever and ever.

¹¹But the cormorant and the bittern shall possess it; the owl also and the raven shall dwell in it; and He shall stretch out upon it the line of confusion and the stones of emptiness.

¹²They shall call the nobles thereof to the kingdom, but none shall be there, and all her princes shall be nothing.

¹³And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof; and it shall be a habitation of dragons and a court for owls.

¹⁴The wild beasts of the desert shall also meet with the wild beasts of the island, and the satyr shall cry to his fellow; the screech owl also shall rest there and find for herself a place of rest.

¹⁵There shall the great owl make her nest, and lay and hatch and gather under her shadow; there shall the vultures also be gathered, every one with her mate.

¹⁶Seek ye out of the book of the LORD, and read: No one of these shall fail, none shall lack her mate; for My mouth, it hath commanded, and His Spirit, it hath gathered them.

¹⁷And He hath cast the lot for them, and His hand hath divided it unto them by line; they shall possess it for ever; from generation to generation shall they dwell therein.

35The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose.

²It shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God.

³Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.

⁴Say to them that are of a fearful heart, "Be strong, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; He will come and save you."

⁵Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

⁶Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing; for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

⁷And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

⁸And a highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called the Way of Holiness. The unclean shall not pass over it, but it shall be for those; the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

⁹No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon; it shall not be found there, but the redeemed shall walk there.

¹⁰And the ransomed of the LORD shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

36Now it came to pass in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah that Sennacherib king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them.

²And the king of Assyria sent Rabshakeh from Lachish to Jerusalem unto King Hezekiah with a great army. And he stood by the conduit of the upper pool in the highway of the Fuller's Field.

³Then came forth unto him Eliakim, Hilkiah's son, who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah, Asaph's son, the recorder.

⁴And Rabshakeh said unto them, "Say ye now to Hezekiah, 'Thus saith the great king, the king of Assyria: What confidence is this wherein thou trustest?

⁵I say, thou sayest (but they are but vain words), "I have counsel and strength for war." Now on whom dost thou trust, that thou rebellest against me?

⁶Lo, thou trustest in the staff of this broken reed, in Egypt, whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand and pierce it. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him.

⁷But if thou say to me, "We trust in the LORD our God," is it not He whose high places and whose altars Hezekiah hath taken away, and said to Judah and to Jerusalem, "Ye shall worship before this altar"?

⁸Now therefore give pledges, I pray thee, to my master the king of Assyria, and I will give thee two thousand horses, if thou be able on thy part to set riders upon them.

⁹How then wilt thou turn away the face of one captain of the least of my master's servants and put thy trust on Egypt for chariots and for horsemen?

¹⁰And have I now come up without the LORD against this land to destroy it? The LORD said unto me: "Go up against this land, and destroy it."'"

¹¹Then said Eliakim and Shebna and Joah unto Rabshakeh, "Speak, I pray thee, unto thy servants in the Aramaic language, for we understand it; and speak not to us in the Jews' language in the ears of the people who are on the wall."

¹²But Rabshakeh said, "Hath my master sent me to thy master and to thee to speak these words? Hath he not sent me to the men who sit upon the wall, that they may eat their own dung and drink their own urine with you?"

¹³Then Rabshakeh stood and cried with a loud voice in the Jews' language, and said, "Hear ye the words of the great king, the king of Assyria!

¹⁴Thus saith the king: 'Let not Hezekiah deceive you, for he shall not be able to deliver you.

¹⁵Neither let Hezekiah make you trust in the LORD, saying, "The LORD will surely deliver us; this city shall not be delivered into the hand of the king of Assyria."

¹⁶Hearken not to Hezekiah, for thus saith the king of Assyria: Make an agreement with me by a present, and come out to me; and eat ye every one of his vine and every one of his fig tree, and drink ye every one the waters of his own cistern,

¹⁷until I come and take you away to a land like your own land, a land of corn and wine, a land of bread and vineyards.

¹⁸Beware lest Hezekiah persuade you, saying, "The LORD will deliver us." Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria?

¹⁹Where are the gods of Hamath and Arphad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim? And have they delivered Samaria out of my hand?

²⁰Who are they among all the gods of these lands that have delivered their land out of my hand, that the LORD should deliver Jerusalem out of my hand?'"

²¹But they held their peace and answered him not a word; for the king's commandment was, saying, "Answer him not."

²²Then came Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of Asaph, the recorder, to Hezekiah with their clothes rent, and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

37And it came to pass, when King Hezekiah heard it, that he rent his clothes and covered himself with sackcloth, and went into the house of the LORD.

²And he sent Eliakim, who was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, unto Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz.

³And they said unto him, "Thus saith Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of trouble and of rebuke and of blasphemy; for the children have come to birth, and there is not strength to bring forth.

⁴It may be the LORD thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God, and will reprove the words which the LORD thy God hath heard. Therefore lift up thy prayer for the remnant that is left.'"

⁵Thus the servants of King Hezekiah came to Isaiah.

⁶And Isaiah said unto them, "Thus shall ye say unto your master, 'Thus saith the LORD: Be not afraid of the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the servants of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.

⁷Behold, I will send a blast upon him, and he shall hear a rumor and return to his own land; and I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land.'"

⁸So Rabshakeh returned and found the king of Assyria warring against Libnah, for he had heard that he had departed from Lachish.

⁹And he heard say concerning Tirhakah king of Ethiopia, "He has come forth to make war with thee." And when he heard it, he sent messengers to Hezekiah, saying,

¹⁰"Thus shall ye speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: Let not thy God in whom thou trustest deceive thee, saying, 'Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.'

¹¹Behold, thou hast heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by destroying them utterly. And shalt thou be delivered?

¹²Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, as Gozan and Haran and Rezeph and the children of Eden who were in Telassar?

¹³Where is the king of Hamath, and the king of Arphad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?"

¹⁴And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it; and Hezekiah went up unto the house of the LORD and spread it before the LORD.

¹⁵And Hezekiah prayed unto the LORD, saying,

¹⁶"O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, who dwellest between the cherubims, Thou art the God, even Thou alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; Thou hast made heaven and earth.

¹⁷Incline Thine ear, O LORD, and hear; open Thine eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, who hath sent to reproach the living God.

¹⁸In truth, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their countries,

¹⁹and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.

²⁰Now therefore, O LORD our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that Thou art the LORD, even Thou only."

²¹Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent unto Hezekiah, saying, "Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: Whereas thou hast prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria,

²²this is the word which the LORD hath spoken concerning him: 'The virgin, the daughter of Zion, hath despised thee and laughed thee to scorn; the daughter of Jerusalem hath shaken her head at thee.

²³"'Whom hast thou reproached and blasphemed? And against whom hast thou exalted thy voice and lifted up thine eyes on high? Even against the Holy One of Israel.

²⁴By thy servants hast thou reproached the Lord, and hast said, "By the multitude of my chariots have I come up to the height of the mountains, to the sides of Lebanon; and I will cut down the tall cedars thereof, and the choice fir trees thereof; and I will enter into the height of his border and the forest of his Carmel.

²⁵I have dug and drunk water; and with the sole of my feet have I dried up all the rivers of the besieged places."

²⁶"'Hast thou not heard long ago how I have made it, and of ancient times, that I have formed it? Now have I brought it to pass that thou shouldest be to lay waste fortified cities into ruinous heaps.

²⁷Therefore their inhabitants were of small power; they were dismayed and confounded; they were as the grass of the field and as the green herb, as the grass on the housetops and as corn blighted before it be grown up.

²⁸"'But I know thy sitting down, and thy going out and thy coming in, and thy rage against Me.

²⁹Because thy rage against Me and thy tumult have come up into Mine ears, therefore will I put My hook in thy nose and My bridle in thy lips, and I will turn thee back by the way by which thou camest.'

³⁰"And this shall be a sign unto thee: Ye shall eat this year such as groweth of itself, and the second year that which springeth of the same; and in the third year sow ye and reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof.

³¹And the remnant who have escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward and bear fruit upward.

³²For out of Jerusalem shall go forth a remnant, and they that escape out of Mount Zion. The zeal of the LORD of hosts shall do this.

³³"Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the king of Assyria: 'He shall not come into this city nor shoot an arrow there, nor come before it with shields, nor cast a bank against it.

³⁴By the way that he came, by the same shall he return, and shall not come into this city,' saith the LORD.

³⁵'For I will defend this city to save it for Mine own sake and for My servant David's sake.'"

³⁶Then the angel of the LORD went forth and smote in the camp of the Assyrians a hundred and fourscore and five thousand; and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

³⁷So Sennacherib king of Assyria departed and went, and returned and dwelt at Nineveh.

³⁸And it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons smote him with the sword, and they escaped into the land of Ararat; and Esarhaddon his son reigned in his stead.

38In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, came unto him and said unto him, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Set thine house in order, for thou shalt die and not live.'"

²Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and prayed unto the LORD

³and said, "Remember now, O LORD, I beseech Thee, how I have walked before Thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in Thy sight." And Hezekiah wept sorely.

⁴Then came the word of the LORD to Isaiah, saying,

⁵"Go, and say to Hezekiah, 'Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father: I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears. Behold, I will add unto thy days fifteen years.

⁶And I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city.

⁷And this shall be a sign unto thee from the LORD that the LORD will do this thing that He hath spoken:

⁸Behold, I will bring again the shadow of the degrees, which has gone down in the sundial of Ahaz, ten degrees backward.'" So the sun returned ten degrees by which degrees it had gone down.

⁹The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah when he had been sick and had recovered from his sickness:

¹⁰I said, "In the cutting off of my days I shall go to the gates of the grave; I am deprived of the residue of my years."

¹¹I said, "I shall not see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants of the world.

¹²Mine age is departed and is removed from me as a shepherd's tent; I have cut off like a weaver my life. He will cut me off with pining sickness; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me.

¹³I reckoned till morning that, as a lion, so will He break all my bones; from day even to night wilt Thou make an end of me."

¹⁴Like a crane or a swallow, so did I chatter; I did mourn as a dove; mine eyes fail with looking upward. O LORD, I am oppressed; undertake for me!

¹⁵What shall I say? He hath both spoken unto me, and Himself hath done it. I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul.

¹⁶O Lord, by these things men live, and in all these things is the life of my spirit; so wilt Thou recover me and make me to live.

¹⁷Behold, for peace I had great bitterness; but Thou hast in love for my soul delivered it from the pit of corruption, for Thou hast cast all my sins behind Thy back.

¹⁸For the grave cannot praise Thee, death can not celebrate Thee; they that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth.

¹⁹The living, the living, he shall praise Thee, as I do this day; the father to the children shall make known Thy truth.

²⁰The LORD was ready to save me; therefore we will sing my songs with the stringed instruments all the days of our life in the house of the LORD.

²¹For Isaiah had said, "Let them take a lump of figs and lay it for a plaster upon the boil, and he shall recover."

²²Hezekiah also had said, "What is the sign that I shall go up to the house of the LORD?"

39At that time Merodachbaladan, the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent letters and a present to Hezekiah; for he had heard that he had been sick and had recovered.

²And Hezekiah was glad with them, and showed them the house of his precious things -- the silver and the gold, and the spices and the precious ointment, and all the house of his armor, and all that was found in his treasures. There was nothing in his house nor in all his dominion that Hezekiah showed them not.

³Then came Isaiah the prophet unto King Hezekiah and said unto him, "What said these men? And from whence came they unto thee?" And Hezekiah said, "They have come from a far country unto me, even from Babylon."

⁴Then said he, "What have they seen in thine house?" And Hezekiah answered, "All that is in mine house have they seen. There is nothing among my treasures that I have not shown them."

⁵Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, "Hear the word of the LORD of hosts:

⁶'Behold, the days come that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left,' saith the LORD.

⁷'And of thy sons who shall issue from thee, whom thou shalt beget, they shall take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.'"

⁸Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, "Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken." He said moreover, "For there shall be peace and truth in my days."

40"Comfort ye, comfort ye My people," saith your God.

²"Speak ye comfortingly to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she hath received from the LORD'S hand double for all her sins."

³The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness: "Prepare ye the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

⁴Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain.

⁵And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

⁶The voice said, "Cry!" And he said, "What shall I cry?" "All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field.

⁷The grass withereth, the flower fadeth, because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass.

⁸The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever."

⁹O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, "Behold your God!"

¹⁰Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.

¹¹He shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

¹²Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance?

¹³Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being His counselor hath taught Him?

¹⁴With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and showed to Him the way of understanding?

¹⁵Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance; behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

¹⁶And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

¹⁷All nations before Him are as nothing, and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity.

¹⁸To whom then will ye liken God? Or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?

¹⁹The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold and casteth silver chains.

²⁰He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a skillful workman to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved.

²¹Have ye not known? Have ye not heard? Hath it not been told you from the beginning? Have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

²²It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers, who stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in,

²³who bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

²⁴Yea, they shall not be planted, yea, they shall not be sown; yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth. And He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

²⁵"To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal?" saith the Holy One.

²⁶Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, who bringeth out their host by number. He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for He is strong in power; not one faileth.

²⁷Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel: "My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God"?

²⁸Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? There is no searching of His understanding.

²⁹He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.

³⁰Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall;

³¹but they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.

41"Keep silence before Me, O islands, and let the people renew their strength; let them come near, then let them speak; let us come near together to judgment.

²"Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to His foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? He gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.

³He pursued them, and passed safely, even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.

⁴Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I, the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am He."

⁵The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.

⁶They helped every one his neighbor, and every one said to his brother, "Be of good courage."

⁷So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer, him that smote the anvil, saying, "It is ready for the soldering"; and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.

⁸"But thou, Israel, art My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend.

⁹Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, 'Thou art My servant; I have chosen thee and not cast thee away'--

¹⁰fear thou not, for I am with thee; be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of My righteousness.

¹¹Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded; they shall be as nothing, and they that strive with thee shall perish.

¹²Thou shalt seek them and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee. They that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.

¹³For I, the LORD thy God, will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, 'Fear not; I will help thee.'

¹⁴"Fear not, thou worm Jacob and ye men of Israel; I will help thee," saith the LORD and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵"Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth; thou shalt thresh the mountains and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.

¹⁶Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them; and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁷"When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none and their tongue faileth for thirst, I, the LORD, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.

¹⁸I will open rivers in high places and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water and the dry land springs of water.

¹⁹I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, and the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine and the box tree together,

²⁰that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

²¹"Produce your cause," saith the LORD; "bring forth your strong reasons," saith the King of Jacob.

²²"Let them bring them forth and show us what shall happen; let them show the former things, what they be, that we may consider them and know the latter end of them; or declare us things to come.

²³Show the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good or do evil, that we may be dismayed and behold it together.

²⁴Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought; an abomination is he that chooseth you.

²⁵"I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come; from the rising of the sun shall he call upon My name. And he shall come upon princes as upon mortar, and as the potter treadeth clay.

²⁶Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? And beforetime, that we may say, 'He is righteous'? Yea, there is none that showeth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.

²⁷The first shall say to Zion, 'Behold, behold them!' And I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.

²⁸For I beheld, and there was no man, even among them; and there was no counselor that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.

²⁹Behold, they are all vanity! Their works are nothing; their molten images are wind and confusion.

42"Behold My Servant, whom I uphold, Mine Elect, in whom My soul delighteth: I have put My Spirit upon Him; He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles.

²He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.

³A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench; He shall bring forth judgment unto truth.

⁴He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till He hath set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall wait for His law."

⁵Thus saith God the LORD--He that created the heavens and stretched them out, He that spread forth the earth and that which cometh out of it, He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein:

⁶"I, the LORD, have called Thee in righteousness, and will hold Thine hand, and will keep Thee, and give Thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

⁷to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.

⁸I am the LORD; that is My name. And My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.

⁹"Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare; before they spring forth I tell you of them."

¹⁰Sing unto the LORD a new song and His praise from the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea and all that is therein, the isles and the inhabitants thereof.

¹¹Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, the villages that Kedar doth inhabit. Let the inhabitants of the rock sing; let them shout from the top of the mountains.

¹²Let them give glory unto the LORD, and declare His praise in the islands.

¹³The LORD shall go forth as a mighty man; He shall stir up jealousy like a man of war. He shall cry, yea, roar; He shall prevail against His enemies.

¹⁴"I have long time held My peace; I have been still and refrained Myself. Now will I cry like a travailing woman; I will destroy and devour at once.

¹⁵I will make waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools.

¹⁶And I will bring the blind by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them.

¹⁷They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, 'Ye are our gods.'

¹⁸"Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.

¹⁹Who is blind, but My servant? Or deaf, as My messenger that I sent? Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the LORD's servant?"

²⁰seeing many things, but thou observest not, opening the ears, but he heareth not."

²¹The LORD is well pleased for His righteousness' sake; He will magnify the law and make it honorable.

²²But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses. They are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, "Restore."

²³Who among you will give ear to this? Who will hearken and hear for the time to come?

²⁴Who gave Jacob for a spoil and Israel to the robbers? Did not the LORD, He against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in His ways, neither were they obedient unto His law.

²⁵Therefore He hath poured upon him the fury of His anger and the strength of battle; and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart.

43But now thus saith the LORD who created thee, O Jacob, and He that formed thee, O Israel: "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee; I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine.

²When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.

³For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior; I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.

⁴Since thou wast precious in My sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee; therefore will I give men for thee and people for thy life.

⁵Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the east and gather thee from the west;

⁶I will say to the north,' Give up,' and to the south, 'Keep not back.' Bring My sons from far and My daughters from the ends of the earth,

⁷even every one that is called by My name: For I have created him for My glory; I have formed him; yea, I have made him."

⁸Bring forth the blind people that have eyes and the deaf that have ears.

⁹Let all the nations be gathered together, and let the people be assembled. Who among them can declare this and show us former things? Let them bring forth their witnesses, that they may be justified; or let them hear and say, "It is truth."

¹⁰"Ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, "and My servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me.

¹¹I, even I, am the LORD, and besides Me there is no savior.

¹²I have declared and have saved, and I have shown, when there was no strange god among you; therefore ye are My witnesses," saith the LORD, "that I am God.

¹³Yea, before the day was, I am He, and there is none that can deliver out of My hand; I will work, and who shall turn it back?"

¹⁴Thus saith the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "For your sake I have sent to Babylon and have brought down all their nobles, and the Chaldeans, whose cry is in the ships.

¹⁵I am the LORD, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King."

¹⁶Thus saith the LORD, who maketh a way in the sea and a path in the mighty waters,

¹⁷Who bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power (they shall lie down together, they shall not rise; they are extinct, they are quenched as tow):

¹⁸"Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.

¹⁹Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

²⁰The beast of the field shall honor Me, the dragons and the owls, because I give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen.

²¹This people have I formed for Myself; they shall show forth My praise.

²²"But thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob; but thou hast been weary of Me, O Israel.

²³Thou hast not brought Me the lambs or kids of thy burnt offerings, neither hast thou honored Me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense.

²⁴Thou hast bought Me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled Me with the fat of thy sacrifices. But thou hast made Me to serve with thy sins; thou hast wearied Me with thine iniquities.

²⁵"I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for Mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

²⁶Put Me in remembrance; let us plead together; declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.

²⁷Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against Me.

²⁸Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse and Israel to reproaches.

44"Yet now hear, O Jacob My servant, and Israel, whom I have chosen.

²Thus saith the LORD that made thee and formed thee from the womb, who will help thee: Fear not, O Jacob, My servant, and thou, Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.

³For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring.

⁴And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the watercourses.

⁵One shall say, 'I am the LORD's'; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand, 'Unto the LORD,' and surname himself by the name of Israel.

⁶"Thus saith the LORD, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the First, and I am the Last, and besides Me there is no God.

⁷And who, as I, shall call and shall declare it, and set it in order for Me, since I appointed the ancient people? And the things that are coming and shall come, let them show unto them.

⁸Fear ye not, neither be afraid. Have not I told thee from that time and have declared it? Ye are even My witnesses. Is there a God besides Me? Yea, there is no God. I know not any."

⁹They that make a graven image are all of them vanity, and their delectable things shall not profit. And they are their own witnesses; they see not nor know, that they may be ashamed.

¹⁰Who hath formed a god, or molten a graven image that is profitable for nothing?

¹¹Behold, all his fellows shall be ashamed; and the workmen, they are of men. Let them all be gathered together; let them stand up; yet they shall fear, and they shall be ashamed together.

¹²The smith with the tongs both worketh in the coals, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his arms. Yea, he is hungry, and his strength faileth; he drinketh no water and is faint.

¹³The carpenter stretcheth out his rule; he marketh it out with a line. He fitteth it with planes, and he marketh it out with the compass, and maketh it after the figure of a man, according to the beauty of a man, that it may remain in the house.

¹⁴He heweth him down cedars, and taketh the cypress and the oak, which he strengtheneth for himself among the trees of the forest. He planteth an ash, and the rain doth nourish it.

¹⁵Then shall it be for a man to burn, for he will take thereof and warm himself. Yea, he kindleth it, and baketh bread; yea, he maketh a god, and worshipeth it; he maketh it a graven image, and falleth down thereto.

¹⁶He burneth part thereof in the fire; with part thereof he eateth flesh; he roasteth roast and is satisfied. Yea, he warmeth himself and saith, "Aha, I am warm; I have seen the fire."

¹⁷And the residue thereof he maketh a god, even his graven image. He falleth down unto it and worshipeth it, and prayeth unto it and saith, "Deliver me, for thou art my god."

¹⁸They have not known nor understood; for He hath shut their eyes, that they cannot see, and their hearts, that they cannot understand.

¹⁹And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, "I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh and eaten it. And shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? Shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?"

²⁰He feedeth on ashes: a deceived heart hath turned him aside, that he cannot deliver his soul nor say, "Is there not a lie in my right hand?"

²¹"Remember these, O Jacob and Israel, for thou art My servant. I have formed thee; thou art My servant. O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten by Me.

²²I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins; return unto Me, for I have redeemed thee."

²³Sing, O ye heavens, for the LORD hath done it! Shout, ye lower parts of the earth! Break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest and every tree therein; for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified Himself in Israel.

²⁴"Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb: I am the LORD that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself;

²⁵that frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad, that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish;

²⁶that confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers, that saith to Jerusalem, 'Thou shalt be inhabited,' and to the cities of Judah, 'Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof';

²⁷that saith to the deep, 'Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers';

²⁸that saith of Cyrus, 'He is My shepherd and shall perform all My pleasure,' even saying to Jerusalem, 'Thou shalt be built,' and to the temple, 'Thy foundation shall be laid.'

45"Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings to open before him the twoleaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut:

²I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron.

³And I will give thee the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, who call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.

⁴For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel Mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name; I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known Me.

⁵I am the LORD, and there is none else; there is no God besides Me. I girded thee, though thou hast not known Me,

⁶that they may know from the rising of the sun and from the west that there is none besides Me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

⁷I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I, the LORD, do all these things.

⁸"Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together. I, the LORD, have created it.

⁹"Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! Let the potsherd strive with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth it, 'What makest thou?' or thy work, 'He hath no hands'?

¹⁰Woe unto him that saith unto his father, 'What begettest thou?' or to the woman, 'What hast thou brought forth?'

¹¹"Thus saith the LORD, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: Ask Me of things to come concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command ye Me.

¹²I have made the earth and created man upon it; I, even My hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

¹³I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will direct all his ways; he shall build My city, and he shall let go My captives, not for price nor reward, saith the LORD of hosts."

¹⁴Thus saith the LORD: "The labor of Egypt and merchandise of Ethiopia and of the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine. They shall come after thee; in chains they shall come over, and they shall fall down unto thee; they shall make supplication unto thee, saying, 'Surely God is in thee, and there is none else; there is no god.'"

¹⁵Verily Thou art a God who hidest Thyself, O God of Israel, the Savior.

¹⁶They shall be ashamed and also confounded, all of them; they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols.

¹⁷But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation; ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

¹⁸For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens, God Himself that formed the earth and made it--He hath established it, He created it not in vain, He formed it to be inhabited: "I am the LORD, and there is none else.

¹⁹I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I said not unto the seed of Jacob, 'Seek ye Me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak righteousness; I declare things that are right.

²⁰"Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations. They have no knowledge, who set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

²¹Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together. Who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And there is no God else besides Me, a just God and a Savior. There is none besides Me.

²²"Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else.

²³I have sworn by Myself; the word is gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.

²⁴Surely, shall one say, 'In the LORD have I righteousness and strength. Even to Him shall men come, and all that are incensed against Him shall be ashamed.

²⁵In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.'"

46Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth; their idols were upon the beasts and upon the cattle. Your carriages were heavy laden; they are a burden to the weary beast.

²They stoop, they bow down together; they could not deliver the burden, but themselves are gone into captivity.

³"Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel, who are borne by Me from the belly, who are carried from the womb:

⁴And even to your old age I am He, and even to hoary hairs will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.

⁵"To whom will ye liken Me and make Me equal, and compare Me, that we may be like?

⁶They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith, and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

⁷They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him and set him in his place, and he standeth. From his place shall he not remove; yea, one shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer nor save him out of his trouble.

⁸"Remember this, and show yourselves men; bring it again to mind, O ye transgressors.

⁹Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is none other; I am God, and there is none like Me,

¹⁰declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, 'My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure,'

¹¹calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executeth My counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have purposed it, I will also do it.

¹²"Hearken unto Me, ye stouthearted, that are far from righteousness:

¹³I bring near My righteousness; it shall not be far off, and My salvation shall not tarry; and I will place salvation in Zion for Israel My glory.

47"Come down and sit in the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground. There is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans! For thou shalt no more be called tender and delicate.

²Take the millstones and grind meal; uncover thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers.

³Thy nakedness shall be uncovered; yea, thy shame shall be seen; I will take vengeance, and I will not meet thee as a man."

⁴As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel.

⁵"Sit thou silent, and get thee into darkness, O daughter of the Chaldeans; for thou shalt no more be called the Lady of Kingdoms.

⁶I was wroth with My people, I have polluted Mine inheritance and given them into thine hand. Thou didst show them no mercy; upon the ancient hast thou very heavily laid thy yoke.

⁷And thou saidst, 'I shall be a lady for ever,' so that thou didst not lay these things to thy heart, neither didst remember the latter end of it.

⁸"Therefore hear now this, thou that art given to pleasures, who dwellest carelessly, who sayest in thine heart, 'I am, and none else besides me; I shall not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.'

⁹But these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day: the loss of children, and widowhood. They shall come upon thee in their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries, and for the great abundance of thine enchantments.

¹⁰For thou hast trusted in thy wickedness; thou hast said, 'None seeth me.' Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath perverted thee; and thou hast said in thine heart, 'I am, and none else besides me.'

¹¹Therefore shall evil come upon thee; thou shalt not know from whence it riseth. And mischief shall fall upon thee; thou shalt not be able to put it off. And desolation shall come upon thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know.

¹²"Stand now with thine enchantments and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail.

¹³Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels. Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators stand up and save thee from these things that shall come upon thee.

¹⁴Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them; they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame; there shall not be a coal to warm at, nor fire to sit before it.

¹⁵Thus shall they be unto thee with whom thou hast labored, even thy merchants, from thy youth; they shall wander every one to his quarter. None shall save thee.

48"Hear ye this, O house of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel and have come forth out of the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of the LORD and make mention of the God of Israel, but not in truth nor in righteousness;

²for they call themselves of the holy city and stand themselves upon the God of Israel--the LORD of Hosts is His name:

³I have declared the former things from the beginning; and they went forth out of My mouth, and I showed them; I did them suddenly, and they came to pass.

⁴Because I knew that thou art obstinate, and thy neck is an iron sinew and thy brow brass,

⁵I have even from the beginning declared it to thee; before it came to pass I showed it thee, lest thou shouldest say, 'Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them.'

⁶Thou hast heard; see all this, and will not ye declare it? I have shown thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them.

⁷They are created now and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not, lest thou shouldest say, 'Behold, I knew them.'

⁸Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not, yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously and wast called a transgressor from the womb.

⁹"For My name's sake will I defer Mine anger, and for My praise will I refrain for thee, that I cut thee not off.

¹⁰Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.

¹¹For Mine own sake, even for Mine own sake, will I do it; for how should My name be polluted? And I will not give My glory unto another.

¹²"Hearken unto Me, O Jacob and Israel, My called: I am He; I am the First, I also am the Last.

¹³Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens; when I call unto them, they stand up together.

¹⁴"All ye, assemble yourselves and hear. Who among them hath declared these things? The LORD hath loved him; He will do His pleasure on Babylon, and His arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

¹⁵I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him; I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

¹⁶"Come ye near unto Me; hear ye this: I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord GOD and His Spirit hath sent Me."

¹⁷Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: "I am the LORD thy God who teacheth thee to profit, who leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldest go.

¹⁸O that thou hadst hearkened to My commandments! Then had thy peace been as a river and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea.

¹⁹Thy seed also had been as the sand, and the offspring of thy loins like the gravel thereof; his name should not have been cut off nor destroyed from before Me."

²⁰Go ye forth from Babylon! Flee ye from the Chaldeans! With a voice of singing declare ye; tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, "The LORD hath redeemed His servant Jacob."

²¹And they thirsted not when He led them through the deserts; He caused the waters to flow out of the rock for them; He cleaved the rock also, and the waters gushed out.

²²"There is no peace," saith the LORD, "unto the wicked."

49"Listen, O isles, unto Me, and hearken, ye people from afar! The LORD hath called Me from the womb; from the bowels of My mother hath He made mention of My name.

²And He hath made My mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid Me, and made Me a polished shaft. In His quiver hath He hid Me,

³and said unto Me, 'Thou art My servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.'

⁴Then I said, 'I have labored in vain; I have spent My strength for nought and in vain; yet surely My judgment is with the LORD, and My work with My God.'"

⁵"And now saith the LORD that formed Me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, though Israel be not gathered--yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and My God shall be My strength"

⁶and He said: 'It is a light thing that Thou shouldest be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel. I will also give Thee for a light to the Gentiles, that Thou mayest be My salvation unto the end of the earth.'"

⁷Thus saith the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, and His Holy One, to Him whom man despiseth, to Him whom the nation abhorreth, to a Servant of rulers: "Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel; and He shall choose Thee."

⁸Thus saith the LORD: "In an acceptable time have I heard Thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped Thee; and I will preserve Thee and give Thee for a covenant of the people, to establish the earth, to cause to inherit the desolate heritages,

⁹that Thou mayest say to the prisoners, 'Go forth,' to them that are in darkness, 'Show yourselves.' "They shall feed on the paths, and their pastures shall be in all high places.

¹⁰They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them; for He that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall He guide them.

¹¹And I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted.

¹²Behold, these shall come from far--and lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim."

¹³Sing, O heavens, and be joyful, O earth! And break forth into singing, O mountains! For the LORD hath comforted His people, and will have mercy upon His afflicted.

¹⁴But Zion said, "The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me."

¹⁵"Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

¹⁶Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.

¹⁷Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth from thee.

¹⁸Lift up thine eyes round about and behold; all these gather themselves together and come to thee. As I live," saith the LORD, "thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all as with an ornament, and bind them on thee as a bride doeth.

¹⁹For thy waste and thy desolate places and the land of thy destruction shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away.

²⁰The children whom thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, 'The place is too narrow for me; give place to me that I may dwell.'

²¹Then shalt thou say in thine heart, 'Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children and am desolate, a captive and removing to and fro? And who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?'"

²²Thus saith the Lord GOD: "Behold, I will lift up Mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up My standard to the people; and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders.

²³And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: They shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet. And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me."

²⁴Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

²⁵But thus saith the LORD: "Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

²⁶And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh, and they shall be drunken with their own blood as with sweet wine. And all flesh shall know that I, the LORD, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob."

50Thus saith the LORD: "Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? Or which of My creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

²Why, when I came, was there no man? When I called, was there none to answer? Is My hand shortened at all, that it cannot redeem? Or have I no power to deliver? Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish stink because there is no water, and dieth for thirst.

³I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering.

⁴"The Lord GOD hath given Me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary. He wakeneth morning by morning; He wakeneth Mine ear to hear as the learned.

⁵The Lord GOD hath opened Mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.

⁶I gave My back to the smiters and My cheeks to them that plucked off the hair; I hid not My face from shame and spitting.

⁷For the Lord GOD will help Me, therefore shall I not be confounded; therefore have I set My face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

⁸He is near that justifieth Me. Who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is Mine adversary? Let him come near to Me.

⁹Behold, the Lord GOD will help Me. Who is he that shall condemn Me? Lo, they all shall wax old as a garment; the moth shall eat them up.

¹⁰"Who is among you that feareth the LORD, that obeyeth the voice of His Servant, that walketh in darkness and hath no light? Let him trust in the name of the LORD, and stay upon his God.

¹¹Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks! Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have from Mine hand: ye shall lie down in sorrow.

51"Hearken to Me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit from whence ye are dug.

²Look unto Abraham your father and unto Sarah that bore you; for I called him alone, and blessed him and increased him.

³For the LORD shall comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places, and He will make her wilderness like Eden and her desert like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.

⁴"Hearken unto Me, My people, and give ear unto Me, O My nation; for a law shall proceed from Me, and I will make My judgment to rest as a light of the people.

⁵My righteousness is near; My salvation is gone forth, and Mine arms shall judge the people. The isles shall wait upon Me, and on Mine arm shall they trust.

⁶Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath; for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But My salvation shall be for ever, and My righteousness shall not be abolished.

⁷"Hearken unto Me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is My law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.

⁸For the moth shall eat them up like a garment, and the worm shall eat them like wool; but My righteousness shall be for ever, and My salvation from generation to generation."

⁹Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art Thou not It that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon?

¹⁰Art Thou not It which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep, that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

¹¹Therefore the redeemed of the LORD shall return and come with singing unto Zion, and everlasting joy shall be upon their head. They shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

¹²"I, even I, am He that comforteth you. Who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of a man that shall die, and of the son of man who shall be made as grass,

¹³and forgettest the LORD thy Maker, who hath stretched forth the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth, and hast feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? And where is the fury of the oppressor?

¹⁴The captive exile hasteneth that he may be loosed, that he should not die in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.

¹⁵But I am the LORD thy God, who divided the sea whose waves roared; The LORD of hosts is His name.

¹⁶And I have put My words in thy mouth and I have covered thee in the shadow of Mine hand, that I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth, and say unto Zion, 'Thou art My people.'"

¹⁷Awake, awake! Stand up, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk at the hand of the LORD the cup of His fury; thou hast drunk the dregs of the cup of trembling and wrung them out.

¹⁸There is none to guide her among all the sons whom she hath brought forth; neither is there any that taketh her by the hand of all the sons that she hath brought up.

¹⁹These two things are come unto thee--who shall be sorry for thee?" desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword" by whom shall I comfort thee?

²⁰Thy sons have fainted; they lie at the head of all the streets, as a wild bull in a net; they are full of the fury of the LORD, the rebuke of thy God.

²¹Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, but not with wine.

²²Thus saith thy Lord the LORD, and thy God that pleadeth the cause of His people: "Behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, even the dregs of the cup of My fury; thou shalt no more drink it again.

²³But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee, who have said to thy soul, 'Bow down, that we may go over.' And thou hast laid thy body as the ground, and as the street to them that went over."

52Awake, awake! Put on thy strength, O Zion! Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city! For henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

²Shake thyself from the dust; arise, and sit down, O Jerusalem. Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

³For thus saith the LORD: "Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money."

⁴For thus saith the Lord GOD: "My people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause.

⁵Now therefore, what have I here," saith the LORD, "that My people are taken away for nought? They that rule over them make them to howl," saith the LORD, "and My name continually every day is blasphemed.

⁶Therefore My people shall know My name; therefore they shall know in that day that I am He that doth speak. Behold, it is I."

⁷How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, "Thy God reigneth!"

⁸Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye, when the LORD shall bring again Zion.

⁹Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the LORD hath comforted His people, He hath redeemed Jerusalem.

¹⁰The LORD hath made bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.

¹¹Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the LORD.

¹²For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight: for the LORD will go before you; and the God of Israel will be your rearward.

¹³"Behold, My Servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high.

¹⁴As many as were astonished at thee--His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men"

¹⁵so shall He sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at Him. For that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider."

53Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed?

²For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him.

³He is despised and rejected of men, a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. And we hid as it were our faces from Him; He was despised, and we esteemed Him not.

⁴Surely He hath borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

⁵But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed.

⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, yet He opened not his mouth; He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter; and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth.

⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment; and who shall declare His generation? For He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of My people was He stricken.

⁹And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth.

¹⁰Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief. When thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in His hand.

¹¹He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.

¹²Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great, and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because He hath poured out His soul unto death. And He was numbered with the transgressors; and He bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.

54"Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear! Break forth into singing and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child! For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife," saith the LORD.

²Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes.

³For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.

⁴"Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more.

⁵For thy Maker is thine husband" the LORD of hosts is His name" and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall He be called.

⁶For the LORD hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused," saith thy God.

⁷"For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee.

⁸In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the LORD thy Redeemer.

⁹"For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee.

¹⁰For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of My peace be removed," saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.

¹¹"O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors and lay thy foundations with sapphires.

¹²And I will make thy windows of agates and thy gates of rubies, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.

¹³And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD, and great shall be the peace of thy children.

¹⁴In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression, for thou shalt not fear; and from terror, for it shall not come near thee.

¹⁵Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me; whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake.

¹⁶Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the waster to destroy.

¹⁷No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me," saith the LORD.

55"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no money, come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.

²Why do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.

³Incline your ear, and come unto Me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.

⁴Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.

⁵Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee shall run unto thee because of the LORD thy God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for He hath glorified thee."

⁶Seek ye the LORD while He may be found, call ye upon Him while He is near.

⁷Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return unto the LORD, and He will have mercy upon him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.

⁸"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," saith the LORD.

⁹"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.

¹⁰For as the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater,

¹¹so shall My word be that goeth forth out of My mouth: It shall not return unto Me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

¹²"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.

¹³Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree; and it shall be to the LORD for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

56Thus saith the LORD, "Keep ye judgment, and do justice; for My salvation is near to come, and My righteousness to be revealed.

²Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on it; who keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil."

³Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, "The LORD hath utterly separated me from His people"; neither let the eunuch say, "Behold, I am a dry tree."

⁴For thus saith the LORD: "Unto the eunuchs that keep My Sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and take hold of My covenant,

⁵even unto them will I give in Mine house and within My walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

⁶Also the sons of the stranger that join themselves to the LORD to serve Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant,

⁷even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon Mine altar, for Mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people."

⁸The Lord GOD which gathereth the outcasts of Israel saith, "Yet will I gather others to him, beside those that are gathered unto him."

⁹All ye beasts of the field, come to devour, yea, all ye beasts in the forest.

¹⁰His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant; they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark, sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber.

¹¹Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand; they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

¹²"Come ye," say they, "I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant."

57The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.

²He shall enter into peace; they shall rest in their beds, each one walking in his uprightness.

³"But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore.

⁴Against whom do ye sport yourselves? Against whom make ye a wide mouth and draw out the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood,

⁵inflaming yourselves with idols under every green tree, slaying the children in the valleys under the clefts of the rocks?

⁶Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot. Even to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?

⁷Upon a lofty and high mountain hast thou set thy bed; even thither wentest thou up to offer sacrifice.

⁸Behind the doors also and the posts hast thou set up thy remembrance; for thou hast uncovered thyself to another than Me, and art gone up; thou hast enlarged thy bed and made thee a covenant with them; thou lovedst their bed where thou sawest it.

⁹And thou wentest to the king with ointment, and didst increase thy perfumes, and didst send thy messengers far off, and didst debase thyself even unto hell.

¹⁰Thou art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, 'There is no hope.' Thou hast found the life of thine hand; therefore thou wast not grieved.

¹¹"And of whom hast thou been afraid or feared, that thou hast lied, and hast not remembered Me, nor laid it to thy heart? Have not I held My peace even of old, and thou fearest Me not?

¹²I will declare thy righteousness and thy works, for they shall not profit thee.

¹³When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall carry them all away, vanity shall take them. But he that putteth his trust in Me shall possess the land, and shall inherit My holy mountain,

¹⁴And shall say, 'Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way; take up the stumbling block out of the way of My people.'"

¹⁵For thus saith the high and lofty One who inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: "I dwell in the high and holy place with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

¹⁶For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth; for the spirit should fail before Me, and the souls which I have made.

¹⁷For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him; I hid Me and was wroth, and he went on waywardly in the way of his heart.

¹⁸I have seen his ways and will heal him; I will lead him also, and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners.

¹⁹I create the fruit of the lips; peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near," saith the LORD; "and I will heal him.

²⁰"But the wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt.

²¹There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked."

58"Cry aloud, spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet! And show My people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins.

²Yet they seek Me daily and delight to know My ways, as a nation that did righteousness and forsook not the ordinance of their God. They ask of Me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God.

³'Why have we fasted,' say they, 'and Thou seest not? Why have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no note?' Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labors.

⁴Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness; ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high.

⁵Is it such a fast that I have chosen? A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD?

⁶"Is not this the fast that I have chosen: to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?

⁷Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house?--when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?

⁸Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rearward.

⁹Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, 'Here I am.' If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger and speaking vanity,

¹⁰and if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity and thy darkness be as the noonday.

¹¹And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.

¹²And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places; thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations, and thou shalt be called the Repairer of the Breach, the Restorer of Paths to dwell in.

¹³"If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honorable, and shalt honor Him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words,

¹⁴then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father; for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it."

59Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither His ear heavy, that it cannot hear.

²But your iniquities have separated you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He will not hear.

³For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness.

⁴None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth; they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.

⁵They hatch adders' eggs and weave the spider's web; he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.

⁶Their webs shall not become garments, neither shall they cover themselves with their works; their works are works of iniquity, and the act of violence is in their hands.

⁷Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity; wasting and destruction are in their paths.

⁸The way of peace they know not, and there is no judgment in their goings; they have made them crooked paths; whosoever goeth therein shall not know peace.

⁹Therefore is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us; we wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in darkness.

¹⁰We grope for the wall like the blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes; we stumble at noonday as in the night; we are in desolate places as dead men.

¹¹We all roar like bears, and mourn sore like doves; we look for judgment, but there is none; for salvation, but it is far off from us.

¹²For our transgressions are multiplied before Thee, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and as for our iniquities, we know them:

¹³in transgressing and lying against the LORD, and departing away from our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood.

¹⁴And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off; for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

¹⁵Yea, truth faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And the LORD saw it, and it displeased Him that there was no judgment.

¹⁶And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his arm brought salvation unto Him, and his righteousness, it sustained Him.

¹⁷For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon His head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

¹⁸According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompense.

¹⁹So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

²⁰"And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob," saith the LORD.

²¹"As for me, this is my covenant with them," saith the LORD; "My spirit that is upon thee, and My words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed," saith the LORD, "from henceforth and for ever."

60Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.

²For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people; but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee.

³And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

⁴"Lift up thine eyes round about and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

⁵Then thou shalt see and flow together, and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged, because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

⁶The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of the LORD.

⁷All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up with acceptance on Mine altar, and I will glorify the house of My glory.

⁸"Who are these that fly as a cloud and as the doves to their windows?

⁹Surely the isles shall wait for Me--and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because He hath glorified thee.

¹⁰"And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee; for in My wrath I smote thee, but in My favor have I had mercy on thee.

¹¹Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night, that men may bring unto thee the wealth of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.

¹²For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.

¹³The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together to beautify the place of My sanctuary; and I will make the place of My feet glorious.

¹⁴The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee, and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁵"Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

¹⁶Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings; and thou shalt know that I the LORD, am thy Savior and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

¹⁷"For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood, brass, and for stones, iron. I will also make thy officers peace and thine exactors righteousness.

¹⁸Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation and thy gates Praise.

¹⁹The sun shall be no more thy light by day, neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee; but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory.

²⁰Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

²¹Thy people also shall be all righteous; they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified.

²²A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation; I, the LORD, will hasten it in his time."

61"The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound,

²To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn,

³To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified."

⁴And they shall build the wastes of old, they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the desolations of many generations.

⁵And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.

⁶But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD; men shall call you the Ministers of our God. Ye shall eat the riches of the Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.

⁷For your shame ye shall have double, and for confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess the double; everlasting joy shall be unto them.

⁸"For I, the LORD, love judgment; I hate robbery for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.

⁹And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles and their offspring among the people; all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed."

¹⁰I will greatly rejoice in the LORD; my soul shall be joyful in my God. For He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

¹¹For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

62For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.

²And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory; and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name.

³Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.

⁴Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken, neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate; but thou shalt be called Hephzibah and thy land Beulah: for the LORD delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.

⁵For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee; and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

⁶"I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace day nor night." Ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence,

⁷and give Him no rest till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

⁸The LORD hath sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength: "Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies, and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine for which thou hast labored;

⁹but they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the LORD; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness."

¹⁰Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people. Cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people.

¹¹Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world: "Say ye to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with Him, and His work before Him.'"

¹²And they shall call them the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and thou shalt be called Sought Out, a City Not Forsaken.

63Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save."

²Why art thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine vat?

³"I have trodden the wine press alone; and of the people there was none with Me. For I will tread them in Mine anger and trample them in My fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My raiment.

⁴For the day of vengeance is in Mine heart, and the year of My redeemed is come.

⁵And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold. Therefore Mine own arm brought salvation unto Me, and My fury, it upheld Me.

⁶And I will tread down the people in Mine anger, and make them drunk in My fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth."

⁷I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He hath bestowed on them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His lovingkindnesses.

⁸For He said, "Surely they are My people, children that will not lie"; so He was their Savior.

⁹In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them, and He bore them, and carried them all the days of old.

¹⁰But they rebelled and vexed His holy Spirit; therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them.

¹¹Then He remembered the days of old, Moses and His people, saying, "Where is He that brought them up out of the sea with the shepherd of His flock? Where is He that put His holy Spirit within him,

¹²That led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the water before them to make Himself an everlasting name,

¹³that led them through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness, that they should not stumble?"

¹⁴As a beast goeth down into the valley, the Spirit of the LORD caused him to rest; so didst Thou lead Thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name.

¹⁵Look down from heaven, and behold from the habitation of Thy holiness and of Thy glory. Where is Thy zeal and Thy strength, the sounding of Thy heart and of Thy mercies toward me? Are they restrained?

¹⁶Doubtless Thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us and Israel acknowledge us not. Thou, O LORD, art our father, our Redeemer; Thy name is from everlasting.

¹⁷O LORD, why hast Thou made us to err from Thy ways, and hardened our heart from Thy fear? Return for Thy servants' sake, the tribes of Thine inheritance.

¹⁸The people of thy holiness have possessed it but a little while; our adversaries have trodden down thy sanctuary.

¹⁹We are Thine; Thou didst never bear rule over them; they were not called by Thy name.

64Oh, that Thou wouldest rend the heavens, that Thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at Thy presence--

²as when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil-- to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at Thy presence!

³When Thou didst fearsome things which we looked not for, Thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at Thy presence.

⁴For since the beginning of the world men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, besides thee, what He hath prepared for him that waiteth for Him.

⁵Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember Thee in Thy ways. Behold, Thou art wroth, for we have sinned; in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

⁶But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

⁷And there is none that calleth upon Thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold of Thee; for Thou hast hid Thy face from us, and hast consumed us because of our iniquities.

⁸But now, O LORD, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand.

⁹Be not sorely wroth, O LORD, neither remember iniquity for ever; behold, see, we beseech Thee, we are all Thy people.

¹⁰Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.

¹¹Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with fire; and all our pleasant things are laid waste.

¹²Wilt Thou refrain Thyself for these things, O LORD? Wilt Thou hold Thy peace and afflict us very sore?

65"I am sought of them that asked not for Me; I am found of them that sought Me not. I said, 'Behold Me, behold Me,' unto a nation that was not called by My name.

²I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts;

³A people that provoketh Me to anger continually to My face, that sacrificeth in gardens and burneth incense upon altars of brick;

⁴who remain among the graves and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

⁵who say, 'Stand by thyself; come not near to me, for I am holier than thou!' These are a smoke in My nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

⁶Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense--even recompense into their bosom"

⁷your iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together," saith the LORD, "who have burned incense upon the mountains and blasphemed Me upon the hills; therefore will I measure their former work into their bosom."

⁸Thus saith the LORD, "As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, 'Destroy it not, for a blessing is in it,' so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.

⁹And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains; and Mine elect shall inherit it, and My servants shall dwell there.

¹⁰And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the Valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for My people that have sought Me.

¹¹"But ye are they that forsake the LORD, that forget My holy mountain, that prepare a table for that Gad, and that furnish the drink offering unto that Meni.

¹²Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spoke, ye did not hear, but did evil before Mine eyes and did choose that wherein I delighted not."

¹³Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, "Behold, My servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; behold, My servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, My servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed.

¹⁴Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit.

¹⁵And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto My chosen, for the Lord GOD shall slay thee and call His servants by another name,

¹⁶that he who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of truth, and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of truth, because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hid from Mine eyes.

¹⁷"For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.

¹⁸But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy.

¹⁹And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in My people; and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.

²⁰There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old; but the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.

²¹And they shall build houses and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards and eat the fruit of them.

²²They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for as the days of a tree are the days of My people, and Mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

²³They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

²⁴And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

²⁵The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock; and dust shall be the serpent's meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," saith the LORD."

66Thus saith the LORD, "The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is the house that ye build unto Me? And where is the place of My rest?

²For all those things hath Mine hand made, and all those things have been," saith the LORD. "But to this man will I look: even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at My word.

³"He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an idol-- yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations.

⁴I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them, because when I called, none did answer, when I spoke, they did not hear; but they did evil before Mine eyes and chose that in which I delighted not."

⁵Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at His word: "Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for My name's sake, said, 'Let the LORD be glorified, when He shall appear to your joy'; and they shall be ashamed."

⁶A voice of noise from the city, a voice from the temple, a voice of the LORD that rendereth recompense to His enemies.

⁷"Before she travailed, she brought forth; before her pain came, she was delivered of a manchild.

⁸Who hath heard such a thing? Who hath seen such things? Shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth her children.

⁹Shall I bring to birth and not cease to bring forth?" saith the LORD. "Shall I cause to bring forth, and shut the womb?" saith thy God.

¹⁰"Rejoice ye with Jerusalem, and be glad with her, all ye that love her; rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn for her;

¹¹that ye may suck, and be satisfied with the breasts of her consolations; that ye may milk out, and be delighted with the abundance of her glory."

¹²For thus saith the LORD, "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the Gentiles like a flowing stream; then shall ye suck, ye shall be borne upon her sides, and be dandled upon her knees.

¹³As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort you; and ye shall be comforted in Jerusalem.

¹⁴And when ye see this, your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall flourish like an herb; and the hand of the LORD shall be known toward His servants, and His indignation toward His enemies.

¹⁵For behold, the LORD will come with fire, and with His chariots like a whirlwind, to render His anger with fury and His rebuke with flames of fire.

¹⁶For by fire and by His sword will the LORD plead with all flesh; and the slain of the LORD shall be many.

¹⁷"They that sanctify themselves and purify themselves in the gardens behind one tree in the midst, eating swine's flesh and the abomination and the mouse, shall be consumed together," saith the LORD.

¹⁸"For I know their works and their thoughts. It shall come that I will gather all nations and tongues, and they shall come and see My glory.

¹⁹And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those of them who escape unto the nations: to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud who draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off who have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the Gentiles.

²⁰And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the LORD out of all nations, upon horses and in chariots and in litters, and upon mules and upon swift beasts, to My holy mountain Jerusalem," saith the LORD, "as the children of Israel bring an offering in a clean vessel into the house of the LORD.

²¹And I will also take of them for priests and for Levites," saith the LORD.

²²"For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me," saith the LORD, "so shall your seed and your name remain.

²³And it shall come to pass that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me," saith the LORD.

²⁴"And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against Me; "for their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched; and they shall be an abhorring unto all flesh."

1The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests who were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin,

²to whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, in the thirteenth year of his reign.

³It came also in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah the son of Josiah, king of Judah, unto the carrying away of Jerusalem captive in the fifth month.

⁴Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

⁵"Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee, and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

⁶Then said I, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child."

⁷But the LORD said unto me, "Say not, 'I am a child,' for thou shalt go to all whom I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.

⁸Be not afraid of their faces, for I am with thee to deliver thee," saith the LORD.

⁹Then the LORD put forth His hand and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, "Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth.

¹⁰See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out and to pull down, and to destroy and to throw down, to build and to plant."

¹¹Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, "Jeremiah, what seest thou?" And I said, "I see a rod of an almond tree."

¹²Then said the LORD unto me, "Thou hast well seen, for I will hasten My word to perform it."

¹³And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying, "What seest thou?" And I said, "I see a seething pot, and the face thereof is toward the north."

¹⁴Then the LORD said unto me, "Out of the north an evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the land.

¹⁵For lo, I will call all the families of the kingdoms of the north," saith the LORD; "and they shall come and they shall set every one his throne at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem, and against all the walls thereof round about, and against all the cities of Judah.

¹⁶And I will utter My judgments against them concerning all their wickedness, who have forsaken Me, and have burned incense unto other gods, and worshiped the works of their own hands.

¹⁷Thou therefore gird up thy loins, and arise and speak unto them all that I command thee. Be not dismayed at their faces, lest I confound thee before them.

¹⁸For behold, I have made thee this day a fortified city, and an iron pillar, and brazen walls against the whole land -- against the kings of Judah, against the princes thereof, against the priests thereof, and against the people of the land.

¹⁹And they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with thee," saith the LORD, "to deliver thee."

2Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

²"Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD: "'I remember thee, the kindness of thy youth, the love of thine espousals, when thou wentest after Me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

³Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of His increase. All that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them,'" saith the LORD.

⁴Hear ye the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob, and all the families of the house of Israel.

⁵Thus saith the LORD: "What iniquity have your fathers found in Me, that they are gone far from Me, and have walked after vanity, and have become vain?

⁶Neither said they, 'Where is the LORD that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death, through a land that no man passed through and where no man dwelt?'

⁷And I brought you into a plentiful country to eat the fruit thereof and the goodness thereof; but when ye entered, ye defiled My land and made Mine heritage an abomination.

⁸The priests said not, 'Where is the LORD?' And they that handle the law knew Me not; the pastors also transgressed against Me; and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit.

⁹"Therefore I will yet plead with you," saith the LORD, "and with your children's children will I plead.

¹⁰For pass over to the isles of Chittim and see; and send unto Kedar and consider diligently, and see if there be such a thing.

¹¹Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods? But My people have changed their Glory for that which doth not profit.

¹²Be astonished, O ye heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid; be ye very desolate," saith the LORD.

¹³"For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, and hewn them out cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.

¹⁴"Is Israel a servant? Is he a homeborn slave? Why is he despoiled?

¹⁵The young lions roared at him and yelled, and they made his land waste; his cities are burned without inhabitant.

¹⁶Also the children of Noph and Tahpanhes have broken the crown of thy head.

¹⁷Hast thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God when He led thee by the way?

¹⁸And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? Or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river?

¹⁹Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee. Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast forsaken the LORD thy God, and that the fear of Me is not in thee," saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

²⁰"For of olden time I have broken thy yoke and burst thy bonds; and thou saidst, 'I will not transgress,' when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.

²¹Yet I had planted thee, a noble vine, wholly a right seed. How then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto Me?

²²For though thou wash thee with soda and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me," saith the Lord GOD.

²³"How canst thou say, 'I am not polluted; I have not gone after the Baalim'? See thy way in the valley; know what thou hast done. Thou art a swift dromedary traversing her ways,

²⁴a wild ass used to the wilderness, that snuffeth up the wind at her pleasure. In her need who can turn her away? All they that seek her will not weary themselves; in her month they shall find her.

²⁵Withhold thy foot from being unshod, and thy throat from thirst. But thou saidst, 'There is no hope; no, for I have loved strangers, and after them will I go.'

²⁶"As the thief is ashamed when he is found, so is the house of Israel ashamed--they, their kings, their princes, and their priests and their prophets,

²⁷saying to a stock, 'Thou art my father,' and to a stone, 'Thou hast brought me forth.' For they have turned their back unto Me, and not their face; but in the time of their trouble they will say, 'Arise, and save us!'

²⁸But where are thy gods that thou hast made thee? Let them arise if they can save thee in the time of thy trouble; for according to the number of thy cities are thy gods, O Judah.

²⁹"Why will ye plead with Me? Ye all have transgressed against Me," saith the LORD.

³⁰"In vain have I smitten your children; they received no correction. Your own sword hath devoured your prophets like a destroying lion.

³¹O generation, see ye the word of the LORD! Have I been a wilderness unto Israel? A land of darkness? Why say My people, 'We are lords; we will come no more unto Thee'?

³²Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? Yet My people have forgotten Me days without number.

³³Why readiest thou thy way to seek love? Therefore hast thou also taught the wicked ones thy ways.

³⁴Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents; I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.

³⁵Yet thou sayest, 'Because I am innocent, surely His anger shall turn from me.' Behold, I will plead with thee because thou sayest, 'I have not sinned.'

³⁶Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? Thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast ashamed of Assyria.

³⁷Yea, thou shalt go forth from him with thine hands upon thine head; for the LORD hath rejected thy confidences, and thou shalt not prosper in them.

3"They say, 'If a man put away his wife, and she go from him and become another man's, shall he return unto her again? Shall not that land be greatly polluted?' But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again to Me," saith the LORD.

²"Lift up thine eyes unto the high places, and see where hast thou not been lain with. By the wayside hast thou sat for them, as the Arabian in the wilderness; and thou hast polluted the land with thy whoredoms and with thy wickedness.

³Therefore the showers have been withheld, and there hath been no latter rain. And thou had a whore's forehead; thou refused to be ashamed.

⁴Wilt thou not from this time cry unto Me, 'My Father, Thou art the guide of my youth?

⁵Will He reserve His anger for ever? Will He keep it to the end?' Behold, thou hast spoken, and done evil things as thou couldest."

⁶The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king: "Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? She hath gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.

⁷And I said after she had done all these things, 'Return thou unto Me.' But she returned not, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.

⁸And I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.

⁹And it came to pass, because she made so light of her whoredom, that she defiled the land and committed adultery with stones and with stocks.

¹⁰And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto Me with her whole heart, but feignedly," saith the LORD.

¹¹And the LORD said unto me, "The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah.

¹²Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say: "'Return, thou backsliding Israel,' saith the LORD, 'and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful,' saith the LORD, 'and I will not keep anger for ever.

¹³Only acknowledge thine iniquity: that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed My voice,' saith the LORD.

¹⁴'Turn, O backsliding children,' saith the LORD, 'for I am married unto you; and I will take you, one from a city and two from a family, and I will bring you to Zion.

¹⁵And I will give you pastors according to Mine heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.'

¹⁶"And it shall come to pass when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days," saith the LORD, "they shall say no more, 'The ark of the covenant of the LORD.' Neither shall it come to mind, neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it, neither shall that be done any more.

¹⁷At that time they shall call Jerusalem the Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem; neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.

¹⁸In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

¹⁹"But I said, 'How shall I put thee among the children and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations?' And I said, 'Thou shalt call Me "My Father," and shalt not turn away from Me.'

²⁰Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel," saith the LORD.

²¹A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplications of the children of Israel; for they have perverted their way, and they have forgotten the LORD their God.

²²"Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings." "Behold, we come unto Thee, for Thou art the LORD our God.

²³Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and from the multitude of mountains. Truly in the LORD our God is the salvation of Israel.

²⁴For shame hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth -- their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters.

²⁵We lie down in our shame, and our confusion covereth us; for we have sinned against the LORD our God, we and our fathers, from our youth even unto this day, and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God."

4"If thou wilt return, O Israel," saith the LORD, "return unto Me; and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of My sight, then shalt thou not be removed.

²And thou shalt swear, 'The LORD liveth,' in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they glory."

³For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem: "Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns.

⁴Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem, lest My fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

⁵"Declare ye in Judah and publish in Jerusalem, and say, 'Blow ye the trumpet in the land!' Cry, gather together and say, 'Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the fortified cities!'

⁶Set up the standard toward Zion. Retire, stay not! For I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction."

⁷The lion has come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way. He has gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant.

⁸For this, gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl; for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us.

⁹"And it shall come to pass at that day," saith the LORD, "that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder."

¹⁰Then said I, "Ah, Lord GOD! Surely Thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, 'Ye shall have peace,' whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul."

¹¹At that time shall it be said to this people and to Jerusalem: "A dry wind of the high places in the wilderness toward the daughter of My people -- not to fan, nor to cleanse --

¹²even a full wind from those places shall come unto Me. Now also will I give sentence against them."

¹³Behold, he shall come up as clouds, and his chariots shall be as a whirlwind. His horses are swifter than eagles! Woe unto us, for we are despoiled!

¹⁴O Jerusalem, wash thine heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee?

¹⁵For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from Mount Ephraim:

¹⁶"Make ye mention to the nations. Behold, publish against Jerusalem that watchers come from a far country and give out their voice against the cities of Judah.

¹⁷As keepers of a field are they against her round about, because she hath been rebellious against Me," saith the LORD.

¹⁸"Thy way and thy doings have procured these things unto thee: this is thy wickedness, because it is bitter, because it reacheth unto thine heart."

¹⁹My heart, my heart! I am pained at my very heart! My heart maketh a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because thou hast heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.

²⁰Destruction upon destruction is cried, for the whole land is despoiled; suddenly are my tents despoiled, and my curtains in a moment.

²¹How long shall I see the standard, and hear the sound of the trumpet?

²²"For My people are foolish, they have not known Me; they are sottish children, and they have no understanding. They are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge."

²³I beheld the earth, and lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light.

²⁴I beheld the mountains, and lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

²⁵I beheld, and lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.

²⁶I beheld, and lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD and by His fierce anger.

²⁷For thus hath the LORD said: "The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.

²⁸For this shall the earth mourn, and the heavens above be black, because I have spoken it; I have purposed it and will not repent, neither will I turn back from it.

²⁹The whole city shall flee for the noise of the horsemen and bowmen; they shall go into thickets and climb up upon the rocks; every city shall be forsaken, and not a man dwell therein.

³⁰And when thou art despoiled, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with crimson, though thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, though thou rendest thy face with painting, in vain shalt thou make thyself fair. Thy lovers will despise thee; they will seek thy life.

³¹For I have heard a voice as of a woman in travail, and the anguish as of her that bringeth forth her first child, the voice of the daughter of Zion that bewaileth herself, that spreadeth her hands, saying, 'Woe is me now, for my soul is wearied because of murderers!'

5"Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now and know, and seek in the broad places thereof if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth, and I will pardon it.

²And though they say, 'The LORD liveth,' surely they swear falsely."

³O LORD, are not Thine eyes upon the truth? Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction. They have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

⁴Therefore I said, "Surely these are poor, they are foolish; for they know not the way of the LORD, nor the judgment of their God.

⁵I will get me unto the great men, and will speak unto them; for they have known the way of the LORD, and the judgment of their God." But these have altogether broken the yoke, and burst the bonds.

⁶Therefore a lion out of the forest shall slay them, and a wolf of the evenings shall despoil them; a leopard shall watch over their cities. Every one that goeth out thence shall be torn in pieces, because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings are increased.

⁷"How shall I pardon thee for this? Thy children have forsaken Me, and sworn by them that are no gods. When I had fed them to the full, they then committed adultery and assembled themselves by troops in the harlots' houses.

⁸They were as fed horses in the morning; every one neighed after his neighbor's wife.

⁹Shall I not visit for these things?" saith the LORD. "And shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

¹⁰"Go ye up upon her walls and destroy, but make not a full end; take away her battlements, for they are not the LORD'S.

¹¹For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously against Me," saith the LORD.

¹²They have belied the LORD, and said, "It is not He; neither shall evil come upon us, neither shall we see sword nor famine.

¹³And the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them; thus shall it be done unto them."

¹⁴Therefore, thus saith the LORD God of hosts: "Because ye speak this word, behold, I will make My words in thy mouth fire, and this people wood, and it shall devour them.

¹⁵Lo, I will bring a nation upon you from afar, O house of Israel," saith the LORD. "It is a mighty nation, it is an ancient nation, a nation whose language thou knowest not, neither understandest what they say.

¹⁶Their quiver is as an open sepulcher; they are all mighty men.

¹⁷And they shall eat up thine harvest and thy bread, which thy sons and thy daughters should eat; they shall eat up thy flocks and thine herds; they shall eat up thy vines and thy fig trees. They shall impoverish thy fortified cities, wherein thou trusted, with the sword.

¹⁸"Nevertheless in those days," saith the LORD, "I will not make a full end with you.

¹⁹And it shall come to pass when ye shall say, 'Why doeth the LORD our God all these things unto us?' Then shalt thou answer them, 'As ye have forsaken Me and served strange gods in your land, so shall ye serve strangers in a land that is not yours.'

²⁰"Declare this in the house of Jacob, and publish it in Judah, saying:

²¹Hear now this, O foolish people and without understanding, who have eyes and see not, who have ears and hear not:

²²Fear ye not Me?" saith the LORD. "Will ye not tremble at My presence, who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea by a perpetual decree, that it cannot pass it; and though the waves thereof toss themselves, yet can they not prevail; though they roar, yet can they not pass over it?

²³But this people hath a revolting and a rebellious heart; they have revolted and gone.

²⁴Neither say they in their heart, 'Let us now fear the LORD our God, who giveth rain, both the former and the latter in his season; He reserveth unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.'

²⁵Your iniquities have turned away these things, and your sins have withheld good things from you.

²⁶For among My people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men.

²⁷As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit; therefore they have become great and have waxed rich.

²⁸They have waxed fat, they shine; yea, they surpass the deeds of the wicked; they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge.

²⁹Shall I not visit for these things?" saith the LORD. "Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

³⁰"An astonishing and horrible thing is committed in the land:

³¹The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and My people love to have it so. And what will ye do in the end thereof?

6"O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem! And blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem! For evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

²I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman.

³The shepherds with their flocks shall come unto her; they shall pitch their tents against her round about; they shall feed every one in his place."

⁴"Prepare ye war against her! Arise, and let us go up at noon. Woe unto us! For the day goeth away, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out.

⁵Arise, and let us go by night, and let us destroy her palaces."

⁶For thus hath the LORD of hosts said: "Hew ye down trees, and cast a mound against Jerusalem. This is the city to be visited; she is wholly oppression in the midst of her.

⁷As a fountain casteth out her waters, so she casteth out her wickedness. Violence and spoil are heard in her; before Me continually are grief and wounds.

⁸Be thou instructed, O Jerusalem, lest My soul depart from thee; lest I make thee desolate, a land not inhabited."

⁹Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "They shall thoroughly glean the remnant of Israel as a vine; turn back thine hand as a grapegatherer into the baskets."

¹⁰To whom shall I speak and give warning, that they may hear? Behold, their ear is uncircumcised and they cannot hearken; behold, the word of the LORD is unto them a reproach; they have no delight in it.

¹¹Therefore I am full of the fury of the LORD; I am weary with holding in. "I will pour it out upon the children abroad, and upon the assembly of young men together; for even the husband with the wife shall be taken, the aged with him that is full of days.

¹²And their houses shall be turned unto others, with their fields and wives together; for I will stretch out My hand upon the inhabitants of the land," saith the LORD.

¹³"For from the least of them even unto the greatest of them, every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest, every one dealeth falsely.

¹⁴They have healed also the hurt of the daughter of My people slightingly, saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace.

¹⁵Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore they shall fall among them that fall; at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down," saith the LORD.

¹⁶Thus saith the LORD: "Stand ye in the highways and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way; and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk therein.'

¹⁷Also I set watchmen over you, saying, 'Hearken to the sound of the trumpet!' But they said, 'We will not hearken.'

¹⁸Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them.

¹⁹Hear, O earth: Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto My words nor to My law, but rejected it.

²⁰To what purpose cometh there to Me incense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices sweet unto Me."

²¹Therefore thus saith the LORD: "Behold, I will lay stumbling blocks before this people, and the fathers and the sons together shall fall upon them; the neighbor and his friend shall perish."

²²Thus saith the LORD: "Behold, a people cometh from the north country, and a great nation shall be raised from the sides of the earth.

²³They shall lay hold on bow and spear; they are cruel and have no mercy. Their voice roareth like the sea; and they ride upon horses set in array as men for war against thee, O daughter of Zion."

²⁴We have heard the fame thereof; our hands wax feeble. Anguish hath taken hold of us, and pain as of a woman in travail.

²⁵Go not forth into the field nor walk by the way, for the sword of the enemy and fear is on every side.

²⁶O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and wallow thyself in ashes. Make thee mourning, as for an only son, most bitter lamentation; for the despoiler shall suddenly come upon us.

²⁷"I have set thee as a tower and a fortress among My people, that thou mayest know and try their way.

²⁸They are all grievous revolters, walking with slanders; they are brass and iron; they are all corrupters.

²⁹The bellows are burned, the lead is consumed by the fire; the founder melteth in vain, for the wicked are not plucked away.

³⁰Reprobate silver shall men call them, because the LORD hath rejected them."

7The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:

²"Stand in the gate of the LORD'S house, and proclaim there this word and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, who enter in at these gates to worship the LORD!

³Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place.

⁴Trust ye not in lying words, saying, "The temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD, the temple of the LORD are these."

⁵For if ye thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if ye thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor,

⁶if ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt,

⁷then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever.

⁸"'Behold, ye trust in lying words that cannot profit.

⁹Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not,

¹⁰and come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, "We are delivered" -- to do all these abominations?

¹¹Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.

¹²"'But go ye now unto My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel.

¹³And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spoke unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not, and I called you, but ye answered not,

¹⁴therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by My name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.

¹⁵And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.'

¹⁶Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer for them, neither make intercession to Me; for I will not hear thee.

¹⁷"Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

¹⁸The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke Me to anger.

¹⁹Do they provoke Me to anger? saith the LORD. Do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces?

²⁰Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, Mine anger and My fury shall be poured out upon this place -- upon man and upon beast, and upon the trees of the field, and upon the fruit of the ground; and it shall burn and shall not be quenched.

²¹"'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Put your burnt offerings unto your sacrifices and eat flesh.

²²For I spoke not unto your fathers nor commanded them, in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices.

²³But this thing commanded I them, saying, "Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be My people; and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you."

²⁴But they hearkened not nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward and not forward.

²⁵Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day, I have even sent unto you all My servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them.

²⁶Yet they hearkened not unto Me nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck; they did worse than their fathers.'

²⁷"Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them, but they will not hearken to thee; thou shalt also call unto them, but they will not answer thee.

²⁸But thou shalt say unto them, 'This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the LORD their God, nor receiveth correction. Truth has perished and is cut off from their mouth.

²⁹"'Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the LORD hath rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath.

³⁰"'For the children of Judah have done evil in My sight, saith the LORD. They have set their abominations in the house which is called by My name, to pollute it.

³¹And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire, which I commanded them not, neither came it into My heart.

³²Therefore behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter; for they shall bury in Tophet till there be no place.

³³And the carcasses of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall frighten them away.

³⁴Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride; for the land shall be desolate.

8"'At that time, saith the LORD, they shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem out of their graves.

²And they shall spread them before the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought, and whom they have worshiped. They shall not be gathered nor be buried: they shall be for dung upon the face of the earth.

³And death shall be chosen rather than life by all the residue of them that remain of this evil family, who remain in all the places whither I have driven them, saith the LORD of hosts.'

⁴"Moreover thou shalt say unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD: "'Shall they fall and not arise? Shall he turn away and not return?

⁵Why then has this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? They hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.

⁶I hearkened and heard, but they spoke not aright; no man repented of his wickedness, saying, "What have I done?" Every one turned to his course, as the horse rusheth into the battle.

⁷Yea, the stork in the heaven knoweth her appointed times; and the turtle and the crane and the swallow observe the time of their coming; but My people know not the judgment of the LORD.

⁸"'How do ye say, "We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us"? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain.

⁹The wise men are ashamed; they are dismayed and taken. Lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD: and what wisdom is in them?

¹⁰Therefore will I give their wives unto others, and their fields to them that shall inherit them. For every one from the least even unto the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely.

¹¹For they have healed the hurt of the daughter of My people slightingly, saying "Peace, peace," when there is no peace.

¹²Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush. Therefore shall they fall among them that fall; in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the LORD.

¹³"'I will surely consume them, saith the LORD. There shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree, and the leaf shall fade; and the things that I have given them shall pass away from them.'"

¹⁴Why do we sit still? Assemble yourselves, and let us enter into the fortified cities, and let us be silent there. For the LORD our God hath put us to silence, and given us water of gall to drink, because we have sinned against the LORD.

¹⁵We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold, trouble!

¹⁶The snorting of His horses was heard from Dan; the whole land trembled at the sound of the neighing of His strong ones. For they have come and have devoured the land and all that is in it, the city and those that dwell therein.

¹⁷"For behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you," saith the LORD.

¹⁸When I would comfort myself against sorrow, my heart is faint within me.

¹⁹Behold the voice of the cry of the daughter of my people, because of them that dwell in a far country: "Is not the LORD in Zion? Is not her King in her?" "Why have they provoked Me to anger with their graven images and with strange vanities?"

²⁰"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!"

²¹For the hurt of the daughter of my people am I hurt; I am black; astonishment hath taken hold on me.

²²Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of my people recovered?

9Oh, that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!

²Oh, that I had in the wilderness a lodging place for wayfaring men, that I might leave my people, and go from them! For they are all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.

³"And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies, but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not Me," saith the LORD.

⁴"Take ye heed every one of his neighbor, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbor will walk with slanders.

⁵And they will deceive every one his neighbor, and will not speak the truth. They have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.

⁶Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know Me," saith the LORD.

⁷Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts: "Behold, I will melt them and try them; for how else shall I do for the daughter of My people?

⁸Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbor with his mouth, but in heart he lieth in wait.

⁹Shall I not visit them for these things?" saith the LORD. "Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this?"

¹⁰For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast have fled; they are gone.

¹¹"And I will make Jerusalem heaps and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant."

¹²Who is the wise man that may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of the LORD hath spoken, that he may declare it? For why has the land perished and burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through?

¹³And the LORD saith, "Because they have forsaken My law which I set before them, and have not obeyed My voice, neither walked therein,

¹⁴but have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after the Baalim, which their fathers taught them."

¹⁵Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood and give them water of gall to drink.

¹⁶I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known; and I will send a sword after them till I have consumed them."

¹⁷Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "Consider ye, and call for the mourning women, that they may come; and send for skillful women, that they may come.

¹⁸And let them make haste and take up a wailing for us, that our eyes may run down with tears and our eyelids gush out with waters.

¹⁹For a voice of wailing is heard out of Zion: 'How are we despoiled! We are greatly confounded, because we have forsaken the land, because our dwellings have cast us out.'"

²⁰Yet hear the word of the LORD, O ye women, and let your ear receive the word of His mouth, and teach your daughters wailing, and every one her neighbor lamentation.

²¹For death is come up into our windows, and is entered into our palaces, to cut off the children from without, and the young men from the streets.

²²Speak, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Even the carcasses of men shall fall as dung upon the open field, and as the handful after the harvestman, and none shall gather them.'"

²³Thus saith the LORD: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might; let not the rich man glory in his riches.

²⁴But let him that glorieth glory in this: that he understandeth and knoweth Me, that I am the LORD who exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth; for in these things I delight," saith the LORD.

²⁵"Behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that I will punish all them that are circumcised with the uncircumcised--

²⁶Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Moab, and all that are in the utmost corners, that dwell in the wilderness. For all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart."

10Hear ye the word which the LORD speaketh unto you, O house of Israel.

²Thus saith the LORD: "Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

³For the customs of the people are vain; for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.

⁴They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

⁵They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not; they must be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them, for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good."

⁶Inasmuch as there is none like unto Thee, O LORD--Thou art great, and Thy name is great in might"

⁷who would not fear Thee, O King of nations? For to Thee doth it appertain, inasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto Thee.

⁸But they are altogether brutish and foolish; the stock is a doctrine of vanities.

⁹Silver beaten into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman and of the hands of the founder. Blue and purple is their clothing; they are all the work of skillful men.

¹⁰But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and an everlasting King. At His wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide His indignation.

¹¹"Thus shall ye say unto them: 'The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth and from under these heavens.'"

¹²He hath made the earth by His power; He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by His discretion.

¹³When He uttereth His voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He maketh lightning with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries.

¹⁴Every man is brutish in his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

¹⁵They are vanity and the work of errors; in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

¹⁶The portion of Jacob is not like them, for He is the Former of all things; and Israel is the rod of His inheritance; the LORD of hosts is His name.

¹⁷Gather up thy wares out of the land, O inhabitant of the fortress.

¹⁸For thus saith the LORD: "Behold, I will sling out the inhabitants of the land this once, and will distress them, that they may find it so."

¹⁹Woe is me for my hurt! My wound is grievous; but I said, "Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it."

²⁰My tabernacle is despoiled, and all my cords are broken; my children are gone forth from me, and they are no more; there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.

²¹For the pastors are become brutish, and have not sought the LORD; therefore they shall not prosper, and all their flocks shall be scattered.

²²Behold, the noise of the clamor is come, and a great commotion out of the north country, to make the cities of Judah desolate, and a den of dragons.

²³O LORD, I know that the way of man is not in himself; it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

²⁴O LORD, correct me, but with judgment, not in Thine anger, lest Thou bring me to nothing.

²⁵Pour out Thy fury upon the heathen that know Thee not, and upon the families that call not on Thy name; for they have eaten up Jacob, and devoured him and consumed him, and have made his habitation desolate.

11The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

²"Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;

³and say thou unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,

⁴which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt from the iron furnace, saying, "Obey My voice, and do them, according to all which I command you; so shall ye be My people and I will be your God,"

⁵that I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day.'" Then answered I, and said, "So be it, O LORD."

⁶Then the LORD said unto me, "Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, 'Hear ye the words of this covenant and do them.

⁷For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, "Obey My voice."

⁸Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart. Therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do, but they did them not.'"

⁹And the LORD said unto me, "A conspiracy is found among the men of Judah and among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

¹⁰They have turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, who refused to hear My words, and they went after other gods to serve them. The house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken My covenant which I made with their fathers.

¹¹Therefore thus saith the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto Me, I will not hearken unto them.

¹²Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense; but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble.

¹³For according to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to that shameful thing, even altars to burn incense unto Baal.'

¹⁴"Therefore pray not thou for this people, neither lift up a cry or prayer for them; for I will not hear them in the time that they cry unto Me for their trouble.

¹⁵What hath My beloved to do in Mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? When thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.

¹⁶The LORD called thy name, 'A Green Olive Tree,' fair and of goodly fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He hath kindled fire upon it, and the branches of it are broken.

¹⁷For the LORD of hosts, who planted thee, hath pronounced evil against thee for the evil of the house of Israel and of the house of Judah, which they have done against themselves to provoke Me to anger in offering incense unto Baal."

¹⁸And the LORD hath given me knowledge of it, and I know it; then Thou showed me their doings.

¹⁹But I was like a lamb or an ox that is brought to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered."

²⁰But, O LORD of hosts, who judgest righteously, who triest the reins and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance on them, for unto Thee have I revealed my cause.

²¹"Therefore thus saith the LORD of the men of Anathoth, who seek thy life, saying, 'Prophesy not in the name of the LORD, that thou die not by our hand'--

²²therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts: 'Behold, I will punish them: the young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine.

²³And there shall be no remnant of them; for I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, even the year of their visitation.'"

12Righteous art Thou, O LORD, when I plead with Thee; yet let me talk with Thee of Thy judgments: Why doth the way of the wicked prosper? Why are all they happy that deal very treacherously?

²Thou hast planted them, yea, they have taken root; they grow, yea, they bring forth fruit. Thou art near in their mouth, but far from their reins.

³But Thou, O LORD, knowest me; Thou hast seen me and tried mine heart toward Thee. Pull them out like sheep for the slaughter, and prepare them for the day of slaughter.

⁴How long shall the land mourn and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? The beasts are consumed, and the birds, because they said, "He shall not see our last end."

⁵"If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?

⁶For even thy brethren and the house of thy father, even they have dealt treacherously with thee; yea, they have called a multitude after thee; believe them not, though they speak fair words unto thee.

⁷"I have forsaken Mine house, I have left Mine heritage; I have given the dearly beloved of My soul into the hand of her enemies.

⁸Mine heritage is unto Me as a lion in the forest: it crieth out against Me; therefore have I hated it.

⁹Mine heritage is unto Me as a speckled bird: the birds round about are against her. Come ye, assemble all the beasts of the field; come to devour.

¹⁰Many pastors have destroyed My vineyard, they have trodden My portion under foot, they have made My pleasant portion a desolate wilderness.

¹¹They have made it desolate, and being desolate it mourneth unto Me; the whole land is made desolate, because no man layeth it to heart.

¹²The despoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness; for the sword of the LORD shall devour from the one end of the land even to the other end of the land. No flesh shall have peace.

¹³They have sown wheat, but shall reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain, but shall not profit; and they shall be ashamed of your produce because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

¹⁴"Thus saith the LORD against all Mine evil neighbors, who touch the inheritance which I have caused My people Israel to inherit: Behold, I will pluck them out of their land, and pluck out the house of Judah from among them.

¹⁵And it shall come to pass after I have plucked them out, I will return and have compassion on them, and will bring them back, every man to his heritage and every man to his land.

¹⁶And it shall come to pass, if they will diligently learn the ways of My people, to swear by My name, 'The LORD liveth,' as they taught My people to swear by Baal, then shall they be built in the midst of My people.

¹⁷But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation," saith the LORD.

13Thus saith the LORD unto me, "Go and get thee a linen girdle, and put it upon thy loins, and put it not in water."

²So I got a girdle according to the word of the LORD and put it on my loins.

³And the word of the LORD came unto me the second time, saying,

⁴"Take the girdle that thou hast got, which is upon thy loins, and arise, go to the Euphrates and hide it there in a hole of the rock."

⁵So I went and hid it by the Euphrates, as the LORD commanded me.

⁶And it came to pass after many days, that the LORD said unto me, "Arise, go to the Euphrates and take the girdle from thence, which I commanded thee to hide there."

⁷Then I went to the Euphrates and dug, and took the girdle from the place where I had hid it; and behold, the girdle was marred; it was profitable for nothing.

⁸Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

⁹"Thus saith the LORD: 'In this manner will I mar the pride of Judah and the great pride of Jerusalem.

¹⁰This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who walk in the stubbornness of their heart, and walk after other gods to serve them and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle which is good for nothing.

¹¹For as the girdle cleaveth to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto Me the whole house of Israel and the whole house of Judah,' saith the LORD, 'that they might be unto Me as a people, and as a name, and as praise, and as glory; but they would not hear.'

¹²"Therefore thou shalt speak unto them this word: 'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: Every bottle shall be filled with wine.' And they shall say unto thee, 'Do we not certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine?'

¹³Then shalt thou say unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will fill all the inhabitants of this land -- even the kings that sit upon David's throne, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem -- with drunkenness.

¹⁴And I will dash them one against another, even the fathers and the sons together,' saith the LORD. 'I will not pity, nor spare, nor have mercy, but shall destroy them.'"

¹⁵Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud, for the LORD hath spoken.

¹⁶Give glory to the LORD your God before He cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, He turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness.

¹⁷But if ye will not hear it, my soul shall weep in secret places for your pride; and mine eye shall weep sore, and run down with tears, because the LORD's flock is carried away captive.

¹⁸Say unto the king and to the queen, "Humble yourselves, sit down; for your principalities shall come down, even the crown of your glory."

¹⁹The cities of the South shall be shut up, and none shall open them. Judah shall be carried away captive, all of it; it shall be wholly carried away captive.

²⁰Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north. Where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?

²¹What wilt thou say when He shall punish thee? For thou hast taught them to be captains, and as chief over thee. Shall not sorrows take thee, as a woman in travail?

²²And if thou say in thine heart, "Why come these things upon me?"--for the greatness of thine iniquity are thy skirts uncovered, and thy heels made bare.

²³Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.

²⁴"Therefore will I scatter them as the stubble that passeth away by the wind of the wilderness.

²⁵This is thy lot, the portion of thy measures from Me," saith the LORD; "because thou hast forgotten Me, and trusted in falsehood.

²⁶Therefore will I uncover thy skirts upon thy face, that thy shame may appear.

²⁷I have seen thine adulteries and thy neighings, the lewdness of thy whoredom and thine abominations on the hills in the fields. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be?"

14The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth:

²"Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground, and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up.

³And their nobles have sent their little ones to the waters; they came to the pits and found no water; they returned with their vessels empty; they were ashamed and confounded, and covered their heads.

⁴Because the ground is chapped, for there was no rain in the earth, the plowmen were ashamed; they covered their heads.

⁵Yea, the hind also calved in the field and forsook it, because there was no grass.

⁶And the wild asses stood in the high places; they snuffed up the wind like dragons; their eyes failed, because there was no grass."

⁷O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do Thou it for Thy name's sake; for our backslidings are many; we have sinned against Thee.

⁸O the Hope of Israel, the Savior thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night?

⁹Why shouldest Thou be as a man amazed, as a mighty man that cannot save? Yet Thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, and we are called by Thy name; leave us not.

¹⁰Thus saith the LORD unto this people: "Thus have they loved to wander; they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the LORD doth not accept them; He will now remember their iniquity and visit their sins."

¹¹Then said the LORD unto me, "Pray not for this people for their good.

¹²When they fast, I will not hear their cry; and when they offer burnt offering and an oblation, I will not accept them; but I will consume them by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence."

¹³Then said I, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, the prophets say unto them, 'Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine, but I will give you assured peace in this place.'"

¹⁴Then the LORD said unto me, "The prophets prophesy lies in My name. I sent them not, neither have I commanded them, neither spoke unto them. They prophesy unto you a false vision and divination, and a thing of nought and the deceit of their heart.

¹⁵Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning the prophets that prophesy in My name, whom I sent not, yet they say, 'Sword and famine shall not be in this land': By sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed.

¹⁶And the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem because of the famine and the sword; and they shall have none to bury them -- them, their wives, nor their sons, nor their daughters -- for I will pour their wickedness upon them.

¹⁷"Therefore thou shalt say this word unto them: 'Let mine eyes run down with tears night and day, and let them not cease; for the virgin daughter of my people is broken with a great breach, with a very grievous blow.

¹⁸If I go forth into the field, then behold, the slain with the sword! And if I enter into the city, then behold, them that are sick with famine! Yea, both the prophet and the priest go about into a land that they know not.'"

¹⁹Hast Thou utterly rejected Judah? Hath Thy soul loathed Zion? Why hast Thou smitten us, and there is no healing for us? We looked for peace, and there is no good; and for the time of healing, and behold, trouble!

²⁰We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness and the iniquity of our fathers; for we have sinned against Thee.

²¹Do not abhor us, for Thy name's sake; do not disgrace the throne of Thy glory; remember, break not Thy covenant with us.

²²Are there any among the vanities of the Gentiles that can cause rain? Or can the heavens give showers? Art not Thou He, O LORD our God? Therefore we will wait upon Thee, for Thou hast made all these things.

15Then said the LORD unto me, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me, yet My mind could not be toward this people. Cast them out of My sight, and let them go forth.

²And it shall come to pass, if they say unto thee, 'Whither shall we go forth?' then thou shalt tell them, 'Thus saith the LORD: "'Such as are for death, to death; and such as are for the sword, to the sword; and such as are for the famine, to the famine; and such as are for the captivity, to the captivity.'

³"And I will appoint over them four kinds," saith the LORD: "the sword to slay, and the dogs to tear, and the fowls of the heaven and the beasts of the earth to devour and destroy.

⁴And I will cause them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for that which he did in Jerusalem.

⁵"For who shall have pity upon thee, O Jerusalem? Or who shall bemoan thee? Or who shall go aside to ask how thou doest?

⁶Thou hast forsaken Me," saith the LORD, "thou art gone backward; therefore will I stretch out My hand against thee and destroy thee; I am weary with repenting.

⁷And I will winnow them with a fan in the gates of the land; I will bereave them of children; I will destroy My people, since they return not from their ways.

⁸Their widows are increased to Me above the sand of the seas; I have brought upon them, against the mother of the young men, a despoiler at noonday; I have caused him to fall upon it suddenly, and terrors upon the city.

⁹She that hath borne seven languisheth; she hath given up the ghost. Her sun is gone down while it was yet day; she hath been ashamed and confounded; and the residue of them will I deliver to the sword before their enemies," saith the LORD.

¹⁰Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me, a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth! I have neither lent on usury, nor have men lent to me on usury; yet every one of them doth curse me.

¹¹The LORD said, "Verily it shall be well with thy remnant; verily I will cause the enemy to deal with thee well in the time of evil and in the time of affliction.

¹²"Shall iron break the northern iron and the steel?

¹³Thy substance and thy treasures will I give as the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.

¹⁴And I will make thee to pass with thine enemies into a land which thou knowest not; for a fire is kindled in Mine anger, which shall burn upon you."

¹⁵O LORD, Thou knowest; remember me and visit me, and avenge me on my persecutors. Take me not away in Thy longsuffering; know that for Thy sake I have suffered rebuke.

¹⁶Thy words were found, and I ate them; and Thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart; for I am called by Thy name, O LORD God of hosts.

¹⁷I sat not in the assembly of the mockers, nor rejoiced; I sat alone because of Thy hand, for Thou hast filled me with indignation.

¹⁸Why is my pain perpetual and my wound incurable, which refuseth to be healed? Wilt Thou be altogether unto me as a liar and as waters that fail?

¹⁹Therefore thus saith the LORD: "If thou return, then will I bring thee back, and thou shalt stand before Me; and if thou take forth the precious from the vile, thou shalt be as My mouth. Let them return unto thee, but return not thou unto them.

²⁰And I will make thee unto this people a fortified brazen wall, and they shall fight against thee; but they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with thee to save thee and to deliver thee," saith the LORD.

²¹"And I will deliver thee out of the hand of the wicked, and I will redeem thee out of the hand of the terrible."

16The word of the LORD came also unto me, saying,

²"Thou shalt not take thee a wife, neither shalt thou have sons or daughters in this place."

³For thus saith the LORD concerning the sons and concerning the daughters who are born in this place, and concerning their mothers who bore them, and concerning their fathers who begot them in this land:

⁴"They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried, but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth. And they shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven and for the beasts of the earth."

⁵For thus saith the LORD: "Enter not into the house of mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people," saith the LORD, "even lovingkindness and mercies.

⁶Both the great and the small shall die in this land. They shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them.

⁷Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother.

⁸Thou shalt not also go into the house of feasting to sit with them to eat and to drink."

⁹For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will cause to cease out of this place, in your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride.

¹⁰"And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt show this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, 'Why hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? Or what is our iniquity? Or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?'

¹¹Then shalt thou say unto them, 'Because your fathers have forsaken Me,' saith the LORD, 'and have walked after other gods and have served them, and have worshiped them, and have forsaken Me, and have not kept My law.

¹²And ye have done worse than your fathers, for behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto Me.

¹³Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night, where I will not show you favor.'

¹⁴"Therefore behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that it shall no more be said, 'The LORD liveth who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

¹⁵but, 'the LORD liveth who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither He had driven them.' And I will bring them back into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

¹⁶"Behold, I will send for many fishers," saith the LORD, "and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

¹⁷For Mine eyes are upon all their ways. They are not hid from My face, neither is their iniquity hid from Mine eyes.

¹⁸And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double, because they have defiled My land; they have filled Mine inheritance with the carcasses of their detestable and abominable things."

¹⁹O LORD, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto Thee from the ends of the earth and shall say, "Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit."

²⁰Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?

²¹"Therefore behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know Mine hand and My might; and they shall know that My name is the LORD.

17"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron and with the point of a diamond. It is engraved upon the tablet of their heart and upon the horns of your altars,

²whilst their children remember their altars and their wooden idols by the green trees upon the high hills.

³O My mountain in the field, I will give thy substance and all thy treasures to the spoil, and thy high places for sin throughout all thy borders.

⁴And thou, even thyself, shalt discontinue from thine heritage that I gave thee; and I will cause thee to serve thine enemies in the land which thou knowest not; for ye have kindled a fire in Mine anger which shall burn for ever."

⁵Thus saith the LORD: "Cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.

⁶For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh, but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.

⁷"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.

⁸For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be disquieted in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

⁹The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?

¹⁰"I, the LORD, search the heart; I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings."

¹¹As the partridge sitteth on eggs and hatcheth them not, so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

¹²A glorious high throne from the beginning is the place of our sanctuary.

¹³O LORD, the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed. "And they that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the LORD, the fountain of living waters."

¹⁴Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for Thou art my praise.

¹⁵Behold, they say unto me, "Where is the word of the LORD? Let it come now."

¹⁶As for me, I have not hastened from being a pastor to follow Thee; neither have I desired the woeful day, Thou knowest; that which came out of my lips was right before Thee.

¹⁷Be not a terror unto me; Thou art my hope in the day of evil.

¹⁸Let them be confounded that persecute me, but let not me be confounded; let them be dismayed, but let not me be dismayed. Bring upon them the day of evil, and destroy them with double destruction.

¹⁹Thus said the LORD unto me: "Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in and by which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;

²⁰and say unto them, 'Hear ye the word of the LORD, ye kings of Judah and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem that enter in by these gates.

²¹Thus saith the LORD: Take heed for yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;

²²neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the Sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the Sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.

²³But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear nor receive instruction.

²⁴"'And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto Me, saith the LORD, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day to do no work therein,

²⁵then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they and their princes, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and this city shall remain for ever.

²⁶And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the South, bringing burnt offerings and sacrifices, and meat offerings and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise unto the house of the LORD.

²⁷But if ye will not hearken unto Me to hallow the Sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched.'"

18The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

²"Arise and go down to the potter's house, and there I will cause thee to hear My words."

³Then I went down to the potter's house, and behold, he wrought a work on the wheels.

⁴And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make it.

⁵Then the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

⁶"O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this potter?" saith the LORD. "Behold, as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are ye in Mine hand, O house of Israel.

⁷At the instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up and to pull down and to destroy it,

⁸if that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.

⁹And at the instant I shall speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it,

¹⁰if it do evil in My sight, that it obey not My voice, then I will repent of the good wherewith I said I would benefit them.

¹¹Now therefore go to speak to the men of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I frame evil against you and devise a device against you. Return ye now every one from his evil way, and make your ways and your doings good.'"

¹²And they said, "There is no hope; but we will walk after our own devices, and we will every one do the imagination of his evil heart."

¹³Therefore thus saith the LORD: "Ask ye now among the heathen: Who hath heard such things? The virgin of Israel hath done a very horrible thing.

¹⁴Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon which cometh from the rock of the field? Or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?

¹⁵Because My people hath forgotten Me, they have burned incense to vanity; and they have caused them to stumble in their ways from the ancient paths, to walk in paths, on a road not cast up,

¹⁶to make their land desolate and a perpetual hissing; every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished, and wag his head.

¹⁷I will scatter them as with an east wind before the enemy; I will show them the back, and not the face, in the day of their calamity."

¹⁸Then said they, "Come, and let us devise devices against Jeremiah; for the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet. Come, and let us smite him with the tongue, and let us not give heed to any of his words."

¹⁹Give heed to me, O LORD, and hearken to the voice of them that contend with me.

²⁰Shall evil be recompensed for good? For they have dug a pit for my soul. Remember that I stood before Thee to speak good for them, and to turn away Thy wrath from them.

²¹Therefore deliver up their children to the famine, and pour out their blood by the force of the sword; and let their wives be bereaved of their children and be widows; and let their men be put to death; let their young men be slain by the sword in battle.

²²Let a cry be heard from their houses, when Thou shalt bring a troop suddenly upon them; for they have dug a pit to take me, and hid snares for my feet.

²³Yet, LORD, Thou knowest all their counsel against me to slay me; forgive not their iniquity, neither blot out their sin from Thy sight, but let them be overthrown before Thee; deal thus with them in the time of Thine anger.

19Thus saith the LORD: "Go and get a potter's earthen bottle, and take some of the elders of the people and the elders of the priests.

²And go forth unto the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, which is by the entry of the East Gate, and proclaim there the words that I shall tell thee,

³and say, 'Hear ye the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, of which whosoever heareth, his ears shall tingle.

⁴Because they have forsaken Me and have estranged this place, and have burned incense in it unto other gods, whom neither they nor their fathers nor the kings of Judah have known, and have filled this place with the blood of innocents.

⁵They have built also the high places of Baal, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings unto Baal, which I commanded not nor spoke it, neither came it into My mind.

⁶Therefore behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that this place shall no more be called Tophet, nor the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.

⁷And I will make void the counsel of Judah and Jerusalem in this place, and I will cause them to fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hands of them that seek their lives; and their carcasses will I give to be meat for the fowls of the heaven and for the beasts of the earth.

⁸And I will make this city desolate and a hissing. Every one that passeth thereby shall be astonished and hiss, because of all the plagues thereof.

⁹And I will cause them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and they shall eat every one the flesh of his friend in the siege and straits with which their enemies and they that seek their lives shall straiten them.'

¹⁰"Then shalt thou break the bottle in the sight of the men that go with thee,

¹¹and shalt say unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Even so will I break this people and this city, as one breaketh a potter's vessel that cannot be made whole again; and they shall bury them in Tophet till there be no place to bury.

¹²Thus will I do unto this place, saith the LORD, and to the inhabitants thereof, and even make this city as Tophet.

¹³And the houses of Jerusalem and the houses of the kings of Judah shall be defiled as the place of Tophet, because of all the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense unto all the host of heaven, and have poured out drink offerings unto other gods.'"

¹⁴Then came Jeremiah from Tophet, whither the LORD had sent him to prophesy; and he stood in the court of the LORD'S house and said to all the people,

¹⁵"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear My words.'"

20Now Pashhur the son of Immer the priest, who was also chief governor in the house of the LORD, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things.

²Then Pashhur smote Jeremiah the prophet, and put him in the stocks that were in the High Gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the LORD.

³And it came to pass on the morrow that Pashhur brought forth Jeremiah out of the stocks. Then said Jeremiah unto him, "The LORD hath not called thy name Pashhur, but Magormissabib [that is, Fear round about].

⁴For thus saith the LORD: 'Behold, I will make thee a terror to thyself and to all thy friends; and they shall fall by the sword of their enemies, and thine eyes shall behold it; and I will give all Judah into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall carry them captive into Babylon and shall slay them with the sword.

⁵Moreover I will deliver all the strength of this city and all the labors thereof, and all the precious things thereof, and all the treasures of the kings of Judah will I give into the hand of their enemies, who shall despoil them and take them and carry them to Babylon.

⁶And thou, Pashhur, and all that dwell in thine house shall go into captivity; and thou shalt come to Babylon, and there thou shalt die and shalt be buried there, thou and all thy friends to whom thou hast prophesied lies.'"

⁷O LORD, Thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived; Thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed. I am in derision daily; every one mocketh me.

⁸For when I spoke, I cried out; I cried, "Violence and despoliation!" because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me and a derision daily.

⁹Then I said, "I will not make mention of Him, nor speak any more in His name." But His word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not hold back.

¹⁰For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. "Report," say they, "and we will report it!" All in my company watched for my halting, saying, "Perhaps he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him; and we shall take our revenge on him."

¹¹But the LORD is with me as a mighty, fearsome one; therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail. They shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper; their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.

¹²But, O LORD of hosts, who triest the righteous and seest the reins and the heart, let me see Thy vengeance on them, for unto Thee have I opened my cause.

¹³Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD; for He hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

¹⁴Cursed be the day wherein I was born; let not the day wherein my mother bore me be blessed.

¹⁵Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, "A manchild is born unto thee," making him very glad.

¹⁶And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not; and let him hear the cry in the morning and the shouting at noontide,

¹⁷because he slew me not from the womb, or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.

¹⁸Why came I forth out of the womb to see labor and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?

21The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD when King Zedekiah sent unto him Pashhur the son of Melchiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, saying,

²"Inquire, I pray thee, of the LORD for us (for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon maketh war against us), if so it be that the LORD will deal with us according to all His wondrous works, that he may go up from us."

³Then said Jeremiah unto them, "Thus shall ye say to Zedekiah,

⁴'Thus saith the LORD God of Israel: Behold, I will turn back the weapons of war that are in your hands, wherewith ye fight against the king of Babylon and against the Chaldeans, who besiege you outside the walls; and I will assemble them into the midst of this city.

⁵And I Myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand and with a strong arm, even in anger and in fury and in great wrath.

⁶And I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence.

⁷And afterward, saith the LORD, I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah, and his servants and the people and such as are left in this city from the pestilence, from the sword, and from the famine into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life. And he shall smite them with the edge of the sword; he shall not spare them, neither have pity nor have mercy.'

⁸"And unto this people thou shalt say, 'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

⁹He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence; but he that goeth out and falleth to the Chaldeans who besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him as a prey.

¹⁰For I have set My face against this city for evil and not for good, saith the LORD. It shall be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.'

¹¹"And concerning the house of the king of Judah, say, 'Hear ye the word of the LORD,

¹²O house of David. Thus saith the LORD: "'Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is despoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest My fury go out like fire and burn, that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings.

¹³Behold, I am against thee, O inhabitant of the valley and rock of the plain, saith the LORD, who say, "Who shall come down against us? Or who shall enter into our habitations?"

¹⁴But I will punish you according to the fruit of your doings, saith the LORD; and I will kindle a fire in the forest thereof, and it shall devour all things round about it.'"

22Thus saith the LORD: "Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word

²and say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sittest upon the throne of David, thou and thy servants and thy people who enter in by these gates.

³Thus saith the LORD: Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the despoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, and do no wrong. Do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

⁴For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he and his servants and his people.

⁵But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by Myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.'"

⁶For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah: "Thou art Gilead unto Me, and the head of Lebanon; yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.

⁷And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; and they shall cut down thy choice cedars and cast them into the fire.

⁸"And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, 'Why hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?'

⁹Then they shall answer, 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshiped other gods and served them.'"

¹⁰Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him, but weep sore for him that goeth away; for he shall return no more, or see his native country.

¹¹For thus saith the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went forth out of this place: "He shall not return thither any more,

¹²but he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive and shall see this land no more.

¹³"Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by wrong, that useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him nought for his work,

¹⁴that saith, 'I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows, and it is ceiled with cedar and painted with vermilion.'

¹⁵Shalt thou reign because thou enclosest thyself in cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him?

¹⁶He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him. Was not this to know Me?" saith the LORD.

¹⁷"But thine eyes and thine heart are for nothing but thy covetousness and to shed innocent blood, and for oppression and for violence."

¹⁸Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: "They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Ah, my brother!' or, 'Ah, sister!' They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Ah, lord!' or, 'Ah, his glory!'

¹⁹He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

²⁰"Go up to Lebanon and cry, and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the Abarim; for all thy lovers are destroyed.

²¹I spoke unto thee in thy prosperity, but thou saidst, 'I will not hear.' This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not My voice.

²²The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity; surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

²³O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail?

²⁴"As I live," saith the LORD, "though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet upon My right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

²⁵and I will give thee into the hand of those who seek thy life, and into the hand of those whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

²⁶And I will cast thee out, and thy mother who bore thee, into another country where ye were not born, and there shall ye die.

²⁷But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return."

²⁸Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol? Is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? Why are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

²⁹O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD!

³⁰Thus saith the LORD: "Write ye this man as childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah."

23"Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!" saith the LORD.

²Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed My people: "Ye have scattered My flock and driven them away, and have not visited them. Behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings," saith the LORD.

³"And I will gather the remnant of My flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.

⁴And I will set up shepherds over them who shall feed them; and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking," saith the LORD.

⁵"Behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch; and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.

⁶In His days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name whereby He shall be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

⁷"Therefore, behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that they shall no more say, 'The LORD liveth who brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt,'

⁸but, 'the LORD liveth who brought up and who led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them.' And they shall dwell in their own land."

⁹Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD and because of the words of His holiness.

¹⁰For the land is full of adulterers; for because of cursing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.

¹¹"For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in My house have I found their wickedness," saith the LORD.

¹²"Therefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness; they shall be driven on, and fall therein; for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation," saith the LORD.

¹³"And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria: They prophesied in Baal and caused My people Israel to err.

¹⁴I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: They commit adultery and walk in lies; they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness. They are all of them unto Me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah."

¹⁵Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets: "Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land."

¹⁶Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you. They make you vain; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.

¹⁷They say still unto them that despise Me, 'The LORD hath said, "Ye shall have peace."' And they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, 'No evil shall come upon you.'"

¹⁸For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard His word? Who hath marked His word and heard it?

¹⁹Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind; it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked.

²⁰The anger of the LORD shall not return, until He has executed and till He has performed the thoughts of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.

²¹"I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

²²But if they had stood in My counsel and had caused My people to hear My words, then they should have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.

²³"Am I a God at hand," saith the LORD, "and not a God afar off?

²⁴Can any hide himself in secret places, that I shall not see him?" saith the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" saith the LORD.

²⁵"I have heard what the prophets said who prophesy lies in My name, saying, 'I have dreamed, I have dreamed.'

²⁶How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets who prophesy lies? Yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart,

²⁷who think to cause My people to forget My name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor, as their fathers have forgotten My name for Baal.

²⁸The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" saith the LORD.

²⁹"Is not My word like as a fire?" saith the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

³⁰"Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," saith the LORD, "that steal My words every one from his neighbor.

³¹Behold, I am against the prophets," saith the LORD, "that use their tongues and say, 'He saith.'

³²Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams," saith the LORD, "and do tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them. Therefore they shall not profit this people at all," saith the LORD.

³³"And when this people or the prophet or a priest shall ask thee, saying, 'What is the burden of the LORD?' thou shalt then say unto them, 'What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.'

³⁴And as for the prophet and the priest and the people who shall say, 'The burden of the LORD,' I will even punish that man and his house.

³⁵Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbor and every one to his brother, 'What hath the LORD answered?' and, 'What hath the LORD spoken?'

³⁶And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more, for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.

³⁷Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, 'What hath the LORD answered thee?' and, 'What hath the LORD spoken?'

³⁸But since ye say, 'The burden of the LORD,' therefore thus saith the LORD: Because ye say this word, 'The burden of the LORD,' and I have sent unto you, saying, 'Ye shall not say: The burden of the LORD,'

³⁹therefore behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of My presence.

⁴⁰And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame which shall not be forgotten."

24The LORD showed me, and behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the LORD, after Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths, from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon.

²One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe; and the other basket had very bad figs, which could not be eaten they were so bad.

³Then said the LORD unto me, "What seest thou, Jeremiah?" And I said, "Figs: the good figs, very good; and the evil, very evil, that cannot be eaten they are so evil."

⁴Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

⁵"Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: 'Like these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good.

⁶For I will set Mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land; and I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not pluck them up.

⁷And I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD; and they shall be My people, and I will be their God; for they shall return unto Me with their whole heart.

⁸"'And as the evil figs, which cannot be eaten they are so evil'" -- surely thus saith the LORD -- "'so will I deem Zedekiah the king of Judah, and his princes, and the residue of Jerusalem who remain in this land, and them that dwell in the land of Egypt.

⁹And I will deliver them to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth for their hurt, to be a reproach and a proverb, a taunt and a curse in all places whither I shall drive them.

¹⁰And I will send the sword, the famine, and the pestilence among them till they be consumed from off the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.'"

25The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the people of Judah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah (that was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon),

²which Jeremiah the prophet spoke unto all the people of Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying:

³From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even unto this day (that is, the three and twentieth year), the word of the LORD hath come unto me, and I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye have not hearkened.

⁴And the LORD hath sent unto you all His servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear.

⁵They said, "Turn ye again now every one from his evil way and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the LORD hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever.

⁶And go not after other gods to serve them and to worship them, and provoke Me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.

⁷Yet ye have not hearkened unto Me," saith the LORD, "that ye might provoke Me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt."

⁸Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts: "Because ye have not heard My words,

⁹behold, I will send and take all the families of the north," saith the LORD, "and Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will bring them against this land and against the inhabitants thereof, and against all these nations round about, and will utterly destroy them and make them an astonishment and a hissing and perpetual desolations.

¹⁰Moreover I will take from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the sound of the millstones and the light of the candle.

¹¹And this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.

¹²And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation," saith the LORD, "for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

¹³And I will bring upon that land all My words which I have pronounced against it, even all that is written in this book, which Jeremiah hath prophesied against all the nations.

¹⁴For many nations and great kings shall serve themselves by them also; and I will recompense them according to their deeds and according to the works of their own hands."

¹⁵For thus saith the LORD God of Israel unto me: "Take the wine cup of this fury at My hand, and cause all the nations to whom I send thee to drink it.

¹⁶And they shall drink and be moved, and be mad because of the sword that I will send among them."

¹⁷Then took I the cup at the LORD'S hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom the LORD had sent me,

¹⁸to wit: Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, and the kings thereof and the princes thereof, to make them a desolation, an astonishment, a hissing and a curse, as it is this day;

¹⁹Pharaoh king of Egypt, and his servants, and his princes, and all his people;

²⁰and all the mingled people, and all the kings of the land of Uz, and all the kings of the land of the Philistines, and Ashkelon, and Gaza, and Ekron, and the remnant of Ashdod;

²¹Edom, and Moab, and the children of Ammon;

²²and all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Sidon, and the kings of the isles which are beyond the sea;

²³Dedan, and Tema, and Buz, and all that are in the utmost corners;

²⁴and all the kings of Arabia, and all the kings of the mingled people that dwell in the desert;

²⁵and all the kings of Zimri, and all the kings of Elam, and all the kings of the Medes;

²⁶and all the kings of the north, far and near, one with another, and all the kingdoms of the world which are upon the face of the earth; and the king of Sheshach shall drink after them.

²⁷"Therefore thou shalt say unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Drink ye and be drunken, and spew and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.'

²⁸And it shall be, if they refuse to take the cup at thine hand to drink, then shalt thou say unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts: Ye shall certainly drink.

²⁹For lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by My name. And should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished, for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.'

³⁰"Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them: "'The LORD shall roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He shall mightily roar upon His habitation; He shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth.

³¹A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth, for the LORD hath a controversy with the nations. He will plead with all flesh; He will give them that are wicked to the sword,'" saith the LORD.

³²Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth."

³³And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.

³⁴Howl, ye shepherds, and cry; and wallow yourselves in the ashes, ye leaders of the flock; for the days of your slaughter and of your dispersions are accomplished, and ye shall fall like a pleasant vessel.

³⁵And the shepherds shall have no way to flee, nor the leaders of the flock to escape.

³⁶A voice of the cry of the shepherds, and a howling of the leaders of the flock shall be heard; for the LORD hath despoiled their pasture.

³⁷And the peaceable habitations are cut down because of the fierce anger of the LORD.

³⁸He hath forsaken His covert as the lion; for their land is desolate because of the fierceness of the Oppressor, and because of His fierce anger.

26In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from the LORD, saying,

²"Thus saith the LORD: 'Stand in the court of the LORD'S house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the LORD'S house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word.

³It may so be they will hearken and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent Me of the evil which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.'

⁴And thou shalt say unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD: If ye will not hearken to Me, to walk in My law which I have set before you,

⁵to hearken to the words of My servants the prophets whom I sent unto you, both rising up early and sending them, but ye have not hearkened--

⁶then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.'"

⁷So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the LORD.

⁸Now it came to pass, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that the LORD had commanded him to speak unto all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people took him, saying, "Thou shalt surely die!

⁹Why hast thou prophesied in the name of the LORD, saying, 'This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate without an inhabitant'?" And all the people were gathered against Jeremiah in the house of the LORD.

¹⁰When the princes of Judah heard these things, then they came up from the king's house unto the house of the LORD, and sat down in the entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house.

¹¹Then spoke the priests and the prophets unto the princes and to all the people, saying, "This man is worthy to die; for he hath prophesied against this city, as ye have heard with your ears."

¹²Then spoke Jeremiah unto all the princes and to all the people, saying, "The LORD sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that ye have heard.

¹³Therefore now amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the LORD your God; and the LORD will repent of the evil that He hath pronounced against you.

¹⁴As for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as seemeth good and meet unto you.

¹⁵But know ye for certain that if ye put me to death, ye shall surely bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city, and upon the inhabitants thereof; for truly the LORD hath sent me unto you to speak all these words in your ears."

¹⁶Then said the princes and all the people unto the priests and to the prophets, "This man is not worthy to die, for he hath spoken to us in the name of the LORD our God!"

¹⁷Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,

¹⁸"Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "'Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.'

¹⁹"Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him at all to death? Did he not fear the LORD, and besought the LORD, and the LORD repented of the evil which He had pronounced against them? Thus might we procure great evil against our souls."

²⁰And there was also a man who prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah.

²¹And when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Urijah heard it, he was afraid and fled, and went into Egypt.

²²And Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, namely, Elnathan the son of Achbor and certain men with him into Egypt.

²³And they fetched forth Urijah out of Egypt and brought him unto Jehoiakim the king, who slew him with the sword and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.

²⁴Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.

27In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

²Thus saith the LORD to me: "Make thee bonds and yokes and put them upon thy neck,

³and send them to the king of Edom, and to the king of Moab, and to the king of the Ammonites, and to the king of Tyre, and to the king of Sidon by the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem unto Zedekiah king of Judah.

⁴And command them to say unto their masters, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; thus shall ye say unto your masters:

⁵I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground by My great power and by My outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto Me.

⁶And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him.

⁷And all nations shall serve him and his son and his son's son, until the very time of his land comes; and then many nations and great kings shall themselves be served by him.

⁸And it shall come to pass, that the nation and kingdom which will not serve the same Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, and that will not put their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, that nation will I punish, saith the LORD, with the sword and with the famine and with the pestilence, until I have consumed them by his hand.

⁹Therefore hearken not ye to your prophets, nor to your diviners, nor to your dreamers, nor to your enchanters, nor to your sorcerers, who speak unto you, saying, "Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon."

¹⁰For they prophesy a lie unto you to remove you far from your land, and that I should drive you out and ye should perish.

¹¹But the nations that bring their neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, those will I let remain still in their own land, saith the LORD, and they shall till it and dwell therein.'"

¹²I spoke also to Zedekiah king of Judah according to all these words, saying, "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live.

¹³Why will ye die, thou and thy people, by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, as the LORD hath spoken against the nation that will not serve the king of Babylon?

¹⁴Therefore hearken not unto the words of the prophets who speak unto you, saying, 'Ye shall not serve the king of Babylon,' for they prophesy a lie unto you.

¹⁵'For I have not sent them,' saith the LORD, 'yet they prophesy a lie in My name; that I might drive you out, and that ye might perish, ye and the prophets who prophesy unto you.'"

¹⁶Also I spoke to the priests and to all this people, saying, "Thus saith the LORD: Hearken not to the words of your prophets who prophesy unto you, saying, 'Behold, the vessels of the LORD'S house shall now shortly be brought again from Babylon'; for they prophesy a lie unto you.

¹⁷Hearken not unto them: serve the king of Babylon, and live. Why should this city be laid waste?

¹⁸But if they are prophets, and if the word of the LORD is with them, let them now make intercession to the LORD of hosts, that the vessels which are left in the house of the LORD and in the house of the king of Judah, and at Jerusalem go not to Babylon.

¹⁹For thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the pillars, and concerning the sea, and concerning the bases, and concerning the residue of the vessels that remain in this city,

²⁰which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took not when he carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, from Jerusalem to Babylon, and all the nobles of Judah and Jerusalem"

²¹yea, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning the vessels that remain in the house of the LORD, and in the house of the king of Judah and of Jerusalem:

²²'They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be until the day that I visit them,' saith the LORD. 'Then will I bring them up, and restore them to this place.'"

28And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, who was of Gibeon, spoke unto me in the house of the LORD in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

²"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

³Within two full years will I bring back into this place all the vessels of the LORD'S house that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried them to Babylon.

⁴And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went into Babylon,' saith the LORD; 'for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'"

⁵Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests and in the presence of all the people who stood in the house of the LORD,

⁶even the prophet Jeremiah said, "Amen. The LORD do so. The LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring back the vessels of the LORD'S house and all that is carried away captive from Babylon into this place.

⁷Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears and in the ears of all the people:

⁸The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries and against great kingdoms, of war and of evil and of pestilence.

⁹The prophet who prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known that the LORD hath truly sent him."

¹⁰Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah's neck, and broke it.

¹¹And Hananiah spoke in the presence of all the people, saying, "Thus saith the LORD: 'Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.'" And the prophet Jeremiah went his way.

¹²Then the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the prophet (after Hananiah the prophet had broken the yoke from off the neck of the prophet Jeremiah), saying,

¹³"Go and tell Hananiah, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD: Thou hast broken the yokes of wood, but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

¹⁴For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and they shall serve him; and I have given him the beasts of the field also.'"

¹⁵Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, "Hear now, Hananiah, the LORD hath not sent thee, but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

¹⁶Therefore thus saith the LORD: 'Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth. This year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.'"

¹⁷So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.

29Now these are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem unto the residue of the elders who were carried away captives, and to the priests, and to the prophets, and to all the people whom Nebuchadnezzar had carried away captive from Jerusalem to Babylon

²(after Jeconiah the king, and the queen, and the eunuchs, the princes of Judah and Jerusalem, and the carpenters, and the smiths had departed from Jerusalem),

³by the hand of Elasah the son of Shaphan and Gemariah the son of Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent unto Babylon to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, saying:

⁴"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, unto all who are carried away captives, whom I have caused to be carried away from Jerusalem unto Babylon:

⁵Build ye houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.

⁶Take ye wives and beget sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters, that ye may be increased there, and not diminished.

⁷And seek the peace of the city whither I have caused you to be carried away captives, and pray unto the LORD for it; for in the peace thereof shall ye have peace.

⁸For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Let not your prophets and your diviners who are in the midst of you deceive you, neither hearken to your dreams which ye cause to be dreamed.

⁹For they prophesy falsely unto you in My name: I have not sent them, saith the LORD.

¹⁰"For thus saith the LORD: That after seventy years are accomplished at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, causing you to return to this place.

¹¹For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

¹²Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall go and pray unto Me and I will hearken unto you.

¹³And ye shall seek Me and find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.

¹⁴And I will be found by you, saith the LORD, and I will return you from captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you back into the place from whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

¹⁵"Because ye have said, 'The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon'--

¹⁶know that thus saith the LORD of the king that sitteth upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwelleth in this city, and of your brethren who have not gone forth with you into captivity--

¹⁷thus saith the LORD of hosts: Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.

¹⁸And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse and an astonishment and a hissing, and a reproach among all the nations whither I have driven them,

¹⁹because they have not hearkened to My words, saith the LORD, which I sent unto them by My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the LORD.

²⁰"Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon.

²¹Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie unto you in My name: Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes.

²²And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying, 'The LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire,'

²³because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in My name which I have not commanded them. Indeed I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD."

²⁴Thus shalt thou also speak to Shemaiah the Nehelamite, saying,

²⁵"Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Because thou hast sent letters in thy name unto all the people who are at Jerusalem, and to Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest, and to all the priests, saying,

²⁶'The LORD hath made thee priest in the stead of Jehoiada the priest, that ye should be officers in the house of the LORD for every man that is mad and maketh himself a prophet, that thou shouldest put him in prison, and in the stocks.

²⁷Now therefore, why hast thou not reproved Jeremiah of Anathoth, who maketh himself a prophet to you?

²⁸For therefore he sent unto us in Babylon, saying: This captivity is long; build ye houses and dwell in them, and plant gardens and eat the fruit of them.'"

²⁹And Zephaniah the priest read this letter in the ears of Jeremiah the prophet.

³⁰Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

³¹"Send to all those of the captivity, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD concerning Shemaiah the Nehelamite: Because Shemaiah hath prophesied unto you, and I sent him not and he caused you to trust in a lie,

³²therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will punish Shemaiah the Nehelamite and his seed: he shall not have a man to dwell among this people, neither shall he behold the good that I will do for My people, saith the LORD, because he hath taught rebellion against the LORD.'"

30The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

²"Thus speaketh the LORD God of Israel, saying: 'Write thee all the words that I have spoken unto thee in a book.

³For lo, the days come,' saith the LORD, 'that I will bring back from captivity My people Israel and Judah,' saith the LORD; 'and I will cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it.'"

⁴And these are the words that the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah:

⁵"For thus saith the LORD: 'We have heard a voice of trembling, of fear and not of peace.

⁶Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness?

⁷Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it. It is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.

⁸"'For it shall come to pass in that day,' saith the LORD of hosts, 'that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more be served by him.

⁹But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

¹⁰"'Therefore fear thou not, O My servant Jacob,' saith the LORD; 'neither be dismayed, O Israel; for lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid.

¹¹For I am with thee,' saith the LORD, 'to save thee; though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished.'

¹²"For thus saith the LORD: 'Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.

¹³There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up; thou hast no healing medicines.

¹⁴All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one for the multitude of thine iniquity, because thy sins were increased.

¹⁵Why criest thou for thine affliction? Thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

¹⁶Therefore all they that devour thee shall be devoured, and all thine adversaries, every one of them, shall go into captivity; and they that despoil thee shall be a spoil, and all that prey upon thee will I give for a prey.

¹⁷For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds,' saith the LORD, 'because they called thee an outcast, saying, "This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after."'

¹⁸"Thus saith the LORD: 'Behold, I will bring back from captivity Jacob's tents, and have mercy on his dwelling places; and the city shall be built upon her own heap, and the palace shall remain after the manner thereof.

¹⁹And out of them shall proceed thanksgiving and the voice of them that make merry; and I will multiply them, and they shall not be few; I will also glorify them, and they shall not be small.

²⁰Their children also shall be as in former time, and their congregation shall be established before Me, and I will punish all that oppress them.

²¹And their nobles shall be of themselves, and their governor shall proceed from the midst of them; and I will cause him to draw near, and he shall approach unto Me; for who is this that engaged his heart to approach unto Me?' saith the LORD.

²²'And ye shall be My people, and I will be your God.'"

²³Behold, the whirlwind of the LORD goeth forth with fury, a continuing whirlwind; it shall fall with pain upon the head of the wicked.

²⁴The fierce anger of the LORD shall not return, until He has done it, and until He has performed the intents of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it.

31"At the same time," saith the LORD, "will I be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be My people."

²Thus saith the LORD: "The people who were left from the sword found grace in the wilderness, even Israel, when I went to cause him to rest."

³The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, "Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.

⁴Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel; thou shalt again be adorned with thy timbrels, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.

⁵Thou shalt yet plant vines upon the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant, and shall eat them as common things.

⁶For there shall be a day that the watchmen upon Mount Ephraim shall cry, 'Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God.'"

⁷For thus saith the LORD: "Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations; proclaim ye, praise ye, and say, 'O LORD, save Thy people, the remnant of Israel.'

⁸Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the coasts of the earth, and with them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and her that travaileth with child together; a great company shall return thither.

⁹They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them; I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble; for I am a Father to Israel, and Ephraim is My firstborn.

¹⁰"Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, 'He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd doth his flock.'

¹¹For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.

¹²Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD--for wheat and for wine and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd; and their soul shall be as a watered garden, and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

¹³Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together; for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them and make them rejoice from their sorrow.

¹⁴And I will satiate the soul of the priests with fatness, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness," saith the LORD.

¹⁵Thus saith the LORD: "A voice was heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping; Rachel, weeping for her children, refused to be comforted for her children, because they were no more."

¹⁶Thus saith the LORD; "Restrain thy voice from weeping, and thine eyes from tears; for thy work shall be rewarded," saith the LORD; "and they shall come back from the land of the enemy.

¹⁷And there is hope in thine end," saith the LORD, "that thy children shall come back to their own border.

¹⁸"I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus: 'Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn Thou me, and I shall be turned, for Thou art the LORD my God.

¹⁹Surely after I was turned, I repented; and after I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh. I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I bore the reproach of my youth.'

²⁰Is Ephraim My dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still; therefore My heart is troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him," saith the LORD.

²¹"Set thee up waymarks, make thee high heaps; set thine heart toward the highway, even the way which thou wentest; turn back, O virgin of Israel, turn back to these thy cities.

²²How long wilt thou go about, O thou backsliding daughter? For the LORD hath created a new thing in the earth: a woman shall compass a man."

²³Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "As yet they shall use this speech in the land of Judah and in the cities thereof, when I shall bring them back from captivity: 'The LORD bless thee, O habitation of justice and mountain of holiness.'

²⁴And there shall dwell in Judah itself, and in all the cities thereof together, husbandmen, and they that go forth with flocks.

²⁵For I have satiated the weary soul, and I have replenished every sorrowful soul."

²⁶Upon this I awaked and beheld, and my sleep was sweet unto me.

²⁷"Behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast.

²⁸And it shall come to pass, that as I have watched over them to pluck up and to break down, and to throw down and to destroy and to afflict, so will I watch over them to build and to plant," saith the LORD.

²⁹"In those days they shall say no more: "'The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge.'

³⁰But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

³¹"Behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah--

³²not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband unto them," saith the LORD.

³³"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel: After those days," saith the LORD, "I will put My law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall be My people.

³⁴And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor and every man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD.' For they shall all know Me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them," saith the LORD, "for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."

³⁵Thus saith the LORD, who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; the LORD of hosts is His name:

³⁶"If those ordinances depart from before Me," saith the LORD, "then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me for ever."

³⁷Thus saith the LORD: "If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done," saith the LORD.

³⁸"Behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that the city shall be built to the LORD from the Tower of Hananeel unto the Gate of the Corner.

³⁹And the measuring line shall yet go forth opposite it upon the hill Gareb, and shall compass about to Goath.

⁴⁰And the whole valley of the dead bodies and of the ashes, and all the fields unto the Brook of Kidron unto the corner of the Horse Gate toward the east shall be holy unto the LORD. It shall not be plucked up nor thrown down any more for ever."

32The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

²For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem; and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.

³For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, "Why dost thou prophesy and say, 'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

⁴and Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

⁵and he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until visit I him, saith the LORD; though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper'?"

⁶And Jeremiah said, "The word of the LORD came unto me, saying:

⁷Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, 'Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth; for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.'

⁸So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, 'Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself.' Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

⁹"And I bought the field from Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed out to him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.

¹⁰And I subscribed the evidence and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.

¹¹So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom and that which was open;

¹²and I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison.

¹³And I charged Baruch before them, saying,

¹⁴'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed and this evidence which is open, and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.

¹⁵For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.'

¹⁶"Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying:

¹⁷Ah Lord GOD! Behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and outstretched arm; and there is nothing too hard for Thee.

¹⁸Thou showest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them. The Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts is His name,

¹⁹great in counsel and mighty in work. For Thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings;

²⁰who hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt even unto this day, and in Israel and among other men, and hast made Thee a name, as at this day;

²¹and hast brought forth Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt, with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror;

²²and hast given them this land which Thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

²³And they came in and possessed it, but they obeyed not Thy voice, neither walked in Thy law: they have done nothing of all that Thou commanded them to do. Therefore Thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them.

²⁴Behold the siege ramps! They have come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, who fight against it, because of the sword and of the famine and of the pestilence. And what Thou hast spoken has come to pass, and behold, Thou seest it.

²⁵And Thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD: 'Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses,' for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans."

²⁶Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

²⁷"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is there any thing too hard for Me?

²⁸Therefore thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

²⁹And the Chaldeans who fight against this city shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods to provoke Me to anger.

³⁰For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done only evil before Me from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked Me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.

³¹For this city hath been to Me as a provocation of Mine anger and of My fury from the day that they built it even unto this day, so that I should remove it from before My face

³²because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke Me to anger -- they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

³³And they have turned unto Me the back and not the face. Though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction;

³⁴but they set their abominations in the house which is called by My name to defile it.

³⁵And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech, which I commanded them not, neither came it into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

³⁶"And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city whereof ye say, 'It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword and by the famine and by the pestilence':

³⁷Behold, I will gather them out of all countries whither I have driven them in Mine anger and in My fury and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.

³⁸And they shall be My people, and I will be their God;

³⁹and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me for ever, for the good of them and of their children after them.

⁴⁰And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me.

⁴¹Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with My whole heart and with My whole soul.

⁴²"For thus saith the LORD: As I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

⁴³And fields shall be bought in this land whereof ye say, 'It is desolate without man or beast. It is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.'

⁴⁴Men shall buy fields for money, and sign evidences and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley and in the cities of the South; for I will cause their captives to return, saith the LORD."

33Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time, while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

²"Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof, the LORD who formed it to establish it, the LORD is His name:

³'Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.'

⁴For thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah, which are thrown down by the siege mounds and by the sword:

⁵'They come to fight with the Chaldeans, but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men whom I have slain in Mine anger and in My fury, and for all whose wickedness I have hid My face from this city.

⁶Behold, I will bring it health and cure; and I will cure them and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth.

⁷And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to cease, and will build them as at the first.

⁸And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against Me; and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against Me.

⁹And it shall be to Me a name of joy, a praise and an honorbefore all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do unto them; and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I provide unto it.'

¹⁰"Thus saith the LORD: 'Again there shall be heard in this place (which ye say shall be desolate, without man and without beast, even in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man and without inhabitant and without beast),

¹¹the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall say, "Praise the LORD of hosts, for the LORD is good; for His mercy endureth for ever"--and of those who shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captives of the land, as at the first,' saith the LORD.

¹²"Thus saith the LORD of hosts: 'Again in this place which is desolate, without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof shall be a habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

¹³In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in the cities of the South, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that counteth them,' saith the LORD.

¹⁴"'Behold, the days come,' saith the LORD, 'that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah.

¹⁵In those days and at that time will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.

¹⁶In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely. And this is the name wherewith she shall be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.'

¹⁷"For thus saith the LORD: 'David shall never be in want for a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel;

¹⁸neither shall the priests, the Levites, be in want for a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, and to kindle meat offerings, and to do sacrifice continually.'"

¹⁹And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, saying,

²⁰"Thus saith the LORD: 'If ye can break My covenant of the day and My covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season,

²¹then may also My covenant be broken with David My servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne, and with the Levites the priests, My ministers.

²²As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of David My servant and the Levites who minister unto Me.'"

²³Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying,

²⁴"Considerest thou not what this people have spoken, saying, 'The two families which the LORD hath chosen, He hath even cast them off'? Thus they have despised My people, that they should be no more a nation before them.

²⁵Thus saith the LORD: 'If My covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth,

²⁶then will I cast away the seed of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will cause their captivity to cease, and have mercy on them.'"

34The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities thereof, saying,

²"Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, 'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.

³And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.

⁴Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. Thus saith the LORD of thee: Thou shalt not die by the sword,

⁵but thou shalt die in peace; and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings who were before thee, so shall they burn incense for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, "Ah, lord!" For I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.'"

⁶Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

⁷when the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.

⁸This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty unto them:

⁹that every man should let his manservant and every man his maidservant, being a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, that none should be served by them, to wit: by a Jew, his brother.

¹⁰Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant and every one his maidservant go free, that none should be served by them any more, then they obeyed and let them go.

¹¹But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go free to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

¹²Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,

¹³"Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,

¹⁴'At the end of seven years let go every man his brother, a Hebrew who hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee.' But your fathers hearkened not unto Me, neither inclined their ear.

¹⁵And ye had now turned, and had done right in My sight in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and ye had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.

¹⁶But ye turned and polluted My name, and caused every man his servant and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

¹⁷"Therefore thus saith the LORD: Ye have not hearkened unto Me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every man to his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim a 'liberty' for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

¹⁸And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before Me when they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof--

¹⁹the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf--

²⁰I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the earth.

²¹And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army which has gone up from you.

²²Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant."

35The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

²"Go unto the house of the Rechabites and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink."

³Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brethren and all his sons and the whole house of the Rechabites,

⁴and I brought them into the house of the LORD, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, a man of God, which was by the chamber of the princes, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the door.

⁵And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups; and I said unto them, "Drink ye wine."

⁶But they said, "We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, 'Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever.

⁷Neither shall ye build a house, nor sow seed, nor plant a vineyard, nor have any; but all your days ye shall dwell in tents, that ye may live many days in the land where ye are strangers.'

⁸Thus have we obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he hath charged us: to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, nor our daughters,

⁹nor to build houses for us to dwell in; neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed.

¹⁰But we have dwelt in tents, and have obeyed and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.

¹¹But it came to pass, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, 'Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans and for fear of the army of the Syrians.' So we dwell at Jerusalem."

¹²Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

¹³"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, 'Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to My words?' saith the LORD.

¹⁴'The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father's commandment. Notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking, but ye hearkened not unto Me.

¹⁵I have sent also unto you all My servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, "Return ye now every man from his evil way and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers." But ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto Me.

¹⁶Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people hath not hearkened unto Me,

¹⁷therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them, because I have spoken unto them but they have not heard, and I have called unto them but they have not answered.'"

¹⁸And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, "Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts and done according unto all that he hath commanded you,

¹⁹therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not lack for a man to stand before Me for ever.'"

36And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying:

²"Take thee a scroll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel and against Judah and against all the nations from the day I spoke unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.

³It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them, that they may return every man from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin."

⁴Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD which He had spoken unto him upon a scroll of a book.

⁵And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, "I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD.

⁶Therefore go thou, and read in the scroll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD'S house upon the fasting day; and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah who come out of their cities.

⁷It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way; for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people."

⁸And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD'S house.

⁹And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.

¹⁰Then read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan, the scribe, in the higher court at the entry of the New Gate of the LORD'S house in the ears of all the people.

¹¹When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,

¹²then he went down into the king's house into the scribe's chamber; and lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes.

¹³Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people.

¹⁴Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi unto Baruch, saying, "Take in thine hand the scroll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come." So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand, and came unto them.

¹⁵And they said unto him, "Sit down now, and read it in our ears." So Baruch read it in their ears.

¹⁶Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and the other, and said unto Baruch, "We will surely tell the king of all these words."

¹⁷And they asked Baruch, saying, "Tell us now, how didst thou write all these words from his mouth?"

¹⁸Then Baruch answered them, "He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book."

¹⁹Then said the princes unto Baruch, "Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be."

²⁰And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king.

²¹So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the scroll; and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king and in the ears of all the princes who stood beside the king.

²²Now the king sat in the winter house in the ninth month, and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him.

²³And it came to pass that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.

²⁴Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words.

²⁵Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he should not burn the scroll; but he would not hear them.

²⁶But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but the LORD hid them.

²⁷Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after the king had burned the scroll and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying,

²⁸"Take thee again another scroll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned.

²⁹And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, 'Thus saith the LORD: Thou hast burned this scroll, saying, "Why hast thou written therein, saying: the king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?"

³⁰Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat and in the night to the frost.

³¹And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the men of Judah all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.'"

³²Then took Jeremiah another scroll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added besides unto them many like words.

37And King Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.

²But neither he nor his servants, nor the people of the land hearkened unto the words of the LORD, which He spoke by the prophet Jeremiah.

³And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah, and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, "Pray now unto the LORD our God for us."

⁴Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people, for they had not put him into prison.

⁵Then Pharaoh's army came forth out of Egypt; and when the Chaldeans who besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem.

⁶Then came the word of the LORD unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,

⁷"Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel: Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, who sent you unto Me to inquire of Me: 'Behold, Pharaoh's army, which has come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.

⁸And the Chaldeans shall come again and fight against this city, and take it and burn it with fire.'

⁹Thus saith the LORD: Deceive not yourselves, saying, 'The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us,' for they shall not depart.

¹⁰For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans who fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent and burn this city with fire."

¹¹And it came to pass that when the army of the Chaldeans had broken off from Jerusalem for fear of Pharaoh's army,

¹²then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin to separate himself from thence in the midst of the people.

¹³And when he was in the Gate of Benjamin, a captain of the guard was there, whose name was Irijah the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans!"

¹⁴Then said Jeremiah, "It is false! I fall not away to the Chaldeans." But he hearkened not to him; so Irijah took Jeremiah and brought him to the princes.

¹⁵Thereupon the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe; for they had made that the prison.

¹⁶When Jeremiah had entered into the dungeon and into the cells, and Jeremiah had remained there many days,

¹⁷then Zedekiah the king sent and took him out; and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, "Is there any word from the LORD?" And Jeremiah said, "There is; for, said He: Thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon!"

¹⁸Moreover Jeremiah said unto King Zedekiah, "How have I offended against thee or against thy servants or against this people, that ye have put me in prison?

¹⁹Where are now your prophets who prophesied unto you, saying, 'The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land'?

²⁰Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king. Let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee, that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there."

²¹Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

38Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying,

²"Thus saith the LORD: 'He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life as a prey, and shall live.'

³Thus saith the LORD: 'This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it.'"

⁴Therefore the princes said unto the king, "We beseech thee, let this man be put to death; for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words unto them; for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt."

⁵Then Zedekiah the king said, "Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not he that can do any thing against you."

⁶Then they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah, the son of Hammelech, which was in the court of the prison; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire; so Jeremiah sank in the mire.

⁷Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king then sitting in the Gate of Benjamin),

⁸Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house and spoke to the king, saying,

⁹"My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die of hunger in the place where he is, for there is no more bread in the city."

¹⁰Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, "Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon before he dies."

¹¹So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from thence old castoff clothes and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah.

¹²And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, "Put now these old castoff clothes and rotten rags under thine armpits, under the cords." And Jeremiah did so.

¹³So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.

¹⁴Then Zedekiah the king sent and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the principal entry that is in the house of the LORD; and the king said unto Jeremiah, "I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me."

¹⁵Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, "If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? And if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me?"

¹⁶So Zedekiah the king swore secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, "As the LORD liveth, who made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men who seek thy life."

¹⁷Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, "Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: 'If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon's princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house.

¹⁸But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.'"

¹⁹And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, "I am afraid of the Jews who are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me."

²⁰But Jeremiah said, "They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the LORD, which I speak unto thee; so it shall be well with thee, and thy soul shall live.

²¹But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath shown me:

²²And behold, all the women who are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, 'Thy friends have set thee up and have prevailed against thee. Thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they have turned away back.'

²³So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans. And thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon; and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire."

²⁴Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, "Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.

²⁵But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee and say unto thee, 'Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, also what the king said unto thee; hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death,'

²⁶then thou shalt say unto them, 'I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan's house to die there.'"

²⁷Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah and asked him, and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him, for the matter was not perceived.

²⁸So Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken, and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.

39In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah in the tenth month, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.

²And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken into.

³And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in and sat in the Middle Gate: even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.

⁴And it came to pass that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them and all the men of war, then they fled and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king's garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls; and he went out the way of the plain.

⁵But the Chaldeans' army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

⁶Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes in Riblah; also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.

⁷Moreover he put out Zedekiah's eyes, and bound him with chains to carry him to Babylon.

⁸And the Chaldeans burned the king's house and the houses of the people with fire, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem.

⁹Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city and those who fell away, who fell to him, with the rest of the people who remained.

¹⁰But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left the poor of the people, who had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.

¹¹Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,

¹²"Take him and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee."

¹³So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon's princes;

¹⁴even they sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home. So he dwelt among the people.

¹⁵Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,

¹⁶"Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring My words upon this city for evil and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.

¹⁷But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD; and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.

¹⁸For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword; but thy life shall be as a prize unto thee, because thou hast put thy trust in Me, saith the LORD.'"

40The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive unto Babylon.

²And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said unto him, "The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

³Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as He hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you.

⁴And now behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will look well after thee; but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear. Behold, all the land is before thee. Wherever it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go."

⁵Now while he had not yet gone back, he said, "Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go." So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward and let him go.

⁶Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land.

⁷Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men and women and children, and the poor of the land of those who were not carried away captive to Babylon,

⁸then they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah -- even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

⁹And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore unto them and to their men, saying, "Fear not to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

¹⁰As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, who will come unto us; but ye, gather ye wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken."

¹¹Likewise when all the Jews who were in Moab, and among the Ammonites and in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,

¹²even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in abundance.

¹³Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields came to Gedaliah at Mizpah

¹⁴and said unto him, "Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

¹⁵Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, "Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it. Why should he slay thee, that all the Jews who are gathered unto thee should be scattered and the remnant in Judah perish?"

¹⁶But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, "Thou shalt not do this thing, for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael."

41Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed and the princes of the king, came with ten men unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they ate bread together in Mizpah.

²Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and slew him whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

³Ishmael also slew all the Jews who were with him, even with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there and the men of war.

⁴And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

⁵that there came certain ones from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven and their clothes rent and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand to bring them to the house of the LORD.

⁶And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went; and it came to pass as he met them, he said unto them, "Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam."

⁷And it was so when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them and cast them into the midst of the pit, he and the men who were with him.

⁸But ten men were found among them who said unto Ishmael, "Slay us not; for we have treasures in the field of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey." So he forbore, and slew them not among their brethren.

⁹Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel; and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with those who were slain.

¹⁰Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people who were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.

¹¹But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

¹²then they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.

¹³Now it came to pass, that when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.

¹⁴So all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.

¹⁵But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.

¹⁶Then Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah after he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam -- even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs whom he had brought again from Gibeon.

¹⁷And they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,

¹⁸because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.

42Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near

²and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, "Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us),

³that the LORD thy God may show us the way wherein we may walk and the thing that we may do."

⁴Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, "I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words, and it shall come to pass that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you."

⁵Then they said to Jeremiah, "The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not do even according to all things for which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

⁶Whether it be good or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God to whom we send thee, that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the LORD our God."

⁷And it came to pass after ten days that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

⁸Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

⁹and said unto them, "Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before Him:

¹⁰'If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you and not pull you down, and I will plant you and not pluck you up; for I repent of the evil that I have done unto you.

¹¹Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD, for I am with you to save you and to deliver you from his hand.

¹²And I will show mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you and cause you to return to your own land.'

¹³"But if ye say, 'We will not dwell in this land,' neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,

¹⁴saying, 'No, but we will go into the land of Egypt where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger for bread, and there will we dwell'--

¹⁵and now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah! Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there,

¹⁶then it shall come to pass that the sword which ye feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine whereof ye were afraid shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

¹⁷So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there. They shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence; and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.'

¹⁸For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: 'As Mine anger and My fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so shall My fury be poured forth upon you when ye shall enter into Egypt. And ye shall be an execration and an astonishment, and a curse and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.'

¹⁹"The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah: 'Go ye not into Egypt!' Know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

²⁰For ye dissembled in your hearts when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, 'Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.'

²¹And now I have this day declared it to you, but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for which He hath sent me unto you.

²²Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn."

43And it came to pass that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,

²then spoke Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, "Thou speakest falsely. The LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, 'Go not into Egypt to sojourn there.'

³But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death and carry us away captives into Babylon."

⁴So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people obeyed not the voice of the LORD to dwell in the land of Judah.

⁵But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces took all the remnant of Judah, who had returned from all nations whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah--

⁶even men, and women, and children, and the king's daughters, and every person whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

⁷So they came into the land of Egypt, for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD; thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

⁸Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes, saying,

⁹"Take great stones in thine hand, and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln, which is at the entry of Pharaoh's house in Tahpanhes, in the sight of the men of Judah;

¹⁰and say unto them, 'Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them.

¹¹And when he cometh, he shall smite the land of Egypt, and deliver such as are for death to death, and such as are for captivity to captivity, and such as are for the sword to the sword.

¹²And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt, and he shall burn them and carry them away captives; and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; and he shall go forth from thence in peace.

¹³He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh [the House of the Sun] that are in the land of Egypt; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire.'"

44The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews who dwell in the land of Egypt, who dwell at Migdol, and at Tahpanhes, and at Noph, and in the country of Pathros, saying,

²"Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem and upon all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein,

³because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke Me to anger, in that they went to burn incense and to serve other gods whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers.

⁴Nevertheless, I sent unto you all My servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, 'Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.'

⁵But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.

⁶Therefore My fury and Mine anger was poured forth and was kindled in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; and they are wasted and desolate, as at this day.

⁷"Therefore, now thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel: Why commit ye this great evil against your souls to cut off from you man and woman, child and suckling, out of Judah to leave you none to remain,

⁸in that ye provoke Me unto wrath with the works of your hands, burning incense unto other gods in the land of Egypt whither ye have gone to dwell, that ye might cut yourselves off and that ye might be a curse and a reproach among all the nations of the earth?

⁹Have ye forgotten the wickedness of your fathers, and the wickedness of the kings of Judah, and the wickedness of their wives, and your own wickedness, and the wickedness of your wives which they have committed in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?

¹⁰They are not humbled even unto this day, neither have they feared, nor walked in My law, nor in My statutes that I set before you and before your fathers.

¹¹"Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will set My face against you for evil, and to cut off all Judah.

¹²And I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to go into the land of Egypt to sojourn there, and they shall all be consumed and fall in the land of Egypt; they shall even be consumed by the sword and by the famine. They shall die, from the least even unto the greatest, by the sword and by the famine; and they shall be an execration and an astonishment, and a curse and a reproach.

¹³For I will punish them that dwell in the land of Egypt, as I have punished Jerusalem by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence,

¹⁴so that none of the remnant of Judah who have gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there shall escape or remain, that they should return into the land of Judah to which they have a desire to return to dwell there; for none shall return but such as shall escape."

¹⁵Then all the men who knew that their wives had burned incense unto other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great multitude, even all the people who dwelt in the land of Egypt, in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, saying,

¹⁶"As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the LORD, we will not hearken unto thee.

¹⁷But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem; for then had we plenty of bread, and were well and saw no evil.

¹⁸But since we left off burning incense to the queen of heaven and pouring out drink offerings unto her, we have been wanting in all things, and have been consumed by the sword and by the famine."

¹⁹"And when we burned incense to the queen of heaven and poured out drink offerings unto her, did we make her cakes to worship her, and pour out drink offerings unto her without our men?"

²⁰Then Jeremiah said unto all the people -- to the men, and to the women, and to all the people who had given him that answer, saying,

²¹"The incense that ye burned in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, ye and your fathers, your kings and your princes, and the people of the land, did not the LORD remember them, and came it not into His mind?

²²So the LORD could no longer bear it, because of the evil of your doings and because of the abominations which ye have committed. Therefore your land is a desolation, and an astonishment and a curse, without an inhabitant, as at this day.

²³Because ye have burned incense, and because ye have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed the voice of the LORD, nor walked in His law nor in His statutes nor in His testimonies, therefore this evil has happened unto you, as at this day."

²⁴Moreover Jeremiah said unto all the people and to all the women, "Hear the word of the LORD, all Judah who are in the land of Egypt.

²⁵Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: Ye and your wives have both spoken with your mouths and fulfilled with your hands, saying, 'We will surely perform our vows that we have vowed to burn incense to the queen of heaven and to pour out drink offerings unto her.' Ye will surely accomplish your vows and surely perform your vows!

²⁶Therefore hear ye the word of the LORD, all Judah who dwell in the land of Egypt: 'Behold, I have sworn by My great name,' saith the LORD, 'that My name shall no more be named in the mouth of any man of Judah in all the land of Egypt, saying, "The Lord GOD liveth."

²⁷Behold, I will watch over them for evil and not for good; and all the men of Judah who are in the land of Egypt shall be consumed by the sword and by the famine, until there be an end of them.

²⁸Yet a small number that escape the sword shall return out of the land of Egypt into the land of Judah, and all the remnant of Judah that are gone into the land of Egypt to sojourn there shall know whose words shall stand, Mine, or theirs.

²⁹And this shall be a sign unto you,' saith the LORD, 'that I will punish you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall surely stand against you for evil.'

³⁰Thus saith the LORD: 'Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies and into the hand of them that seek his life, as I gave Zedekiah king of Judah into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, his enemy who sought his life.'"

45The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book out of the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,

²"Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch:

³Thou didst say, 'Woe is me now! For the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.'

⁴Thus shalt thou say unto him, 'The LORD saith thus: Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land.

⁵And seekest thou great things for thyself? Seek them not; for behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD, but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.'"

46The word of the LORD which came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Gentiles.

²Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaohnecho king of Egypt, which was by the River Euphrates in Carchemish, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon smote in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

³"Order ye the buckler and shield, and draw near to battle!

⁴Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the brigandines!

⁵Why have I seen them dismayed and turned away back? And their mighty ones are beaten down, and are fled apace and look not back, for fear was round about," saith the LORD.

⁶"Let not the swift flee away, nor the mighty man escape; they shall stumble and fall toward the north by the River Euphrates.

⁷"Who is this that cometh up as a flood, whose waters are moved as the rivers?

⁸Egypt riseth up like a flood, and his waters are moved like the rivers; and he saith, 'I will go up, and will cover the earth; I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof.'

⁹Come up, ye horses, and rage, ye chariots! And let the mighty men come forth: the Ethiopians and the Libyans that handle the shield, and the Lydians that handle and bend the bow.

¹⁰For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that He may avenge Him of His adversaries. And the sword shall devour, and it shall be sated and made drunk with their blood; for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the River Euphrates.

¹¹Go up into Gilead and take balm, O virgin, the daughter of Egypt; in vain shalt thou use many medicines; for thou shalt not be cured.

¹²The nations have heard of thy shame, and thy cry hath filled the land; for the mighty man hath stumbled against the mighty, and they are fallen both together."

¹³The word that the LORD spoke to Jeremiah the prophet, how Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon should come and smite the land of Egypt:

¹⁴"Declare ye in Egypt and publish in Migdol, and publish in Noph and in Tahpanhes; say ye, 'Stand fast and prepare thee, for the sword shall devour round about thee.'

¹⁵Why are thy valiant men swept away? They stood not, because the LORD did drive them.

¹⁶He made many to fall, yea, one fell upon another; and they said, 'Arise, and let us go again to our own people and to the land of our nativity, from the oppressing sword.'

¹⁷They did cry there, 'Pharaoh king of Egypt is but a noise! He hath passed the time appointed.'

¹⁸"As I live," saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts, "surely as Tabor is among the mountains and as Carmel by the sea, so shall he come.

¹⁹O thou daughter dwelling in Egypt, furnish thyself to go into captivity; for Noph shall be waste and desolate, without an inhabitant.

²⁰"Egypt is like a very fair heifer, but destruction cometh; it cometh out of the north.

²¹Also her hired men are in the midst of her like fatted bullocks; for they also are turned back, and have fled away together. They did not stand, because the day of their calamity had come upon them, and the time of their visitation.

²²The voice thereof shall go like a serpent; for they shall march with an army and come against her with axes, as hewers of wood.

²³They shall cut down her forest," saith the LORD, "though it cannot be searched, because they are more than the grasshoppers, and are innumerable.

²⁴The daughter of Egypt shall be confounded; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north."

²⁵The LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, saith: "Behold, I will punish the multitude of No, and Pharaoh, and Egypt, with their gods and their kings, even Pharaoh and all them that trust in him.

²⁶And I will deliver them into the hand of those that seek their lives, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of his servants; and afterward it shall be inhabited as in the days of old," saith the LORD.

²⁷"But fear not thou, O My servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel; for, behold, I will save thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and be in rest and at ease, and none shall make him afraid.

²⁸Fear thou not, O Jacob My servant," saith the LORD, "for I am with thee. For I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have driven thee, but I will not make a full end of thee, but correct thee in measure. Yet will I not leave thee wholly unpunished."

47The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against the Philistines, before Pharaoh smote Gaza.

²Thus saith the LORD: "Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein, the city, and them that dwell therein; then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

³At the noise of the stamping of the hoofs of his strong horses, at the rushing of his chariots and at the rumbling of his wheels, the fathers shall not look back to their children for feebleness of hands,

⁴because of the day that cometh to despoil all the Philistines, and to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remaineth; for the LORD will despoil the Philistines, the remnant of the country of Caphtor.

⁵Baldness is come upon Gaza; Ashkelon is cut off with the remnant of their valley. How long wilt thou cut thyself?"

⁶O thou sword of the LORD, how long will it be ere thou be quiet? Put up thyself into thy scabbard; rest and be still.

⁷How can it be quiet, seeing the LORD hath given it a charge against Ashkelon and against the seashore? There hath He appointed it.

48Against Moab, thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Woe unto Nebo! For it is despoiled; Kiriathaim is confounded and taken; Misgab is confounded and dismayed.

²There shall be no more praise of Moab; in Heshbon they have devised evil against it; 'Come, and let us cut it off from being a nation.' Also thou shalt be cut down, O Madmen; the sword shall pursue thee.

³"A voice of crying shall be from Horonaim: 'Despoiling and great destruction!'

⁴Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.

⁵For in the going up of Luhith continual weeping shall go up; for in the going down of Horonaim the enemies have heard a cry of destruction.

⁶Flee, save your lives, and be like a naked tree in the wilderness.

⁷For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou shalt also be taken; and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity with his priests and his princes together.

⁸And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the LORD hath spoken.

⁹"Give wings unto Moab, that it may flee and get away; for the cities thereof shall be desolate, without any to dwell therein.

¹⁰"Cursed be he that doeth the work of the LORD deceitfully, and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.

¹¹"Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity; therefore his taste remained in him, and his scent is not changed.

¹²"Therefore, behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that I will send unto him wanderers, who shall cause him to wander, and shall empty his vessels and break their bottles.

¹³And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Bethel, their confidence.

¹⁴"How say ye, 'We are mighty and strong men for the war'?

¹⁵Moab is despoiled and gone up out of her cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter," saith the King, whose name is the LORD of hosts.

¹⁶"The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteneth fast.

¹⁷All ye that are about him, bemoan him; and all ye that know his name, say, 'How is the strong staff broken, and the beautiful rod!'

¹⁸Thou daughter that dost inhabit Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the despoiler of Moab shall come upon thee, and he shall destroy thy strongholds.

¹⁹O inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way and espy; ask him that fleeth and her that escapeth, and say, 'What is done?'

²⁰Moab is confounded, for it is broken down. Howl and cry! Tell ye it in Arnon that Moab is despoiled!

²¹"And judgment has come upon the plain country: upon Holon, and upon Jahazah, and upon Mephaath,

²²and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Bethdiblathaim,

²³and upon Kiriathaim, and upon Bethgamul, and upon Bethmeon,

²⁴and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.

²⁵The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken," saith the LORD.

²⁶"Make ye him drunken, for he magnified himself against the LORD. Moab also shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.

²⁷For was not Israel a derision unto thee? Was he found among thieves? For since thou spokest of him, thou skipped for joy.

²⁸"O ye that dwell in Moab, leave the cities and dwell in the rock, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the sides of the hole's mouth.

²⁹We have heard the pride of Moab (he is exceeding proud)-- his loftiness, and his arrogancy, and his pride, and the haughtiness of his heart.

³⁰I know his wrath," saith the LORD, "but it shall not be so; his lies shall not so effect it.

³¹Therefore will I howl for Moab, and I will cry out for all Moab; Mine heart shall mourn for the men of Kirheres.

³²O vine of Sibmah, I will weep for thee with the weeping of Jazer; thy plants are gone over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer. The spoiler is fallen upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage,

³³and joy and gladness is taken from the plentiful field and from the land of Moab. And I have caused wine to fail from the wine presses; none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting.

³⁴"From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, and even unto Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, as a heifer of three years old; for the waters also of Nimrim shall be desolate.

³⁵Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab," saith the LORD, "him that offereth in the high places and him that burneth incense to his gods.

³⁶Therefore Mine heart shall sound for Moab like pipes, and Mine heart shall sound like pipes for the men of Kirheres, because the riches that he hath gotten have perished.

³⁷"For every head shall be bald and every beard clipped; upon all the hands shall be cuts and upon the loins sackcloth.

³⁸There shall be lamentation generally upon all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof; for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein is no pleasure," saith the LORD.

³⁹"They shall howl, saying, 'How it is broken down! How hath Moab turned the back with shame!' So shall Moab be a derision and a dismaying to all those about him."

⁴⁰For thus saith the LORD: "Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread his wings over Moab.

⁴¹Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are surprised; and the mighty men's hearts in Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

⁴²And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the LORD.

⁴³Fear and the pit and the snare shall be upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab," saith the LORD.

⁴⁴"He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit, and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon it, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation," saith the LORD.

⁴⁵"They that fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon because of the force; but a fire shall come forth out of Heshbon and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and shall devour the corner of Moab and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.

⁴⁶Woe be unto thee, O Moab! The people of Chemosh perisheth! For thy sons are taken captive and thy daughters captive.

⁴⁷"Yet will I bring back the captives of Moab in the latter days," saith the LORD. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.

49Concerning the Ammonites, thus saith the LORD: "Hath Israel no sons? Hath he no heir? Why then doth their king inherit Gad, and his people dwell in his cities?

²Therefore behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard in Rabbah of the Ammonites; and it shall be a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire; then shall Israel be heir unto them that were his heirs," saith the LORD.

³"Howl, O Heshbon, for Ai is despoiled! Cry, ye daughters of Rabbah; gird you with sackcloth! Lament, and run to and fro by the hedges; for their king shall go into captivity, and his priests and his princes together.

⁴Why gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter, that trusted in her treasures, saying, 'Who shall come unto me?'

⁵Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee," saith the Lord GOD of hosts, "from all those that be about thee; and ye shall be driven out, every man straight forth, and none shall gather up him that wandereth.

⁶And afterward I will bring back the captives of the children of Ammon," saith the LORD.

⁷Concerning Edom, thus saith the LORD of hosts: "Is wisdom no more in Teman? Is counsel perished from the prudent? Is their wisdom vanished?

⁸Flee ye, turn back, dwell deep, O inhabitants of Dedan; for I will bring the calamity of Esau upon him, at the time that I will visit him.

⁹If grape-gatherers come to thee, would they not leave some gleaning grapes? If thieves by night, they will destroy till they have enough.

¹⁰But I have made Esau bare; I have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself; his seed is despoiled, and his brethren and his neighbors, and he is no more.

¹¹Leave thy fatherless children; I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in Me."

¹²For thus saith the LORD: "Behold, they whose judgment was not to drink of the cup have assuredly drunk. And art thou he that shall altogether go unpunished? Thou shalt not go unpunished, but thou shalt surely drink of it.

¹³For I have sworn by Myself," saith the LORD, "that Bozrah shall become a desolation, a reproach, a waste, and a curse; and all the cities thereof shall be perpetual wastes."

¹⁴I have heard a word from the LORD, and an ambassador is sent unto the heathen, saying, "Gather ye together, and come against her, and rise up to the battle!"

¹⁵"For lo, I will make thee small among the heathen and despised among men.

¹⁶Thy terribleness hath deceived thee, and the pride of thine heart, O thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, that holdest the height of the hill; though thou shouldest make thy nest as high as the eagle, I will bring thee down from thence," saith the LORD.

¹⁷"Also Edom shall be a desolation; every one that goeth by it shall be astonished and shall hiss at all the plagues thereof.

¹⁸As in the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof," saith the LORD, "no man shall abide there, neither shall a son of man dwell in it.

¹⁹Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of the Jordan against the habitation of the strong; but I will suddenly make him run away from her. And who is a chosen man, that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? And who will appoint Me a time? And who is that shepherd that will stand before Me?"

²⁰Therefore hear the counsel of the LORD that He hath taken against Edom, and His purposes that He hath purposed against the inhabitants of Teman. Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; surely He shall make their habitations desolate with them.

²¹The earth is moved at the noise of their fall; at the cry the noise thereof was heard in the Red Sea.

²²Behold, He shall come up and fly as the eagle, and spread His wings over Bozrah; and at that day shall the heart of the mighty men of Edom be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.

²³Concerning Damascus: "Hamath is confounded, and Arpad, for they have heard evil tidings; they are fainthearted; there is sorrow on the sea; it cannot be quiet.

²⁴Damascus is waxed feeble and turneth herself to flee, and fear hath seized on her; anguish and sorrows have taken her, as a woman in travail.

²⁵How is the city of praise not left, the city of My joy!

²⁶Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day," saith the LORD of hosts.

²⁷"And I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus, and it shall consume the palaces of Benhadad."

²⁸Concerning Kedar and concerning the kingdoms of Hazor, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon shall smite, thus saith the LORD: "Arise ye, go up to Kedar, and despoil the men of the East.

²⁹Their tents and their flocks shall they take away; they shall take for themselves their curtains and all their vessels and their camels; and they shall cry unto them, 'Fear is on every side!'

³⁰Flee, get you far off! Dwell deep, O ye inhabitants of Hazor," saith the LORD. "For Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath taken counsel against you, and hath conceived a purpose against you.

³¹"Arise, get you up unto the wealthy nation, that dwelleth without cares," saith the LORD, "which have neither gates nor bars, which dwell alone.

³²And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil; and I will scatter into all winds them that are in the utmost corners; and I will bring their calamity from all sides thereof," saith the LORD.

³³"And Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons, and a desolation for ever; there shall no man abide there, nor any son of man dwell in it."

³⁴The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,

³⁵"Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "'Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.

³⁶And upon Elam will I bring the four winds from the four quarters of heaven, and will scatter them toward all those winds; and there shall be no nation whither the outcasts of Elam shall not come.

³⁷For I will cause Elam to be dismayed before their enemies and before them that seek their life; and I will bring evil upon them, even My fierce anger,' saith the LORD; 'and I will send the sword after them till I have consumed them.

³⁸And I will set My throne in Elam, and will destroy from thence the king and the princes,' saith the LORD.

³⁹"'But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring back the captives of Elam,' saith the LORD."

50The word that the LORD spoke against Babylon and against the land of the Chaldeans by Jeremiah the prophet:

²"Declare ye among the nations, and proclaim and set up a standard; proclaim and conceal not. Say, 'Babylon is taken, Bel is confounded, Merodach is broken in pieces! Her idols are confounded, her images are broken in pieces!'

³For out of the north there cometh up a nation against her, which shall make her land desolate, and none shall dwell therein; they shall be removed, they shall depart, both man and beast.

⁴"In those days and in that time," saith the LORD, "the children of Israel shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping; they shall go, and seek the LORD their God.

⁵They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces turned thitherward, saying, 'Come, and let us join ourselves to the LORD in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten.'

⁶My people hath been lost sheep; their shepherds have caused them to go astray. They have turned them away on the mountains; they have gone from mountain to hill; they have forgotten their resting place.

⁷All who found them have devoured them; and their adversaries said, 'We offend not, because they have sinned against the LORD, the habitation of justice, even the LORD, the hope of their fathers.'

⁸"Depart out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the hegoats before the flocks.

⁹For lo, I will raise and cause to come up against Babylon an assembly of great nations from the north country, and they shall set themselves in array against her. From thence she shall be taken. Their arrows shall be as of a mighty destroyer; none shall return in vain.

¹⁰And Chaldea shall be a spoil; all that despoil her shall be satisfied," saith the LORD.

¹¹"Because ye were glad, because ye rejoiced, O ye destroyers of Mine heritage, because ye are grown fat as the heifer at grass, and bellow as bulls,

¹²your mother shall be sore confounded; she that bore you shall be ashamed. Behold, the hindermost of the nations shall be a wilderness, a dry land and a desert.

¹³Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate; every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished and hiss at all her plagues.

¹⁴Put yourselves in array against Babylon round about; all ye that bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrows, for she hath sinned against the LORD.

¹⁵Shout against her round about; she hath given her hand. Her foundations are fallen, her walls are thrown down; for it is the vengeance of the LORD. Take vengeance upon her; as she hath done, do unto her.

¹⁶Cut off the sower from Babylon, and him that handleth the sickle in the time of harvest; for fear of the oppressing sword they shall turn every one to his people, and they shall flee every one to his own land.

¹⁷"Israel is a scattered sheep; the lions have driven him away. First the king of Assyria hath devoured him, and last this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath broken his bones."

¹⁸Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "Behold, I will punish the king of Babylon and his land, as I have punished the king of Assyria.

¹⁹And I will bring Israel again to his habitation; and he shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon Mount Ephraim and Gilead.

²⁰In those days and in that time," saith the LORD, "the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.

²¹"Go up against the land of Merathaim, even against it and against the inhabitants of Pekod. Waste and utterly destroy after them," saith the LORD, "and do according to all that I have commanded thee.

²²A sound of battle is in the land, and of great destruction.

²³How the hammer of the whole earth is cut asunder and broken! How Babylon hath become a desolation among the nations!

²⁴I have laid a snare for thee, and thou art also taken, O Babylon, and thou wast not aware; thou art found and also caught, because thou hast striven against the LORD.

²⁵The LORD hath opened His armory and hath brought forth the weapons of His indignation; for this is the work of the Lord GOD of hosts in the land of the Chaldeans.

²⁶Come against her from the utmost border; open her storehouses. Cast her up as heaps and destroy her utterly; let nothing of her be left.

²⁷Slay all her bullocks; let them go down to the slaughter. Woe unto them! For their day has come, the time of their visitation.

²⁸The voice of them that flee and escape out of the land of Babylon, to declare in Zion the vengeance of the LORD our God, the vengeance of His temple.

²⁹"Call together the archers against Babylon. All ye that bend the bow, camp against it round about; let none thereof escape. Recompense her according to her work; according to all that she hath done, do unto her. For she hath been proud against the LORD, against the Holy One of Israel.

³⁰Therefore shall her young men fall in the streets, and all her men of war shall be cut off in that day," saith the LORD.

³¹"Behold, I am against thee, O thou most proud," saith the Lord GOD of hosts; "for thy day is come, the time that I will visit thee.

³²And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up; and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him."

³³Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together, and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go.

³⁴Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is His name. He shall thoroughly plead their cause, that He may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.

³⁵"A sword is upon the Chaldeans," saith the LORD, "and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men!

³⁶A sword is upon the liars, and they shall dote! A sword is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed!

³⁷A sword is upon their horses and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her, and they shall become as women! A sword is upon her treasures, and they shall be robbed!

³⁸A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up! For it is the land of graven images, and they are mad over their idols.

³⁹Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein; and it shall be no more inhabited for ever, neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation.

⁴⁰As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbor cities thereof," saith the LORD, "so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein.

⁴¹"Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the borders of the earth.

⁴²They shall hold the bow and the lance; they are cruel and will not show mercy; their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon.

⁴³The king of Babylon hath heard the report of them, and his hands waxed feeble; anguish took hold of him, and pangs as of a woman in travail.

⁴⁴Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of the Jordan unto the habitation of the strong; but I will make them suddenly run away from her. And who is a chosen man that I may appoint over her? For who is like Me? And who will appoint Me the time? And who is that shepherd that will stand before Me?"

⁴⁵Therefore hear ye the counsel of the LORD that He hath taken against Babylon, and His purposes that He hath purposed against the land of the Chaldeans. Surely the least of the flock shall draw them out; surely He shall make their habitation desolate with them.

⁴⁶At the noise of the taking of Babylon the earth is moved, and the cry is heard among the nations.

51Thus saith the LORD: "Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against Me, a destroying wind.

²And will send unto Babylon winnowers that shall fan her, and shall empty her land; for in the day of trouble they shall be against her round about.

³Against him that bendeth let the archer bend his bow, and against him that lifteth himself up in his brigandine; and spare ye not her young men; destroy ye utterly all her host.

⁴Thus the slain shall fall in the land of the Chaldeans, and they that are thrust through in her streets.

⁵For Israel hath not been forsaken, nor Judah by his God, by the LORD of hosts, though their land was filled with sin against the Holy One of Israel."

⁶Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul; be not cut off in her iniquity, for this is the time of the LORD'S vengeance; He will render unto her a recompense.

⁷Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD'S hand, that made all the earth drunken; the nations have drunk of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.

⁸Babylon is suddenly fallen and destroyed: Howl for her! Take balm for her pain; if so be she may be healed.

⁹We woud have healed Babylon, but she is not healed. Forsake her, and let us go every one into his own country, for her judgment reacheth unto heaven and is lifted up even to the skies.

¹⁰The LORD hath brought forth our righteousness; come, and let us declare in Zion the work of the LORD our God.

¹¹Make bright the arrows! Gather the shields! The LORD hath raised up the spirit of the kings of the Medes; for His device is against Babylon to destroy it, because it is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance of His temple.

¹²Set up the standard upon the walls of Babylon! Make the watch strong! Set up the watchmen! Prepare the ambushes! For the LORD hath both devised and done that which He spoke against the inhabitants of Babylon.

¹³O thou that dwellest upon many waters, abundant in treasures, thine end is come, and the measure of thy covetousness.

¹⁴The LORD of hosts hath sworn by Himself, saying, "Surely I will fill thee with men, as with caterpillars, and they shall lift up a shout against thee."

¹⁵He hath made the earth by His power; He hath established the world by His wisdom, and hath stretched out the heaven by His understanding.

¹⁶When He uttereth His voice there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and He causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth. He maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasures.

¹⁷Every man is brutish by his knowledge; every founder is confounded by the graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them.

¹⁸They are vanity, the work of errors; in the time of their visitation they shall perish.

¹⁹The portion of Jacob is not like them, for He is the former of all things; and Israel is the rod of His inheritance; the LORD of Hosts is His name.

²⁰"Thou art My battleax and weapons of war; for with thee will I break in pieces the nations, and with thee will I destroy kingdoms.

²¹And with thee will I break in pieces the horse and his rider; and with thee will I break in pieces the chariot and his rider.

²²With thee also will I break in pieces man and woman; and with thee will I break in pieces old and young; and with thee will I break in pieces the young man and the maid.

²³I will also break in pieces with thee the shepherd and his flock; and with thee will I break in pieces the husbandman and his yoke of oxen; and with thee will I break in pieces captains and rulers.

²⁴And I will render unto Babylon and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion in your sight," saith the LORD.

²⁵"Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain," saith the LORD, who destroyest all the earth; "and I will stretch out Mine hand upon thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a burnt mountain.

²⁶And they shall not take from thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations; but thou shalt be desolate for ever," saith the LORD.

²⁷Set ye up a standard in the land! Blow the trumpet among the nations! Prepare the nations against her; call together against her the kingdoms of Ararat, Minni, and Ashkenaz. Appoint a captain against her; cause the horses to come up as the rough caterpillars.

²⁸Prepare against her the nations with the kings of the Medes, the captains thereof, and all the rulers thereof, and all the land of his dominion.

²⁹And the land shall tremble and sorrow; for every purpose of the LORD shall be performed against Babylon, to make the land of Babylon a desolation, without an inhabitant.

³⁰The mighty men of Babylon have forborne to fight, they have remained in their strongholds; their might hath failed, they have become as women; they have burned her dwelling places, her bars are broken.

³¹One courier shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end,

³²and that the passages are stopped, and the reeds they have burned with fire, and the men of war are affrighted.

³³For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: "The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor; it is time to thresh her; yet a little while and the time of her harvest shall come."

³⁴"Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me; he hath crushed me, he hath made me an empty vessel. He hath swallowed me up like a dragon; he hath filled his belly with my delicacies, he hath cast me out.

³⁵The violence done to me and to my flesh be upon Babylon," shall the inhabitant of Zion say; "and my blood upon the inhabitants of Chaldea!" shall Jerusalem say.

³⁶Therefore thus saith the LORD: "Behold, I will plead thy cause, and take vengeance for thee; and I will dry up her sea, and make her springs dry.

³⁷And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling place for dragons, an astonishment and a hissing, without an inhabitant.

³⁸They shall roar together like lions; they shall yell as lions' whelps.

³⁹In their heat I will make their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may rejoice, and sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake," saith the LORD.

⁴⁰"I will bring them down like lambs to the slaughter, like rams with hegoats.

⁴¹"How Sheshach is taken! And how the praise of the whole earth is surprised! How Babylon has become an astonishment among the nations!

⁴²The sea has come up upon Babylon; she is covered with the multitude of the waves thereof.

⁴³Her cities are a desolation, a dry land and a wilderness, a land wherein no man dwelleth, neither doth any son of man pass thereby.

⁴⁴And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will bring forth out of his mouth that which he hath swallowed up; and the nations shall not flow together any more unto him. Yea, the wall of Babylon shall fall.

⁴⁵"My people, go ye out of the midst of her, and deliver ye every man his soul from the fierce anger of the LORD.

⁴⁶And lest your heart faint and ye fear for the rumor that shall be heard in the land--a rumor shall both come one year, and after that in another year shall come a rumor and violence in the land, ruler against ruler"

⁴⁷therefore, behold, the days come, that I will do judgment upon the graven images of Babylon; and her whole land shall be confounded, and all her slain shall fall in the midst of her.

⁴⁸Then the heaven and the earth, and all that is therein, shall sing for Babylon, for the despoilers shall come unto her from the north," saith the LORD.

⁴⁹As Babylon hath caused the slain of Israel to fall, so at Babylon shall fall the slain of all the earth.

⁵⁰Ye that have escaped the sword, go away; stand not still. Remember the LORD afar off, and let Jerusalem come into your mind.

⁵¹We are confounded because we have heard reproach; shame hath covered our faces, for strangers are come into the sanctuaries of the LORD'S house.

⁵²"Therefore behold, the days come," saith the LORD, "that I will do judgment upon her graven images; and through all her land the wounded shall groan.

⁵³Though Babylon should mount up to heaven, and though she should fortify the height of her strength, yet from Me shall despoilers come unto her," saith the LORD.

⁵⁴A sound of a cry cometh from Babylon, and great destruction from the land of the Chaldeans,

⁵⁵because the LORD hath despoiled Babylon, and destroyed out of her the great voice. When her waves do roar like great waters, a noise of their voice is uttered,

⁵⁶because the despoiler is come upon her, even upon Babylon, and her mighty men are taken; every one of their bows is broken. For the LORD God of recompenses shall surely requite.

⁵⁷"And I will make drunk her princes and her wise men, her captains and her rulers and her mighty men; and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep and not wake," saith the King, whose name is the LORD of Hosts.

⁵⁸Thus saith the LORD of hosts: "The broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken, and her high gates shall be burned with fire; and the people shall labor in vain, and the folk in the fire; and they shall be weary."

⁵⁹The word which Jeremiah the prophet commanded Seraiah the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, when he went with Zedekiah the king of Judah into Babylon in the fourth year of his reign. And this Seraiah was a quiet prince.

⁶⁰So Jeremiah wrote in a book all the evil that should come upon Babylon, even all these words that are written against Babylon.

⁶¹And Jeremiah said to Seraiah, "When thou comest to Babylon and shalt see, and shalt read all these words,

⁶²then shalt thou say, 'O LORD, Thou hast spoken against this place to cut it off, that none shall remain in it, neither man nor beast, but that it shall be desolate for ever.'

⁶³And it shall be, when thou hast made an end of reading this book, that thou shalt bind a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates.

⁶⁴And thou shalt say, 'Thus shall Babylon sink, and shall not rise from the evil that I will bring upon her; and they shall be weary.'" Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

52Zedekiah was one and twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah.

²And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the LORD, according to all that Jehoiakim had done.

³For because of the anger of the LORD it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till He had cast them out from His presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

⁴And it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came -- he and all his army -- against Jerusalem, and encamped against it and built forts against it round about.

⁵So the city was besieged unto the eleventh year of King Zedekiah.

⁶And in the fourth month, on the ninth day of the month, the famine was sore in the city, so that there was no bread for the people of the land.

⁷Then the city was broken into, and all the men of war fled and went forth out of the city by night by the way of the gate between the two walls, which was by the king's garden (now the Chaldeans were by the city round about), and they went by the way of the plain.

⁸But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after the king, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and all his army was scattered from him.

⁹Then they took the king and carried him up unto the king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.

¹⁰And the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes; he slew also all the princes of Judah in Riblah.

¹¹Then he put out the eyes of Zedekiah. And the king of Babylon bound him in chains and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison till the day of his death.

¹²Now in the fifth month, on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, came Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, who served the king of Babylon, into Jerusalem.

¹³And he burned the house of the LORD, and the king's house; and all the houses of Jerusalem and all the houses of the great men burned he with fire.

¹⁴And all the army of the Chaldeans who were with the captain of the guard broke down all the walls of Jerusalem round about.

¹⁵Then Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away captive certain of the poor of the people and the residue of the people who remained in the city, and those who fell away, who fell to the king of Babylon, and the rest of the multitude.

¹⁶But Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, left certain of the poor of the land for vinedressers and for husbandmen.

¹⁷Also the pillars of brass that were in the house of the LORD, and the bases, and the brazen sea that was in the house of the LORD, the Chaldeans broke, and carried all their brass to Babylon.

¹⁸The caldrons also, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the bowls, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away.

¹⁹And the basins, and the firepans, and the bowls, and the caldrons, and the candlesticks, and the spoons, and the cups -- that which was of gold in gold and that which was of silver in silver -- took the captain of the guard away.

²⁰The two pillars, one sea, and twelve brazen bulls that were under the bases, which King Solomon had made in the house of the LORD -- the brass of all these vessels was beyond weighing.

²¹And concerning the pillars, the height of one pillar was eighteen cubits, and a fillet of twelve cubits did compass it, and the thickness thereof was four fingers; it was hollow.

²²And a capital of brass was upon it; and the height of one capital was five cubits, with network and pomegranates upon the capitals round about, all of brass. The second pillar also and the pomegranates were like unto these.

²³And there were ninety and six pomegranates on a side; and all the pomegranates upon the network were a hundred round about.

²⁴And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door.

²⁵He took also out of the city a eunuch who had the charge of the men of war, and seven men from those who were near the king's person who were found in the city, and the principal scribe of the host who mustered the people of the land, and threescore men of the people of the land who were found in the midst of the city.

²⁶So Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took them and brought them to the king of Babylon at Riblah.

²⁷And the king of Babylon smote them and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. Thus Judah was carried away captive out of his own land.

²⁸These are the people whom Nebuchadnezzar carried away captive: in the seventh year, three thousand Jews and three and twenty;

²⁹in the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar he carried away captive from Jerusalem eight hundred thirty and two persons;

³⁰in the three and twentieth year of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, carried away captive of the Jews seven hundred forty and five persons: all the persons were four thousand and six hundred.

³¹And it came to pass in the seven and thirtieth year of the captivity of Jehoiachin king of Judah, in the twelfth month, on the five and twentieth day of the month, that Evilmerodach king of Babylon, in the first year of his reign, lifted up the head of Jehoiachin king of Judah and brought him forth out of prison;

³²and he spoke kindly unto him, and set his throne above the throne of the kings who were with him in Babylon,

³³and changed his prison garments. And Jehoiachin continually ate bread before him all the days of his life.

³⁴And for his diet, there was a continual diet given him by the king of Babylon, every day a portion until the day of his death, all the days of his life.

1Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River of Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God.

²On the fifth day of the month (which was the fifth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity),

³the word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him.

⁴And I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself; and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.

⁵Also out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

⁶And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings.

⁷And their feet were straight feet, and the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf's foot; and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass.

⁸And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and all four had their faces and their wings.

⁹Their wings were joined one to another. They turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.

¹⁰As for the likeness of their faces, all four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion on the right side, and all four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.

¹¹Thus were their faces. And their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies.

¹²And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went, and they turned not when they went.

¹³As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire and like the appearance of lamps; it went up and down among the living creatures, and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning.

¹⁴And the living creatures ran and returned, like the appearance of a flash of lightning.

¹⁵Now as I beheld the living creatures, behold, a wheel was upon the earth by each of the living creatures with his four faces.

¹⁶The appearance of the wheels and their work was like unto the color of beryl, and all four had the same likeness; and their appearance and their work was, as it were, a wheel in the middle of a wheel.

¹⁷When they went, they went upon their four sides; and they turned not when they went.

¹⁸As for their rims, they were so high that they were dreadful; and their rims were full of eyes round about the four.

¹⁹And when the living creatures went, the wheels went beside them; and when the living creatures were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up.

²⁰Whithersoever the spirit was to go, they went; thither was their spirit to go: and the wheels were lifted up opposite them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²¹When those went, these went; and when those stood, these stood; and when those were lifted up from the earth, the wheels were lifted up opposite them, for the spirit of the living creature was in the wheels.

²²And the likeness of the firmament upon the heads of the living creatures was as the color of the terrible crystal, stretched forth over their heads above.

²³And under the firmament were their wings straight, the one toward the other; every one had two which covered on this side, and every one had two which covered on that side of their bodies.

²⁴And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech as the noise of a host. When they stood, they let down their wings;

²⁵and there was a voice from the firmament that was over their heads when they stood and had let down their wings.

²⁶And above the firmament that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, with the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness in appearance of a man above upon it.

²⁷And I saw as the color of amber, with the appearance of fire round about within it. From the appearance of His loins even upward and from the appearance of His loins even downward, I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about.

²⁸As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. And when I saw it, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One who spoke.

2And He said unto me, "Son of man, stand upon thy feet, and I will speak unto thee."

²And the Spirit entered into me when He spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet, so that I heard Him who spoke unto me.

³And He said unto me, "Son of man, I send thee to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that hath rebelled against Me. They and their fathers have transgressed against Me, even unto this very day;

⁴for they are impudent children and stiffhearted. I send thee unto them; and thou shalt say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD.'

⁵And they, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear (for they are a rebellious house), yet shall know that there hath been a prophet among them.

⁶"And thou, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with thee and thou dost dwell among scorpions. Be not afraid of their words nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.

⁷And thou shalt speak My words unto them, whether they will hear or whether they will forbear, for they are most rebellious.

⁸But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee. Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house. Open thy mouth, and eat what I give thee."

⁹And when I looked, behold, a hand was sent unto me; and lo, a scroll of a book was therein.

¹⁰And He spread it before me; and it was written within and without, and there were written therein lamentations and mourning and woe.

3Moreover He said unto me, "Son of man, eat what thou findest: eat this scroll, and go, speak unto the house of Israel."

²So I opened my mouth, and He caused me to eat that scroll.

³And He said unto me, "Son of man, cause thy belly to eat, and fill thy bowels with this scroll that I give thee." Then did I eat it, and it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness.

⁴And He said unto me, "Son of man, go, get thee unto the house of Israel, and speak with My words unto them.

⁵For thou art not sent to a people of strange speech and of a hard language, but to the house of Israel,

⁶not to many people of strange speech and of a hard language, whose words thou canst not understand. Surely, had I sent thee to them, they would have hearkened unto thee.

⁷But the house of Israel will not hearken unto thee, for they will not hearken unto Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hardhearted.

⁸Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads.

⁹As an adamant, harder than flint, have I made thy forehead. Fear them not, neither be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house."

¹⁰Moreover He said unto me, "Son of man, all My words that I shall speak unto thee receive in thine heart, and hear with thine ears.

¹¹And go, get thee to those of the captivity, unto the children of thy people, and speak unto them and tell them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD,' whether they will hear or whether they will forbear."

¹²Then the Spirit took me up, and I heard behind me a voice of a great rushing, saying, "Blessed be the glory of the LORD from His place."

¹³I heard also the noise of the wings of the living creatures that touched one another, and the noise of the wheels opposite them, and a noise of a great rushing.

¹⁴So the Spirit lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness, in the heat of my spirit; but the hand of the LORD was strong upon me.

¹⁵Then I came to those of the captivity at Telabib, who dwelt by the River of Chebar; and I sat where they sat, and remained there astonished among them seven days.

¹⁶And it came to pass at the end of seven days that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹⁷"Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel; therefore hear the word out of My mouth, and give them warning from Me.

¹⁸When I say unto the wicked, 'Thou shalt surely die,' and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way to save his life, the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

¹⁹Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

²⁰Again, when a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumbling block before him, he shall die. Because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

²¹Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul."

²²And the hand of the LORD was there upon me; and He said unto me, "Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will there talk with thee."

²³Then I arose and went forth into the plain, and behold, the glory of the LORD stood there, as the glory which I saw by the River of Chebar; and I fell on my face.

²⁴Then the Spirit entered into me and set me upon my feet, and spoke with me and said unto me, "Go, shut thyself within thine house.

²⁵But thou, O son of man, behold, they shall put bands upon thee and shall bind thee with them, and thou shalt not go out among them.

²⁶And I will make thy tongue cleave to the roof of thy mouth, that thou shalt be dumb and shalt not be to them a reprover, for they are a rebellious house.

²⁷But when I speak with thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD.' He that heareth, let him hear; and he that forbeareth, let him forbear; for they are a rebellious house.

4"Thou also, son of man, take thee a tile and lay it before thee, and portray upon it the city, even Jerusalem;

²and lay siege against it, and build a fort against it, and cast a mound against it. Set the camp also against it, and set battering rams against it round about.

³Moreover take thou unto thee an iron plate, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city; and set thy face against it, and it shall be besieged, and thou shalt lay siege against it. This shall be a sign to the house of Israel.

⁴"Also lie thou upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it, thou shalt bear their iniquity.

⁵For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days; so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel.

⁶And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.

⁷Therefore thou shalt set thy face toward the siege of Jerusalem; and thine arm shall be uncovered, and thou shalt prophesy against it.

⁸And behold, I will lay bands upon thee, and thou shalt not turn thee from one side to another until thou hast ended the days of thy siege.

⁹"Take thou also unto thee wheat and barley and beans, and lentils and millet and fitches, and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon thy side; three hundred and ninety days shalt thou eat thereof.

¹⁰And thy meat which thou shalt eat shall be by weight, twenty shekels a day. From time to time shalt thou eat it.

¹¹Thou shalt drink also water by measure, a sixth part of a hin. From time to time shalt thou drink.

¹²And thou shalt eat it as barley cakes, and thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man in their sight."

¹³And the LORD said, "Even thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread among the Gentiles, whither I will drive them."

¹⁴Then said I, "Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, my soul hath not been polluted; for from my youth up even till now have I not eaten of that which dieth of itself or is torn in pieces; neither came there abominable flesh into my mouth."

¹⁵Then He said unto me, "Lo, I have given thee cow's dung for man's dung, and thou shalt prepare thy bread therewith."

¹⁶Moreover He said unto me, "Son of man, behold, I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem; and they shall eat bread by weight and with care, and they shall drink water by measure and with astonishment,

¹⁷that they may lack bread and water, and be stunned one with another, and be consumed away for their iniquity.

5"And thou, son of man, take thee a sharp knife, take thee a barber's razor and cause it to pass over thine head and upon thy beard. Then take thee balances to weigh and divide the hair.

²Thou shalt burn with fire a third part in the midst of the city, when the days of the siege are fulfilled; and thou shalt take a third part and smite about it with a knife, and a third part thou shalt scatter in the wind; and I will draw out a sword after them.

³Thou shalt also take thereof a few in number, and bind them in thy skirts.

⁴Then take of them again, and cast them into the midst of the fire, and burn them in the fire; for thereof shall a fire come forth into all the house of Israel.

⁵"Thus saith the Lord GOD: This is Jerusalem. I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her.

⁶And she hath changed My judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes more than the countries that are round about her; for they have refused My judgments and My statutes. They have not walked in them.

⁷Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because ye multiplied more than the nations that are round about you, and have not walked in My statutes, neither have kept My judgments, neither have done according to the judgments of the nations that are round about you,

⁸therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold I, even I, am against thee, and will execute judgments in the midst of thee in the sight of the nations.

⁹And I will do in thee that which I have not done, and the like of which I will not do any more, because of all thine abominations.

¹⁰Therefore the fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; and I will execute judgments in thee, and the whole remnant of thee will I scatter into all the winds.

¹¹"Therefore as I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because thou hast defiled My sanctuary with all thy detestable things and with all thine abominations, therefore will I also diminish thee; neither shall Mine eye spare, neither will I have any pity.

¹²A third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and I will scatter a third part into all the winds, and I will draw out a sword after them.

¹³Thus shall Mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause My fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted; and they shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it in My zeal when I have accomplished My fury upon them.

¹⁴"Moreover I will make thee a waste and a reproach among the nations that are round about thee, in the sight of all that pass by.

¹⁵So it shall be a reproach and a taunt, an instruction and an astonishment unto the nations that are round about thee, when I shall execute judgments upon thee in anger and in fury and in furious rebukes. I, the LORD, have spoken it.

¹⁶When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine which shall be for their destruction, and which I will send to destroy you, and I will increase the famine upon you, and will break your staff of bread,

¹⁷so will I send upon you famine and evil beasts, and they shall bereave thee; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee, and I will bring the sword upon thee. I, the LORD, have spoken it."

6And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them

³and say: 'Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys: Behold I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.

⁴And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken; and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.

⁵And I will lay the dead carcasses of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.

⁶In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate, that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.

⁷And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

⁸"'Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations when ye shall be scattered through the countries.

⁹And they that escape from among you shall remember Me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart which hath departed from Me, and with their eyes which go a whoring after their idols. And they shall loathe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.

¹⁰And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.

¹¹"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Smite with thine hand and stamp with thy foot, and say: "Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel!" For they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.

¹²He that is far off shall die of the pestilence, and he that is near shall fall by the sword, and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine; thus will I accomplish My fury upon them.

¹³Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they offered sweet savor to all their idols.

¹⁴So will I stretch out My hand upon them and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'"

7Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel: "An end! The end is come upon the four corners of the land.

³Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send Mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.

⁴And Mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity; but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

⁵"Thus saith the Lord GOD: An evil, an only evil, behold, is come!

⁶An end is come, the end is come! It watcheth for thee; behold, it is come.

⁷The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land; the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains.

⁸Now will I shortly pour out My fury upon thee, and accomplish Mine anger upon thee; and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.

⁹And Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity. I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the LORD that smiteth.

¹⁰"Behold the day, behold, it is come! The morning is gone forth, the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.

¹¹Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs; neither shall there be wailing for them.

¹²The time is come, the day draweth near. Let not the buyer rejoice nor the seller mourn, for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

¹³For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive; for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.

¹⁴"They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle, for My wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.

¹⁵The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within. He that is in the field shall die with the sword, and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.

¹⁶But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.

¹⁷All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.

¹⁸They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.

¹⁹They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed; their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD. They shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels, because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity.

²⁰"As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty; but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein; therefore have I set it far from them.

²¹And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil, and they shall pollute it.

²²My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute My secret place; for the robbers shall enter into it and defile it.

²³"Make a chain, for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.

²⁴Therefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses. I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease, and their holy places shall be defiled.

²⁵Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.

²⁶Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumor shall be upon rumor. Then shall they seek a vision of the prophet, but the law shall perish from the priest and counsel from the ancients.

²⁷The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled. I will do unto them according to their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am the LORD."

8And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.

²Then I beheld, and lo, a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of His loins even downward, fire, and from His loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the color of amber.

³And He put forth the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the Spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.

⁴And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.

⁵Then said He unto me, "Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north." So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and beheld northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.

⁶He said furthermore unto me, "Son of man, seest thou what they do, even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should depart far off from My sanctuary? But turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations."

⁷And He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.

⁸Then said He unto me, "Son of man, dig now in the wall"; and when I had dug in the wall, behold, a door.

⁹And He said unto me, "Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here."

¹⁰So I went in and saw; and behold, every form of creeping things and abominable beasts and all the idols of the house of Israel portrayed upon the wall round about.

¹¹And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.

¹²Then said He unto me, "Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his images? For they say, 'The LORD seeth us not. The LORD hath forsaken the earth.'"

¹³He said also unto me, "Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do."

¹⁴Then He brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD'S house which was toward the north; and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.

¹⁵Then said He unto me, "Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these."

¹⁶And He brought me into the inner court of the LORD'S house, and behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east.

¹⁷Then He said unto me, "Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? For they have filled the land with violence and have returned to provoke Me to anger; and lo, they put the branch to their nose.

¹⁸Therefore will I also deal in fury. Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in Mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them."

9He cried also in mine ears with a loud voice, saying, "Cause them that have charge over the city to draw near, even every man with his destroying weapon in his hand."

²And behold, six men came from the way of the higher gate, which lieth toward the north, and every man a slaughter weapon in his hand; and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer's inkhorn by his side. And they went in and stood beside the brazen altar.

³And the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer's inkhorn by his side;

⁴and the LORD said unto him, "Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and who cry because of all the abominations that are done in the midst thereof."

⁵And to the others He said in mine hearing, "Go ye after him through the city and smite. Let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity.

⁶Slay utterly old and young, both maids and little children and women; but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at My sanctuary." Then they began with the elder men who were before the house.

⁷And He said unto them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go ye forth." And they went forth and slew in the city.

⁸And it came to pass, while they were slaying them and I was left, that I fell upon my face and cried, and said, "Ah Lord GOD! Wilt Thou destroy all the residue of Israel in Thy pouring out of Thy fury upon Jerusalem?"

⁹Then said He unto me, "The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceeding great, and the land is full of blood and the city full of perverseness; for they say, 'The LORD hath forsaken the earth, and the LORD seeth not.'

¹⁰And as for Me also, Mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity, but I will recompense their ways upon their heads."

¹¹And behold, the man clothed with linen, who had the inkhorn by his side, reported the matter, saying, "I have done as Thou hast commanded me."

10Then I looked, and behold, in the firmament that was above the head of the cherubims there appeared over them, as it were, a sapphire stone with the appearance of the likeness of a throne.

²And He spoke unto the man clothed with linen, and said, "Go in between the wheels, even under the cherub, and fill thine hand with coals of fire from between the cherubims, and scatter them over the city." And he went in in my sight.

³Now the cherubims stood on the right side of the house when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court.

⁴Then the glory of the LORD went up from the cherub and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the LORD'S glory.

⁵And the sound of the cherubims' wings was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of the Almighty God when He speaketh.

⁶And it came to pass that when He had commanded the man clothed with linen, saying, "Take fire from between the wheels, from between the cherubims," then he went in and stood beside the wheels.

⁷And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen, who took it and went out.

⁸And there appeared in the cherubims the form of a man's hand under their wings.

⁹And when I looked, behold, the four wheels by the cherubims, one wheel by one cherub and another wheel by another cherub; and the appearance of the wheels was as the color of a beryl stone.

¹⁰And as for their appearance, all four had one likeness, as if a wheel had been in the midst of a wheel.

¹¹When they went, they went upon their four sides. They turned not as they went, but to the place whither the head looked they followed it; they turned not as they went.

¹²And their whole body, and their backs, and their hands, and their wings, and the wheels, were full of eyes round about -- even the wheels that the four had.

¹³As for the wheels, it was cried unto them in my hearing, "O wheel."

¹⁴And every one had four faces: the first face was the face of a cherub, and the second face was the face of a man, and the third the face of a lion, and the fourth the face of an eagle.

¹⁵And the cherubims were lifted up. This is the living creature that I saw by the River of Chebar.

¹⁶And when the cherubims went, the wheels went alongside them; and when the cherubims lifted up their wings to mount up from the earth, the same wheels also turned not from beside them.

¹⁷When they stood, these stood, and when they were lifted up, these lifted up themselves also; for the spirit of the living creature was in them.

¹⁸Then the glory of the LORD departed from off the threshold of the house and stood over the cherubims.

¹⁹And the cherubims lifted up their wings and mounted up from the earth in my sight. When they went out, the wheels also were beside them, and every one stood at the door of the east gate of the LORD'S house; and the glory of the God of Israel was over above them.

²⁰This is the living creature that I saw under the God of Israel by the River of Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubims.

²¹Every one had four faces apiece, and every one four wings, and the likeness of the hands of a man was under their wings.

²²And the likeness of their faces was the same as the faces which I saw by the River of Chebar, their appearances and themselves. They went every one straight forward.

11Moreover the Spirit lifted me up and brought me unto the east gate of the LORD'S house, which looketh eastward; and behold, at the door of the gate five and twenty men, among whom I saw Jaazaniah the son of Azzur, and Pelatiah the son of Benaiah, princes of the people.

²Then said He unto me: "Son of man, these are the men who devise mischief and give wicked counsel in this city,

³who say, 'It is not near; let us build houses: this city is the caldron, and we are the flesh.'

⁴Therefore prophesy against them, prophesy, O son of man."

⁵And the Spirit of the LORD fell upon me, and said unto me, "Speak! Thus saith the LORD: Thus have ye said, O house of Israel; for I know the things that come into your mind, every one of them.

⁶Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, and ye have filled the streets thereof with the slain.

⁷Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Your slain whom ye have laid in the midst of it, they are the flesh, and this city is the caldron; but I will bring you forth out of the midst of it.

⁸Ye have feared the sword; and I will bring a sword upon you, saith the Lord GOD.

⁹And I will bring you out of the midst thereof, and deliver you into the hands of strangers and will execute judgments among you.

¹⁰Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

¹¹This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel.

¹²And ye shall know that I am the LORD; for ye have not walked in My statutes, neither executed My judgments, but have done according to the manner of the heathen who are round about you."

¹³And it came to pass when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice and said, "Ah, Lord GOD! Wilt Thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?"

¹⁴Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹⁵"Son of man, thy brethren, even thy brethren, the men of thy kindred, and all the house of Israel wholly, are they unto whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, 'Get you far from the LORD; unto us is this land given as a possession.'

¹⁶Therefore say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.'

¹⁷Therefore say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even gather you from the people and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.'

¹⁸And they shall come thither, and they shall take away all the detestable things thereof and all the abominations thereof from thence.

¹⁹And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you; and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh,

²⁰that they may walk in My statutes and keep Mine ordinances, and do them. And they shall be My people, and I will be their God.

²¹But as for them whose heart walketh after the heart of their detestable things and their abominations, I will recompense their way upon their own heads, saith the Lord GOD."

²²Then the cherubims lifted up their wings, and the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel was over them.

²³And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain which is on the east side of the city.

²⁴Afterwards the Spirit took me up, and brought me in a vision by the Spirit of God into Chaldea to those of the captivity. So the vision that I had seen went up from me.

²⁵Then I spoke unto those of the captivity all the things that the LORD had shown me.

12The word of the LORD also came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see and see not; they have ears to hear and hear not, for they are a rebellious house.

³Therefore, thou son of man, prepare thee supplies for departure, and remove by day in their sight; and thou shalt remove from thy place to another place in their sight. It may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.

⁴Then shalt thou bring forth thy goods by day in their sight, as supplies for removing; and thou shalt go forth at evening in their sight, as they that go forth into captivity.

⁵Dig thou through the wall in their sight, and carry out through it.

⁶In their sight shalt thou bear it upon thy shoulders and carry it forth in the twilight. Thou shalt cover thy face, that thou see not the ground; for I have set thee for a sign unto the house of Israel."

⁷And I did so as I was commanded: I brought forth my goods by day, as supplies for captivity, and in the evening I dug through the wall with mine hand. I brought them forth in the twilight, and I bore them upon my shoulder in their sight.

⁸And in the morning came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

⁹"Son of man, hath not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said unto thee, 'What doest thou?'

¹⁰Say thou unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: This burden concerneth the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel that are among them.'

¹¹Say, 'I am your sign: as I have done, so shall it be done unto them. They shall remove and go into captivity.'

¹²And the prince who is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth; they shall dig through the wall to carry out through it. He shall cover his face, that he see not the ground with his eyes.

¹³My net also will I spread upon him, and he shall be taken in My snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.

¹⁴And I will scatter toward every wind all who are about him to help him, and all his troops; and I will draw out the sword after them.

¹⁵And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall scatter them among the nations and disperse them in the countries.

¹⁶But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine and from the pestilence, that they may declare all their abominations among the heathen whither they come; and they shall know that I am the LORD."

¹⁷Moreover the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

¹⁸"Son of man, eat thy bread with quaking, and drink thy water with trembling and with sorrow;

¹⁹and say unto the people of the land, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD of the inhabitants of Jerusalem and of the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with sorrow, and drink their water with dismay, that her land may be desolate of all that is therein, because of the violence of all them that dwell therein.

²⁰And the cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'"

²¹And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²²"Son of man, what is that proverb that ye have in the land of Israel, saying, 'The days are prolonged, and every vision faileth'?

²³Tell them therefore, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.' But say unto them, 'The days are at hand, and the effect of every vision.

²⁴For there shall be no more any vain vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.

²⁵For I am the LORD: I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall come to pass; it shall be no more put off. For in your days, O rebellious house, will I say the word and will perform it, saith the Lord GOD.'"

²⁶Again the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

²⁷"Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, 'The vision that he seeth is for many days to come, and he prophesieth of the times that are far off.'

²⁸Therefore say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: There shall none of My words be put off any more, but the word which I have spoken shall be done, saith the Lord GOD.'"

13And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts: 'Hear ye the word of the LORD!

³Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe unto the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!

⁴O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

⁵Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the LORD.

⁶They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, "The LORD saith," but the LORD hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

⁷Have ye not seen a vain vision and have ye not spoken a lying divination, wherein ye say, "The LORD saith it," albeit I have not spoken?

⁸"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because ye have spoken vanity and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.

⁹And Mine hand shall be upon the prophets who see vanity and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

¹⁰"'Because, even because they have seduced My people, saying, "Peace," and there was no peace, and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar,

¹¹say unto those who daub it with untempered mortar that it shall fall. There shall be an overflowing shower, and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall, and a stormy wind shall rend it.

¹²Lo, when the wall has fallen, shall it not be said unto you, "Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?"

¹³Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even rend it with a stormy wind in My fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in Mine anger and great hailstones in My fury to consume it.

¹⁴So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered mortar and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation thereof shall be uncovered, and it shall fall and ye shall be consumed in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

¹⁵Thus will I accomplish My wrath upon the wall and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you: "The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it,

¹⁶to wit, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her and there is no peace, saith the Lord GOD."'

¹⁷"Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them

¹⁸and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the women who sew pillows to all armholes and make kerchiefs upon the head of those of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of My people, and will ye save the souls alive who come unto you?

¹⁹And will ye pollute Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls who should not die and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to My people who hear your lies?

²⁰"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make them fly; and I will tear them from your arms and will let the souls go, even the souls whom ye hunt to make them fly.

²¹Your kerchiefs also will I tear and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

²²Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad, and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way by promising him life,

²³therefore ye shall see no more vanity nor divine divinations; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'"

14Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me and sat before me.

²And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

³"Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them?

⁴Therefore speak unto them and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols,

⁵that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from Me through their idols.'

⁶"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations.

⁷For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, who separateth himself from Me and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the LORD will answer him by Myself.

⁸And I will set My face against that man and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

⁹And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand upon him and will destroy him from the midst of My people Israel.

¹⁰And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity. The punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him,

¹¹that the house of Israel may go no more astray from Me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.'"

¹²The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,

¹³"Son of man, when the land sinneth against Me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out Mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it.

¹⁴Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁵If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts,

¹⁶though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.

¹⁷Or if I bring a sword upon that land and say, 'Sword, go through the land,' so that I cut off man and beast from it,

¹⁸though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.

¹⁹Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury upon it in blood to cut off from it man and beast,

²⁰though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter. They shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

²¹"For thus saith the Lord GOD: How much more when I send My four sore judgments upon Jerusalem -- the sword and the famine and the noisome beast and the pestilence -- to cut off from it man and beast?

²²Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters. Behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings; and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.

²³And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings; and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD."

15And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, or than a branch which is among the trees of the forest?

³Shall wood be taken thereof to do any work? Or will men take a peg from it to hang any vessel thereon?

⁴Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire devoureth both the ends of it, and the middle of it is burned. Is it meet for any work?

⁵Behold, when it was whole, it was meet for no work. How much less shall it be meet yet for any work when the fire hath devoured it and it is burned?

⁶Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁷And I will set My face against them: they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall devour them. And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I set My face against them.

⁸And I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, saith the Lord GOD."

16Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, cause Jerusalem to know her abominations

³and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem: Thy birth and thy nativity are of the land of Canaan; thy father was an Amorite and thy mother a Hittite.

⁴And as for thy nativity, on the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water to soothe thee. Thou wast not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.

⁵No eye pitied thee to do any of these unto thee, to have compassion upon thee; but thou wast cast out in the open field, to the loathing of thy person on the day that thou wast born.

⁶"'And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, "Live"; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, "Live."

⁷I have caused thee to multiply as the bud of the field, and thou hast increased and waxed great, and thou art come to excellent ornaments. Thy breasts are fashioned and thine hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare.

⁸"'Now when I passed by thee and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread My skirt over thee and covered thy nakedness. Yea, I swore unto thee and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest Mine.

⁹Then washed I thee with water; yea, I thoroughly washed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil.

¹⁰I clothed thee also with embroidered work and shod thee with badgers' skin, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk.

¹¹I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands and a chain on thy neck.

¹²And I put a jewel on thy forehead, and earrings in thine ears, and a beautiful crown upon thine head.

¹³Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk and embroidered work. Thou didst eat fine flour and honey and oil; and thou wast exceeding beautiful, and thou didst prosper into a kingdom.

¹⁴And thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty; for it was perfect through My comeliness, which I had put upon thee, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁵"'But thou didst trust in thine own beauty, and played the harlot because of thy renown, and poured out thy fornications on every one that passed by: his it was.

¹⁶And of thy garments thou didst take, and decked thy high places with divers colors and played the harlot thereupon. The like things shall not come, neither shall it be so.

¹⁷Thou hast also taken thy fair jewels of My gold and of My silver, which I had given thee, and madest for thyself images of men and didst commit whoredom with them,

¹⁸and tookest thy embroidered garments and covered them; and thou hast set Mine oil and Mine incense before them.

¹⁹My meat also which I gave thee -- fine flour and oil and honey, wherewith I fed thee -- thou hast even set it before them for a sweet savor; and thus it was, saith the Lord GOD.

²⁰Moreover thou hast taken thy sons and thy daughters, whom thou hast borne unto Me, and these hast thou sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this thy whoredoms a small matter,

²¹that thou hast slain My children and delivered them to cause them to pass through the fire for them?

²²And in all thine abominations and thy whoredoms thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare and wast polluted in thy blood.

²³"'And it came to pass after all thy wickedness (Woe, woe unto thee! saith the Lord GOD),

²⁴that thou hast also built unto thee a brothel house, and hast made thee a high place in every street.

²⁵Thou hast built thy high place at every head of the way, and hast made thy beauty to be abhorred, and hast opened thy feet to every one that passed by, and multiplied thy whoredoms.

²⁶Thou hast also committed fornication with the Egyptians thy neighbors, great of flesh, and hast increased thy whoredoms to provoke Me to anger.

²⁷Behold, therefore I have stretched out My hand over thee, and have diminished thine ordinary food, and delivered thee unto the will of them that hate thee, the daughters of the Philistines, who are ashamed of thy lewd way.

²⁸Thou hast played the whore also with the Assyrians, because thou wast unsatiable; yea, thou hast played the harlot with them and yet couldest not be satisfied.

²⁹Thou hast moreover multiplied thy fornication in the land of Canaan unto Chaldea, and yet thou wast not satisfied herewith.

³⁰"'How weak is thine heart, saith the Lord GOD, seeing thou doest all these things, the work of an imperious whorish woman,

³¹in that thou buildest thine eminent place at the head of every way and makest thine high place in every street, and hast not been as a harlot in that thou scornest hire,

³²but as a wife that committeth adultery, that taketh strangers instead of her husband!

³³Gifts are given to all whores, but thou givest thy gifts to all thy lovers, and hirest them, that they may come unto thee on every side for thy whoredom.

³⁴And it is the contrary in thee from other women in thy whoredoms, whereas none followeth thee to commit whoredoms; and in that thou givest a reward and no reward is given unto thee, therefore thou art contrary.

³⁵"'Therefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD!

³⁶Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thy filthiness was poured out and thy nakedness uncovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children which thou didst give unto them,

³⁷behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated. I will even gather them round about against thee and will uncover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness.

³⁸And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy.

³⁹And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place and shall break down thy high places. They shall strip thee also of thy clothes and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare.

⁴⁰They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones and thrust thee through with their swords.

⁴¹And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women; and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more.

⁴²So will I make My fury toward thee to rest, and My jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet and will be no more angry.

⁴³Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast made Me fret in all these things, behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD; and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations.

⁴⁴"'Behold, every one that useth proverbs shall use this proverb against thee, saying, "As is the mother, so is her daughter."

⁴⁵Thou art thy mother's daughter, who loatheth her husband and her children, and thou art the sister of thy sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite.

⁴⁶And thine elder sister is Samaria, she and her daughters, who dwell at thy left hand; and thy younger sister, who dwelleth at thy right hand, is Sodom and her daughters.

⁴⁷Yet hast thou not walked after their ways, nor done according to their abominations, but, as if that were a very little thing, thou wast corrupted more than they in all thy ways.

⁴⁸As I live, saith the Lord GOD, Sodom thy sister hath not done, she nor her daughters, as thou hast done, thou and thy daughters.

⁴⁹Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom: pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy;

⁵⁰and they were haughty and committed abomination before Me. Therefore I took them away as I saw good.

⁵¹Neither hath Samaria committed half of thy sins; but thou hast multiplied thine abominations more than they, and hast justified thy sisters in all thine abominations which thou hast done.

⁵²Thou also, who hast judged thy sisters, bear thine own shame for thy sins that thou hast committed more abominable than they: they are more righteous than thou. Yea, be thou confounded also and bear thy shame, in that thou hast justified thy sisters.

⁵³"'When I shall bring back their captives, the captives of Sodom and her daughters and the captives of Samaria and her daughters, then will I bring back the captivity of thy captives in the midst of them,

⁵⁴that thou mayest bear thine own shame and mayest be confounded in all that thou hast done, in that thou art a comfort unto them.

⁵⁵When thy sisters, Sodom and her daughters, shall return to their former estate and Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former estate, then thou and thy daughters shall return to your former estate.

⁵⁶For thy sister Sodom was not mentioned by thy mouth in the day of thy pride,

⁵⁷before thy wickedness was uncovered, as at the time of thy reproach of the daughters of Syria and all who are round about her, the daughters of the Philistines, who despise thee round about.

⁵⁸Thou hast borne thy lewdness and thine abominations, saith the LORD.

⁵⁹"'For thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant.

⁶⁰Nevertheless I will remember My covenant with thee in the days of thy youth, and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant.

⁶¹Then thou shalt remember thy ways and be ashamed when thou shalt receive thy sisters, thine elder and thy younger; and I will give them unto thee for daughters, but not by thy covenant.

⁶²And I will establish My covenant with thee; and thou shalt know that I am the LORD,

⁶³that thou mayest remember and be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord GOD.'"

17And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, put forth a riddle, and speak a parable unto the house of Israel,

³and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: A great eagle with great wings, longwinged, full of feathers which had divers colors, came unto Lebanon and took the highest branch of the cedar.

⁴He cropped off the top of it young twigs and carried it into a land of traffic; he set it in a city of merchants.

⁵He took also of the seed of the land and planted it in a fruitful field. He placed it by great waters and set it as a willow tree.

⁶And it grew and became a spreading vine of low stature, whose branches turned toward him and the roots thereof were under him. So it became a vine, and brought forth branches and shot forth sprigs.

⁷"'There was also another great eagle with great wings and many feathers; and behold, this vine did bend her roots toward him and shot forth her branches toward him, that he might water it by the furrows of her planting.

⁸It was planted in a good soil by great waters, that it might bring forth branches and that it might bear fruit, that it might be a goodly vine.'

⁹Say thou, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Shall it prosper? Shall he not pull up the roots thereof and cut off the fruit thereof, that it wither? It shall wither in all the leaves of her spring, even without great power or many people to pluck it up by the roots thereof.

¹⁰Yea, behold, being planted, shall it prosper? Shall it not utterly wither when the east wind toucheth it? It shall wither in the furrows where it grew.'"

¹¹Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹²"Say now to the rebellious house: 'Know ye not what these things mean?' Tell them: 'Behold, the king of Babylon is come to Jerusalem, and hath taken the king thereof and the princes thereof, and led them with him to Babylon;

¹³and hath taken of the king's seed and made a covenant with him, and hath taken an oath from him. He hath also taken the mighty of the land,

¹⁴that the kingdom might be base, that it might not lift itself up, but that by keeping of his covenant it might stand.

¹⁵But he rebelled against him in sending his ambassadors into Egypt, that they might give him horses and many people. Shall he prosper? Shall he escape that doeth such things? Or shall he break the covenant and be delivered?

¹⁶As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely in the place where the king dwelleth that made him king, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke, even with him in the midst of Babylon he shall die.

¹⁷Neither shall Pharaoh with his mighty army and great company help him in the war, by casting up siege mounds and building forts to cut off many persons.

¹⁸Seeing he despised the oath by breaking the covenant, when, lo, he had given his hand and hath done all these things, he shall not escape.

¹⁹Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: As I live, surely Mine oath that he hath despised and My covenant that he hath broken, even it will I recompense upon his own head.

²⁰And I will spread My net upon him, and he shall be taken in My snare, and I will bring him to Babylon and will plead with him there for his trespass that he hath trespassed against Me.

²¹And all his fugitives with all his troops shall fall by the sword, and they that remain shall be scattered toward all winds; and ye shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it.

²²"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will also take of the highest branch of the high cedar, and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant it upon a high mountain and eminent.

²³In the mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it; and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit and be a goodly cedar, and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell.

²⁴And all the trees of the field shall know that I, the LORD, have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish. I, the LORD, have spoken and have done it.'"

18The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

²"What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: 'The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge'?

³As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel.

⁴Behold, all souls are Mine. As the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is Mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

⁵But if a man be just and do that which is lawful and right,

⁶and hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbor's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman,

⁷and hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath despoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment;

⁸he that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man,

⁹hath walked in My statutes and hath kept My judgments to deal truly -- he is just: he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁰"If he beget a son who is a robber, a shedder of blood, and who doeth the like to any one of these things,

¹¹and who doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains and defiled his neighbor's wife,

¹²hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath despoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination,

¹³hath given forth upon usury and hath taken increase -- shall he then live? He shall not live. He hath done all these abominations: he shall surely die. His blood shall be upon him.

¹⁴"Now, lo, if he beget a son who seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth and doeth not the like,

¹⁵who hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor's wife,

¹⁶neither hath oppressed any, hath not withheld the pledge, neither hath despoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry and hath covered the naked with a garment;

¹⁷who hath taken off his hand from the poor, who hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed My judgments, hath walked in My statutes -- he shall not die for the iniquity of his father: he shall surely live.

¹⁸As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, despoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity.

¹⁹"Yet say ye, 'Why? Doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father?' When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all My statutes and hath done them, he shall surely live.

²⁰The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

²¹But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all My statutes and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live: he shall not die.

²²All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him. In his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

²³"Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, saith the Lord GOD, and not that he should return from his ways and live?

²⁴But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die.

²⁵"Yet ye say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' Hear now, O house of Israel: Is not My way equal? Are not your ways unequal?

²⁶When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity and dieth in it, for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

²⁷Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

²⁸Because he considereth and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live: he shall not die.

²⁹Yet saith the house of Israel, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' O house of Israel, are not My ways equal? Are not your ways unequal?

³⁰"Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions, so iniquity shall not be your ruin.

³¹Cast away from you all your transgressions whereby ye have transgressed, and make yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why will ye die, O house of Israel?

³²For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD. Therefore turn yourselves, and live ye.

19"Moreover take thou up a lamentation for the princes of Israel,

²and say: "'What is thy mother? A lioness: she lay down among lions; she nourished her whelps among young lions.

³And she brought up one of her whelps; it became a young lion, and it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men.

⁴The nations also heard of him; he was taken in their pit, and they brought him with chains unto the land of Egypt.

⁵Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.

⁶And he went up and down among the lions; he became a young lion, and learned to catch the prey and devoured men.

⁷And he knew their desolate palaces, and he laid waste their cities; and the land was desolate and the fullness thereof by the noise of his roaring.

⁸Then the nations set against him on every side from the provinces, and spread their net over him; he was taken in their pit.

⁹And they put him under guard in chains, and brought him to the king of Babylon. They brought him into prison, that his voice should no more be heard upon the mountains of Israel.

¹⁰"'Thy mother is like a vine in thy likeness, planted by the waters; she was fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters.

¹¹And she had strong rods for the scepters of them that bore rule; and her stature was exalted among the thick branches, and she appeared in her height with the multitude of her branches.

¹²But she was plucked up in fury; she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit. Her strong rods were broken and withered; the fire consumed them.

¹³And now she is planted in the wilderness, in a dry and thirsty ground.

¹⁴And fire has gone out from a rod of her branches, which hath devoured her fruit, so that she hath no strong rod to be a scepter to rule.' This is a lamentation, and shall be for a lamentation."

20And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the LORD, and sat before me.

²Then came the word of the LORD unto me, saying,

³"Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Have ye come to inquire of Me? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.'

⁴Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers;

⁵and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: On the day when I chose Israel, and lifted up Mine hand unto the seed of the house of Jacob, and made Myself known unto them in the land of Egypt, when I lifted up Mine hand unto them, saying, "I am the LORD your God"--

⁶on the day that I lifted up Mine hand unto them to bring them forth out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had espied for them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands,

⁷then said I unto them: "Cast away every man of ye the abominations of his eyes, and defile not yourselves with the idols of Egypt: I am the LORD your God."

⁸But they rebelled against Me and would not hearken unto Me. They did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt. "'Then I said, "I will pour out My fury upon them, to accomplish My anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt."

⁹But I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen among whom they were, in whose sight I made Myself known unto them in bringing them forth out of the land of Egypt.

¹⁰Therefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.

¹¹And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.

¹²Moreover also I gave them My Sabbaths to be a sign between Me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD who sanctify them.

¹³But the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness. They walked not in My statutes and they despised My judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and My Sabbaths they greatly polluted. "'Then I said I would pour out My fury upon them in the wilderness to consume them.

¹⁴But I wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted before the heathen, in whose sight I brought them out.

¹⁵Yet also I lifted up My hand unto them in the wilderness, that I would not bring them into the land which I had given them, flowing with milk and honey, which is the glory of all lands,

¹⁶because they despised My judgments and walked not in My statutes, but polluted My Sabbaths; for their heart went after their idols.

¹⁷Nevertheless Mine eye spared them from destroying them, neither did I make an end of them in the wilderness.

¹⁸"'But I said unto their children in the wilderness: "Walk ye not in the statutes of your fathers, neither observe their judgments, nor defile yourselves with their idols.

¹⁹I am the LORD your God: Walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, and do them;

²⁰and hallow My Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between Me and you, that ye may know that I am the LORD your God."

²¹Notwithstanding, the children rebelled against Me. They walked not in My statutes, neither kept My judgments to do them, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; they polluted My Sabbaths. "'Then I said I would pour out My fury upon them to accomplish My anger against them in the wilderness.

²²Nevertheless I withdrew Mine hand and wrought for My name's sake, that it should not be polluted in the sight of the heathen, in whose sight I brought them forth.

²³I lifted up Mine hand unto them also in the wilderness, that I would scatter them among the heathen and disperse them through the countries,

²⁴because they had not executed My judgments, but had despised My statutes and had polluted My Sabbaths, and their eyes were after their fathers' idols.

²⁵Therefore I gave them also statutes that were not good and judgments whereby they should not live;

²⁶and I polluted them in their own gifts, in that they caused to pass through the fire all who openeth the womb, that I might make them desolate, to the end that they might know that I am the LORD.'

²⁷"Therefore, son of man, speak unto the house of Israel and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Yet in this your fathers have blasphemed Me, in that they have committed a trespass against Me.

²⁸For when I had brought them into the land for which I lifted up Mine hand to give it to them, then they saw every high hill and all the thick trees, and they offered there their sacrifices, and there they presented the provocation of their offering. There also they made their sweet savor, and poured out there their drink offerings.

²⁹Then I said unto them: What is the high place whereunto ye go?'" (And the name thereof is called Bamah unto this day.)

³⁰"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Are ye polluted after the manner of your fathers? And commit ye whoredom after their abominations?

³¹For when ye offer your gifts, when ye make your sons pass through the fire, ye pollute yourselves with all your idols, even unto this day. And shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel? As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will not be inquired of by you.

³²"'And that which cometh into your mind shall not be at all: in that ye say, "We will be as the heathen, as the families of the countries, to serve wood and stone."

³³"'As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out, will I rule over you.

³⁴And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out;

³⁵and I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face.

³⁶As I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD.

³⁷And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant;

³⁸and I will purge out from among you the rebels and them that transgress against Me. I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

³⁹"'As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD: Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto Me; but pollute ye My holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.

⁴⁰For in Mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve Me. There will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.

⁴¹I will accept you with your sweet savor when I bring you out from the people and gather you out of the countries wherein ye have been scattered; and I will be sanctified in you before the heathen.

⁴²And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall bring you into the land of Israel, into the country for which I lifted up Mine hand to give it to your fathers.

⁴³And there shall ye remember your ways and all your doings wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed.

⁴⁴And ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have wrought with you for My name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD.'"

⁴⁵Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

⁴⁶"Son of man, set thy face toward the south, and drop thy word toward the south, and prophesy against the forest of the southland.

⁴⁷And say to the forest of the south: 'Hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee and every dry tree. The flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.

⁴⁸And all flesh shall see that I, the LORD, have kindled it; it shall not be quenched.'"

⁴⁹Then said I, "Ah, Lord GOD! They say of me, 'Doth he not speak parables?'"

21And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, set thy face toward Jerusalem, and drop thy word toward the holy places, and prophesy against the land of Israel;

³and say to the land of Israel, 'Thus saith the LORD: Behold, I am against thee, and will draw forth My sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked.

⁴Seeing then that I will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked, therefore shall My sword go forth out of his sheath against all flesh from the south to the north,

⁵that all flesh may know that I, the LORD, have drawn forth My sword out of his sheath. It shall not return any more.'

⁶Sigh therefore, thou son of man, with the breaking of thy loins, and with bitterness sigh before their eyes.

⁷And it shall be, when they say unto thee, 'Why sighest thou?' that thou shalt answer, 'For the tidings, because it cometh; and every heart shall melt, and all hands shall be feeble, and every spirit shall faint, and all knees shall be weak as water.' Behold, it cometh, and shall be brought to pass, saith the Lord GOD."

⁸Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

⁹"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus saith the LORD. Say: "'A sword, a sword is sharpened and also furbished!

¹⁰It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter; it is furbished that it may glitter. Should we then make mirth? It contemneth the rod of My son, as every tree.

¹¹"'And he hath given it to be furbished, that it may be handled; this sword is sharpened, and it is furbished to give it into the hand of the slayer.

¹²Cry and howl, son of man! For it shall be upon My people; it shall be upon all the princes of Israel. Terrors by reason of the sword shall be upon My people; smite therefore upon thy thigh.

¹³Because it is a trial, and what if the sword contemn even the rod? It shall be no more, saith the Lord GOD.'

¹⁴"Thou therefore, son of man, prophesy, and smite thine hands together; and let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of the slain. It is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their secret chambers.

¹⁵I have set the point of the sword against all their gates, that their heart may faint and their ruins be multiplied. Ah! It is made bright; it is sharpened for the slaughter.

¹⁶Go thee one way or other, either on the right hand or on the left, whithersoever thy face is set.

¹⁷I will also smite Mine hands together, and I will cause My fury to rest. I, the LORD, have said it."

¹⁸The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying,

¹⁹"Also, thou son of man, appoint thee two ways that the sword of the king of Babylon may come; both shall come forth out of one land. And choose thou a place; choose it at the head of the way to the city.

²⁰Appoint a way, that the sword may come to Rabbah of the Ammonites and to Judah in Jerusalem, the fortified.

²¹For the king of Babylon stood at the parting of the way, at the head of the two ways, to use divination: he made his arrows bright, he consulted with images, he looked at the liver.

²²At his right hand was the divination for Jerusalem: to appoint captains, to open the mouth in the slaughter, to lift up the voice with shouting, to appoint battering rams against the gates, to cast a siege mound, and to build a fort.

²³And it shall be unto them as a false divination in their sight, to them that have sworn oaths; but he will call to remembrance the iniquity, that they may be taken.

²⁴"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: 'Because ye have made your iniquity to be remembered, in that your transgressions are discovered, so that in all your doings your sins do appear -- because, I say, that ye have come to remembrance, ye shall be taken with the hand.

²⁵And thou, profane, wicked prince of Israel, whose day is come when iniquity shall have an end,

²⁶thus saith the Lord GOD: "'Remove the diadem and take off the crown; this shall not be the same. Exalt him that is low, and abase him that is high;

²⁷I will overturn, overturn, overturn it. And it shall be no more, until He come whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.'

²⁸"And thou, son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD concerning the Ammonites and concerning their reproach; even say thou: "'The sword, the sword is drawn; for the slaughter it is furbished to consume because of the glittering"

²⁹while they see vanity unto thee, while they divine a lie unto thee, to bring thee upon the necks of them that are slain, of the wicked whose day is come when their iniquity shall have an end.

³⁰Shall I cause it to return into his sheath? I will judge thee in the place where thou wast created, in the land of thy nativity.

³¹And I will pour out Mine indignation upon thee; I will blow against thee in the fire of My wrath, and deliver thee into the hand of brutish men, and skillful to destroy.

³²Thou shalt be for fuel to the fire; thy blood shall be in the midst of the land. Thou shalt be no more remembered; for I the LORD have spoken it.'"

22Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Now, thou son of man, wilt thou judge, wilt thou judge the bloody city? Yea, thou shalt show her all her abominations.

³Then say thou, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: The city sheddeth blood in the midst of it, that her time may come, and maketh idols against herself to defile herself.

⁴Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and hast defiled thyself in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years. Therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the heathen and a mocking to all countries.

⁵Those that are near and those that are far from thee shall mock thee, who art infamous and much vexed.

⁶"'Behold, the princes of Israel, every one was in thee to their power to shed blood.

⁷In thee have they made light of father and mother. In the midst of thee have they dealt by oppression with the stranger. In thee have they vexed the fatherless and the widow.

⁸Thou hast despised Mine holy things and hast profaned My Sabbaths.

⁹In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood, and in thee they eat upon the mountains. In the midst of thee they commit lewdness.

¹⁰In thee have they uncovered their fathers' nakedness. In thee have they humbled her that was set apart for pollution.

¹¹And one hath committed abomination with his neighbor's wife, and another hath lewdly defiled his daughter-in-law, and another in thee hath humbled his sister, his father's daughter.

¹²In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood. Thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained from thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord GOD.

¹³"'Behold, therefore I have smitten Mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee.

¹⁴Can thine heart endure or can thine hands be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee? I, the LORD, have spoken it, and will do it.

¹⁵And I will scatter thee among the heathen and disperse thee in the countries, and will consume thy filthiness out of thee.

¹⁶And thou shalt take thine inheritance in thyself in the sight of the heathen, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.'"

¹⁷And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹⁸"Son of man, the house of Israel has to Me become dross. All they are brass and tin and iron and lead in the midst of the furnace; they are even the dross of silver.

¹⁹Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: 'Because ye have all become dross, behold, therefore I will gather you into the midst of Jerusalem.

²⁰As they gather silver and brass and iron and lead and tin into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it to melt it, so will I gather you in Mine anger and in My fury, and I will leave you there and melt you.

²¹Yea, I will gather you and blow upon you in the fire of My wrath, and ye shall be melted in the midst thereof.

²²As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof; and ye shall know that I, the LORD, have poured out My fury upon you.'"

²³And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²⁴"Son of man, say unto her: 'Thou art the land that is not cleansed nor rained upon in the day of indignation.'

²⁵There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey. They have devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things; they have made her many widows in the midst thereof.

²⁶Her priests have violated My law and have profaned Mine holy things. They have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shown difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from My Sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

²⁷Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain.

²⁸And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity and divining lies unto them, saying, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD,' when the LORD hath not spoken.

²⁹The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy; yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully.

³⁰And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before Me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

³¹Therefore have I poured out Mine indignation upon them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath. Their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord GOD."

23The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, there were two women, the daughters of one mother,

³and they committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth. There were their breasts pressed, and there they bruised the teats of their virginity.

⁴And the names of them were Oholah the elder and Oholibah her sister; and they were Mine, and they bore sons and daughters. Thus were their names: Samaria is Oholah, and Jerusalem, Oholibah.

⁵"And Oholah played the harlot when she was Mine; and she doted on her lovers, on the Assyrians her neighbors,

⁶who were clothed with blue, captains and rulers, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding upon horses.

⁷Thus she committed her whoredoms with them, with all them that were the chosen men of Assyria and with all on whom she doted. With all their idols she defiled herself.

⁸Neither left she her whoredoms brought from Egypt; for in her youth they lay with her, and they bruised the breasts of her virginity and poured their whoredom upon her.

⁹Therefore I have delivered her into the hand of her lovers, into the hand of the Assyrians, upon whom she doted.

¹⁰These uncovered her nakedness. They took her sons and her daughters and slew her with the sword; and she became notorious among women, for they had executed judgment upon her.

¹¹"And when her sister Oholibah saw this, she was more corrupt in her inordinate love than she, and in her whoredoms more than her sister in her whoredoms.

¹²She doted upon the Assyrians her neighbors, captains and rulers clothed most gorgeously, horsemen riding upon horses, all of them desirable young men.

¹³Then I saw that she was defiled, that they both took one way,

¹⁴and that she increased her whoredoms. For when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion,

¹⁵girded with girdles upon their loins, exceeding in dyed attire upon their heads, all of them princes to look to, in the manner of the Babylonians of Chaldea, the land of their nativity--

¹⁶and as soon as she saw them with her eyes, she doted upon them and sent messengers unto them into Chaldea.

¹⁷And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.

¹⁸So she uncovered her whoredoms and uncovered her nakedness. Then My mind was alienated from her, as My mind was alienated from her sister.

¹⁹Yet she multiplied her whoredoms in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.

²⁰For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses and whose issue is like the issue of horses.

²¹Thus thou called to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth."

²²"Therefore, O Oholibah, thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will raise up thy lovers against thee from whom thy mind is alienated, and I will bring them against thee on every side:

²³the Babylonians, and all the Chaldeans, Pekod, and Shoa, and Koa, and all the Assyrians with them, all of them desirable young men, captains and rulers, great lords and renowned, all of them riding upon horses.

²⁴And they shall come against thee with chariots, wagons, and wheels, and with an assembly of people, who shall set against thee buckler and shield and helmet round about; and I will set judgment before them, and they shall judge thee according to their judgments.

²⁵And I will set My jealousy against thee, and they shall deal furiously with thee. They shall take away thy nose and thine ears, and thy remnant shall fall by the sword. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy residue shall be devoured by the fire.

²⁶They shall also strip thee out of thy clothes and take away thy fair jewels.

²⁷Thus will I make thy lewdness to cease from thee and thy whoredom brought from the land of Egypt, so that thou shalt not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more.

²⁸For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will deliver thee into the hand of those whom thou hatest, into the hand of those from whom thy mind is alienated.

²⁹And they shall deal with thee hatefully, and shall take away all thy labor and shall leave thee naked and bare; and the nakedness of thy whoredoms shall be uncovered, both thy lewdness and thy whoredoms.

³⁰I will do these things unto thee, because thou hast gone a whoring after the heathen, and because thou art polluted with their idols.

³¹Thou hast walked in the way of thy sister; therefore will I give her cup into thine hand.

³²"Thus saith the Lord GOD: "Thou shalt drink of thy sister's cup deep and large; thou shalt be laughed to scorn and held in derision; it containeth much.

³³Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sorrow, with the cup of dismay and desolation, with the cup of thy sister Samaria.

³⁴Thou shalt even drink it and suck it out, and thou shalt break the shards thereof, and pluck off thine own breasts. For I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

³⁵"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thou hast forgotten Me and cast Me behind thy back, therefore bear thou also thy lewdness and thy whoredoms."

³⁶The LORD said moreover unto me: "Son of man, wilt thou judge Oholah and Oholibah? Yea, declare unto them their abominations,

³⁷that they have committed adultery, and blood is on their hands; and with their idols have they committed adultery and have also caused their sons, whom they bore unto Me, to pass for them through the fire, to devour them.

³⁸Moreover this they have done unto Me: They have defiled My sanctuary on the same day and have profaned My Sabbaths.

³⁹For when they had slain their children to their idols, then they came the same day into My sanctuary to profane it; and lo, thus have they done in the midst of Mine house.

⁴⁰And furthermore, ye have sent for men to come from far, unto whom a messenger was sent; and lo, they came, for whom thou didst wash thyself, painted thy eyes, and decked thyself with ornaments,

⁴¹and sattest upon a stately bed, and a table prepared before it, whereupon thou hast set Mine incense and Mine oil.

⁴²And a voice of a multitude being at ease was with her; and with the men of the common sort were brought Sabeans from the wilderness, who put bracelets upon their hands and beautiful crowns upon their heads.

⁴³"Then said I unto her that was old in adulteries: 'Will they now commit whoredoms with her, and she with them?'

⁴⁴Yet they went in unto her, as they go in unto a woman that playeth the harlot; so went they in unto Oholah and unto Oholibah, the lewd women.

⁴⁵And the righteous men, they shall judge them after the manner of adulteresses and after the manner of women that shed blood, because they are adulteresses and blood is in their hands.

⁴⁶"For thus saith the Lord GOD: I will bring up a company upon them, and will give them to be removed and despoiled.

⁴⁷And the company shall stone them with stones and dispatch them with their swords. They shall slay their sons and their daughters, and burn up their houses with fire.

⁴⁸Thus will I cause lewdness to cease out of the land, that all women may be taught not to do according to your lewdness.

⁴⁹And they shall recompense your lewdness upon you, and ye shall bear the sins of your idols; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD."

24Again, in the ninth year, in the tenth month, on the tenth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, write thee the name of the day, even of this same day: The king of Babylon set himself against Jerusalem this same day.

³And utter a parable unto the rebellious house, and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Set on a pot, set it on, and also pour water into it.

⁴Gather the pieces thereof into it, even every good piece -- the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice bones.

⁵Take the choice of the flock, and burn also the bones under it; and make it boil well, and let them boil the bones of it therein.

⁶"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein and whose scum is not gone out of it! Bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.

⁷For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust.

⁸That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.

⁹"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.

¹⁰Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.

¹¹Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.

¹²She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her; her scum shall be in the fire.

¹³In thy filthiness is lewdness. Because I have purged thee and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused My fury to rest upon thee.

¹⁴I, the LORD, have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it. I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent. According to thy ways and according to thy doings shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.'"

¹⁵Also the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹⁶"Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes with a stroke; yet neither shalt thou mourn nor weep, neither shall thy tears run down.

¹⁷Forbear to cry. Make no mourning for the dead. Bind the attire of thine head upon thee, and put on thy shoes upon thy feet, and cover not thy lips, and eat not the bread of men."

¹⁸So I spoke unto the people in the morning, and at evening my wife died; and I did in the morning as I was commanded.

¹⁹And the people said unto me, "Wilt thou not tell us what these things are to us, that thou doest so?"

²⁰Then I answered them, "The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²¹Speak unto the house of Israel, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will profane My sanctuary, the excellency of your strength, the desire of your eyes, and that which your soul pitieth; and your sons and your daughters whom ye have left shall fall by the sword.

²²And ye shall do as I have done: Ye shall not cover your lips, nor eat the bread of men.

²³And your attires shall be upon your heads and your shoes upon your feet. Ye shall not mourn nor weep, but ye shall pine away for your iniquities and mourn one toward another.

²⁴Thus Ezekiel is unto you a sign: according to all that he hath done shall ye do. And when this cometh, ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'

²⁵"Also, thou son of man, shall it not be on the day when I take from them their strength, the joy of their glory, the desire of their eyes, and that whereupon they set their minds, their sons and their daughters,

²⁶that he that escapeth on that day shall come unto thee to cause thee to hear it with thine ears?

²⁷On that day shall thy mouth be opened to him who has escaped, and thou shalt speak and be no more dumb. And thou shalt be a sign unto them, and they shall know that I am the LORD."

25The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, set thy face against the Ammonites and prophesy against them;

³and say unto the Ammonites, 'Hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thou saidst, "Aha," against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into captivity,

⁴behold, therefore I will deliver thee to the men of the East as a possession; and they shall set their palaces in thee and make their dwellings in thee. They shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.

⁵And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels and Ammon a couching place for flocks; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

⁶For thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thou hast clapped thine hands and stamped with the feet and rejoiced in heart with all thy contemptuous hate against the land of Israel,

⁷behold, therefore I will stretch out Mine hand upon thee and will deliver thee as spoil to the heathen; and I will cut thee off from the people, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries. I will destroy thee, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.'

⁸"Thus saith the Lord GOD: 'Because Moab and Seir do say, "Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the heathen,"

⁹therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are on his frontiers, the glory of the country -- Bethjeshimoth, Baalmeon, and Kiriathaim--

¹⁰unto the men of the East with the Ammonites, and will give them in possession, that the Ammonites may not be remembered among the nations.

¹¹And I will execute judgments upon Moab, and they shall know that I am the LORD.'

¹²"Thus saith the Lord GOD: 'Because Edom hath dealt against the house of Judah by taking vengeance, and hath greatly offended and revenged himself upon them,

¹³therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: I will also stretch out Mine hand upon Edom and will cut off man and beast from it, and I will make it desolate from Teman; and they of Dedan shall fall by the sword.

¹⁴And I will lay My vengeance upon Edom by the hand of My people Israel, and they shall do in Edom according to Mine anger and according to My fury; and they shall know My vengeance, saith the Lord GOD.'

¹⁵"Thus saith the Lord GOD: 'Because the Philistines have dealt by revenge and have taken vengeance with a scornful heart to destroy it for the old hatred,

¹⁶therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will stretch out Mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites and destroy the remnant of the seacoast.

¹⁷And I will execute great vengeance upon them with furious rebukes; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall lay My vengeance upon them.'"

26And it came to pass in the eleventh year, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, because Tyre hath said against Jerusalem, 'Aha, she is broken that was the gates of the people; she is turned unto me; I shall be replenished, now she is laid waste,'

³therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against thee, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up.

⁴And they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and break down her towers. I will also scrape her dust from her, and make her like the top of a rock.

⁵It shall be a place for the spreading of nets in the midst of the sea, for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD; and it shall become a spoil to the nations.

⁶And her daughters who are in the field shall be slain by the sword; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

⁷"For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring upon Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a king of kings from the north, with horses and with chariots and with horsemen and companies, and many people.

⁸He shall slay with the sword thy daughters in the field; and he shall make a fort against thee, and cast a siege mound against thee, and lift up the buckler against thee.

⁹And he shall set engines of war against thy walls, and with his axes he shall break down thy towers.

¹⁰By reason of the abundance of his horses, their dust shall cover thee. Thy walls shall shake at the noise of the horsemen and of the wheels and of the chariots when he shall enter into thy gates, as men enter into a city wherein is made a breach.

¹¹With the hoofs of his horses shall he tread down all thy streets. He shall slay thy people by the sword, and thy strong garrisons shall go down to the ground.

¹²And they shall make a spoil of thy riches and make a prey of thy merchandise; and they shall break down thy walls and destroy thy pleasant houses; and they shall lay thy stones and thy timber and thy dust in the midst of the water.

¹³And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease, and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard.

¹⁴And I will make thee like the top of a rock; thou shalt be a place to spread nets upon. Thou shalt be built no more; for I the LORD have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁵"Thus saith the Lord GOD to Tyre: Shall not the isles shake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded cry, when the slaughter is made in the midst of thee?

¹⁶Then all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and lay away their robes and put off their embroidered garments. They shall clothe themselves with trembling; they shall sit upon the ground, and shall tremble at every moment and be astonished at thee.

¹⁷And they shall take up a lamentation for thee and say to thee: "'How art thou destroyed, that wast inhabited by seafaring men, the renowned city, which wast strong in the sea, she and her inhabitants, who cause their terror to be on all that haunt it!

¹⁸Now shall the isles tremble in the day of thy fall; yea, the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy departure.'

¹⁹"For thus saith the Lord GOD: When I shall make thee a desolate city like the cities that are not inhabited, when I shall bring up the deep upon thee and great waters shall cover thee,

²⁰when I shall bring thee down with them that descend into the pit with the people of olden times, and shall set thee in the low parts of the earth, in places desolate of old with them that go down to the pit, that thou be not inhabited, and I shall set glory in the land of the living"

²¹I will make thee a terror, and thou shalt be no more. Though thou be sought for, yet shalt thou never be found again, saith the Lord GOD."

27The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

²"Now, thou son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre,

³and say unto Tyre, 'O thou that art situate at the entry of the sea, who art a merchant of the people for many isles, thus saith the Lord GOD: "'O Tyre, thou hast said, "I am of perfect beauty."

⁴Thy borders are in the midst of the seas; thy builders have perfected thy beauty.

⁵They have made all thy ship boards of fir trees of Senir; they have taken cedars from Lebanon to make masts for thee.

⁶Of the oaks of Bashan have they made thine oars; the company of the Ashurites have made thy benches of ivory, brought out of the isles of Cyprus.

⁷Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was that which thou spreadest forth to be thy sail; blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was that which covered thee.

⁸The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were thy mariners; thy wise men, O Tyre, that were in thee, were thy pilots.

⁹The ancients of Gebal and the wise men thereof were in thee thy caulkers; all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to trade for thy merchandise.

¹⁰"'They of Persia and of Lud and of Phut were in thine army, thy men of war. They hanged the shield and helmet in thee; they set forth thy comeliness.

¹¹The men of Arvad with thine army were upon thy walls round about, and the Gammadims were in thy towers. They hanged their shields upon thy walls round about; they have made thy beauty perfect.

¹²"'Tarshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.

¹³Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.

¹⁴Those of the house of Togarmah traded in thy fairs with horses and horsemen and mules.

¹⁵The men of Dedan were thy merchants; many isles were the merchandise of thine hand; they brought thee for a present horns of ivory and ebony.

¹⁶Syria was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of the wares of thy making; they traded in thy fairs with emeralds, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and agate.

¹⁷Judah and the land of Israel, they were thy merchants; they traded in thy market wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm.

¹⁸Damascus was thy merchant in the multitude of the wares of thy making, for the multitude of all riches, in the wine of Helbon and white wool.

¹⁹Dan also and Javan, going to and fro, traded in thy fairs; bright iron, cassia, and calamus were in thy market.

²⁰Dedan was thy merchant in precious clothes for chariots.

²¹Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they traded with thee in lambs and rams and goats; in these were they thy merchants.

²²The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, they were thy merchants; they traded in thy fairs with chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.

²³Haran, and Canneh, and Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Asshur, and Chilmad were thy merchants.

²⁴These were thy merchants in all sorts of things--in blue clothes, and embroidered work, and in chests of rich apparel, bound with cords and made of cedar, among thy merchandise.

²⁵The ships of Tarshish did sing of thee in thy market, and thou wast replenished and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.

²⁶Thy rowers have brought thee into great waters; the east wind hath broken thee in the midst of the seas.

²⁷Thy riches and thy fairs, thy merchandise, thy mariners, and thy pilots, thy caulkers, and the traders of thy merchandise, and all thy men of war that are in thee, and in all thy company which is in the midst of thee shall fall into the midst of the seas in the day of thy ruin.

²⁸The suburbs shall shake at the sound of the cry of thy pilots.

²⁹And all that handle the oar, the mariners, and all the pilots of the sea shall come down from their ships; they shall stand upon the land,

³⁰and shall cause their voice to be heard against thee, and shall cry bitterly and shall cast up dust upon their heads; they shall wallow themselves in the ashes.

³¹And they shall make themselves utterly bald for thee, and gird themselves with sackcloth, and they shall weep for thee with bitterness of heart and bitter wailing.

³²And in their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for thee and lament over thee, saying, "What city is like Tyre, like the destroyed in the midst of the sea?"

³³When thy wares went forth out of the seas, thou filled many people; thou didst enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of thy riches and of thy merchandise.

³⁴In the time when thou shalt be broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, thy merchandise and all thy company in the midst of thee shall fall.

³⁵All the inhabitants of the isles shall be astonished at thee, and their kings shall be sore afraid; they shall be troubled in their countenance.

³⁶The merchants among the people shall hiss at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt be any more.'"

28The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: "'Because thine heart is lifted up and thou hast said, "I am a god, I sit in the seat of God in the midst of the seas," yet thou art a man, and not God, though thou set thine heart as the heart of God.

³Behold, thou art wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee.

⁴With thy wisdom and with thine understanding thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver into thy treasuries.

⁵By thy great wisdom and by thy traffic hast thou increased thy riches, and thine heart is lifted up because of thy riches.

⁶"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thou hast set thine heart as the heart of God,

⁷behold, therefore I will bring strangers upon thee, the terrible of the nations; and they shall draw their swords against the beauty of thy wisdom, and they shall defile thy brightness.

⁸They shall bring thee down to the pit, and thou shalt die the deaths of them that are slain in the midst of the seas.

⁹Wilt thou yet say before him that slayeth thee, "I am God"? But thou shalt be a man, and no god in the hand of him that slayeth thee.

¹⁰Thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers; for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.'"

¹¹Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹²"Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say unto him, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: "'Thou sealest up the sum, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

¹³Thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering: the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold; the workmanship of thy taborets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created.

¹⁴Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth, and I have set thee so; thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.

¹⁵Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.

¹⁶By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned; therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God; and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.

¹⁷Thine heart was lifted up because of thy beauty; thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness. I will cast thee to the ground; I will lay thee before kings, that they may behold thee.

¹⁸Thou hast defiled thy sanctuaries by the multitude of thine iniquities, by the iniquity of thy traffic. Therefore will I bring forth a fire from the midst of thee; it shall devour thee; and I will bring thee to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all them that behold thee.

¹⁹All they that know thee among the people shall be astonished at thee; thou shalt be a terror, and never shalt thou be any more.'"

²⁰Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²¹"Son of man, set thy face against Sidon, and prophesy against it

²²and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: "'Behold, I am against thee, O Sidon, and I will be glorified in the midst of thee; and they shall know that I am the LORD, when I shall have executed judgments in her and shall be sanctified in her.

²³For I will send into her pestilence, and blood into her streets; and the wounded shall be judged in the midst of her by the sword upon her on every side; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

²⁴And there shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor any grieving thorn of all who are round about them, who despised them; and they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

²⁵"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: When I shall have gathered the house of Israel from the people among whom they are scattered, and shall be sanctified in them in the sight of the heathen, then shall they dwell in their land that I have given to My servant Jacob.

²⁶And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses and plant vineyards; yea, they shall dwell with confidence when I have executed judgments upon all those that despise them round about them; and they shall know that I am the LORD their God.'"

29In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, set thy face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him and against all Egypt.

³Speak, and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: "'Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon that lieth in the midst of his rivers, which hath said, "My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself."

⁴But I will put hooks in thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales; and I will bring thee up out of the midst of thy rivers, and all the fish of thy rivers shall stick unto thy scales.

⁵And I will leave thee thrown into the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers; thou shalt fall upon the open fields. Thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered. I have given thee for meat to the beasts of the field and to the fowls of the heaven.

⁶And all the inhabitants of Egypt shall know that I am the LORD, because they have been a staff of reed to the house of Israel.

⁷When they took hold of thee by thy hand, thou didst break and rend all their shoulder; and when they leaned upon thee, thou brokest and madest all their loins to be at a halt.

⁸"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will bring a sword upon thee, and cut off man and beast out of thee.

⁹And the land of Egypt shall be desolate and waste; and they shall know that I am the LORD, because he hath said, "The river is mine, and I have made it."

¹⁰"'Behold, therefore I am against thee and against thy rivers, and I will make the land of Egypt utterly waste and desolate, from the tower of Syene even unto the border of Ethiopia.

¹¹No foot of man shall pass through it, nor foot of beast shall pass through it, neither shall it be inhabited forty years.

¹²And I will make the land of Egypt desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities among the cities that are laid waste shall be desolate forty years; and I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and will disperse them through the countries.

¹³"'Yet thus saith the Lord GOD: At the end of forty years will I gather the Egyptians from the people whither they were scattered.

¹⁴And I will bring back the captives of Egypt and will cause them to return into the land of Pathros, into the land of their habitation, and they shall be there a base kingdom.

¹⁵It shall be the least of the kingdoms, neither shall it exalt itself any more above the nations; for I will diminish them, that they shall no more rule over the nations.

¹⁶And it shall be no more the confidence of the house of Israel which bringeth their iniquity to remembrance when they shall look after them; but they shall know that I am the Lord GOD.'"

¹⁷And it came to pass in the seven and twentieth year, in the first month, on the first day of the month, the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹⁸"Son of man, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon caused his army to serve a hard service against Tyre: every head was made bald and every shoulder was peeled; yet had he no wages, nor his army, from Tyre for the service that he had served against it.

¹⁹Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

²⁰I have given him the land of Egypt for his labor for which he served against it, because they wrought for Me, saith the Lord GOD.

²¹"In that day will I cause the horn of the house of Israel to bud forth, and I will give thee the opening of the mouth in the midst of them; and they shall know that I am the LORD."

30The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, prophesy and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: "'Howl ye, "Woe be the day!"

³For the day is near; even the day of the LORD is near, a cloudy day; it shall be the time of the heathen.

⁴And the sword shall come upon Egypt, and great pain shall be in Ethiopia when the slain shall fall in Egypt; and they shall take away her multitude, and her foundations shall be broken down.

⁵Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in league, shall fall with them by the sword.

⁶"'Thus saith the LORD: They also that uphold Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her power shall come down; from the tower of Syene shall they fall in it by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.

⁷And they shall be desolate in the midst of the countries that are desolate, and her cities shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted.

⁸And they shall know that I am the LORD, when I have set a fire in Egypt, and when all her helpers shall be destroyed.

⁹"'In that day shall messengers go forth from Me in ships to make the careless Ethiopians afraid, and great pain shall come upon them, as in the day of Egypt; for lo, it cometh.

¹⁰"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will also make the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.

¹¹He and his people with him, the terrible of the nations, shall be brought to destroy the land; and they shall draw their swords against Egypt and fill the land with the slain.

¹²And I will make the rivers dry, and sell the land into the hand of the wicked; and I will make the land waste and all that is therein, by the hand of strangers. I, the LORD, have spoken it.

¹³"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will also destroy the idols, and I will cause their images to cease out of Noph; and there shall be no more a prince of the land of Egypt, and I will put a fear in the land of Egypt.

¹⁴And I will make Pathros desolate, and will set fire in Zoan, and will execute judgments in No.

¹⁵And I will pour My fury upon Sin, the strength of Egypt, and I will cut off the multitude of No.

¹⁶And I will set fire in Egypt; Sin shall have great pain, and No shall be rent asunder, and Noph shall have distresses daily.

¹⁷The young men of Aven and of Pibeseth shall fall by the sword; and these cities shall go into captivity.

¹⁸At Tehaphnehes also the day shall be darkened when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pomp of her strength shall cease in her. As for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.

¹⁹Thus will I execute judgments in Egypt; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'"

²⁰And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the first month, on the seventh day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²¹"Son of man, I have broken the arm of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and lo, it shall not be bound up to be healed, to put on a bandage to bind it, to make it strong to hold the sword.

²²Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and will break his arms, the strong and that which was broken; and I will cause the sword to fall out of his hand.

²³And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and will disperse them through the countries.

²⁴And I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon and put My sword in his hand; but I will break Pharaoh's arms, and he shall groan before him with the groanings of a deadly wounded man.

²⁵But I will strengthen the arms of the king of Babylon, and the arms of Pharaoh shall fall down. And they shall know that I am the LORD when I shall put My sword into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall stretch it out upon the land of Egypt.

²⁶And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations and disperse them among the countries; and they shall know that I am the LORD."

31And it came to pass in the eleventh year, in the third month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his multitude: "'Whom art thou like in thy greatness?

³Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon with fair branches, and with a shadowing shroud, and of a high stature; and his top was among the thick boughs.

⁴The waters made him great, the deep set him up on high with her rivers running round about his plants, and sent out her little rivers unto all the trees of the field.

⁵Therefore his height was exalted above all the trees of the field, and his boughs were multiplied, and his branches became long because of the multitude of waters when he shot forth.

⁶All the fowls of heaven made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the beasts of the field bring forth their young; and under his shadow dwelt all great nations.

⁷Thus was he fair in his greatness, in the length of his branches, for his root was by great waters.

⁸The cedars in the garden of God could not hide him; the fir trees were not like his boughs, and the chestnut trees were not like his branches, nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty.

⁹I have made him fair by the multitude of his branches, so that all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied him.

¹⁰"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Because thou hast lifted up thyself in height, and he hath shot up his top among the thick boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height,

¹¹I have therefore delivered him into the hand of the mighty one of the heathen. He shall surely deal with him. I have driven him out for his wickedness.

¹²And strangers, the terrible of the nations, have cut him off and have left him. Upon the mountains and in all the valleys his branches are fallen, and his boughs are broken by all the rivers of the land; and all the people of the earth are gone down from his shadow and have left him.

¹³Upon his ruin shall all the fowls of the heaven remain, and all the beasts of the field shall be upon his branches,

¹⁴to the end that none of all the trees by the waters exalt themselves for their height, neither shoot up their top among the thick boughs, neither their trees stand up in their height--all that drink water. For they are all delivered unto death, to the nether parts of the earth, in the midst of the children of men, with them that go down to the pit.

¹⁵"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: In the day when he went down to the grave I caused a mourning. I covered the deep for him, and I restrained the floods thereof, and the great waters were stayed; and I caused Lebanon to mourn for him, and all the trees of the field fainted for him.

¹⁶I made the nations to shake at the sound of his fall, when I cast him down to hell with them that descend into the pit; and all the trees of Eden, the choice and best of Lebanon, all that drink water, shall be comforted in the nether parts of the earth.

¹⁷They also went down into hell with him unto them that are slain with the sword, and they that were his arm, that dwelt under his shadow in the midst of the heathen.

¹⁸To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? Yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth. Thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain by the sword. "'This is Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD.'"

32And it came to pass in the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, on the first day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt and say unto him, "'Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas; and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troubled the waters with thy feet and fouled their rivers.

³"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will therefore spread out My net over thee with a company of many people; and they shall bring thee up in My net.

⁴Then will I leave thee upon the land; I will cast thee forth upon the open field and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee.

⁵And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.

⁶I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains; and the rivers shall be full of thee.

⁷And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light.

⁸All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land, saith the Lord GOD.

⁹"'I will also vex the hearts of many people when I shall bring thy destruction among the nations, into the countries which thou hast not known.

¹⁰Yea, I will make many people amazed at thee, and their kings shall be horribly afraid for thee when I shall brandish My sword before them; and they shall tremble at every moment, every man for his own life, in the day of thy fall.

¹¹"'For thus saith the Lord GOD: The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee;

¹²by the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them. And they shall despoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed.

¹³I will destroy also all the beasts thereof from beside the great waters; neither shall the foot of man trouble them any more, nor the hoofs of beasts trouble them.

¹⁴Then will I make their waters deep, and cause their rivers to run like oil, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁵When I shall make the land of Egypt desolate, and the country shall be destitute of that whereof it was full, when I shall smite all them that dwell therein, then shall they know that I am the LORD.'

¹⁶"This is the lamentation wherewith they shall lament her. The daughters of the nations shall lament her; they shall lament for her, even for Egypt, and for all her multitude, saith the Lord GOD."

¹⁷It came to pass also in the twelfth year, on the fifteenth day of the month, that the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹⁸"Son of man, wail for the multitude of Egypt and cast them down, even her and the daughters of the famous nations, unto the nether parts of the earth with them that go down into the pit.

¹⁹'Whom dost thou pass in beauty? Go down, and be thou laid with the uncircumcised.'

²⁰They shall fall in the midst of them that are slain by the sword. She is delivered to the sword; draw her and all her multitudes.

²¹The strong among the mighty shall speak to him out of the midst of hell with them that help him: 'They are gone down; they lie uncircumcised, slain by the sword.'

²²"Assyria is there and all her company; his graves are about him, all of them slain, fallen by the sword,

²³whose graves are set in the sides of the pit and her company is round about her grave; all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.

²⁴"There is Elam and all her multitude round about her grave, all of them slain, fallen by the sword, who are gone down uncircumcised into the nether parts of the earth, who caused their terror in the land of the living; yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit.

²⁵They have set her a bed in the midst of the slain with all her multitude. Her graves are round about him, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword. Though their terror was caused in the land of the living, yet have they borne their shame with them that go down to the pit. He is put in the midst of them that are slain.

²⁶"There is Meshech, Tubal, and all her multitude. Her graves are round about him, all of them uncircumcised, slain by the sword, though they caused their terror in the land of the living.

²⁷And they shall not lie with the mighty that are fallen of the uncircumcised, who are gone down to hell with their weapons of war; and they have laid their swords under their heads, but their iniquities shall be upon their bones, though they were the terror of the mighty in the land of the living.

²⁸Yea, thou shalt be broken in the midst of the uncircumcised, and shalt lie with them that are slain with the sword.

²⁹"There is Edom, her kings and all her princes, who with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword. They shall lie with the uncircumcised and with them that go down to the pit.

³⁰"There are the princes of the north, all of them, and all the Sidonians, who are gone down with the slain. With their terror they are ashamed of their might, and they lie uncircumcised with them that are slain by the sword, and bear their shame with them that go down to the pit.

³¹"Pharaoh shall see them, and shall be comforted over all his multitude, even Pharaoh and all his army slain by the sword, saith the Lord GOD.

³²For I have caused My terror in the land of the living; and he shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, even Pharaoh and all his multitude, saith the Lord GOD."

33Again the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, speak to the children of thy people and say unto them: 'When I bring the sword upon a land, if the people of the land take a man from their borders and set him as their watchman, and

³if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet and warn the people,

⁴then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet and taketh not warning, if the sword come and take him away, his blood shall be upon his own head.

⁵He heard the sound of the trumpet and took not warning: his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul.

⁶But if the watchman see the sword come and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned, if the sword come and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.'

⁷"So thou, O son of man, I have set thee as a watchman unto the house of Israel. Therefore thou shalt hear the word at My mouth and warn them from Me.

⁸When I say unto the wicked, 'O wicked man, thou shalt surely die,' if thou dost not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand

⁹Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it, if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul.

¹⁰"Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel: 'Thus ye speak, saying, "If our transgressions and our sins be upon us and we pine away in them, how should we then live?"'

¹¹Say unto them: 'As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?'

¹²Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people: 'The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression. As for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness, neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth.'

¹³When I shall say to the righteous that he shall surely live, if he trust to his own righteousness and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

¹⁴Again, when I say unto the wicked, 'Thou shalt surely die,' if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right,

¹⁵if the wicked restore the pledge, give back that which he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity, he shall surely live; he shall not die.

¹⁶None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him. He hath done that which is lawful and right: he shall surely live.

¹⁷"Yet the children of thy people say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' But as for them, their way is not equal.

¹⁸When the righteous turneth from his righteousness and committeth iniquity, he shall even die thereby.

¹⁹But if the wicked turn from his wickedness and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.

²⁰Yet ye say, 'The way of the Lord is not equal.' O ye house of Israel, I will judge you every one according to his ways."

²¹And it came to pass in the twelfth year of our captivity, in the tenth month, on the fifth day of the month, that one who had escaped out of Jerusalem came unto me, saying, "The city is smitten!"

²²Now the hand of the LORD was upon me in the evening before he that had escaped came, and He had opened my mouth until he came to me in the morning; and my mouth was opened, and I was no more dumb.

²³Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²⁴"Son of man, they that inhabit those wastes in the land of Israel speak, saying, 'Abraham was one, and he inherited the land. But we are many; the land is given us for inheritance.'

²⁵Therefore say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Ye eat meat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood. And shall ye possess the land?

²⁶Ye stand upon your sword, ye work abomination, and ye defile every one his neighbor's wife. And shall ye possess the land?'

²⁷Say thou thus unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: As I live, surely they that are in the wastes shall fall by the sword, and him that is in the open field will I give to the beasts to be devoured, and they that are in the forts and in the caves shall die of the pestilence.

²⁸For I will lay the land most desolate, and the pomp of her strength shall cease; and the mountains of Israel shall be desolate, that none shall pass through.

²⁹Then shall they know that I am the LORD, when I have laid the land most desolate because of all their abominations which they have committed.'

³⁰"Also, thou son of man, the children of thy people still are talking against thee by the walls and in the doors of the houses, and speak one to another, every one to his brother, saying, 'Come, I pray you, and hear what is the word that cometh forth from the LORD.'

³¹And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as My people, and they hear thy words, but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

³²And lo, thou art unto them as a very lovely song of one that hath a pleasant voice and can play well on an instrument; for they hear thy words, but they do them not.

³³And when this cometh to pass -- lo, it will come -- then shall they know that a prophet hath been among them."

34And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds: Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that feed themselves! Should not the shepherds feed the flocks?

³Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool, ye kill the ones that are fed; but ye feed not the flock.

⁴The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost; but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.

⁵And they were scattered because there is no shepherd, and they became meat to all the beasts of the field when they were scattered.

⁶My sheep wandered through all the mountains and upon every high hill; yea, My flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.

⁷"'Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:

⁸As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because My flock became a prey and My flock became meat to every beast of the field because there was no shepherd, neither did My shepherds search for My flock, but the shepherds fed themselves and fed not My flock,

⁹therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD.

¹⁰Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require My flock at their hand and cause them to cease from feeding the flock, neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more. For I will deliver My flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.

¹¹"'For thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold I, even I, will both search My sheep and seek them out.

¹²As a shepherd seeketh out his flock on the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered on the cloudy and dark day.

¹³And I will bring them out from the people and gather them from the countries, and will bring them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers and in all the inhabited places of the country.

¹⁴I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel.

¹⁵I will feed My flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁶I will seek that which was lost and bring back that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick. But I will destroy the fat and the strong: I will feed them with judgment.

¹⁷"'And as for you, O My flock, thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, between the rams and the hegoats.

¹⁸Seemeth it a small thing unto you to have eaten up the good pasture, but ye must tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures? And to have drunk of the deep waters, but ye must foul the residue with your feet?

¹⁹And as for My flock, they eat that which ye have trodden with your feet, and they drink that which ye have fouled with your feet.

²⁰"'Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD unto them: Behold I, even I, will judge between the fat cattle and between the lean cattle.

²¹Because ye have thrust with side and with shoulder, and pushed all the diseased with your horns till ye have scattered them abroad,

²²therefore will I save My flock, and they shall no more be a prey; and I will judge between cattle and cattle.

²³And I will set up one Shepherd over them, and He shall feed them, even My servant David. He shall feed them, and He shall be their Shepherd.

²⁴And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David a prince among them. I, the LORD, have spoken it.

²⁵"'And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land; and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods.

²⁶And I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

²⁷And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves by them.

²⁸And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid.

²⁹And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.

³⁰Thus shall they know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are My people, saith the Lord GOD.

³¹And ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord GOD.'"

35Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir, and prophesy against it

³and say unto it, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, O Mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate.

⁴I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the LORD.

⁵Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred and hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the force of the sword in the time of their calamity, in the time that their iniquity had an end,

⁶therefore, as I live, saith the LORD GOD, I will prepare thee for blood, and blood shall pursue thee. Since thou hast not hated blood, even blood shall pursue thee.

⁷Thus will I make Mount Seir most desolate, and cut off from it him that passeth out and him that returneth.

⁸And I will fill his mountains with his slain men; in thy hills and in thy valleys and in all thy rivers shall they fall that are slain with the sword.

⁹I will make thee perpetual desolations, and thy cities shall not return; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

¹⁰"'Because thou hast said, "These two nations and these two countries shall be mine and we will possess it," though the LORD was there,

¹¹therefore, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, I will even do according to thine anger and according to thine envy which thou hast used out of thy hatred against them; and I will make Myself known among them when I have judged thee.

¹²And thou shalt know that I am the LORD, and that I have heard all thy blasphemies which thou hast spoken against the mountains of Israel, saying, "They are laid desolate. They are given us to consume."

¹³Thus with your mouth ye have boasted against Me and have multiplied your words against Me; I have heard them.

¹⁴Thus saith the Lord GOD: When the whole earth rejoiceth, I will make thee desolate.

¹⁵As thou didst rejoice at the inheritance of the house of Israel because it was desolate, so will I do unto thee. Thou shalt be desolate, O Mount Seir, and all Edom, even all of it; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'"

36"Also, thou son of man, prophesy unto the mountains of Israel and say, 'Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the LORD.

²Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because the enemy hath said against you, "Aha, even the ancient high places are ours in possession,"'

³therefore prophesy and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because they have made you desolate and swallowed you up on every side, that ye might be a possession unto the residue of the heathen, and ye are taken up on the lips of talkers and are an infamy of the people,

⁴therefore, ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD. Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the cities that are forsaken, which became a prey and derision to the residue of the heathen that are round about"

⁵therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Surely in the fire of My jealousy have I spoken against the residue of the heathen and against all Edom, who have appointed My land into their possession with the joy of all their heart, with despiteful minds, to cast it out as a prey.'

⁶Prophesy therefore concerning the land of Israel, and say unto the mountains and to the hills, to the rivers and to the valleys, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I have spoken in My jealousy and in My fury, because ye have borne the shame of the heathen.

⁷Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: I have lifted up Mine hand. Surely the heathen who are about you, they shall bear their shame.

⁸"'But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people of Israel, for they are at hand to come.

⁹For behold, I am for you, and I will turn unto you, and ye shall be tilled and sown.

¹⁰And I will multiply men upon you, all the house of Israel, even all of it; and the cities shall be inhabited and the wastes shall be built.

¹¹And I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall increase and bring fruit. And I will settle you according to your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

¹²Yea, I will cause men to walk upon you, even My people Israel; and they shall possess thee and thou shalt be their inheritance, and thou shalt no more henceforth bereave them of men.

¹³Thus saith the Lord GOD: Because they say unto you, "Thou, land, devourest up men and hast bereaved thy nations,"

¹⁴therefore thou shalt devour men no more, neither bereave thy nations any more, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁵Neither will I cause men to hear in thee the shame of the heathen any more, neither shalt thou bear the reproach of the people any more, neither shalt thou cause thy nations to fall any more, saith the Lord GOD.'"

¹⁶Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

¹⁷"Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings; their way was before Me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.

¹⁸Therefore I poured My fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it.

¹⁹And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.

²⁰And when they entered unto the heathen whither they went, they profaned My holy name, when they said to them, 'These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of His land.'

²¹But I had pity for Mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen whither they went.

²²"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for Mine holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen whither ye went.

²³And I will sanctify My great name which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.

²⁴For I will take you from among the heathen and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.

²⁵"'Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean; from all your filthiness and from all your idols will I cleanse you.

²⁶A new heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

²⁷And I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them.

²⁸And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be My people, and I will be your God.

²⁹"'I will also save you from all your uncleannesses; and I will call for the corn and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you.

³⁰And I will multiply the fruit of the tree and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen.

³¹Then shall ye remember your own evil ways and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.

³²Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord GOD, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel!

³³"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: In the day that I shall have cleansed you from all your iniquities I will also cause you to dwell in the cities, and the wastes shall be rebuilt.

³⁴And the desolate land shall be tilled, whereas it lay desolate in the sight of all that passed by.

³⁵And they shall say, "This land that was desolate has become like the Garden of Eden, and the waste and desolate and ruined cities have become fortified and are inhabited."

³⁶Then the heathen that are left round about you shall know that I, the LORD, build the ruined places and plant that which was desolate. I, the LORD, have spoken it, and I will do it.'

³⁷"Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them. I will increase them with men like a flock.

³⁸As the holy flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her solemn feasts, so shall the waste cities be filled with flocks of men; and they shall know that I am the LORD."

37The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the Spirit of the LORD and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones,

²and caused me to pass by them round about; and behold, there were very many in the open valley, and lo, they were very dry.

³And He said unto me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" And I answered, "O Lord GOD, Thou knowest."

⁴Again He said unto me, "Prophesy upon these bones and say unto them, 'O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD.

⁵Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live.

⁶And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.'"

⁷So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied,there was a noise, and behold, a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone.

⁸And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above; but there was no breath in them.

⁹Then said He unto me, "Prophesy unto the wind. Prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.'"

¹⁰So I prophesied as He commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

¹¹Then He said unto me, "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. Behold, they say, 'Our bones are dried and our hope is lost. We are cut off from our parts.'

¹²Therefore prophesy and say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.

¹³And ye shall know that I am the LORD when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up out of your graves,

¹⁴and shall put My Spirit in you and ye shall live, and I shall place you in your own land. Then shall ye know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it, saith the LORD.'"

¹⁵The word of the LORD came again unto me, saying,

¹⁶"Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, 'For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.' Then take another stick and write upon it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.'

¹⁷And join them one to another into one stick, and they shall become one in thine hand.

¹⁸And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, 'Wilt thou not show us what thou meanest by these?'

¹⁹say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they shall be one in Mine hand.'

²⁰And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes.

²¹"And say unto them, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen whither they have gone, and will gather them on every side and bring them into their own land.

²²And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one King shall be King to them all; and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.

²³Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions; but I will save them out of all their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them. So shall they be My people, and I will be their God.

²⁴"'And David My servant shall be King over them, and they all shall have one Shepherd. They shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them.

²⁵And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they and their children and their children's children for ever. And My servant David shall be their Prince for ever.

²⁶Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them. It shall be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them for evermore.

²⁷My tabernacle also shall be with them. Yea, I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

²⁸And the heathen shall know that I, the LORD, do sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for evermore.'"

38And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

²"Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him

³and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

⁴And I will turn thee back and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armor, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords;

⁵Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet;

⁶Gomer and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters and all his bands -- and many people with thee.

⁷"'Be thou prepared and prepare for thyself, thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee, and be thou a guard unto them.

⁸After many days thou shalt be visited. In the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste; but it is brought forth out of the nations and they shall dwell safely, all of them.

⁹Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm. Thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou and all thy troops, and many people with thee.

¹⁰"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: It shall also come to pass that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought;

¹¹and thou shalt say, "I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, who dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bars nor gates"--

¹²to take a spoil and to take a prey, to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited and upon the people who are gathered out of the nations, who have gotten cattle and goods, who dwell in the midst of the land.

¹³Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, "Art thou come to despoil us? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?"'

¹⁴"Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: On that day when My people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it?

¹⁵And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company and a mighty army.

¹⁶And thou shalt come up against My people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land. It shall be in the latter days; and I will bring thee against My land, that the heathen may know Me when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.

¹⁷"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Art thou he of whom I have spoken in old times by My servants the prophets of Israel who prophesied in those days many years that I would bring thee against them?

¹⁸And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that My fury shall come upon My face.

¹⁹For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath have I spoken: Surely on that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel,

²⁰so that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at My presence; and the mountains shall be thrown down and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground.

²¹And I will call for a sword against him throughout all My mountains, saith the Lord GOD. Every man's sword shall be against his brother.

²²And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him and upon his troops and upon the many people that are with him an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.

²³Thus will I magnify Myself and sanctify Myself, and I will be known in the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the LORD.'

39"Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog and say, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.

²And I will turn thee back and leave but a sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel;

³and I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand.

⁴Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou and all thy forces and the people that are with thee. I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort and to the beasts of the field to be devoured.

⁵Thou shalt fall upon the open field, for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD.

⁶And I will send a fire on Magog and among them that dwell confidently in the isles; and they shall know that I am the LORD.

⁷"'So will I make My holy name known in the midst of My people Israel, and I will not let them pollute My holy name any more; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

⁸Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD. This is the day whereof I have spoken.

⁹"'And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the javelins and the spears; and they shall burn them with fire seven years,

¹⁰so that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests. For they shall burn the weapons with fire, and they shall despoil those that despoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.

¹¹"'And it shall come to pass on that day that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passersby on the east of the sea; and it shall stop the noses of the passersby. And there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude; and they shall call it the Valley of Hamongog [that is, The multitude of Gog].

¹²And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying them, that they may cleanse the land.

¹³Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a day of renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁴And they shall separate out men for continual employment, passing through the land, to bury with the passersby those who remain upon the face of the earth to cleanse it. At the end of seven months shall they search.

¹⁵And the passersby who pass through the land, when any seeth a man's bone, then shall he set up a sign by it till the buriers have buried it in the Valley of Hamongog.

¹⁶And also the name of the city shall be Hamonah [that is, The multitude]. Thus shall they cleanse the land.'

¹⁷"And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD: Speak unto every feathered fowl and to every beast of the field: 'Assemble yourselves and come. Gather yourselves on every side to My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood.

¹⁸Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.

¹⁹And ye shall eat fat till ye be full and drink blood till ye be drunken of My sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.

²⁰Thus ye shall be filled at My table with horses and chariots, with mighty men and with all men of war,' saith the Lord GOD.

²¹"And I will set My glory among the heathen, and all the heathen shall see My judgment that I have executed and My hand that I have laid upon them.

²²So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.

²³And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity. Because they trespassed against Me, therefore hid I My face from them and gave them into the hand of their enemies; so fell they all by the sword.

²⁴According to their uncleanness and according to their transgressions have I done unto them, and hid My face from them.

²⁵"Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD: Now will I bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy upon the whole house of Israel, and will be jealous for My holy name

²⁶after they have borne their shame and all their trespasses whereby they have trespassed against Me, when they dwelt safely in their land and none made them afraid.

²⁷When I have brought them back from the people and gathered them out of their enemies' lands, and am sanctified in them in the sight of many nations,

²⁸then shall they know that I am the LORD their God, who caused them to be led into captivity among the heathen. But I have gathered them unto their own land, and have left none of them any more there;

²⁹neither will I hide My face any more from them, for I have poured out My Spirit upon the house of Israel, saith the Lord GOD."

40In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was smitten, on the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.

²In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel and set me upon a very high mountain, by which there was, as it were, the form of a city on the south.

³And He brought me thither, and behold, there was a man whose appearance was like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate.

⁴And the man said unto me, "Son of man, behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I shall show thee; for with the intent that I might show them unto thee art thou brought hither. Declare all that thou seest to the house of Israel."

⁵And behold, a wall on the outside of the house round about, and in the man's hand a measuring reed of six cubits long by a cubit and a hand breadth. So he measured the breadth of the building, one reed; and the height, one reed.

⁶Then came he unto the gate which looketh toward the east, and went up the stairs thereof and measured the threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad, and the other threshold of the gate, which was one reed broad.

⁷And every little chamber was one reed long and one reed broad; and between the little chambers were five cubits; and the threshold of the gate by the porch of the gate within was one reed.

⁸He measured also the porch of the gate within, one reed.

⁹Then measured he the porch of the gate, eight cubits; and the posts thereof, two cubits; and the porch of the gate was inward.

¹⁰And the little chambers of the gate eastward were three on this side and three on that side; they three were of one measure, and the posts had one measure on this side and on that side.

¹¹And he measured the breadth of the entry of the gate, ten cubits; and the length of the gate, thirteen cubits.

¹²The space also before the little chambers was one cubit on this side, and the space was one cubit on that side; and the little chambers were six cubits on this side and six cubits on that side.

¹³He measured then the gate from the roof of one little chamber to the roof of another; the breadth was five and twenty cubits, door against door.

¹⁴He made also posts of threescore cubits, even unto the post of the court round about the gate.

¹⁵And from the face of the gate of the entrance unto the face of the porch of the inner gate were fifty cubits.

¹⁶And there were narrow windows to the little chambers, and to their posts within the gate round about and likewise to the arches; and windows were round about within; and upon each post were palm trees.

¹⁷Then he brought me into the outer court, and lo, there were chambers and a pavement made for the court round about; thirty chambers were upon the pavement.

¹⁸And the pavement by the side of the gates over against the length of the gates was the lower pavement.

¹⁹Then he measured the breadth from the forefront of the lower gate unto the forefront of the inner court from outside, a hundred cubits eastward and northward.

²⁰And the gate of the outer court that looked toward the north, he measured the length thereof and the breadth thereof.

²¹And the little chambers thereof were three on this side and three on that side; and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were the same measure as the first gate; the length thereof was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

²²And their windows and their arches and their palm trees were the same measure as the gate that looketh toward the east; and they went up unto it by seven steps, and the arches thereof were before them.

²³And the gate of the inner court was opposite the gate toward the north and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits.

²⁴After that he brought me toward the south, and behold, a gate toward the south; and he measured the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures.

²⁵And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about like those windows; the length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

²⁶And there were seven steps to go up to it, and the arches thereof were before them; and it had palm trees, one on this side and another on that side, upon the posts thereof.

²⁷And there was a gate in the inner court toward the south; and he measured from gate to gate toward the south a hundred cubits.

²⁸And he brought me to the inner court by the South Gate. And he measured the South Gate according to these measures,

²⁹and the little chambers thereof and the posts thereof and the arches thereof according to these measures. And there were windows in it and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

³⁰And the arches round about were five and twenty cubits long, and five cubits broad.

³¹And the arches thereof were toward the outer court, and palm trees were upon the posts thereof; and the going up to it had eight steps.

³²And he brought me into the inner court toward the east; and he measured the gate according to these measures.

³³And the little chambers thereof and the posts thereof and the arches thereof were according to these measures. And there were windows therein and in the arches thereof round about; it was fifty cubits long, and five and twenty cubits broad.

³⁴And the arches thereof were toward the outer court; and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side and on that side; and the going up to it had eight steps.

³⁵And he brought me to the North Gate and measured it according to these measures --

³⁶the little chambers thereof, the posts thereof and the arches thereof, and the windows to it round about. The length was fifty cubits, and the breadth five and twenty cubits.

³⁷And the posts thereof were toward the outer court, and palm trees were upon the posts thereof, on this side and on that side; and the going up to it had eight steps.

³⁸And the chambers and the entries thereof were by the posts of the gates, where they washed the burnt offering.

³⁹And in the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, to slay thereon the burnt offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering.

⁴⁰And at the side outside, as one goeth up to the entry of the North Gate, were two tables; and on the other side, which was at the porch of the gate, were two tables.

⁴¹Four tables were on this side and four tables on that side by the side of the gate, eight tables upon which they slew their sacrifices.

⁴²And the four tables were of hewn stone for the burnt offering, of a cubit and a half long and a cubit and a half broad and one cubit high, upon which also they laid the instruments wherewith they slew the burnt offering and the sacrifice.

⁴³And within were hooks, a handbreadth wide, fastened round about; and upon the tables was the flesh of the offering.

⁴⁴And outside the inner gate were the chambers of the singers in the inner court, which was at the side of the North Gate, and their prospect was toward the south, one at the side of the East Gate having the prospect toward the north.

⁴⁵And he said unto me, "This chamber whose prospect is toward the south is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the house.

⁴⁶And the chamber whose prospect is toward the north is for the priests, the keepers of the charge of the altar; these are the sons of Zadok among the sons of Levi, who come near to the LORD to minister unto Him."

⁴⁷So he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, foursquare, and the altar that was before the house.

⁴⁸And he brought me to the porch of the house and measured each post of the porch, five cubits on this side and five cubits on that side; and the breadth of the gate was three cubits on this side and three cubits on that side.

⁴⁹The length of the porch was twenty cubits and the breadth eleven cubits; and he brought me by the steps by which they went up to it; and there were pillars by the posts, one on this side and another on that side.

41Afterward he brought me to the temple and measured the posts, six cubits broad on the one side and six cubits broad on the other side, which was the breadth of the tabernacle.

²And the breadth of the door was ten cubits; and the sides of the door were five cubits on the one side and five cubits on the other side; and he measured the length thereof, forty cubits, and the breadth, twenty cubits.

³Then went he inward and measured the post of the door, two cubits; and the door, six cubits; and the breadth of the door, seven cubits.

⁴So he measured the length thereof, twenty cubits; and the breadth, twenty cubits, before the temple. And he said unto me, "This is the Most Holy Place."

⁵After that, he measured the wall of the house, six cubits; and the breadth of every side chamber, four cubits, round about the house on every side.

⁶And the side chambers were three, one over another, and thirty in order; and they entered into the wall which was of the house for the side chambers round about, that they might have support, but they had no support in the wall of the house.

⁷And there was an enlarging and a winding about still upward to the side chambers; for the winding about of the house went still upward round about the house. Therefore the breadth of the house was still upward, and so increased from the lowest chamber to the highest by the middle chamber.

⁸I saw also the height of the house round about; the foundations of the side chambers were a full reed of six great cubits.

⁹The thickness of the wall, which was for the side chamber outside, was five cubits; and that which was left was the place of the side chambers that were within.

¹⁰And between the chambers was the wideness of twenty cubits round about the house on every side.

¹¹And the doors of the side chambers were toward the place that was left, one door toward the north and another door toward the south; and the breadth of the place that was left was five cubits round about.

¹²Now the building fronting the separate place at the end toward the west was seventy cubits broad; and the wall of the building was five cubits thick round about and the length thereof ninety cubits.

¹³So he measured the house, a hundred cubits long; and the separate place and the building with the walls thereof, a hundred cubits long;

¹⁴also the breadth of the face of the house and of the separate place toward the east, a hundred cubits.

¹⁵And he measured the length of the building opposite the separate place which was behind it, and the galleries thereof on the one side and on the other side, a hundred cubits, with the inner temple and the porches of the court,

¹⁶the doorposts, and the narrow windows, and the galleries round about on their three stories opposite the door, ceiled with wood round about, and from the ground up to the windows (and the windows were covered),

¹⁷to the space above the door, even unto the inner house and outside, and by all the wall round about within and without, by measure.

¹⁸And it was made with cherubims and palm trees, so that a palm tree was between a cherub and a cherub; and every cherub had two faces,

¹⁹so that the face of a man was toward the palm tree on the one side, and the face of a young lion toward the palm tree on the other side; it was made through all the house round about.

²⁰From the ground unto above the door were cherubims and palm trees made, and on the wall of the temple.

²¹The posts of the temple were squared, and also the face of the sanctuary; the appearance of the one as the appearance of the other.

²²The altar of wood was three cubits high and the length thereof two cubits; and the corners thereof and the length thereof and the walls thereof were of wood. And he said unto me, "This is the table that is before the LORD."

²³And the temple and the sanctuary had two doors.

²⁴And the doors had two leaves apiece, two turning leaves: two leaves for the one door and two leaves for the other door.

²⁵And there were made on them, on the doors of the temple, cherubims and palm trees, as were made upon the walls; and there were thick planks upon the face of the porch outside.

²⁶And there were narrow windows and palm trees on the one side and on the other side, on the sides of the porch, and upon the side chambers of the house, and thick planks.

42Then he brought me forth into the outer court, the way toward the north; and he brought me into the chamber that was opposite the separate place and which was before the building toward the north.

²Along the length of a hundred cubits was the north door, and the breadth was fifty cubits.

³Opposite the twenty cubits which were for the inner court, and opposite the pavement which was for the outer court, was gallery upon gallery in three stories.

⁴And before the chambers was a walk of ten cubits breadth inward, a way of one cubit, and their doors toward the north.

⁵Now the upper chambers were shorter; for the galleries were higher than these -- than the lower and than the middlemost of the building.

⁶For they were in three stories, but had not pillars as the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper building was narrowed more than the lowest and the middlemost from the ground.

⁷And the wall that was outside opposite the chambers, toward the outer court on the forepart of the chambers, the length thereof was fifty cubits.

⁸For the length of the chambers that were in the outer court was fifty cubits; and lo, those before the temple were a hundred cubits.

⁹And from under these chambers was the entry on the east side, as one goeth into them from the outer court.

¹⁰The chambers were within the thickness of the wall of the court toward the east, opposite the separate place and opposite the building.

¹¹And the walk before them was like the appearance of the chambers which were toward the north, as long as they and as broad as they; and all their exits were both according to their fashions, and according to their doors.

¹²And according to the doors of the chambers that were toward the south was a door in the head of the walk, the passage directly before the wall toward the east as one entereth into them.

¹³Then said he unto me, "The north chambers and the south chambers, which are in front of the separate place, they are holy chambers where the priests who approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things. There shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy.

¹⁴When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court; but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister, for they are holy; and they shall put on other garments and shall approach those things which are for the people."

¹⁵Now when he had made an end of measuring the inner house, he brought me forth toward the gate whose prospect is toward the east, and measured it round about.

¹⁶He measured the east side with the measuring reed, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about.

¹⁷He measured the north side, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed round about.

¹⁸He measured the south side, five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

¹⁹He turned about to the west side and measured five hundred reeds with the measuring reed.

²⁰He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

43Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east.

²And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east; and His voice was like a noise of many waters, and the earth shined with His glory.

³And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city. And the visions were like the vision that I saw by the River Chebar; and I fell upon my face.

⁴And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east.

⁵So the Spirit took me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.

⁶And I heard Him speaking unto me out of the house; and the man stood by me.

⁷And He said unto me, "Son of man, the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel for ever, and My holy name, shall the house of Israel no more defile, neither they nor their kings, by their whoredom nor by the carcasses of their kings in their high places.

⁸In their setting of their threshold by My thresholds, and their post by My posts, and the wall between Me and them, they have even defiled My holy name by their abominations that they have committed. Therefore I have consumed them in Mine anger.

⁹Now let them put away their whoredom and the carcasses of their kings far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever.

¹⁰"Thou son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern.

¹¹And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, show them the form of the house and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof; and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.

¹²This is the law of the house: Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house.

¹³"And these are the mesurements of the altar in cubits (the cubit is a cubit and a handbreadth): even the bottom shall be a cubit and the breadth a cubit, and the border thereof by the edge thereof round about shall be a span; and this shall be the higher place of the altar.

¹⁴And from the bottom upon the ground even to the lower ledge shall be two cubits and the breadth one cubit; and from the lesser ledge even to the greater ledge shall be four cubits and the breadth one cubit.

¹⁵So the altar shall be four cubits; and from the altar and upward shall be four horns.

¹⁶And the altar shall be twelve cubits long, twelve broad, square in the four squares thereof.

¹⁷And the ledge shall be fourteen cubits long and fourteen broad in the four squares thereof; and the border about it shall be half a cubit, and the bottom thereof shall be a cubit about; and his stairs shall look toward the east."

¹⁸And He said unto me, "Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD: These are the ordinances of the altar on the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon and to sprinkle blood thereon.

¹⁹And thou shalt give to the priests, the Levites who are of the seed of Zadok, who approach Me to minister unto Me, saith the Lord GOD, a young bullock for a sin offering.

²⁰And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it and on the four corners of the ledge and upon the border round about; thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it.

²¹Thou shalt take the bullock also of the sin offering, and he shall burn it in the appointed place of the house, outside the sanctuary.

²²And on the second day thou shalt offer a kid of the goats without blemish for a sin offering; and they shall cleanse the altar, as they cleansed it with the bullock.

²³When thou hast made an end of cleansing it, thou shalt offer a young bullock without blemish and a ram out of the flock without blemish.

²⁴And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

²⁵Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering; they shall also prepare a young bullock and a ram out of the flock, without blemish.

²⁶Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it, and they shall consecrate themselves.

²⁷And when these days are expired, it shall be that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD."

44Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outer sanctuary which looketh toward the east, and it was shut.

²Then said the LORD unto me, "This gate shall be shut. It shall not be opened and no man shall enter in by it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it; therefore it shall be shut.

³It is for the prince; the prince shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD. He shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate and shall go out by the way of the same."

⁴Then he brought me the way of the north gate before the house. And I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD; and I fell upon my face.

⁵And the LORD said unto me, "Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.

⁶And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the house of Israel, 'Thus saith the Lord GOD: O ye house of Israel, let it suffice you of all your abominations,

⁷in that ye have brought into My sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to pollute it, even My house, when ye offer My bread, the fat and the blood; and they have broken My covenant because of all your abominations.

⁸And ye have not kept charge of Mine holy things; but ye have set keepers of My charge in My sanctuary for yourselves.

⁹"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: No stranger, uncircumcised in heart nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary, or any stranger that is among the children of Israel.

¹⁰And the Levites that have gone away far from Me when Israel went astray, who went astray away from Me after their idols, they shall even bear their iniquity.

¹¹Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house and ministering to the house. They shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.

¹²Because they ministered unto them before their idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore have I lifted up Mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity.

¹³And they shall not come near unto Me to do the office of a priest unto Me, nor to come near to any of My holy things in the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed.

¹⁴But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house for all the service thereof and for all that shall be done therein.

¹⁵But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near to Me to minister unto Me, and they shall stand before Me to offer unto Me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁶They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to My table to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge.

¹⁷And it shall come to pass that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them while they minister in the gates of the inner court and within.

¹⁸They shall have linen headdresses upon their heads and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.

¹⁹And when they go forth into the outer court, even into the outer court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.

²⁰Neither shall they shave their heads nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only trim the hair of their heads.

²¹Neither shall any priest drink wine when they enter into the inner court.

²²Neither shall they take for their wives a widow nor her that is put away; but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow who had a priest before.

²³And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

²⁴And in controversy they shall stand in judgment, and they shall judge it according to My judgments; and they shall keep My laws and My statutes in all Mine assemblies, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths.

²⁵And they shall come near no dead person to defile themselves; but for father or for mother, or for son or for daughter, for brother or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.

²⁶And after he is cleansed, they shall reckon unto him seven days.

²⁷And on the day that he goeth into the sanctuary unto the inner court to minister in the sanctuary, he shall offer his sin offering, saith the Lord GOD.

²⁸"'And it shall be unto them for an inheritance. I am their inheritance, and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession.

²⁹They shall eat the meat offering and the sin offering and the trespass offering, and every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs.

³⁰And the first of all the firstfruits of all things and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's. Ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.

³¹The priests shall not eat of any thing that is dead of itself or torn, whether it be fowl or beast.

45"'Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, a holy portion of the land. The length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand; this shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about.

²Of this there shall be for the sanctuary five hundred in length with five hundred in breadth, square round about, and fifty cubits round about for the open places thereof.

³And of this measure shalt thou measure the length of five and twenty thousand and the breadth of ten thousand; and in it shall be the sanctuary and the Most Holy Place.

⁴The holy portion of the land shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who shall come near to minister unto the LORD; and it shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary.

⁵And the five and twenty thousand of length and the ten thousand of breadth shall also the Levites, the ministers of the house, have for themselves as a possession for twenty chambers.

⁶"'And ye shall appoint as the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, opposite the oblation of the holy portion; it shall be for the whole house of Israel.

⁷"'And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward and from the east side eastward; and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border.

⁸In the land shall be his possession in Israel; and My princes shall no more oppress My people, and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

⁹"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: Let it suffice you, O princes of Israel. Remove violence and spoil, and execute judgment and justice. Take away your exactions from My people, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁰"'Ye shall have just balances, and a just ephah, and a just bath.

¹¹The ephah and the bath shall be of one measure, that the bath may contain a tenth part of a homer, and the ephah a tenth part of a homer; the measure thereof shall be according to the homer.

¹²And the shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels, five and twenty shekels, fifteen shekels shall be your maneh.

¹³"'This is the oblation that ye shall offer: a sixth part of an ephah of a homer of wheat, and ye shall give a sixth part of an ephah of a homer of barley.

¹⁴Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, ye shall offer a tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is a homer of ten baths; for ten baths are a homer.

¹⁵And one lamb out of the flock of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel, for a meat offering and for a burnt offering and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, saith the Lord GOD.

¹⁶All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel.

¹⁷And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings and meat offerings and drink offerings, in the feasts and in the new moons and in the Sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering and the meat offering and the burnt offering and the peace offerings to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.

¹⁸"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: In the first month, on the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish and cleanse the sanctuary.

¹⁹And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house and upon the four corners of the ledge of the altar and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court.

²⁰And so thou shalt do the seventh day of the month for every one that erreth, and for him that is simple; so shall ye reconcile the house.

²¹"'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days. Unleavened bread shall be eaten.

²²And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering.

²³And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days, and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering.

²⁴And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil for an ephah.

²⁵In the seventh month, on the fifteenth day of the month, shall he do the like at the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the meat offering, and according to the oil.

46"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: The gate of the inner court that looketh toward the east shall be shut the six working days, but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the new moon it shall be opened.

²And the prince shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate outside and shall stand by the post of the gate, and the priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings, and he shall worship at the threshold of the gate. Then he shall go forth, but the gate shall not be shut until the evening.

³Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the door of this gate before the LORD on the Sabbaths and on the new moons.

⁴And the burnt offering that the prince shall offer unto the LORD on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish and a ram without blemish.

⁵And the meat offering shall be an ephah for a ram, and the meat offering for the lambs as he shall be able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.

⁶And on the day of the new moon it shall be a young bullock without blemish and six lambs and a ram; they shall be without blemish.

⁷And he shall prepare a meat offering: an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and for the lambs according as his hand shall attain unto, and a hin of oil to an ephah.

⁸And when the prince shall enter, he shall go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he shall go forth by the way thereof.

⁹"'But when the people of the land shall come before the LORD at the solemn feasts, he that entereth in by the way of the North Gate to worship shall go out by the way of the South Gate, and he that entereth by the way of the South Gate shall go forth by the way of the north gate; he shall not return by the way of the gate whereby he came in, but shall go forth opposite it.

¹⁰And the prince in the midst of them, when they go in, shall go in, and when they go forth, shall go forth.

¹¹"'And at the feasts and at the solemnities, the meat offering shall be an ephah to a bullock and an ephah to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and a hin of oil to an ephah.

¹²Now when the prince shall prepare a voluntary burnt offering, or peace offerings voluntarily unto the LORD, one shall then open him the gate that looketh toward the east; and he shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he did on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go forth, and after his going forth one shall shut the gate.

¹³"'Thou shalt daily prepare a burnt offering unto the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish; thou shalt prepare it every morning.

¹⁴And thou shalt prepare a meat offering for it every morning, a sixth part of an ephah and a third part of a hin of oil to temper with the fine flour -- a meat offering continually by a perpetual ordinance unto the LORD.

¹⁵Thus shall they prepare the lamb and the meat offering and the oil every morning for a continual burnt offering.

¹⁶"'Thus saith the Lord GOD: If the prince give a gift unto any of his sons, the inheritance thereof shall be his sons'; it shall be their possession by inheritance.

¹⁷But if he give a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it shall be his to the year of liberty; afterward it shall return to the prince. But his inheritance shall be his sons' for them.

¹⁸Moreover the prince shall not take of the people's inheritance by oppression to thrust them out of their possession; but he shall give his sons inheritance out of his own possession, that My people be not scattered every man from his possession.'"

¹⁹After that he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests which looked toward the north; and behold, there was a place on the two sides westward.

²⁰Then said he unto me, "This is the place where the priests shall boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, where they shall bake the meat offering, that they bear them not out into the outer court, to sanctify the people."

²¹Then he brought me forth into the outer court and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there was a court.

²²In the four corners of the court there were courts joined of forty cubits long and thirty broad. These four corners were of one measure.

²³And there was a row of building round about in them, round about the four, and it was made with boiling places under the rows round about.

²⁴Then said he unto me, "These are the places of those who boil, where the ministers of the house shall boil the sacrifice of the people."

47Afterward he brought me again unto the door of the house, and behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; for the forefront of the house stood toward the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house, at the south side of the altar.

²Then he brought me out of the way of the gate northward, and led me about the way outside unto the outer gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there ran out waters on the right side.

³And when the man who had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.

⁴Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.

⁵Afterward he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass over; for the waters had risen, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

⁶And he said unto me, "Son of man, hast thou seen this?" Then he brought me and caused me to return to the brink of the river.

⁷Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.

⁸Then said he unto me, "These waters issue out toward the east country and go down into the desert and go into the sea, which being brought forth into the sea, the waters shall be healed.

⁹And it shall come to pass that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live. And there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither; for they shall be healed, and every thing shall live whither the river cometh.

¹⁰And it shall come to pass that the fishers shall stand upon it from Engedi even unto Eneglaim; they shall be a place to spread forth nets. Their fish shall be according to their kinds, as the fish of the Great Sea, exceeding many.

¹¹But the miry places thereof and the marshes thereof shall not be healed; they shall be given to salt.

¹²And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all trees for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed. It shall bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters issued out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine."

¹³Thus saith the Lord GOD: "This shall be the border whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel. Joseph shall have two portions.

¹⁴And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another, concerning which I lifted up Mine hand to give it unto your fathers; and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance.

¹⁵"And this shall be the border of the land: toward the north side, from the Great Sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad,

¹⁶Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath, Hazarhatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran.

¹⁷And the border from the sea shall be Hazarenon, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side.

¹⁸"And the east side ye shall measure from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by the Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side.

¹⁹"And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the Waters of Strife in Kadesh, the river to the Great Sea. And this is the south side southward.

²⁰"The west side also shall be the Great Sea from the border till a man come opposite Hamath. This is the west side.

²¹"So shall ye divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel.

²²And it shall come to pass that ye shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you and to the strangers that sojourn among you, who shall beget children among you. And they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children of Israel; they shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel.

²³And it shall come to pass that in what tribe the stranger sojourneth, there shall ye give him his inheritance, saith the Lord GOD.

48"Now these are the names of the tribes: From the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goeth to Hamath, Hazarenan, the border of Damascus northward to the coast of Hamath; for these are his sides east and west: a portion for Dan.

²And by the border of Dan, from the east side unto the west side: a portion for Asher.

³And by the border of Asher, from the east side even unto the west side: a portion for Naphtali.

⁴And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side unto the west side: a portion for Manasseh.

⁵And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side unto the west side: a portion for Ephraim.

⁶And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side even unto the west side: a portion for Reuben.

⁷And by the border of Reuben, from the east side unto the west side: a portion for Judah.

⁸"And by the border of Judah, from the east side unto the west side, shall be the offering which ye shall offer of five and twenty thousand reeds in breadth, and in length as one of the other parts, from the east side unto the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the midst of it.

⁹The oblation that ye shall offer unto the LORD shall be of five and twenty thousand in length, and of ten thousand in breadth.

¹⁰And for them, even for the priests, shall be this holy oblation: toward the north five and twenty thousand in length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and twenty thousand in length. And the sanctuary of the LORD shall be in the midst thereof.

¹¹It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have kept My charge, who went not astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray.

¹²And this oblation of the land that is offered shall be unto them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites.

¹³And opposite the border of the priests, the Levites shall have five and twenty thousand in length, and ten thousand in breadth; all the length shall be five and twenty thousand, and the breadth ten thousand.

¹⁴And they shall not sell any of it, neither exchange nor alienate the firstfruits of the land; for it is holy unto the LORD.

¹⁵"And the five thousand that are left in the breadth opposite the five and twenty thousand, shall be a profane place for the city, for dwelling and for suburbs; and the city shall be in the midst thereof.

¹⁶And these shall be the measurements thereof: the north side four thousand and five hundred, and the south side four thousand and five hundred, and on the east side four thousand and five hundred, and the west side four thousand and five hundred.

¹⁷And the suburbs of the city shall be toward the north two hundred and fifty, and toward the south two hundred and fifty, and toward the east two hundred and fifty, and toward the west two hundred and fifty.

¹⁸And the residue in length over against the oblation of the holy portion shall be ten thousand eastward and ten thousand westward; and it shall be over against the oblation of the holy portion, and the increase thereof shall be for food unto them that serve the city.

¹⁹And those who serve the city shall serve it out of all the tribes of Israel.

²⁰All the oblation shall be five and twenty thousand by five and twenty thousand. Ye shall offer the holy oblation foursquare, with the possession of the city.

²¹"And the residue shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy oblation, and of the possession of the city, over against the five and twenty thousand of the oblation toward the east border, and westward over against the five and twenty thousand toward the west border, over against the portions: for the prince. And it shall be the holy oblation, and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the midst thereof.

²²Moreover from the possession of the Levites and from the possession of the city which is in the midst of that which is the prince's, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, shall be for the prince.

²³"As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side unto the west side, Benjamin shall have a portion.

²⁴And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side unto the west side, Simeon shall have a portion.

²⁵And by the border of Simeon, from the east side unto the west side, Issachar a portion.

²⁶And by the border of Issachar, from the east side unto the west side, Zebulun a portion.

²⁷And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side unto the west side, Gad a portion.

²⁸And by the border of Gad at the south side southward, the border shall be even from Tamar unto the Waters of Strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the Great Sea.

²⁹This is the land which ye shall divide by lot unto the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions," saith the Lord GOD.

³⁰"And these are the exits out of the city: On the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures,

³¹and the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel, three gates northward: one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.

³²And at the east side, four thousand and five hundred, and three gates: and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.

³³And at the south side, four thousand and five hundred measures, and three gates: one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.

³⁴At the west side, four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates: one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.

³⁵It was round about eighteen thousand measures. "And the name of the city from that day shall be: The LORD Is There."

1In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem and besieged it.

²And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God, which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.

³And the king spoke unto Ashpenaz, the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel and of the king's seed and of the princes,

⁴youths in whom was no blemish, but well favored, and skillful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.

⁵And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat and of the wine which he drank, so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.

⁶Now among these of the children of Judah were: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

⁷unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, Shadrach; and to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.

⁸But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

⁹Now God had brought Daniel into favor and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.

¹⁰And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, "I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink. For why should he see your faces sadder than the youths who are of your sort? Then shall ye make me endanger my head before the king."

¹¹Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,

¹²"Test thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days, and let them give us pulse to eat and water to drink.

¹³Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the youths who eat of the portion of the king's meat. And as thou seest, deal with thy servants."

¹⁴So he consented to them in this matter, and tested them ten days.

¹⁵And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the youths who ate the portion of the king's meat.

¹⁶Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat and the wine that they should drink, and gave them pulse.

¹⁷As for these four youths, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom; and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

¹⁸Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.

¹⁹And the king communed with them, and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Therefore stood they before the king.

²⁰And in all matters of wisdom and understanding that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.

²¹And Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus.

2And in the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar dreamed dreams, wherewith his spirit was troubled and his sleep departed from him.

²Then the king commanded to call the magicians, and the astrologers, and the sorcerers, and the Chaldeans to show the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king.

³And the king said unto them, "I have dreamed a dream, and my spirit was troubled to know the dream."

⁴Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Syriac, "O king, live for ever! Tell thy servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation."

⁵The king answered and said to the Chaldeans, "The thing is gone from me. If ye will not make known unto me the dream with the interpretation thereof, ye shall be cut in pieces, and your houses shall be made a dunghill.

⁶But if ye show the dream and the interpretation thereof, ye shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. Therefore show me the dream and the interpretation thereof."

⁷They answered again and said, "Let the king tell his servants the dream, and we will show the interpretation of it."

⁸The king answered and said, "I know with certainty that ye would gain the time, because ye see the thing is gone from me.

⁹But if ye will not make known unto me the dream, there is but one decree for you; for ye have prepared lying and corrupt words to speak before me, till the time is changed. Therefore tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can show me the interpretation thereof."

¹⁰The Chaldeans answered before the king and said, "There is not a man upon the earth who can show the king's matter. Therefore there is no king, lord, or ruler who asked such things of any magician, or astrologer, or Chaldean.

¹¹And it is a rare thing that the king requireth, and there is no other who can show it before the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh."

¹²For this cause the king was angry and very furious, and commanded to destroy all the wise men of Babylon.

¹³And the decree went forth that the wise men should be slain, and they sought Daniel and his fellows to be slain.

¹⁴Then Daniel answered with counsel and wisdom to Arioch, the captain of the king's guard, who had gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁵He answered and said to Arioch the king's captain, "Why is the decree from the king so hasty?" Then Arioch made the thing known to Daniel.

¹⁶Then Daniel went in and desired of the king that he would give him time, and that he would show the king the interpretation.

¹⁷Then Daniel went to his house, and made the thing known to Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, his companions,

¹⁸that they would desire mercies from the God of heaven concerning this secret, that Daniel and his fellows should not perish with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁹Then was the secret revealed unto Daniel in a night vision. Then Daniel blessed the God of heaven.

²⁰Daniel answered and said, "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever, for wisdom and might are His.

²¹And He changeth the times and the seasons; He removeth kings and setteth up kings. He giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding.

²²He revealeth the deep and secret things; He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him.

²³I thank Thee and praise Thee, O Thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of Thee; for Thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter."

²⁴Therefore Daniel went in unto Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus unto him: "Destroy not the wise men of Babylon. Bring me in before the king, and I will show unto the king the interpretation."

²⁵Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, "I have found a man of the captives of Judah, who will make known unto the king the interpretation."

²⁶The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, "Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?"

²⁷Daniel answered in the presence of the king and said, "The secret which the king hath demanded, the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, and the soothsayers cannot show unto the king.

²⁸But there is a God in heaven who revealeth secrets, and maketh known to King Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream and the visions of thy head upon thy bed are these:

²⁹As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter; and He that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.

³⁰But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than anyone living, but for their sakes who shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart.

³¹"Thou, O king, sawest; and behold, a great image! This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible.

³²This image's head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass,

³³his legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay.

³⁴Thou sawest until a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and broke them to pieces.

³⁵Then were the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them. And the stone that smote the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

³⁶"This is the dream, and we will tell the interpretation thereof before the king.

³⁷Thou, O king, art a king of kings; for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.

³⁸And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath He given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou art this head of gold.

³⁹And after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to thee, and another third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over all the earth.

⁴⁰And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron, inasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things; and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise.

⁴¹And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potter's clay and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it the strength of the iron, inasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay.

⁴²And as the toes of the feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken.

⁴³And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.

⁴⁴And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a Kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the Kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

⁴⁵Inasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold, the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter. And the dream is certain and the interpretation thereof sure."

⁴⁶Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face and worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an oblation and sweet incense unto him.

⁴⁷The king answered unto Daniel and said, "In truth it is, that your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou couldest reveal this secret."

⁴⁸Then the king made Daniel a great man and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.

⁴⁹Then Daniel requested of the king, and he set Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego over the affairs of the province of Babylon; but Daniel sat in the gate of the king.

3Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits and the breadth thereof six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.

²Then Nebuchadnezzar the king sent to gather together the princes, the governors, and the captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces to come to the dedication of the image which Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

³Then the princes, the governors, and captains, the judges, the treasurers, the counselors, the sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces were gathered together unto the dedication of the image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up.

⁴Then a herald cried aloud: "To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,

⁵that at the time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up.

⁶And whoso falleth not down and worshipeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace."

⁷Therefore at that time when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of music, all the people, the nations, and the languages fell down and worshiped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up.

⁸Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near and accused the Jews.

⁹They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, "O king, live for ever!

¹⁰Thou, O king, hast made a decree that every man who shall hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the golden image;

¹¹and whoso falleth not down and worshipeth, that he should be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.

¹²There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. These men, O king, have not regarded thee. They serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

¹³Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

¹⁴Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said unto them, "Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that ye do not serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

¹⁵Now if ye be ready so that at the time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made, it is well; but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?"

¹⁶Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not fear to answer thee in this matter.

¹⁷If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

¹⁸But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up."

¹⁹Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Therefore he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated.

²⁰And he commanded the most mighty men who were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

²¹Then these men were bound in their coats, their breeches, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

²²Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent and the furnace exceedingly hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

²³And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

²⁴Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste and spoke, and said unto his counselors, "Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?" They answered and said unto the king, "True, O king."

²⁵He answered and said, "Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

²⁶Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spoke and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the Most High God, come forth and come hither." Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came forth from the midst of the fire.

²⁷And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counselors, being gathered together, saw these men upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was a hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed nor had the smell of fire passed onto them.

²⁸Then Nebuchadnezzar spoke and said, "Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not servenor worship any god except their own God.

²⁹Therefore I make a decree that every people, nation, and language which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God who can deliver in this way."

³⁰Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.

4"Nebuchadnezzar the king, unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied unto you.

²I thought it good to show the signs and wonders that the High God hath wrought toward me.

³How great are His signs! And how mighty are His wonders! His Kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.

⁴"I, Nebuchadnezzar, was at rest in mine house and flourishing in my palace.

⁵I saw a dream which made me afraid, and the thoughts upon my bed and the visions of my head troubled me.

⁶Therefore made I a decree to bring in all the wise men of Babylon before me, that they might make known unto me the interpretation of the dream.

⁷Then came in the magicians, the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers; and I told the dream before them, but they did not make known unto me the interpretation thereof.

⁸But at the last Daniel came in before me, whose name was Belteshazzar, according to the name of my god, and in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and before him I told the dream, saying,

⁹'O Belteshazzar, master of the magicians, because I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in thee and no secret troubleth thee, tell me the visions of my dream that I have seen and the interpretation thereof.

¹⁰Thus were the visions of mine head in my bed: I saw, and behold, a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great.

¹¹The tree grew and was strong, and the height thereof reached unto heaven, and the sight thereof to the end of all the earth.

¹²The leaves thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all. The beasts of the field had shadow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all flesh was fed from it.

¹³"'I saw in the visions of my head upon my bed, and behold, a watcher and a holy one came down from heaven.

¹⁴He cried aloud and said thus: "Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, shake off his leaves and scatter his fruit; let the beasts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches.

¹⁵Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts in the grass of the earth.

¹⁶Let his heart be changed from man's, and let a beast's heart be given unto him; and let seven times pass over him.

¹⁷This matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the demand by the word of the holy ones, with the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will, and setteth up over it the basest of men."

¹⁸This dream I, King Nebuchadnezzar, have seen. Now thou, O Belteshazzar, declare the interpretation thereof, inasmuch as all the wise men of my kingdom are not able to make known unto me the interpretation; but thou art able, for the spirit of the holy gods is in thee.'"

¹⁹Then Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, was stunned for one hour, and his thoughts troubled him. The king spoke and said, "Belteshazzar, let not the dream or the interpretation thereof trouble thee." Belteshazzar answered and said, "My lord, the dream is for those who hate thee, and the interpretation thereof for thine enemies.

²⁰The tree that thou sawest, which grew and was strong, whose height reached unto the heaven and the sight thereof to all the earth,

²¹whose leaves were fair and the fruit thereof much, and in it was meat for all, under which the beasts of the field dwelt and upon whose branches the fowls of the heaven had their habitation--

²²it is thou, O king, who art grown and become strong; for thy greatness is grown and reacheth unto heaven, and thy dominion to the end of the earth.

²³And whereas the king saw a watcher and a holy one coming down from heaven and saying, 'Hew the tree down and destroy it, yet leave the stump of the roots thereof in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field; and let it be wet with the dew of heaven, and let his portion be with the beasts of the field, till seven times pass over him'--

²⁴this is the interpretation, O king, and this is the decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king:

²⁵that they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen; and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee till thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.

²⁶And whereas they commanded to leave the stump of the tree roots, thy kingdom shall be sure unto thee after thou shalt have known that the heavens do rule.

²⁷Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee; and break off thy sins by righteousness and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, that it may be a lengthening of thy tranquility."

²⁸All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar.

²⁹At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon.

³⁰The king spoke and said, "Is not this great Babylon that I have built for the house of the kingdom, by the might of my power and for the honor of my majesty?"

³¹While the word was in the king's mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, saying, "O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from thee.

³²And they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field; they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen. And seven times shall pass over thee, until thou know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will."

³³The same hour was the thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar; and he was driven from men, and ate grass as oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till his hairs had grown like eagles' feathers, and his nails like birds' claws.

³⁴"And at the end of the days I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned unto me. And I blessed the Most High, and I praised and honored Him that liveth for ever, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His Kingdom is from generation to generation.

³⁵And all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and He doeth according to His will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth. And none can stay His hand or say unto Him, 'What doest Thou?'

³⁶At the same time my reason returned unto me; and for the glory of my kingdom, mine honor and brightness returned unto me. And my counselors and my lords sought unto me; and I was established in my kingdom, and excellent majesty was added unto me.

³⁷Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, all of whose works are truth, and His ways judgment. And those that walk in pride He is able to abase."

5Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

²Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, that the king and his princes, his wives, and his concubines might drink therein.

³Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his princes, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

⁴They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

⁵In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote opposite the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

⁶Then the king's countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another.

⁷The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Whosoever shall read this writing and show me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."

⁸Then came in all the king's wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.

⁹Then was King Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were dismayed.

¹⁰Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house. And the queen spoke and said, "O king, live for ever! Let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed.

¹¹There is a man in thy kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And in the days of thy father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him whom King Nebuchadnezzar thy father -- the king, I say, thy father -- made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

¹²Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and interpreting of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts were found in the same Daniel whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called and he will show the interpretation."

¹³Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spoke and said unto Daniel, "Art thou that Daniel who art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

¹⁴I have even heard of thee that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in thee.

¹⁵And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.

¹⁶And I have heard of thee that thou canst make interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if thou canst read the writing and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom."

¹⁷Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

¹⁸O thou king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty and glory and honor.

¹⁹And for the majesty that He gave him, all people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he would he slew; and whomever he would he kept alive; and whomever he would he set up; and whomever he would he put down.

²⁰But when his heart was lifted up and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.

²¹And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that He appointeth over it whomsoever He will.

²²And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart though thou knewest all this,

²³but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven. And they have brought the vessels of His house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines have drunk wine from them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not nor hear nor know. And the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.

²⁴"Then was the part of the hand sent from Him, and this writing was written.

²⁵And this is the writing that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.

²⁶This is the interpretation of the thing. Mene: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

²⁷Tekel: Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

²⁸Peres: Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians."

²⁹Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

³¹And Darius the Mede took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

6It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, who should be over the whole kingdom;

²and over these, three presidents, of whom Daniel was first, that the princes might give account unto them and the king should have no damage.

³Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.

⁴Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom, but they could find no occasion nor fault, inasmuch as he was faithful; neither was there any error or fault found in him.

⁵Then said these men, "We shall not find any occasion against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God."

⁶Then these presidents and princes assembled together before the king, and said thus unto him, "King Darius, live for ever!

⁷All the presidents of the kingdom, the governors and the princes, the counselors and the captains, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whosoever shall ask a petition of any god or man for thirty days, except of thee, O king, he shall be cast into the den of lions.

⁸Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

⁹Therefore King Darius signed the writing and the decree.

¹⁰Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he did formerly.

¹¹Then these men assembled, and found Daniel praying and making supplication before his God.

¹²Then they came near, and spoke before the king concerning the king's decree: "Hast thou not signed a decree, that every man that shall ask a petition of any god or man within thirty days, except of thee, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions?" The king answered and said, "The thing is true, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not."

¹³Then answered they and said before the king, "That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, regardeth not thee, O king, nor the decree that thou hast signed, but maketh his petition three times a day."

¹⁴Then the king, when he heard these words, was sorely displeased with himself, and set his heart on Daniel to deliver him; and he labored till the going down of the sun to deliver him.

¹⁵Then these men assembled unto the king, and said unto the king, "Know, O king, that the law of the Medes and Persians is: that no decree nor statute which the king establisheth may be changed."

¹⁶Then the king commanded, and they brought Daniel and cast him into the den of lions. Now the king spoke and said unto Daniel, "Thy God whom thou servest continually, He will deliver thee."

¹⁷And a stone was brought and laid upon the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that the purpose might not be changed concerning Daniel.

¹⁸Then the king went to his palace and passed the night fasting; neither were instruments of music brought before him, and his sleep went from him.

¹⁹Then the king arose very early in the morning and went in haste unto the den of lions.

²⁰And when he came to the den, he cried with a lamentable voice unto Daniel; and the king spoke and said to Daniel, "O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions?"

²¹Then said Daniel unto the king, "O king, live for ever!

²²My God hath sent His angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths, that they have not hurt me, inasmuch as before Him innocency was found in me; and also before thee, O king, have I done no hurt."

²³Then was the king exceeding glad for him, and commanded that they should take Daniel up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.

²⁴And the king commanded, and they brought those men who had accused Daniel, and they cast them into the den of lions -- them, their children, and their wives; and the lions had the mastery of them, and broke all their bones in pieces before they came to the bottom of the den.

²⁵Then King Darius wrote unto all people, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: "Peace be multiplied unto you.

²⁶I make a decree that in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and steadfast for ever, and His Kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed, and His dominion shall be even unto the end.

²⁷He delivereth and rescueth, and He worketh signs and wonders in heaven and in earth, who hath delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."

²⁸So this Daniel prospered in the reign of Darius and in the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

7In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions in his head upon his bed. Then he wrote the dream, and told the sum of the matters.

²Daniel spoke and said, "I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of the heaven strove upon the great sea.

³And four great beasts came up from the sea, diverse one from another.

⁴The first was like a lion, and had eagle's wings. I beheld till the wings thereof were plucked, and it was lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to it.

⁵And behold, another beast, a second, like unto a bear. And it raised up itself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they said thus unto it, 'Arise, devour much flesh.'

⁶After this I beheld, and lo another, like a leopard, which had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl. The beast had also four heads; and dominion was given to it.

⁷After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth. It devoured, and broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it; and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

⁸I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

⁹"I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days sat down, whose garment was white as snow and the hair of His head like the pure wool. His throne was like the fiery flame, and His wheels as burning fire.

¹⁰A fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. Thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

¹¹"I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spoke; I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed and given to the burning flame.

¹²As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time.

¹³"I saw in the night visions, and behold, one like the Son of Man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of Days, and they brought Him near before Him.

¹⁴And there was given Him dominion and glory and a Kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.

¹⁵"I, Daniel, was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me.

¹⁶I came near unto one of those who stood by, and asked him the truth of all this. So he told me and made me know the interpretation of the things:

¹⁷'These great beasts, which are four, are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.

¹⁸But the saints of the Most High shall take the Kingdom and possess the Kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever.'

¹⁹"Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron and his nails of brass, which devoured, broke in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet;

²⁰and of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up and before whom three fell, even of the horn that had eyes and a mouth that spoke very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows.

²¹I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints and prevailed against them

²²until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the Most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the Kingdom.

²³"Thus he said: 'The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down and break it in pieces.

²⁴And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise; and another shall rise after them, and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

²⁵And he shall speak great words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and think to change times and laws; and they shall be given into his hand until a time, and times, and the dividing of time.

²⁶"'But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.

²⁷And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose Kingdom is an everlasting Kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him.'

²⁸"Here is the end of the matter. As for me, Daniel, my cogitations much troubled me, and my countenance changed in me; but I kept the matter in my heart."

8In the third year of the reign of King Belshazzar a vision appeared unto me, even unto me, Daniel, after that which appeared unto me at the first.

²And I saw in a vision; and it came to pass when I saw, that I was at Shushan in the palace, which is in the province of Elam; and I saw in a vision, and I was by the river of Ulai.

³Then I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold, there stood before the river a ram which had two horns; and the two horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher came up last.

⁴I saw the ram pushing westward and northward and southward, so that no beasts might stand before him, neither was there any that could deliver out of his hand; but he did according to his will and became great.

⁵And as I was considering, behold, a hegoat came from the west on the face of the whole earth, and touched not the ground; and the goat had a notable horn between his eyes.

⁶And he came to the ram that had two horns, which I had seen standing before the river, and ran unto him in the fury of his power.

⁷And I saw him come close unto the ram, and he was moved with fury against him, and smote the ram and broke his two horns; and there was no power in the ram to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and stamped upon him. And there was none that could deliver the ram out of his hand.

⁸Therefore the hegoat waxed very great; and when he was strong, the great horn was broken, and in its place came up four notable ones toward the four winds of heaven.

⁹And out of one of them came forth a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, toward the south and toward the east and toward the pleasant land.

¹⁰And it waxed great, even to the host of heaven; and it cast down some of the host and some of the stars to the ground, and stamped upon them.

¹¹Yea, he magnified himself even to the prince of the host; and by him the daily sacrifice was taken away, and the place of his sanctuary was cast down.

¹²And a host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.

¹³Then I heard one saint speaking, and another saint said unto that certain saint who spoke, "How long shall be the vision concerning the daily sacrifice and the transgression of desolation, to give both the sanctuary and the host to be trodden under foot?"

¹⁴And he said unto me, "Until two thousand and three hundred days; then shall the sanctuary be cleansed."

¹⁵And it came to pass, when I, even I Daniel, had seen the vision and sought for the meaning, then behold, there stood before me one with the appearance of a man.

¹⁶And I heard a man's voice between the banks of Ulai, who called and said, "Gabriel, make this man to understand the vision."

¹⁷So he came near where I stood. And when he came I was afraid and fell upon my face, but he said unto me, "Understand, O son of man,for at the time of the end shall be the vision."

¹⁸Now as he was speaking with me, I was in a deep sleep with my face toward the ground; but he touched me and set me upright.

¹⁹And he said, "Behold, I will make thee know what shall be in the last end of the indignation, for at the time appointed the end shall be.

²⁰The ram which thou sawest having two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.

²¹And the riugh goat is the king of Greece; and the great horn that is between his eyes is the first king.

²²Now that one being broken, in whose place four stood up for it, four kingdoms shall stand up out of the nation, but not in his power.

²³And in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up.

²⁴And his power shall be mighty, but not by his own power; and he shall destroy wondrously, and shall prosper and perform, and shall destroy the mighty and the holy people.

²⁵And through his policy also he shall cause deceit to prosper in his hand; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by using peace shall destroy many. He shall also stand up against the Prince of princes, but he shall be broken without raising a hand.

²⁶"And the vision of the evening and the morning which was told is true. Therefore shut thou up the vision, for it shall be for many days."

²⁷And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick several days. Afterward I rose up and did the king's business; and I was astonished at the vision, but none understood it.

9In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans"

²in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, came to understand by books the number of the years, according to the word of the LORD as it came to Jeremiah the prophet, that He would spend seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

³And I set my face unto the Lord God, seeking by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.

⁴And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession and said, "O Lord, the great and fearsome God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him and to them that keep His commandments,

⁵we have sinned and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly and have rebelled, even by departing from Thy precepts and from Thy judgments.

⁶Neither have we hearkened unto Thy servants the prophets, who spoke in Thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

⁷O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto Thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day: to the men of Judah and to theinhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel who are near and who are far off, through all the countries whither Thou hast driven them, because of theirtrespass that they have trespassed against Thee.

⁸O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against Thee.

⁹To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him;

¹⁰neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.

¹¹"Yea, all Israel have transgressed Thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey Thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the Law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.

¹²And He hath confirmed His words which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil; for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem.

¹³"As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us. Yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Thy truth.

¹⁴Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all His works which He doeth, for we obeyed not His voice.

¹⁵"And now, O Lord our God, who hast brought Thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast made Thee a name, as at this day -- we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

¹⁶O Lord, according to all Thy righteousness, I beseech Thee, let Thine anger and Thy fury be turned away from Thy city Jerusalem, Thy holy mountain; because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Thy people have become a reproach to all who are about us.

¹⁷"Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of Thy servant and his supplications, and cause Thy face to shine upon Thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord's sake.

¹⁸O my God, incline Thine ear and hear. Open Thine eyes and behold our desolations and the city which is called by Thy name; for we do not present our supplications before Thee because of our righteousnesses, but because of Thy great mercies.

¹⁹O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hearken and do! Defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God; for Thy city and Thy people are called by Thy name."

²⁰And while I was speaking and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the LORD my God for the holy mountain of my God--

²¹yea, while I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation.

²²And he informed me, and talked with me and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give thee skill and understanding.

²³At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth; and I have come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore understand the matter, and heed the vision:

²⁴"Seventy weeks are determined concerning thy people and concerning thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

²⁵Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks and threescore and two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublesome times.

²⁶And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself; and the people of the prince who shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. And the end thereof shall be with a flood, and until the end of the war desolations are determined.

²⁷And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week; and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. And for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

10In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia a thing was revealed unto Daniel, whose name was called Belteshazzar. And the thing was true, but the time appointed was long; and he understood the thing, and had understanding of the vision.

²In those days I, Daniel, was mourning three full weeks.

³I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

⁴And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which is Hiddekel,

⁵then I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz.

⁶His body also was like beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like the color of polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude.

⁷And I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me saw not the vision; but a great quaking fell upon them, so that they fled to hide themselves.

⁸Therefore I was left alone and saw this great vision, and there remained no strength in me; for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption, and I retained no strength.

⁹Yet heard I the voice of his words; and when I heard the voice of his words, then was I in a deep sleep on my face, and my face was toward the ground.

¹⁰And behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands.

¹¹And he said unto me, "O Daniel, a man greatly beloved, understand the words that I speak unto thee, and stand upright; for unto thee am I now sent." And when he had spoken this word unto me, I stood trembling.

¹²Then said he unto me, "Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard; and I have come for thy words.

¹³But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, and I remained there with the kings of Persia.

¹⁴Now I have come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days, for yet the vision is for many days."

¹⁵And when he had spoken such words unto me, I set my face toward the ground, and I became dumb.

¹⁶And behold, one with the similitude of the sons of men touched my lips. Then I opened my mouth and spoke, and said unto him that stood before me, "O my lord, by the vision my sorrows are turned upon me, and I have retained no strength.

¹⁷For how can this servant of my Lord talk with thee, my lord? For as for me, straightway there remained no strength in me, neither is there breath left in me."

¹⁸Then there came again and touched me one with the appearance of a man; and he strengthened me

¹⁹and said, "O man greatly beloved, fear not. Peace be unto thee; be strong, yea, be strong." And when he had spoken unto me, I was strengthened and said, "Let my lord speak, for thou hast strengthened me."

²⁰Then said he, "Knowest thou why I come unto thee? And now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia; and when I have gone forth, lo, the prince of Greece shall come.

²¹But I will show thee that which is noted in the Scripture of truth; and there is none that holdeth with me in these things, but Michael your prince.

11"Also I, in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.

²"And now will I show thee the truth: Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia, and the fourth shall be far richer than them all; and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Greece.

³And a mighty king shall stand up, who shall rule with great dominion and do according to his will.

⁴And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven, and not to his posterity nor according to his dominion which he ruled; for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others besides those.

⁵"And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him and have dominion. His dominion shall be a great dominion.

⁶And in the end of years they shall join themselves together, for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement. But she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm; but she shall be given up with they that brought her, and him that begot her, and him that strengthened her in these times.

⁷"But out of a branch of her roots shall one stand up in his place, who shall come with an army and shall enter into the fortress of the king of the north, and shall deal against them and shall prevail.

⁸And he shall also carry captive into Egypt their gods, with their princes and with their precious vessels of silver and of gold; and he shall continue more years than the king of the north.

⁹So the king of the south shall come into his kingdom, and shall return into his own land.

¹⁰"But his sons shall be stirred up, and shall assemble a multitude of great forces; and one shall certainly come, and overflow, and pass through. Then shall he return and be stirred up, even to his fortress.

¹¹And the king of the south shall be moved with anger, and shall come forth and fight with him, even with the king of the north; and he shall set forth a great multitude, but the multitude shall be given into his hand.

¹²And when he hath taken away the multitude, his heart shall be lifted up; and he shall cast down many ten thousands, but he shall not be strengthened by it.

¹³For the king of the north shall return, and shall set forth a multitude greater than the former, and shall certainly come after certain years with a great army and with much riches.

¹⁴"And in those times shall many stand up against the king of the south; also the robbers of thy people shall exalt themselves to establish the vision, but they shall fall.

¹⁵So the king of the north shall come and cast up a mound, and take the most fortified cities; and the armies of the south shall not withstand, neither his chosen people, neither shall there be any strength to withstand.

¹⁶But he that cometh against him shall do according to his own will, and none shall stand before him; and he shall stand in the glorious land, which by his hand shall be consumed.

¹⁷He shall also set his face to enter with the strength of his whole kingdom, and upright ones with him; thus shall he do. And he shall give him the daughter of women, corrupting her; but she shall not stand on his side, neither be for him.

¹⁸After this shall he turn his face unto the isles, and shall take many. But a prince for his own behalf shall cause the reproach offered by him to cease; without his own reproach, he shall cause it to turn upon him.

¹⁹Then he shall turn his face toward the fortress of his own land; but he shall stumble and fall, and not be found.

²⁰"Then shall stand up in his place a raiser of taxes in the glory of the kingdom; but within few days he shall be destroyed, neither in anger nor in battle.

²¹And in his place shall stand up a vile person to whom they shall not give the honor of the kingdom; but he shall come in peaceably, and obtain the kingdom by flatteries.

²²And with the arms of a flood shall they be overflown from before him and shall be broken, yea, also the prince of the covenant.

²³And after the league is made with him he shall work deceitfully, for he shall come up and shall become strong with a small people.

²⁴He shall enter peaceably even upon the fattest places of the province; and he shall do that which his fathers have not done, nor his fathers' fathers: he shall scatter among them the plunder and spoil and riches; yea, and he shall plot his devices against the strongholds, even for a time.

²⁵And he shall stir up his power and his courage against the king of the south with a great army; and the king of the south shall be stirred up to battle with a very great and mighty army, but he shall not stand, for they shall plot devices against him.

²⁶Yea, those who feed from the portion of his meat shall destroy him, and his army shall overflow; and many shall fall down slain.

²⁷And both these kings' hearts shall be to do mischief, and they shall speak lies at one table; but it shall not prosper, for yet the end shall be at the time appointed.

²⁸Then shall he return into his land with great riches; and his heart shall be against the holy covenant; and he shall do exploits, and return to his own land.

²⁹"At the time appointed he shall return and come toward the south, but it shall not be as the former or as the latter;

³⁰for the ships of Chittim shall come against him. Therefore he shall be grieved and return, and have indignation against the holy covenant. So shall he do; he shall even return, and have accord with those who forsake the holy covenant.

³¹And armies shall stand on his part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place there the abomination that maketh desolate.

³²And such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries; but the people who do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits.

³³And those who understand among the people shall instruct many; yet they shall fall by the sword and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil many days.

³⁴Now when they shall fall, they shall be helped with a little help; but many shall cleave to them with flatteries.

³⁵And some of those of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end, because it is yet for a time appointed.

³⁶"And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvelous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished; for that which is determined shall be done.

³⁷Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god; for he shall magnify himself above all.

³⁸But in his place shall he honor the god of forces; and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold and silver, and with precious stones and pleasant things.

³⁹Thus shall he do in the greatest strongholds with a strange god, whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory. And he shall cause them to rule over many, and shall divide the land for a price.

⁴⁰"And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him. And the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots and with horsemen and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over.

⁴¹He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape out of his hand: even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.

⁴²He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape.

⁴³But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and ofsilver, and over all the precious things of Egypt; and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps.

⁴⁴But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him. Therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to sweep away many.

⁴⁵And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain. Yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him.

12"And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince who standeth for the children of thy people; and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one who shall be found written in the book.

²And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

³And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament, and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

⁴But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, even to the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased."

⁵Then I, Daniel, looked; and behold, there stood two others, the one on this side of the bank of the river and the other on that side of the bank of the river.

⁶And one said to the man clothed in linen, who was upon the waters of the river, "How long shall it be to the end of these wonders?"

⁷And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by Him that liveth for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and a half; and when he shall have accomplished scattering the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished.

⁸And I heard, but I understood not. Then said I, "O my lord, what shall be the end of these things?"

⁹And he said, "Go thy way, Daniel, for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.

¹⁰Many shall be purified and made white and tried, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand.

¹¹And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.

¹²Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days.

¹³But go thou thy way till the end be; for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days."

1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

²Abraham begot Isaac, and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brethren.

³And Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Aram,

⁴and Aram begot Aminadab, and Aminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon,

⁵and Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, and Obed begot Jesse,

⁶and Jesse begot David the king. And David the king begot Solomon by her that had been the wife of Uriah,

⁷and Solomon begot Rehoboam, and Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa,

⁸and Asa begot Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah,

⁹and Uzziah begot Jotham, and Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah,

¹⁰and Hezekiah begot Manasseh, and Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah,

¹¹and Josiah begot Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon.

¹²And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begot Salathiel, and Salathiel begot Zerubbabel,

¹³and Zerubbabel begot Abiud, and Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor,

¹⁴and Azor begot Zadok, and Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud,

¹⁵and Eliud begot Eleazar, and Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob,

¹⁶and Jacob begot Joseph, the husband of Mary of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

¹⁷So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.

¹⁸Now the birth of Jesus Christ was in this way: When His mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁹And Joseph her husband, being a just man and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.

²⁰But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, "Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.

²¹And she shall bring forth a Son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins."

²²Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,

²³"Behold, a virgin shall be with child and shall bring forth a Son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel" (which being interpreted is, "God with us").

²⁴Then Joseph, being raised from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife,

²⁵and knew her not until she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

2Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the East to Jerusalem,

²saying, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."

³When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

⁴And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

⁵And they said unto him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

⁶'And thou, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, art not the least among the princes of Judah; for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel.'"

⁷Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.

⁸And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and search diligently for the young child, and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also."

⁹When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star which they saw in the East went before them until it came and stood over where the young Child was.

¹⁰When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

¹¹And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts: gold and frankincense and myrrh.

¹²And being warned by God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

¹³And when they had departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him."

¹⁴When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed into Egypt,

¹⁵and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Out of Egypt have I called My Son."

¹⁶Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked by the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth and slew all the children who were in Bethlehem and in all the region thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.

¹⁷Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁸"In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted, because they are no more."

¹⁹But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

²⁰saying, "Arise, and take the young Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel, for they are dead who sought the young Child's life."

²¹And he arose and took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

²²But when he heard that Archelaus reigned in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither. Notwithstanding, being warned by God in a dream, he turned aside into the region of Galilee.

²³And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets: "He shall be called a Nazarene."

3In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea

²and saying, "Repent ye, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

³For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'"

⁴And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leather girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.

⁵Then there went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about the Jordan.

⁶And they were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, "O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance,

⁹and think not to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say unto you that God is able from these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

¹⁰And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.

¹¹I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

¹²His fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."

¹³Then came Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John to be baptized by him.

¹⁴But John forbad Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by Thee, and comest Thou to me?"

¹⁵And Jesus answering said unto him, "Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness." Then John suffered Him.

¹⁶And Jesus, when He had been baptized, went up straightway out of the water. And lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting upon Him.

¹⁷And lo, a voice came from Heaven, saying, "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED."

4Then was Jesus led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

²And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He afterward hungered.

³And when the tempter came to Him, he said, "If Thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread."

⁴But He answered and said, "It is written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.'"

⁵Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple, and

⁶said unto Him, "If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down. For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'"

⁷Jesus said unto him, "It is written again: 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'"

⁸Again, the devil took Him up onto an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them,

⁹and said unto Him, "All these things will I give Thee if Thou wilt fall down and worship me."

¹⁰Then said Jesus unto him, "Get thee hence, Satan! For it is written: 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.'"

¹¹Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered unto Him.

¹²Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, He departed into Galilee.

¹³And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the seacoast in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

¹⁴that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁵"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:

¹⁶the people who sat in darkness saw a great Light; and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, Light has sprung up."

¹⁷From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand."

¹⁸And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.

¹⁹And He said unto them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men."

²⁰And they straightway left their nets and followed Him.

²¹And going on from thence He saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. And He called them,

²²and they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

²³And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

²⁴And His fame went throughout all Syria. And they brought unto Him all sick people who were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those who were possessed with devils, and those who were lunatic, and those who had the palsy; and He healed them.

²⁵And there followed Him great multitudes of people from Galilee and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and from Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.

5And seeing the multitudes, He went up onto a mountain; and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him.

²And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying,

³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

⁴Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.

⁵Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.

⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.

¹⁰Blessed are they that are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

¹¹Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for My sake.

¹²Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven; for so persecuted they the prophets who were before you.

¹³"Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men.

¹⁴"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

¹⁵Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

¹⁶Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.

¹⁷"Think not that I am come to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.

¹⁸For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall in any wise pass from the law till all be fulfilled.

¹⁹Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

²⁰For I say unto you that unless your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

²¹"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, 'Thou shalt not kill,' and 'Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment.'

²²But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, 'Raca,' shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, 'Thou fool,' shall be in danger of hell fire.

²³Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee,

²⁴leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way. First be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

²⁵"Agree with thine adversary quickly while thou art on the way with him, lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

²⁶Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

²⁷"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.'

²⁸But I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

²⁹And if thy right eye cause thee to fall, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

³⁰And if thy right hand cause thee to fall, cut it off and cast it from thee; for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

³¹"It hath been said, 'Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement.'

³²But I say unto you, that whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery.

³³"Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old times, 'Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths.'

³⁴But I say unto you, swear not at all: neither by Heaven, for it is God's throne;

³⁵nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King.

³⁶Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black.

³⁷But let your communication be 'yea, yea' or 'nay, nay'; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

³⁸"Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.'

³⁹But I say unto you that ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

⁴⁰And if any man will sue thee at the law and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

⁴¹And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two.

⁴²Give to him that asketh thee; and from him that would borrow of thee, turn not thou away.

⁴³"Ye have heard that it hath been said, 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy.'

⁴⁴But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you and persecute you,

⁴⁵that ye may be the children of your Father who is in Heaven. For He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

⁴⁶For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same?

⁴⁷And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so?

⁴⁸Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in Heaven is perfect.

6"Take heed that ye do not your almsgiving before men, to be seen by them; otherwise ye have no reward from your Father who is in Heaven.

²Therefore when thou givest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

³But when thou givest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth,

⁴that thine almsgiving may be in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret, Himself shall reward thee openly.

⁵"And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

⁶But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

⁷But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

⁸Be not ye therefore like unto them, for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of before ye ask Him.

⁹In this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name.

¹⁰Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in Heaven.

¹¹Give us this day our daily bread.

¹²And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

¹³And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the Kingdom, and the power and the glory for ever. Amen.

¹⁴For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

¹⁵But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

¹⁶"Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance. For they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward.

¹⁷But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head and wash thy face,

¹⁸that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father who is in secret; and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

¹⁹"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal;

²⁰but lay up for yourselves treasures in Heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.

²¹For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

²²"The light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.

²³But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

²⁴"No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

²⁵"Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

²⁶Behold the fowls of the air, for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

²⁷"Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

²⁸And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They toil not, neither do they spin,

²⁹and yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

³⁰Therefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall He not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

³¹Therefore take no thought, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'Wherewith shall we be clothed?'

³²(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek.) For your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

³³But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

³⁴"Take therefore no thought for the morrow, for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

7"Judge not, that ye be not judged.

²For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

³And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

⁴Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, 'Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye,' and behold, a beam is in thine own eye?

⁵Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

⁶"Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.

⁷"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

⁸For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

⁹"Or what man is there among you whom, if his son ask for bread, will give him a stone?

¹⁰Or if he ask for a fish, will give him a serpent?

¹¹If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in Heaven give good things to them that ask Him?

¹²Therefore, all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; for this is the Law and the Prophets.

¹³"Enter ye in at the strait gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be who go in thereat.

¹⁴Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

¹⁵"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

¹⁶Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?

¹⁷Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

¹⁸A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

¹⁹Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.

²⁰Therefore, by their fruits ye shall know them.

²¹"Not every one that saith unto Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but he that doeth the will of My Father who is in Heaven.

²²Many will say to Me in that Day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name, and in Thy name have cast out devils, and in Thy name done many wonderful works?'

²³And then will I profess unto them, 'I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.'

²⁴"Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of Mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built his house upon a rock.

²⁵And the rain descended and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock.

²⁶And every one that heareth these sayings of Mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand;

²⁷and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

²⁸And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine;

²⁹for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

8When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.

²And behold, there came a leper and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."

³And Jesus put forth His hand and touched him, saying, "I will: be thou clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

⁴And Jesus said unto him, "See thou tell no man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded for a testimony unto them."

⁵And when Jesus had entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurion, beseeching Him

⁶and saying, "Lord, my servant lieth at home sick with the palsy and grievously tormented."

⁷And Jesus said unto him, "I will come and heal him."

⁸The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that Thou shouldest come under my roof. But speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

⁹For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this man, 'Go!' and he goeth; and to another, 'Come!' and he cometh; and to my servant, 'Do this!' and he doeth it."

¹⁰When Jesus heard it, He marveled and said to those who followed, "Verily I say unto you, I have not found such great faith, no, not in Israel.

¹¹And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.

¹²But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

¹³And Jesus said unto the centurion, "Go thy way, and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee." And his servant was healed in that selfsame hour.

¹⁴And when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying and sick with a fever.

¹⁵And He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she arose and ministered unto them.

¹⁶When the evening had come, they brought unto Him many who were possessed with devils, and He cast out the spirits with His word and healed all who were sick,

¹⁷that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, who said, "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses."

¹⁸Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave commandment to depart unto the other side.

¹⁹And a certain scribe came and said unto Him, "Master, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest."

²⁰And Jesus said unto him, "The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head."

²¹And another of His disciples said unto Him, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father."

²²But Jesus said unto him, "Follow Me, and let the dead bury their dead."

²³And when He had entered into a boat, His disciples followed Him.

²⁴And behold, there arose a great tempest on the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves; but He was asleep.

²⁵And His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Lord, save us! We perish!"

²⁶And He said unto them, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith?" Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

²⁷But the men marveled, saying, "What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?"

²⁸And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met Him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

²⁹And behold, they cried out, saying, "What have we to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God? Art Thou come hither to torment us before the time?"

³⁰Now there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine feeding.

³¹So the devils besought Him, saying, "If Thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine."

³²And He said to them, "Go." And when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine, and behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea and perished in the waters.

³³And those who kept them fled and went their ways into the city, and told everything and what had befallen the ones possessed with the devils.

³⁴And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw Him, they besought Him that He would depart out of their borders.

9And He entered into a boat, and passed over and came into His own city.

²And behold, they brought to Him a man sick with the palsy, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the one sick with the palsy, "Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee."

³And behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, "This man blasphemeth."

⁴And Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why think ye evil in your hearts?

⁵For which is easier: to say, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?

⁶But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins,"-- (then said He to the one sick with palsy) "Arise, take up thy bed and go unto thine house."

⁷And he arose and departed to his house.

⁸But when the multitudes saw it, they marveled and glorified God, who had given such power unto men.

⁹And as Jesus passed forth from thence, He saw a man named Matthew, sitting in the customhouse. And He said unto him, "Follow Me." And he arose and followed Him.

¹⁰And it came to pass as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with Him and His disciples.

¹¹And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto His disciples, "Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners?"

¹²But when Jesus heard that, He said unto them, "They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

¹³But go ye and learn what this meaneth: 'I will have mercy and not sacrifice.' For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

¹⁴Then the disciples of John came to Him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but Thy disciples fast not?"

¹⁵And Jesus said unto them, "Can the attendants of the bridechamber mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken from them, and then shall they fast.

¹⁶"No man putteth a piece of new cloth upon an old garment, for that which is put in to fill it up taketh from the garment, and the rent is made worse.

¹⁷Neither do men put new wine into old wineskins, else the wineskins burst and the wine runneth out and the skins perish. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved."

¹⁸While He spoke these things unto them, behold, there came a certain ruler and worshiped Him, saying, "My daughter is even now dead, but come and lay Thy hand upon her, and she shall live."

¹⁹And Jesus arose and followed him, and so did His disciples.

²⁰And behold, a woman who was diseased with an issue of blood for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the hem of His garment;

²¹for she said to herself, "If I may but touch His garment, I shall be whole."

²²But Jesus turned about, and when He saw her, He said, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole." And the woman was made whole from that hour.

²³And when Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the minstrels and the people making a noise,

²⁴He said unto them, "Give way, for the maid is not dead, but sleepeth." And they laughed Him to scorn.

²⁵But when the people were put outside, He went in and took her by the hand, and the maid arose.

²⁶And the fame thereof went abroad throughout all the land.

²⁷And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed Him, crying and saying, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on us!"

²⁸And when He had come into the house, the blind men came to Him, and Jesus said unto them, "Believe ye that I am able to do this?" They said unto Him, "Yea, Lord."

²⁹Then He touched their eyes, saying, "According to your faith, be it unto you."

³⁰And their eyes were opened, and Jesus strictly charged them, saying, "See that no man know it."

³¹But they, when they had departed, spread abroad His fame in all that country.

³²As they went out, behold, they brought to Him a man, dumb and possessed with a devil.

³³And when the devil was cast out, the dumb spoke; and the multitudes marveled, saying, "It was never so seen in Israel."

³⁴But the Pharisees said, "He casteth out the devils through the prince of the devils."

³⁵And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

³⁶But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were faint and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

³⁷Then said He unto His disciples, "The harvest truly is plenteous, but the laborers are few.

³⁸Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He will send forth laborers into His harvest."

10And when He had called unto Him His twelve disciples, He gave them power against unclean spirits to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

²Now the names of the twelve apostles are these: the first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;

³Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

⁴Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him.

⁵These twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them, saying, "Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not.

⁶But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

⁷And as ye go, preach, saying, 'The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'

⁸Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils. Freely ye have received; freely give.

⁹Provide neither gold nor silver nor brass in your purses,

¹⁰nor pack for your journey, neither two coats, neither shoes, nor yet staves; for the workman is worthy of his meat.

¹¹And into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and there abide till ye go thence.

¹²And when ye come into a house, salute it,

¹³and if the house be worthy, let your peace come upon it; but if it be not worthy, let your peace return to you.

¹⁴And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet.

¹⁵Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city.

¹⁶"Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

¹⁷But beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils, and they will scourge you in their synagogues,

¹⁸and ye shall be brought before governors and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them and the Gentiles.

¹⁹But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

²⁰For it is not ye that speak, but the Spirit of your Father who speaketh in you.

²¹And the brother shall deliver up the brother to death, and the father the child; and the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to death.

²²And ye shall be hated by all men for My name's sake, but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.

²³But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another; for verily I say unto you, ye shall not have gone through the cities of Israel till the Son of Man be come.

²⁴"The disciple is not above his master, nor the servant above his lord.

²⁵It is enough for the disciple that he be as his master, and the servant as his lord. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household!

²⁶Fear them not therefore, for there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, and hid that shall not be known.

²⁷What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light; and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops.

²⁸And fear not them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him that is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

²⁹"Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father.

³⁰But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.

³¹Fear ye not, therefore; ye are of more value than many sparrows.

³²"Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father who is in Heaven.

³³But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father who is in Heaven.

³⁴"Think not that I am come to send peace on earth. I came not to send peace, but a sword.

³⁵For I am come to 'set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law.'

³⁶And 'a man's foes shall be they of his own household.'

³⁷He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me.

³⁸And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.

³⁹He that findeth his life, shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for My sake, shall find it.

⁴⁰"He that receiveth you, receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sent Me.

⁴¹He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward. And he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward.

⁴²And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward."

11And it came to pass when Jesus had finished commanding His twelve disciples, He departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities.

²Now when John had heard in prison of the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples,

³and they said unto Him, "Art thou He that should come, or do we look for another?"

⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, "Go and show John again those things which ye hear and see:

⁵the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the Gospel preached to them.

⁶And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me."

⁷And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

⁸But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses.

⁹But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet.

¹⁰For this is he of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.'

¹¹Verily I say unto you, among them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist; notwithstanding, he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he.

¹²And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

¹³For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John.

¹⁴And if ye will receive it, this is Elijah, who was to come.

¹⁵He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁶"But to what shall I liken this generation? It is like unto children sitting in the markets and calling unto their fellows,

¹⁷and saying, 'We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.'

¹⁸For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, 'He hath a devil!'

¹⁹The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, 'Behold a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!' But wisdom is justified by her children."

²⁰Then He began to upbraid the cities wherein most of His mighty works were done, because they repented not.

²¹"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.

²²But I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Day of Judgment than for you.

²³And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell; for if the mighty works which have been done in thee had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day.

²⁴But I say unto you, that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the Day of Judgment than for thee."

²⁵At that time Jesus answered and said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes.

²⁶Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight.

²⁷"All things are delivered unto Me by My Father, and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him.

²⁸"Come unto Me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

²⁹Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

³⁰For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light."

12At that time, Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were hungry and began to pluck the ears of corn and to eat.

²But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him, "Behold, thy disciples do that which is not lawful to do upon the Sabbath day."

³But He said unto them, "Have ye not read what David did when he hungered and they that were with him:

⁴how he entered into the house of God and ate the showbread, which was not lawful for him to eat, neither for those who were with him, but only for the priests?

⁵Or have ye not read in the law how on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are blameless?

⁶But I say unto you, that in this place is One greater than the temple.

⁷But if ye had known what this meaneth, 'I will have mercy and not sacrifice,' ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

⁸For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath day."

⁹And when He had departed thence, He went into their synagogue.

¹⁰And behold, there was a man who had his hand withered. And they asked Him, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath days?" -- that they might accuse Him.

¹¹And He said unto them, "What man shall there be among you that shall have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will not lay hold on it and lift it out?

¹²How much then is a man better than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do well on the Sabbath days."

¹³Then He said to the man, "Stretch forth thine hand." And he stretched it forth, and it was restored whole like the other.

¹⁴Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against Him, how they might destroy Him.

¹⁵But when Jesus knew of it, He withdrew Himself from thence. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

¹⁶And He charged them that they should not make Him known,

¹⁷that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

¹⁸"Behold My Servant whom I have chosen, My Beloved in whom My soul is well pleased: I will put My Spirit upon Him, and He shall show judgment to the Gentiles.

¹⁹He shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear His voice in the streets.

²⁰A bruised reed shall He not break, and smoking flax shall He not quench till He send forth judgment unto victory;

²¹and in His name shall the Gentiles trust."

²²Then was brought unto Him one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb; and He healed him, so that the blind and dumb both spoke and saw.

²³And all the people were amazed and said, "Is not this the Son of David?"

²⁴But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, "This fellow doth not cast out devils, except by Beelzebub, the prince of devils."

²⁵And Jesus knew their thoughts and said unto them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.

²⁶And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how then shall his kingdom stand?

²⁷And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore they shall be your judges.

²⁸But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the Kingdom of God is come unto you.

²⁹Or else how can one enter into a strong man's house and despoil his goods, unless he first bind the strong man? And then he will despoil his house.

³⁰"He that is not with Me is against Me, and he that gathereth not with Me scattereth abroad.

³¹Therefore I say unto you, all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men, but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not be forgiven unto men.

³²And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whosoever speaketh against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven him, neither in this world, neither in the world to come.

³³Either make the tree good and his fruit good, or else make the tree corrupt and his fruit corrupt; for the tree is known by his fruit.

³⁴"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.

³⁵A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.

³⁶But I say unto you that every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the Day of Judgment.

³⁷For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned."

³⁸Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, "Master, we would see a sign from thee."

³⁹But He answered and said unto them, "An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah.

⁴⁰For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the whale's belly, so shall the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

⁴¹The men of Nineveh shall rise in the Judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

⁴²The queen of the south shall rise up in the Judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

⁴³"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest, and findeth none.

⁴⁴Then he saith, 'I will return into my house from whence I came out.' And when he is come, he findeth it empty, swept, and garnished.

⁴⁵Then goeth he, and taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. Even so shall it be also unto this wicked generation."

⁴⁶While He yet talked to the people, behold, His mother and His brethren stood outside, desiring to speak with Him.

⁴⁷Then one said unto Him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand outside, desiring to speak with thee."

⁴⁸But He answered and said unto him that told Him, "Who is My mother? And who are My brethren?"

⁴⁹And He stretched forth His hand toward His disciples and said, "Behold, My mother and My brethren!

⁵⁰For whosoever shall do the will of My Father who is in Heaven, the same is My brother, and sister, and mother."

13The same day, Jesus went out of the house and sat by the seaside.

²And great multitudes were gathered together unto Him, so that He went into a boat and sat, and the whole multitude stood on the shore.

³And He spoke many things unto them in parables, saying, "Behold, a sower went forth to sow.

⁴And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the wayside; and the fowls came and devoured them up.

⁵Some fell upon stony places where they had not much earth; and forthwith they sprang up, because they had no deepness of earth.

⁶And when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away.

⁷And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprang up and choked them.

⁸But others fell into good ground and brought forth fruit, some a hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

⁹Who hath ears to hear, let him hear."

¹⁰And the disciples came and said unto Him, "Why speakest Thou unto them in parables?"

¹¹He answered and said unto them, "Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but to them it is not given.

¹²For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath.

¹³Therefore speak I to them in parables, because seeing, they see not, and hearing, they hear not, neither do they understand.

¹⁴And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah, which saith, 'By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive.

¹⁵For this people's heart has waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.'

¹⁶But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear.

¹⁷For verily I say unto you, that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

¹⁸"Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower:

¹⁹When any one heareth the Word of the Kingdom and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he that received seed by the wayside.

²⁰But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the Word and at once with joy receiveth it;

²¹yet hath he not root in himself, but endureth for a while. For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the Word, by and by he loses faith.

²²He also that received the seed among the thorns is he that heareth the Word; and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the Word, and he becometh unfruitful.

²³But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the Word and understandeth it; who also beareth fruit and bringeth forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty."

²⁴Another parable put He forth before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is likened unto a man who sowed good seed in his field;

²⁵but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

²⁶But when the blades had sprung up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

²⁷So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, 'Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath come the tares?'

²⁸He said unto them, 'An enemy hath done this.' The servants said unto him, 'Wilt thou then have us go and gather them up?'

²⁹But he said, 'Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

³⁰Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, "Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn."'"

³¹Another parable put He forth before them, saying, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field,

³²which indeed is the least of all seeds; but when it is grown it is the greatest among herbs and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

³³Another parable spoke He unto them: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till the whole was leavened."

³⁴All these things spoke Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spoke He not unto them,

³⁵that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."

³⁶Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house, and His disciples came unto Him, saying, "Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field."

³⁷He answered and said unto them, "He that soweth the good seed is the Son of Man.

³⁸The field is the world, the good seed are the children of the Kingdom, but the tares are the children of the wicked one.

³⁹The enemy that sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the world, and the reapers are the angels.

⁴⁰As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be at the end of this world.

⁴¹The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend and them that do iniquity,

⁴²and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

⁴³Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

⁴⁴"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field, which, when a man hath found, he hideth; and for the joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.

⁴⁵"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls,

⁴⁶who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.

⁴⁷"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a net that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind,

⁴⁸which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

⁴⁹So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth and sever the wicked from among the just,

⁵⁰and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth."

⁵¹Jesus said unto them, "Have ye understood all these things?" They said unto Him, "Yea, Lord."

⁵²Then said He unto them, "Therefore every scribe who is instructed unto the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who bringeth forth out of his treasure things new and old."

⁵³And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these parables, He departed thence.

⁵⁴And when He had come into His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, insomuch that they were astonished and said, "From whence hath this man this wisdom and these mighty works?

⁵⁵Is not this the carpenter's son? Is not his mother called Mary and his brethren James and Joseph, and Simon and Judas?

⁵⁶And his sisters, are they not all with us? From whence then hath this man all these things?"

⁵⁷And they were offended at Him. But Jesus said unto them, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country and in his own house."

⁵⁸And He did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief.

14At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus

²and said unto his servants, "This is John the Baptist. He is risen from the dead, and therefore mighty works show forth themselves in him."

³For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.

⁴For John said unto him, "It is not lawful for thee to have her."

⁵And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.

⁶But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod,

⁷whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask.

⁸And she, being beforehand instructed by her mother, said, "Give me here John the Baptist's head on a charger."

⁹And the king was sorry; nevertheless for the oath's sake, and those who sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

¹⁰And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison.

¹¹And his head was brought on a charger and given to the damsel, and she brought it to her mother.

¹²And his disciples came, and took up the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

¹³When Jesus heard of it, He departed thence by boat into a desert place apart. And when the people had heard thereof, they followed Him on foot out of the cities.

¹⁴And Jesus went forth and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and He healed their sick.

¹⁵And when it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, "This is a desert place and the time is now past. Send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves victuals."

¹⁶But Jesus said unto them, "They need not depart. Give ye them to eat."

¹⁷And they said unto Him, "We have here but five loaves and two fishes."

¹⁸And He said, "Bring them hither to Me."

¹⁹And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves and the two fishes; and looking up to Heaven, He blessed and broke the loaves and gave them to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

²⁰And they all ate and were filled. And they took up the fragments that remained, twelve baskets full.

²¹And those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.

²²And straightway Jesus constrained His disciples to get into a boat and to go before Him unto the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.

²³And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up onto a mountain apart to pray. And when evening had come, He was there alone.

²⁴But the boat was now in the midst of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.

²⁵And in the fourth watch of the night, Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

²⁶And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a spirit"; and they cried out for fear.

²⁷But straightway Jesus spoke unto them, saying, "Be of good cheer. It is I; be not afraid."

²⁸And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it be Thou, bid me come unto Thee on the water."

²⁹And He said, "Come." And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.

³⁰But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, "Lord, save me!"

³¹And immediately Jesus stretched forth His hand and caught him and said unto him, "O thou of little faith, why didst thou doubt?"

³²And when they had come into the boat, the wind ceased.

³³Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "In truth Thou art the Son of God."

³⁴And when they had gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret.

³⁵And when the men of that place learned of Him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto Him all who were diseased.

³⁶And they besought Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched were made perfectly whole.

15Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, who were from Jerusalem, saying,

²"Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread."

³But He answered and said unto them, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

⁴For God commanded, saying, 'Honor thy father and mother,' and, 'He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.'

⁵But ye say that whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, 'by whatsoever thou might have profited by me, it is a gift,'

⁶and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

⁷Ye hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

⁸'This people draweth nigh unto Me with their mouth, and honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

⁹But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'"

¹⁰And He called the multitude and said unto them, "Hear and understand:

¹¹Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man, but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

¹²Then came His disciples and said unto Him, "Knowest Thou that the Pharisees were offended after they heard this saying?"

¹³But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.

¹⁴Let them alone; they are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."

¹⁵Then answered Peter and said unto Him, "Explain to us this parable."

¹⁶And Jesus said, "Are ye also yet without understanding?

¹⁷Do ye not yet understand that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the drain?

¹⁸But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.

¹⁹For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

²⁰these are the things which defile a man. But to eat with unwashed hands defileth not a man."

²¹Then Jesus went thence and departed into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

²²And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same region and cried unto Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of David! My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."

²³But He answered her not a word. And His disciples came and besought Him, saying, "Send her away, for she crieth after us."

²⁴But He answered and said, "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."

²⁵Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord help me."

²⁶But He answered and said, "It is not meet to take children's bread and cast it to dogs."

²⁷And she said, "Truth, Lord; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

²⁸Then Jesus answered and said unto her, "O woman, great is thy faith. Be it unto thee even as thou wilt." And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

²⁹And Jesus departed from thence and came nigh unto the Sea of Galilee, and went up onto a mountain and sat down there.

³⁰And great multitudes came unto Him, having with them those who were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them,

³¹insomuch that the multitude wondered when they saw the dumb to speak, and the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see. And they glorified the God of Israel.

³²Then Jesus called His disciples unto Him and said, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with Me now three days and have had nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint on the way."

³³And His disciples said unto Him, "From whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness as to fill so great a multitude?"

³⁴And Jesus said unto them, "How many loaves have ye?" And they said, "Seven, and a few little fishes."

³⁵And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.

³⁶And He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and broke them and gave to His disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

³⁷And they all ate and were filled. And they took up of the broken pieces that were left, seven baskets full.

³⁸And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

³⁹And He sent away the multitude, and took the boat and went into the coasts of Magdala.

16The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and testing, desired Him that He would show them a sign from Heaven.

²He answered and said unto them, "When it is evening ye say, 'It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.'

³And in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and lowering.' O ye hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the sky, but can ye not discern the signs of the times?

⁴A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, and there shall no sign be given unto it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah." And He left them and departed.

⁵And when His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread.

⁶Then Jesus said unto them, "Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

⁷And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have taken no bread."

⁸But when Jesus perceived this, He said unto them, "O ye of little faith, why reason ye among yourselves, 'because ye have brought no bread'?

⁹Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

¹⁰Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many baskets ye took up?

¹¹How is it that ye do not understand that I spoke it not to you concerning bread, but that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees?"

¹²Then understood they that He bade them not to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

¹³When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?"

¹⁴And they said, "Some say that Thou art John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

¹⁵He said unto them, "But who say ye that I am?"

¹⁶And Simon Peter answered and said, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God."

¹⁷And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father who is in Heaven.

¹⁸And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

¹⁹And I will give unto thee the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven."

²⁰Then He charged His disciples that they should tell no man that He was Jesus the Christ.

²¹From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples that He must go unto Jerusalem and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.

²²Then Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him, saying, "Be it far from Thee, Lord; this shall not happen unto Thee."

²³But He turned and said unto Peter, "Get thee behind Me, Satan! Thou art an offense unto Me; for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

²⁴Then Jesus said unto His disciples, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.

²⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, and whosoever will lose his life for My sake shall find it.

²⁶For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

²⁷For the Son of Man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He shall reward every man according to his works.

²⁸Verily I say unto you, there are some standing here who shall not taste of death till they see the Son of Man coming in His Kingdom."

17And after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up onto a high mountain apart.

²And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone as the sun, and His raiment was white as the light.

³And behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah, talking with Him.

⁴Then answered Peter and said unto Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles: one for Thee and one for Moses and one for Elijah."

⁵While he yet spoke, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the cloud, said, "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED. HEAR YE HIM!"

⁶And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were sore afraid.

⁷And Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and be not afraid."

⁸And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.

⁹And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, "Tell the vision to no man until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead."

¹⁰And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?"

¹¹And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things.

¹²But I say unto you that Elijah is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they pleased. Likewise shall also the Son of Man suffer by them."

¹³Then the disciples understood that He spoke unto them of John the Baptist.

¹⁴And when they had come to the multitude, there came to Him a certain man, kneeling down to Him and saying,

¹⁵"Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is lunatic and sorely vexed; for ofttimes he falleth into the fire and oft into the water.

¹⁶And I brought him to Thy disciples, and they could not cure him."

¹⁷Then Jesus answered and said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him hither to Me."

¹⁸And Jesus rebuked the devil, and he departed out of him, and the child was cured from that very hour.

¹⁹Then came the disciples to Jesus apart and said, "Why could we not cast him out?"

²⁰And Jesus said unto them, "Because of your unbelief; for verily I say unto you, if ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Remove hence to yonder place,' and it shall remove. And nothing shall be impossible unto you.

²¹However this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting."

²²And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, "The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men.

²³And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again." And they were exceeding sorry.

²⁴And when they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the tribute money came to Peter and said, "Doth not your master pay tribute?"

²⁵He said, "Yes." And when he had come into the house, Jesus preceded him, saying, "What thinkest thou, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? From their own children, or from strangers?"

²⁶Peter said unto Him, "From strangers." Jesus said unto him, "Then are the children free.

²⁷Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast a hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up. And when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money. That take, and give unto them for Me and thee."

18At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, "Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?"

²And Jesus called a little child unto Him, and set him in the midst of them,

³and said, "Verily I say unto you, unless ye be converted and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

⁴Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

⁵And whoso shall receive one such little child in My name, receiveth Me.

⁶But whoso shall cause one of these little ones who believe in Me to fall, it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.

⁷"Woe unto the world because of offenses! For it must happen that offenses come, but woe to that man by whom the offense cometh.

⁸Therefore if thy hand or thy foot cause thee to fall, cut them off and cast them from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.

⁹And if thine eye cause thee to fall, pluck it out and cast it from thee; it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire.

¹⁰"Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones; for I say unto you that in Heaven their angels do always behold the face of My Father who is in Heaven.

¹¹"For the Son of Man is come to save that which was lost.

¹²How think ye? If a man have a hundred sheep and one of them be gone astray, doth he not leave the ninety and nine, and goeth into the mountains and seeketh that which is gone astray?

¹³And if it so be that he find it, verily I say unto you, he rejoiceth more over that sheep than over the ninety and nine which went not astray.

¹⁴Even so it is not the will of your Father who is in Heaven that one of these little ones should perish.

¹⁵"Moreover, if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

¹⁶But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that 'in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'

¹⁷And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church; but if he neglect to hear the church, let him be unto thee as a heathen man and a publican.

¹⁸Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in Heaven; and so whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in Heaven.

¹⁹"Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth concerning anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in Heaven.

²⁰For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them."

²¹Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Until seven times?"

²²And Jesus said unto him, "I say not unto thee, until seven times, but until seventy times seven.

²³"Therefore is the Kingdom of Heaven likened unto a certain king who would settle accounts with his servants.

²⁴And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him who owed him ten thousand talents.

²⁵But inasmuch as he could not pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made.

²⁶The servant therefore fell down and did homage to him, saying,'Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.'

²⁷Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him and forgave him the debt.

²⁸But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred pence. And he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what thou owest.'

²⁹And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all.'

³⁰And he would not, but went and cast him into prison till he should pay the debt.

³¹So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry and came and told unto their lord all that was done.

³²Then his lord, after he had called him, said unto him, 'O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me.

³³Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?'

³⁴And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him.

³⁵So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother's trespasses."

19And it came to pass that when Jesus had finished these sayings, He departed from Galilee and came into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

²And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there.

³The Pharisees also came unto Him, testing Him and saying unto Him, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause?"

⁴And He answered and said unto them, "Have ye not read, that He that made them at the beginning made them male and female,

⁵and said, 'For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh'?

⁶Therefore they are no more two, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

⁷They said unto Him, "Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement and to put her away?"

⁸He said unto them, "Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so.

⁹And I say unto you, whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whoso marrieth her who is put away doth commit adultery."

¹⁰His disciples said unto Him, "If the case of the man be so with his wife, it is not good to marry."

¹¹But He said unto them, "All men cannot receive this saying, save they to whom it is given.

¹²For there are some eunuchs who were so born from their mother's womb, and there are some eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it."

¹³Then were there brought unto Him little children, that He should put His hands on them and pray. And the disciples rebuked them,

¹⁴but Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not to come unto Me,for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."

¹⁵And He laid His hands on them and departed thence.

¹⁶And behold, one came and said unto Him, "Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?"

¹⁷And He said unto him, "Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God. But if thou wilt enter into Life, keep the commandments."

¹⁸He said unto Him, "Which?" Jesus said, "'Thou shalt do no murder; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not bear false witness;

¹⁹honor thy father and thy mother; and, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'"

²⁰The young man said unto Him, "All these things have I kept from my youth up. What lack I yet?"

²¹Jesus said unto him, "If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell what thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come and follow Me."

²²But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

²³Then said Jesus unto His disciples, "Verily I say unto you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.

²⁴And again I say unto you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."

²⁵When His disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, "Who then can be saved?"

²⁶But Jesus beheld them and said unto them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

²⁷Then Peter answered and said unto Him, "Behold, we have forsaken all and followed Thee. What shall we have therefore?"

²⁸And Jesus said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, that ye that have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

²⁹And everyone that hath forsaken houses or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands, for My name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold and shall inherit everlasting life.

³⁰But many that are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

20"For the Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, who went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.

²And when he had agreed with the laborers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

³And he went out about the third hour and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,

⁴and said unto them, 'Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you.' And they went their way.

⁵Again he went out about the sixth and the ninth hour and did likewise.

⁶And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing idle, and said unto them, 'Why stand ye here all the day idle?'

⁷They said unto him, 'Because no man hath hired us.' He said unto them, 'Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.'

⁸So when evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said unto his steward, 'Call the laborers and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.'

⁹And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.

¹⁰But when the first came, they supposed they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny.

¹¹And when they had received it, they murmured against the master of the house,

¹²saying, 'These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us who have borne the burden and the heat of the day.'

¹³But he answered one of them and said, 'Friend, I do thee no wrong. Didst thou not agree with me for a penny?

¹⁴Take that which is thine and go thy way. I will give unto this last, even as unto thee.

¹⁵Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?'

¹⁶So the last shall be first, and the first last. For many are called, but few are chosen."

¹⁷And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart on the way and said unto them,

¹⁸"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death,

¹⁹and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and to scourge and to crucify Him. And the third day, He shall rise again."

²⁰Then came to Him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshiping Him and desiring a certain thing of Him.

²¹And He said unto her, "What wilt thou?" She said unto Him, "Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on Thy right hand and the other on the left in Thy Kingdom."

²²But Jesus answered and said, "Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?" They said unto Him, "We are able."

²³And He said unto them, "Ye shall drink indeed of My cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with; but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared by My Father."

²⁴And when the ten heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren.

²⁵But Jesus called them unto Him and said, "Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them.

²⁶But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

²⁷and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant,

²⁸even as the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life as a ransom for many."

²⁹And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed Him.

³⁰And behold, two blind men were sitting by the wayside when they heard that Jesus was passing by, and they cried out, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David!"

³¹And the multitude rebuked them, that they should hold their peace; but they cried out the more, saying, "Have mercy on us, O Lord, Thou Son of David!"

³²And Jesus stood still, and called them and said, "What will ye that I shall do unto you?"

³³They said unto Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened."

³⁴So Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes, and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

21And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem and had come to Bethphage unto the Mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples,

²saying unto them, "Go into the village opposite you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her. Loose them and bring them unto Me.

³And if any man say aught unto you, ye shall say, 'The Lord hath need of them,' and straightway he will send them."

⁴All this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵"Tell ye the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek and sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.'"

⁶And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.

⁷And they brought the ass and the colt and put on them their clothes, and they set Him thereon.

⁸And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; and others cut down branches from the trees and strewed them in the way.

⁹And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried out, saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

¹⁰And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, "Who is this?"

¹¹And the multitude said, "This is Jesus, the prophet of Nazareth of Galilee."

¹²And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves,

¹³and said unto them, "It is written, 'My house shall be called the house of prayer,' but ye have made it a den of thieves."

¹⁴And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them.

¹⁵And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that He did, and the children crying out in the temple and saying, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they were sore displeased,

¹⁶and said unto Him, "Hearest thou what these say?" And Jesus said unto them, "Yea, have ye never read, 'Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast perfected praise'?"

¹⁷And He left them and went out of the city into Bethany, and He lodged there.

¹⁸Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered.

¹⁹And when He saw a fig tree by the wayside, He came to it and found nothing thereon, but leaves only. And He said unto it, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward for ever." And immediately the fig tree withered away.

²⁰And when the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, "How soon has the fig tree withered away!"

²¹Jesus answered and said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, if ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea,' it shall be done.

²²And all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive."

²³And when He had come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto Him as He was teaching and said, "By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority?"

²⁴And Jesus answered and said unto them, "I also will ask you one thing, which if ye tell Me, I in like manner will tell you by what authority I do these things.

²⁵The baptism of John: whence was it? From Heaven, or of men?" And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we shall say, 'From Heaven,' he will say unto us, 'Why did ye not then believe him?'

²⁶But if we shall say, 'Of men,' we fear the people, for all hold John to be a prophet."

²⁷And they answered Jesus and said, "We cannot tell." And He said unto them, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things.

²⁸"But what think ye? A certain man had two sons. And he came to the first and said, 'Son, go work today in my vineyard.'

²⁹He answered and said, 'I will not,' but afterward he repented and went.

³⁰And he came to the second and said likewise. And he answered and said, 'I go, sir,' and went not.

³¹Which of those two did the will of his father?" They said unto Him, "The first." Jesus said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, that the publicans and the harlots go into the Kingdom of God before you.

³²For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed him not; but the publicans and harlots believed him. And ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.

³³"Hear another parable: There was a certain householder who planted a vineyard, and hedged it round about, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen and went into a far country.

³⁴And when the time of the fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it.

³⁵And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one and killed another and stoned another.

³⁶Again, he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did unto them likewise.

³⁷But last of all he sent unto them his son, saying, 'They will reverence my son.'

³⁸But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.'

³⁹And they caught him and cast him out of the vineyard and slew him.

⁴⁰When therefore the lord of the vineyard cometh, what will he do unto those husbandmen?"

⁴¹They said unto Him, "He will miserably destroy those wicked men, and will let out his vineyard unto other husbandmen, who shall render him the fruits in their seasons."

⁴²Jesus said unto them, "Did ye never read in the Scriptures: 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner. This is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?

⁴³Therefore say I unto you, the Kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.

⁴⁴And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

⁴⁵And when the chief priests and the Pharisees had heard His parables, they perceived that He spoke of them.

⁴⁶But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitude, because they took Him for a prophet.

22And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again in parables and said,

²"The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a certain king, who made a marriage for his son.

³And he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding, and they would not come.

⁴Again he sent forth other servants, saying, 'Tell them that are bidden, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Come unto the marriage."'

⁵But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise,

⁶and the remnant took his servants and treated them spitefully and slew them.

⁷But when the king heard thereof he was wroth, and he sent forth his armies and destroyed those murderers and burned up their city.

⁸Then said he to his servants, 'The wedding is ready, but they that were bidden were not worthy.

⁹Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.'

¹⁰So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered all together as many as they found, both bad and good, and the wedding was furnished with guests.

¹¹And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man who did not have on a wedding garment.

¹²And he said unto him, 'Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.

¹³Then said the king to the servants, 'Bind him hand and foot and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

¹⁴For many are called, but few are chosen."

¹⁵Then the Pharisees went and took counsel how they might entangle Him in His talk.

¹⁶And they sent out unto Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, "Master, we know that thou art true and teachest the way of God in truth; neither carest thou for any man, for thou regardest not the person of men.

¹⁷Tell us therefore, what thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?"

¹⁸But Jesus perceived their wickedness and said, "Why tempt ye Me, ye hypocrites?

¹⁹Show Me the tribute money." And they brought unto Him a penny.

²⁰And He said unto them, "Whose is this image and superscription?"

²¹And they said unto Him, "Caesar's." Then said He unto them, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's."

²²When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.

²³The same day the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,

²⁴saying, "Master, Moses said, 'If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.'

²⁵Now there were with us seven brethren. And the first, when he had married a wife, died; and having no issue, he left his wife unto his brother.

²⁶Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh.

²⁷And last of all, the woman died also.

²⁸Therefore in the resurrection, whose wife shall she be of the seven? For they all had her."

²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, "Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.

³⁰For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in Heaven.

³¹But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying,

³²'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living."

³³And when the multitude heard this, they were astonished at His doctrine.

³⁴But when the Pharisees had heard that He had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together.

³⁵Then one of them, who was a lawyer, asked Him a question, tempting Him and saying,

³⁶"Master, which is the great commandment in the law?"

³⁷Jesus said unto him, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.'

³⁸This is the first and great commandment.

³⁹And the second is like unto it: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.'

⁴⁰On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets."

⁴¹While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them,

⁴²saying, "What think ye of Christ? Whose Son is He?" They said unto Him, "The son of David."

⁴³He said unto them, "How then doth David in the Spirit call Him 'Lord,' saying,

⁴⁴'The LORD said unto my Lord, "Sit Thou on My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool"'?

⁴⁵If David then call Him 'Lord,' how is He his son?"

⁴⁶And no man was able to answer Him a word; neither dared any man from that day forth ask Him any more questions.

23Then spoke Jesus to the multitude and to His disciples,

²saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.

³All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do ye not according to their works; for they say, and do not.

⁴For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders, but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

⁵But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,

⁶and love the uppermost places at feasts and the chief seats in the synagogues,

⁷and greetings in the markets, and to be called by men, 'Rabbi, Rabbi.'

⁸But be not ye called 'Rabbi,' for One is your Master, even Christ; and all ye are brethren.

⁹"And call no man your father upon earth, for One is your Father, who is in Heaven.

¹⁰Neither be ye called masters, for One is your Master, even Christ.

¹¹But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

¹²And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased, and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

¹³"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men, for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

¹⁴Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers; therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

¹⁵"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

¹⁶"Woe unto you, ye blind guides, who say, 'Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is obligated.'

¹⁷Ye fools and blind! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?

¹⁸And ye say, 'Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is liable.'

¹⁹Ye fools and blind! For which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?

²⁰Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it and by all things thereon.

²¹And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it and by Him that dwelleth therein.

²²And he that shall swear by Heaven, sweareth by the throne of God and by Him that sitteth thereon.

²³"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law: judgment, mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done and not to leave the other undone.

²⁴Ye blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

²⁵"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

²⁶Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.

²⁷"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but are within full of dead men's bones and of all uncleanness.

²⁸Even so, ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

²⁹"Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because ye build the tombs of the prophets and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous,

³⁰and say, 'If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.'

³¹Therefore ye are witnesses against yourselves, that ye are the children of them that killed the prophets.

³²Fill ye up, then, the measure of your fathers.

³³"Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers! How can ye escape the damnation of hell?

³⁴Therefore, behold, I send unto you prophets and wise men and scribes, and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city,

³⁵that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zechariah, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.

³⁶Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation.

³⁷"O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

³⁸Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.

³⁹For I say unto you, ye shall not see Me henceforth till ye shall say, 'Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!'"

24And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple.

²And Jesus said unto them, "See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, there shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."

³And 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 Thy coming and of the end of the world?"

⁴And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you;

⁵for many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and shall deceive many.

⁶And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

⁷For nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in divers places.

⁸All these are the beginning of sorrows.

⁹Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated by all nations for My name's sake.

¹⁰And then shall many lose faith and shall betray one another and shall hate one another.

¹¹And many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many.

¹²And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

¹³But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴And this Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.

¹⁵"When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoso readeth, let him understand),

¹⁶then let them that be in Judea flee unto the mountains.

¹⁷Let him that is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house;

¹⁸neither let him that is in the field return back to take his clothes.

¹⁹And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

²⁰But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day.

²¹For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

²²And unless those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.

²³Then if any man shall say unto you, 'Lo, here is Christ,' or 'there,' believe it not.

²⁴For there shall arise false christs and false prophets and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

²⁵Behold, I have told you before.

²⁶Therefore, if they shall say unto you, 'Behold, He is in the desert!' go not forth; or 'Behold, He is in the secret chambers!' believe it not.

²⁷For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

²⁸For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

²⁹"Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken,

³⁰and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and with great glory.

³¹And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³²"Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.

³³So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

³⁴Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.

³⁵Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My Words shall not pass away.

³⁶But of that day and hour, knoweth no man, no, not the angels of Heaven, but My Father only.

³⁷But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

³⁸For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark

³⁹and knew not until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be.

⁴⁰Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken and the other left.

⁴¹Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken and the other left.

⁴²"Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

⁴³But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken into.

⁴⁴Therefore be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.

⁴⁵"Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

⁴⁶Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.

⁴⁷Verily I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

⁴⁸But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, 'My lord delayeth his coming,'

⁴⁹and shall begin to smite his fellow servants and to eat and drink with the drunken,

⁵⁰the lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

⁵¹and shall cut him asunder and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

25"Then shall the Kingdom of Heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

²And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

³They that were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them,

⁴but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

⁵While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

⁶And at midnight there was a cry made: 'Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.'

⁷Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps.

⁸And the foolish said unto the wise, 'Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out.'

⁹But the wise answered, saying, 'Not so, lest there be not enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.'

¹⁰And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut.

¹¹Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, 'Lord, lord, open to us!'

¹²But he answered and said, 'Verily I say unto you, I know you not.'

¹³Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of Man cometh.

¹⁴"For the Kingdom of Heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who called his own servants and delivered unto them his goods.

¹⁵And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to every man according to his several ability, and straightway tookhis journey.

¹⁶Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them another five talents.

¹⁷And likewise he that had received two, he also gained another two.

¹⁸But he that had received one went and dug in the earth and hid his lord's money.

¹⁹After a long time the lord of those servants came and reckoned with them.

²⁰And so he that had received five talents came and brought the other five talents, saying, 'Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents. Behold, I have gained beside them five talents more.'

²¹His lord said unto him, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'

²²"He also that had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.'

²³His lord said unto him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant. Thou hast been faithful over a few things; I will make thee ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of thy lord.'

²⁴"Then he that had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew thee, that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strewed.

²⁵And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth. Lo, there thou hast what is thine.'

²⁶His lord answered and said unto him, 'Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed.

²⁷Thou ought therefore to have placed my money with the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with interest.

²⁸Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath ten talents.

²⁹For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that hath not, shall be taken away even that which he hath.

³⁰And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

³¹"When the Son of Man shall come in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory.

³²And before Him shall be gathered all nations, and He shall separate them one from another as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.

³³And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

³⁵For I hungered, and ye gave Me meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took Me in;

³⁶naked, and ye clothed Me; I was sick, and ye visited Me; I was in prison, and ye came unto Me.'

³⁷Then shall the righteous answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee hungering and fed Thee, or thirsty and gave Thee drink?

³⁸When saw we Thee a stranger and took Thee in, or naked and clothed Thee?

³⁹Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?'

⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, 'Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me.'

⁴¹"Then shall He say also unto them on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

⁴²For I hungered, and ye gave Me no meat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me no drink;

⁴³I was a stranger, and ye took Me not in; naked, and ye clothed Me not; sick and in prison, and ye visited Me not.'

⁴⁴Then shall they also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when saw we Thee hungering or athirst or a stranger, or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister unto Thee?'

⁴⁵Then shall He answer them, saying, 'Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to Me.'

⁴⁶And these shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal."

26And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said unto His disciples,

²"Ye know that after two days is the Feast of the Passover, and the Son of Man is betrayed to be crucified."

³Then the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people assembled together unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas,

⁴and consulted that they might take Jesus by stealth and kill Him.

⁵But they said, "Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people."

⁶Now when Jesus was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper,

⁷there came unto Him a woman having an alabaster box of very precious ointment, and poured it on His head as He sat at meat.

⁸But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, "To what purpose is this waste?

⁹For this ointment might have been sold for much and given to the poor."

¹⁰When Jesus perceived this, He said unto them, "Why trouble ye the woman? For she hath wrought a good work upon Me.

¹¹For ye have the poor always with you, but Me ye have not always.

¹²For in that she hath poured this ointment on My body, she did it for My burial.

¹³Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached in the whole world, there shall also this, which this woman hath done, be told as a memorial of her."

¹⁴Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests

¹⁵and said unto them, "What will ye give me if I will deliver Him unto you?" And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.

¹⁶And from that time he sought opportunity to betray Him.

¹⁷Now on the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto Him, "Where wilt Thou that we prepare for Thee to eat the Passover?"

¹⁸And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and say unto him, 'The Master saith, "My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at thy house with My disciples."'"

¹⁹And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them, and they made ready the Passover.

²⁰Now when the evening had come, He sat down with the twelve.

²¹And as they ate, He said, "Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray Me."

²²And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto Him, "Lord, is it I?"

²³And He answered and said, "He that dippeth his hand with Me in the dish, the same shall betray Me.

²⁴The Son of Man goeth as it is written of Him, but woe unto that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born."

²⁵Then Judas, who betrayed Him, answered and said, "Master, is it I?" He said unto him, "Thou hast said."

²⁶And as they were eating, Jesus took bread and blessed it and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

²⁷And He took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink ye all of it;

²⁸for this is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

²⁹But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's Kingdom."

³⁰And when they had sung a hymn, they went out unto the Mount of Olives.

³¹Then Jesus said unto them, "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night; for it is written: 'I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep of the flock shall be scattered abroad.'

³²But after I am risen again, I will go before you into Galilee."

³³Peter answered and said unto Him, "Though all men shall be offended because of Thee, yet I will never be offended."

³⁴Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, that this night before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice."

³⁵Peter said unto Him, "Though I should die with Thee, yet will I not deny Thee." Likewise also said all the disciples.

³⁶Then Jesus came with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and said unto the disciples, "Sit ye here while I go and pray yonder."

³⁷And He took with Him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

³⁸Then He said unto them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death; tarry ye here and watch with Me."

³⁹And He went a little farther, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt."

⁴⁰And He came unto the disciples and found them asleep, and said unto Peter, "What, could ye not watch with Me one hour?

⁴¹Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."

⁴²He went away again the second time and prayed, saying, "O My Father, if this cup may not pass away from Me, unless I drink it, Thy will be done."

⁴³And He came and found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy.

⁴⁴And He left them and went away again, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.

⁴⁵Then came He to His disciples and said unto them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴⁶Rise, let us be going. Behold, he is at hand that doth betray Me."

⁴⁷And while He yet spoke, lo, Judas, one of the twelve came, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people.

⁴⁸Now he that betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, "Whomsoever I shall kiss, that same is He; hold Him fast."

⁴⁹And forthwith he came to Jesus and said, "Hail, Master!" and kissed Him.

⁵⁰And Jesus said unto him, "Friend, why art thou come?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus and took Him.

⁵¹And behold, one of those who was with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest and smote off his ear.

⁵²Then said Jesus unto him, "Put up again thy sword into his place, for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword.

⁵³Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to My Father, and He shall at once give Me more than twelve legions of angels?

⁵⁴But how then shall the Scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?"

⁵⁵In that same hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves to take Me? I sat daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold on Me.

⁵⁶But all this was done that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples forsook Him and fled.

⁵⁷And those who had laid hold on Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were assembled.

⁵⁸But Peter followed Him afar off unto the high priest's palace, and went in and sat with the servants to see the end.

⁵⁹Now the chief priests and elders and all the council sought false witness against Jesus to put Him to death,

⁶⁰but found none. Yea, though many false witnesses came, yet found they none. At the last came two false witnesses,

⁶¹and said, "This fellow said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.'"

⁶²And the high priest arose and said unto Him, "Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witnesses say against thee?"

⁶³But Jesus held His peace. And the high priest answered and said unto Him, "I adjure thee by the living God that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God."

⁶⁴Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast said; nevertheless I say unto you, hereafter shall ye see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

⁶⁵Then the high priest rent his clothes, saying, "He hath spoken blasphemy! What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, now ye have heard his blasphemy!

⁶⁶What think ye?" They answered and said, "He is deserving of death!"

⁶⁷Then they spit in His face and buffeted Him, and others smote Him with the palms of their hands,

⁶⁸saying, "Prophesy unto us, thou Christ! Who is he that smote thee?"

⁶⁹Now Peter sat outside in the palace, and a damsel came unto him, saying, "Thou also wast with Jesus of Galilee."

⁷⁰But he denied it before them all, saying, "I know not what thou sayest."

⁷¹And when he had gone out onto the porch, another maid saw him and said unto those who were there, "This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth."

⁷²And again he denied with an oath, "I do not know the man!"

⁷³And after a while came unto him those who stood by, and said to Peter, "Surely thou also art one of them, for thy speech betrayeth thee."

⁷⁴Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, "I know not the man!" And immediately the cock crowed.

⁷⁵And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, when He said unto him, "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice." And he went out and wept bitterly.

27When the morning had come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put Him to death.

²And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate, the governor.

³Then Judas, who had betrayed Him, when he saw that He was condemned, repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders,

⁴saying, "I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood." And they said, "What is that to us? See thou to that!"

⁵And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself.

⁶And the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, "It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood."

⁷And they took counsel and bought with them the potter's field, to bury strangers in.

⁸Therefore that field was called the Field of Blood unto this day.

⁹Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, "And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of Him that was valued, whom they the children of Israel did value,

¹⁰and gave them for the potter's field, as the Lord appointed me."

¹¹And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, saying, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" And Jesus said unto him, "Thou sayest."

¹²And when He was accused by the chief priests and elders, He answered nothing.

¹³Then said Pilate unto Him, "Hearest thou not how many things they witness against thee?"

¹⁴And He answered him never a word, insomuch that the governor marveled greatly.

¹⁵Now at that feast, the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would.

¹⁶And they had then a notable prisoner called Barabbas.

¹⁷Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, "Whom will ye that I release unto you: Barabbas, or Jesus who is called Christ?"

¹⁸For he knew that for envy they had delivered Him.

¹⁹When he had sat down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, "Have thou nothing to do with that just man; for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him."

²⁰But the chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas and destroy Jesus.

²¹The governor answered and said unto them, "Which of the two will ye that I release unto you?" They said, "Barabbas!"

²²Pilate said unto them, "What shall I do then with Jesus, who is called Christ?" They all said unto him, "Let him be crucified!"

²³And the governor said, "Why, what evil hath he done?" But they cried out the more, saying, "Let him be crucified!"

²⁴When Pilate saw that he could not prevail, but rather that a tumult was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See ye to it."

²⁵Then answered all the people and said, "His blood be on us, and on our children!"

²⁶Then released he Barabbas unto them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

²⁷Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the common hall, and gathered unto Him the whole detachment of soldiers.

²⁸And they stripped Him and put on Him a scarlet robe.

²⁹And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head and a reed in His right hand, and they bowed their knees before Him and mocked Him, saying, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

³⁰And they spat upon Him, and took the reed and smote Him on the head.

³¹And after they had mocked Him, they took the robe off from Him and put His own raiment on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.

³²And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name; him they compelled to bear His cross.

³³And when they had come unto a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a Place of a Skull,

³⁴they gave Him vinegar to drink mingled with gall. And when He had tasted thereof, He would not drink.

³⁵And they crucified Him and parted His garments, casting lots, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet: "They parted My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast lots."

³⁶And sitting down, they watched Him there,

³⁷and set up over His head His accusation, written: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁸Then were there two thieves crucified with Him, one on the right hand and another on the left.

³⁹And those who passed by reviled Him, wagging their heads

⁴⁰and saying, "Thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days, save thyself! If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross!"

⁴¹Likewise also the chief priests mocking Him, with the scribes and elders said,

⁴²"He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him.

⁴³He trusted in God; let Him deliver him now, if He will have him. For he said, 'I am the Son of God.'"

⁴⁴The thieves also, who were crucified with Him, cast the same in His teeth.

⁴⁵Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour.

⁴⁶And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?" that is to say, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

⁴⁷Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, "This man calleth for Elijah."

⁴⁸And straightway one of them ran and took a sponge, and filled it with vinegar, and put it on a reed and gave Him to drink.

⁴⁹The rest said, "Let be; let us see whether Elijah will come to save him."

⁵⁰Jesus, when He had cried out again with a loud voice, yielded up the ghost.

⁵¹And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, and the earth quaked and the rocks rent.

⁵²And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who slept arose,

⁵³and came out of the graves after His resurrection, and went into the Holy City and appeared unto many.

⁵⁴Now when the centurion, and those who were with him watching Jesus, saw the earthquake and those things that were done, they feared greatly, saying, "Truly, this was the Son of God!"

⁵⁵And many women were there beholding afar off, who followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering unto Him,

⁵⁶among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of Zebedee's children.

⁵⁷When the evening had come, there came a rich man of Arimathea named Joseph, who himself also was Jesus' disciple.

⁵⁸He went to Pilate, and begged the body of Jesus. Then Pilate commanded the body to be delivered.

⁵⁹And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a clean linen cloth

⁶⁰and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulcher and departed.

⁶¹And Mary Magdalene was there, and the other Mary, sitting opposite the sepulcher.

⁶²Now the next day, that following the Day of the Preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate,

⁶³saying, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while he was yet alive, 'After three days I will rise again.'

⁶⁴Command therefore that the sepulcher be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night and steal him away, and say unto the people, 'He is risen from the dead,' so that the last error shall be worse than the first."

⁶⁵Pilate said unto them, "Ye have a watch. Go your way, make it as secure as ye can."

⁶⁶So they went and made the sepulcher secure, sealing the stone and setting up a watch.

28At the end of the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.

²And behold, there was a great earthquake, for the angel of the Lord descended from Heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.

³His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow.

⁴And for fear of him the guards shook and became as dead men.

⁵And the angel answered and said unto the women, "Fear ye not, for I know that ye seek Jesus, who was crucified.

⁶He is not here, for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.

⁷And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and behold, He goeth before you into Galilee. There shall ye see Him. Lo, I have told you."

⁸And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word.

⁹And as they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, "All hail." And they came, and held Him by the feet, and worshiped Him.

¹⁰Then said Jesus unto them, "Be not afraid. Go tell My brethren to go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me."

¹¹Now when they were going, behold, some of the guards came into the city and reported unto the chief priests all the things that were done.

¹²And when they were assembled with the elders and had taken counsel, they gave a large sum of money unto the soldiers,

¹³saying, "Say ye, 'His disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept.'

¹⁴And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him and secure you."

¹⁵So they took the money, and did as they were taught; and this account is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.

¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee onto a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.

¹⁷And when they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

¹⁸And Jesus came and spoke unto them, saying, "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and on earth.

¹⁹Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,

²⁰teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. And lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." Amen.

1The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

²As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee."

³"The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'"

⁴John baptized in the wilderness and preached the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

⁵And there went out unto him all the land of Judea and those of Jerusalem; and they were all baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁶And John was clothed with camel's hair and with a girdle of a skin about his loins, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

⁷And he preached, saying, "There cometh after me One mightier than I, the strap of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

⁸I indeed have baptized you with water, but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."

⁹And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

¹⁰And straightway coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him.

¹¹And there came a voice from Heaven, saying, "THOU ART MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED."

¹²And immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.

¹³And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto Him.

¹⁴Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God

¹⁵and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God is at hand. Repent ye and believe the Gospel."

¹⁶Now as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers.

¹⁷And Jesus said unto them, "Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men."

¹⁸And straightway they forsook their nets, and followed Him.

¹⁹And when He had gone a little farther thence, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets.

²⁰And straightway He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

²¹And they went into Capernaum, and straightway on the Sabbath day He entered into the synagogue and taught.

²²And they were astonished at His doctrine, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

²³And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,

²⁴saying, "Let us alone. What have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Hast Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee and who Thou art -- the Holy One of God!"

²⁵And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Hold thy peace, and come out of him!"

²⁶And when the unclean spirit had torn him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him.

²⁷And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, "What thing is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority he commandeth even the unclean spirits, and they obey him."

²⁸And immediately His fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee.

²⁹And forthwith when they had come out of the synagogue, they entered into the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.

³⁰But Simon's wife's mother lay sick with a fever, and at once they told Him of her.

³¹And He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up; and immediately the fever left her, and she ministered unto them.

³²And at evening, when the sun had set, they brought unto Him all who were diseased and those who were possessed with devils.

³³And all the city was gathered together at the door.

³⁴And He healed many who were sick with divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and He suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.

³⁵And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

³⁶And Simon and those who were with Him followed after Him.

³⁷And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, "All men seek for Thee."

³⁸And He said unto them, "Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also; for therefore came I forth."

³⁹And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils.

⁴⁰And there came a leper to Him, beseeching Him and kneeling down to Him and saying unto Him, "If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."

⁴¹And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth His hand and touched him, and said unto him, "I will; be thou clean."

⁴²And as soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.

⁴³And He strictly charged him, and forthwith sent him away,

⁴⁴saying unto him, "See that thou say nothing to any man; but go thy way, show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony unto them."

⁴⁵But he went out and began to proclaim it much and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, and was outside in desert places. And they came to Him from every quarter.

2And again He entered into Capernaum some days later, and it was reported that He was in the house.

²And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not even about the door; and He preached the Word unto them.

³And they came unto Him, bringing one sick with the palsy, who was borne by four.

⁴And when they could not come nigh unto Him because of the throng, they uncovered the roof where He was. And when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the one sick with the palsy lay.

⁵When Jesus saw their faith, He said unto the one sick with the palsy, "Son, thy sins are forgiven thee."

⁶But there were certain of the scribes sitting there and reasoning in their hearts,

⁷"Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?"

⁸And immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, He said unto them, "Why reason ye these things in your hearts:

⁹whether it is easier to say to the sick with the palsy, 'Thy sins are forgiven thee,' or to say, 'Arise, and take up thy bed and walk'?

¹⁰But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power on earth to forgive sins--" He said to the one sick with the palsy,

¹¹"I say unto thee, arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house."

¹²And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all, insomuch that they all were amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw it in this fashion!"

¹³And He went forth again by the seaside; and all the multitude resorted unto Him, and He taught them.

¹⁴And as He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the custom booth, and said unto him, "Follow Me." And he arose and followed Him.

¹⁵And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat at Levi's house, that many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him.

¹⁶And when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with publicans and sinners, they said unto His disciples, "How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?"

¹⁷When Jesus heard it, He said unto them, "They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

¹⁸And the disciples of John and of the Pharisees used to fast; and they came and said unto Him, "Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but thy disciples fast not?"

¹⁹And Jesus said unto them, "Can the attendants of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast.

²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days.

²¹"No man also seweth a piece of new cloth on an old garment, else the new piece that filled it up teareth away from the old, and the rent is made worse.

²²And no man putteth new wine into old wineskins, else the new wine doth burst the skins, and the wine is spilled and the skins will be marred. But new wine must be put into new wineskins."

²³And it came to pass that He went through the cornfields on the Sabbath day; and His disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of corn.

²⁴And the Pharisees said unto Him, "Behold, why do they do on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful?"

²⁵And He said unto them, "Have ye never read what David did when he was in need and hungered, he and they that were with him?

²⁶How he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave it also to those who were with him?"

²⁷And He said unto them, "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.

²⁸Therefore the Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath."

3And He entered again into the synagogue, and there was a man there who had a withered hand.

²And they watched Him to see whether He would heal him on the Sabbath day, that they might accuse Him.

³And He said unto the man who had the withered hand, "Stand forth."

⁴And He said unto them, "Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath days, or to do evil? To save life, or to kill?" But they held their peace.

⁵And when He had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said unto the man, "Stretch forth thine hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored whole as the other.

⁶And the Pharisees went forth and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

⁷But Jesus withdrew Himself with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea,

⁸and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan. And those from around Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things He did, came unto Him.

⁹And He spoke to His disciples that a small boat should await Him because of the multitude, lest they should throng Him.

¹⁰For He had healed many, insomuch that they pressed upon Him to touch Him, as many as had plagues.

¹¹And unclean spirits, when they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried, saying, "Thou art the Son of God!"

¹²And He strictly charged them that they should not make Him known.

¹³And He went up onto a mountain, and called unto Him whom He would have, and they came unto Him.

¹⁴And He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach,

¹⁵and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out devils:

¹⁶Simon (He surnamed Peter);

¹⁷and James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James (and He surnamed them Boanerges, which means The Sons of Thunder);

¹⁸and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thadaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

¹⁹and Judas Iscariot who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house;

²⁰and the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.

²¹And when His friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on Him; for they said, "He is beside himself."

²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, "He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of devils he casteth out devils."

²³And He called them unto Him, and said unto them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan?

²⁴And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.

²⁵And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

²⁶And if Satan rise up against himself and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

²⁷No man can enter into a strong man's house and despoil his goods, unless he will first bind the strong man; and then he will despoil his house.

²⁸"Verily I say unto you, all sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men and blasphemies, however they shall blaspheme;

²⁹but he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation";

³⁰because they said, "He hath an unclean spirit."

³¹There came then His brethren and His mother, and standing outside they sent unto Him, calling Him.

³²And the multitude sat about Him, and they said unto Him, "Behold, thy mother and thy brethren outside seek for thee."

³³And He answered them, saying, "Who is My mother, or My brethren?"

³⁴And He looked round about on those who sat about Him and said, "Behold, My mother and My brethren.

³⁵For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is My brother, and My sister, and mother."

4And He began again to teach by the seaside. And there was gathered unto Him a great multitude, so that He entered into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land.

²And He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in His doctrine:

³"Hearken! Behold, there went out a sower to sow.

⁴And it came to pass as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

⁵And some fell on stony ground where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth.

⁶But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

⁷And some fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no fruit.

⁸And other fell on good ground; and it yielded fruit that sprang up and increased and brought forth: some thirty, and some sixty, and some a hundredfold."

⁹And He said unto them, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

¹⁰And when He was alone, those who were about Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable.

¹¹And He said unto them, "Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the Kingdom of God; but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables,

¹²that, 'seeing they may see, and not perceive, and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted and their sins should be forgiven them.'"

¹³And He said unto them, "Know you not this parable? And how then will ye know all parables?

¹⁴The sower soweth the Word.

¹⁵And these are they by the wayside, where the Word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately and taketh away the Word that was sown in their hearts.

¹⁶And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground who, when they have heard the Word, immediately receive it with gladness;

¹⁷but they have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time. Afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the Word's sake, immediately they are offended.

¹⁸And these are they which are sown among thorns, such as hear the Word,

¹⁹but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the Word, and it becometh unfruitful.

²⁰And these are they which are sown on good ground, such as hear the Word and receive it and bring forth fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred."

²¹And He said unto them, "Is a candle brought to be put under a basket or under a bed, and not to be set on a candlestick?

²²For there is nothing hid, which shall not be manifested; neither was anything kept secret, but that it should be revealed.

²³If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

²⁴And He said unto them, "Take heed what ye hear. With what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you; and unto you that hear shall more be given.

²⁵For he that hath, to him shall be given; and he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath."

²⁶And He said, "So is the Kingdom of God as if a man should cast seed into the ground,

²⁷and should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring up and grow, he knoweth not how.

²⁸For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself: first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear.

²⁹But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come."

³⁰And He said, "To what shall we liken the Kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it?

³¹It is like a grain of mustard seed which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that are in the earth.

³²But when it is sown, it groweth up and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches, so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it."

³³And with many such parables He spoke the Word unto them, as they were able to hear it;

³⁴but without a parable spoke He not unto them. And when they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.

³⁵And that same day, when the evening had come, He said unto them,"Let us pass over unto the other side."

³⁶And when they had sent away the multitude, they took Him even as He was in the boat; and there were also with Him other little boats.

³⁷And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was now full.

³⁸But He was in the hind part of the boat, asleep on a pillow; and they awoke Him and said unto Him, "Master, carest thou not that we perish?"

³⁹And He arose, and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

⁴⁰And He said unto them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that ye have no faith?"

⁴¹And they feared exceedingly and said one to another, "What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

5And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes.

²And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him from out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit,

³who had his dwelling among the tombs. And no man could bind him, no, not even with chains,

⁴because he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been rent asunder by him and the fetters broken in pieces; neither could any man tame him.

⁵And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.

⁶But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped Him,

⁷and cried with a loud voice, and said, "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of the Most High God? I adjure Thee by God that Thou torment me not!"

⁸For He had said unto him, "Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit."

⁹And Jesus asked him, "What is thy name?" And he answered, saying, "My name is Legion, for we are many."

¹⁰And he besought Him much that He would not send them away out of the country.

¹¹Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding.

¹²And all the devils besought Him, saying, "Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them."

¹³And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out and entered into the swine; and the herd ran violently down a steep place and into the sea (they were about two thousand), and were choked in the sea.

¹⁴And those who fed the swine fled, and told it in the city and in the country. And the people went out to see what it was that had been done.

¹⁵And they came to Jesus, and saw him that had been possessed by the devil and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.

¹⁶And those who saw it told the people what had befallen him that was possessed by the devil, and also concerning the swine.

¹⁷And they began to pray Him to depart from their borders.

¹⁸And when He had gotten into the boat, he that had been possessed with the devil prayed Him that he might be with Him.

¹⁹But Jesus suffered him not, and said unto him, "Go home to thy friends, and tell them what great things the Lord hath done for thee, and how He hath had compassion on thee."

²⁰And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him. And all men marveled.

²¹And when Jesus had passed over again by boat unto the other side, many people gathered unto Him; and He was nigh unto the sea.

²²And behold, there came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name; and when he saw Him, he fell at His feet

²³and besought Him greatly, saying, "My little daughter lieth at the point of death. I pray Thee, come and lay Thy hands on her, that she may be healed, and she shall live."

²⁴And Jesus went with him, and many people followed Him and thronged Him.

²⁵And a certain woman who had an issue of blood twelve years,

²⁶and had suffered many things under many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse,

²⁷when she had heard of Jesus, came up behind Him in the press of the crowd and touched His garment;

²⁸for she said, "If I may touch but His clothes, I shall be whole."

²⁹And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

³⁰And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that virtue had gone out of Him, turned about in the press of the crowd and said, "Who touched My clothes?"

³¹And His disciples said unto Him, "Thou seest the multitude thronging Thee, and sayest Thou, 'Who touched Me?'"

³²And He looked round about to see her who had done this thing.

³³But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had been done in her, came and fell down before Him and told Him all the truth.

³⁴And He said unto her, "Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague."

³⁵While He yet spoke, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain ones who said, "Thy daughter is dead; why troublest thou the master any further?"

³⁶As soon as Jesus heard the word that had been spoken, He said unto the ruler of the synagogue, "Be not afraid; only believe."

³⁷And He suffered no man to follow Him, save Peter and James and John, the brother of James.

³⁸And He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw the tumult and those who wept and wailed greatly.

³⁹And when He had come in, He said unto them, "Why make ye this ado and weep? The damsel is not dead, but sleepeth."

⁴⁰And they laughed Him to scorn. But when He had put them all out, He took the father and the mother of the damsel and those who were with Him, and entered in where the damsel was lying.

⁴¹And He took the damsel by the hand and said unto her, "Talitha cumi," which is, being interpreted, "Damsel, I say unto thee, arise."

⁴²And straightway the damsel arose and walked, for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

⁴³And He charged them strictly that no man should know about it, and commanded that something should be given her to eat.

6And He went out from thence and came into His own country, and His disciples followed Him.

²And when the Sabbath day had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, "From whence hath this man these things? And what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

³Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James and Joses, and of Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they were offended at Him.

⁴But Jesus said unto them, "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house."

⁵And He could do no mighty works there, except that He laid His hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

⁶And He marveled because of their unbelief. And He went round about the villages teaching.

⁷And He called unto Him the twelve, and began to send them forth two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits,

⁸and commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only -- no wallet, no bread, and no money in their purse,

⁹but be shod with sandals, and not put on two coats.

¹⁰And He said unto them, "In whatever place ye enter into a house, there abide until ye depart from that place.

¹¹And whosoever shall not receive you nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the Day of Judgment than for that city."

¹²And they went out and preached that men should repent.

¹³And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.

¹⁴And King Herod heard of Him, for His name was spread abroad. And he said, "John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and therefore these mighty works show forth themselves in him."

¹⁵Others said, "It is Elijah," and others said, "It is a prophet, or like one of the prophets."

¹⁶But when Herod heard of it, he said, "It is John, whom I beheaded; he is risen from the dead."

¹⁷For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and had bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife; for he had married her.

¹⁸For John had said unto Herod, "It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife."

¹⁹Therefore Herodias had an inward grudge against him and would have killed him, but she could not;

²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and holy, and kept him safe. And when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

²¹And when a convenient day had come, when Herod on his birthday gave a supper for his lords, high officers, and chief officials of Galilee,

²²and when the daughter of the said Herodias came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, "Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it to thee."

²³And he swore unto her, "Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it to thee, unto the half of my kingdom."

²⁴And she went forth and said unto her mother, "What shall I ask?" And Herodias said, "The head of John the Baptist."

²⁵And she came back straightway with haste unto the king and asked, saying, "I will that thou give me at once on a charger the head of John the Baptist."

²⁶And the king was exceedingly sorry, yet for his oath's sake and for their sakes who sat with him, he would not reject her.

²⁷And immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded John's head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison,

²⁸and brought his head on a charger and gave it to the damsel; and the damsel gave it to her mother.

²⁹And when John's disciples heard of it, they came and took up his corpse and laid it in a tomb.

³⁰And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught.

³¹And He said unto them, "Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure, even so much as to eat.

³²And they departed into a desert place by boat privately.

³³And the people saw them departing, and many recognized Him and ran thither on foot out of all the cities and outdistanced them, and came together unto Him.

³⁴And Jesus, when He came out, saw many people and was moved with compassion toward them, because they were as sheep not having a shepherd; and He began to teach them many things.

³⁵And when the day was now far spent, His disciples came unto Him and said, "This is a desert place, and now the day is far spent.

³⁶Send them away, that they may go into the country round about and into the villages and buy themselves bread, for they have nothing to eat."

³⁷He answered and said unto them, "Give ye them to eat." And they said to Him, "Shall we go and buy two hundred pennyworth of bread and give them to eat?"

³⁸He said unto them, "How many loaves have ye? Go and see." And when they knew, they said, "Five, and two fishes."

³⁹And He commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

⁴⁰And they sat down in ranks, by hundreds and by fifties.

⁴¹And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fishes, He looked up to Heaven, and blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and He divided the two fishes among them all.

⁴²And they all ate and were filled.

⁴³And they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments and of the fishes.

⁴⁴And those who ate of the loaves were about five thousand men.

⁴⁵And straightway He constrained His disciples to get into the boat, and go to the other side before Him unto Bethsaida, while He sent away the people.

⁴⁶And when He had sent them away, He departed onto a mountain to pray.

⁴⁷And when evening had come, the boat was in the midst of the sea; and He was alone on the land.

⁴⁸And He saw them toiling in rowing, for the wind was contrary unto them. And about the fourth watch of the night, He came unto them, walking upon the sea, and would have passed by them.

⁴⁹But when they saw Him walking upon the sea, they supposed it was a spirit and cried out,

⁵⁰for they all saw Him and were troubled. And immediately He talked with them, and said unto them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; be not afraid."

⁵¹And He went up unto them and into the boat, and the wind ceased. And they were sore amazed within themselves beyond measure and wondered,

⁵²for they had considered not the miracle of the loaves, as their hearts were hardened.

⁵³And when they had crossed over, they came into the land of Gennesaret, and drew to the shore.

⁵⁴And when they had come out of the boat, straightway the people recognized Him,

⁵⁵and ran through that whole region round about, and began to carry on beds those who were sick to where they heard He was.

⁵⁶And whithersoever He entered, into villages or cities or the country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought Him that they might touch even the border of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made whole.

7Then came together unto Him the Pharisees and certain of the scribes, who came from Jerusalem.

²And when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled (that is to say, unwashed) hands, they found fault.

³For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat, unless they wash their hands oft, holding to the tradition of the elders.

⁴And when they come from the market, they eat not unless they wash; and there are many other customs which they have received and hold to, as the washing of cups, pots, brazen vessels and of tables.

⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"

⁶He answered and said unto them, "Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honoreth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

⁷Therefore, in vain do they worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.'

⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold to the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other like things ye do."

⁹And He said unto them, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

¹⁰For Moses said, 'Honor thy father and thy mother,' and, 'Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death.'

¹¹But ye say that if a man shall say to his father or mother, 'It is Corban' (that is to say, a gift of whatsoever thou mightest have profited from me), he shall be freed;

¹²and ye suffer him no more to do aught for his father or his mother,

¹³thus making the Word of God of no effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered. And many like things do ye."

¹⁴And when He had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, "Hearken unto Me every one of you, and understand:

¹⁵There is nothing from outside a man that, entering into him, can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

¹⁶If any man have ears to hear, let him hear."

¹⁷And when He had entered into the house away from the people, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.

¹⁸And He said unto them, "Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive that whatsoever thing from outside entereth into a man, it cannot defile him,

¹⁹because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly and goeth out into the drain, thereby purging all meats?"

²⁰And He said, "That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

²²thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

²³all these evil things come from within and defile the man."

²⁴And from thence He arose and went into the region of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into a house, and would have no man know about it; but He could not be hid.

²⁵For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of Him, and came and fell at His feet.

²⁶The woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by nation, and she besought Him that He would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

²⁷But Jesus said unto her, "Let the children first be filled, for it is not meet to take the children's bread and to cast it unto the dogs."

²⁸And she answered and said unto Him, "Yes, Lord, yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs."

²⁹And He said unto her, "For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter."

³⁰And when she had come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

³¹And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, He came unto the Sea of Galilee through the midst of the region of Decapolis.

³²And they brought unto Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they besought Him to put His hand upon him.

³³And He took him aside from the multitude and put His fingers into his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.

³⁴And looking up to Heaven, He sighed and said unto him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."

³⁵And straightway his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed and he spoke plainly.

³⁶And He charged them that they should tell no man. But the more He charged them, the more widely they proclaimed it

³⁷and were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He hath done all things well; he maketh both the deaf to hear and the dumb to speak."

8In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples unto Him and said unto them,

²"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with Me three days and have nothing to eat.

³And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way; for divers of them came from afar."

⁴And His disciples answered Him, "From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?"

⁵And He asked them, "How many loaves have ye?" And they said, "Seven."

⁶And He commanded the people to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks and broke, and gave to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the people.

⁷And they had a few small fishes, and He blessed them and commanded to set them also before them.

⁸So they ate and were filled; and they took up of the broken meat that was left, seven baskets.

⁹And those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away.

¹⁰And straightway He entered into a boat with His disciples and came into the region of Dalmanutha.

¹¹And the Pharisees came forth and began to question with Him, seeking from Him a sign from Heaven, testing Him.

¹²And He sighed deeply in His spirit and said, "Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, there shall no sign be given unto this generation."

¹³And He left them and, entering into the boat again, departed to the other side.

¹⁴Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the boat with them more than one loaf.

¹⁵And He charged them, saying, "Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod."

¹⁶And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread."

¹⁷And when Jesus knew it, He said unto them, "Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? Do ye not yet perceive, nor understand? Have ye your heart yet hardened?

¹⁸Having eyes, see ye not? And having ears, hear ye not? And do ye not remember?

¹⁹When I broke the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?" They said unto Him, "Twelve."

²⁰"And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?" And they said, "Seven."

²¹And He said unto them, "How is it that ye do not understand?"

²²And He came to Bethsaida, and they brought a blind man unto Him, and besought Him to touch him.

²³And He took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, He asked him if he saw anything.

²⁴And he looked up and said, "I see men as trees, walking."

²⁵After that He put His hands again upon his eyes and made him look up; and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

²⁶And He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town."

²⁷And Jesus went out with His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the way He asked His disciples, saying unto them, "Who do men say that I am?"

²⁸And they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say Elijah, and others, one of the prophets."

²⁹And He said unto them, "But whom say ye that I am?" And Peter answered and said unto Him, "Thou art the Christ."

³⁰And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him.

³¹And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and by the chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

³²And He spoke that saying openly. And Peter took Him and began to rebuke Him.

³³But when He had turned about and looked on His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get thee behind Me, Satan; for thou savorest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men."

³⁴And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, "Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.

³⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it.

³⁶For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

³⁷Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

³⁸Whosoever, therefore, shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."

9And He said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, that there are some of them that stand here who shall not taste of death till they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power."

²And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, and led them up onto a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.

³And His raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow, such as no fuller on earth could whiten them.

⁴And there appeared unto them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.

⁵And Peter spoke and said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us make three tabernacles: one for Thee, one for Moses, and one for Elijah--"

⁶for he knew not what to say, for they were sore afraid.

⁷And there was a cloud that overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON: HEAR HIM!"

⁸And suddenly when they had looked round about, they saw no man anymore, save Jesus only with them.

⁹And as they came down from the mountain, He charged them that they should tell no man what things they had seen, till the Son of Man were risen from the dead.

¹⁰And they kept that saying to themselves, questioning one another what "rising from the dead" should mean.

¹¹And they asked Him, saying, "Why say the scribes that first Elijah must come?"

¹²And He answered and told them, "Elijah verily cometh first and restoreth all things, and how it is written of the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and be set at nought.

¹³But I say unto you that Elijah has indeed come, and they have done unto him whatsoever they pleased, as it is written of him."

¹⁴And when He came to His disciples, He saw a great multitude about them and the scribes questioning with them.

¹⁵And straightway all the people, when they beheld Him, were greatly amazed; and running to Him, they greeted Him.

¹⁶And He asked the scribes, "What question ye with them?"

¹⁷And one of the multitude answered and said, "Master, I have brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit.

¹⁸And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth and gnasheth his teeth and pineth away. And I spoke to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not."

¹⁹Jesus answered him and said, "O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto Me."

²⁰And they brought the boy unto Him. And when the spirit saw Him, straightway he tore the boy; and he fell on the ground and wallowed about foaming.

²¹And He asked his father, "How long is it ago since this came unto him?" And he said, "From childhood.

²²And oftentimes it hath cast him into the fire and into the waters to destroy him; but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us and help us."

²³Jesus said unto him, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

²⁴And straightway the father of the child cried out and said with tears, "Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief!"

²⁵When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him and enter no more into him."

²⁶And the spirit cried, and rent the boy sorely and came out of him; and he was as one dead, insomuch that many said, "He is dead."

²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

²⁸And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, "Why could not we cast him out?"

²⁹And He said unto them, "This kind can come forth by nothing but by prayer and fasting."

³⁰And they departed thence and passed through Galilee, and He would not that any man should know it.

³¹For He taught His disciples and said unto them, "The Son of Man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill Him; and after He is killed, He shall rise the third day."

³²But they understood not that saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

³³And He came to Capernaum; and being in the house, He asked them, "What was it that ye disputed among yourselves on the way?"

³⁴But they held their peace, for on the way they had disputed among themselves as to who should be the greatest.

³⁵And He sat down, and called the twelve and said unto them, "If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all and servant of all."

³⁶And He took a child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said unto them,

³⁷"Whosoever shall receive one of such children in My name, receiveth Me; and whosoever shall receive Me, receiveth not Me, but Him that sent Me."

³⁸And John answered Him, saying, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, but he followeth us not, so we forbad him because he followeth not us."

³⁹But Jesus said, "Forbid him not, for there is no man who shall do a miracle in My name that can lightly speak evil of Me.

⁴⁰For he that is not against us is on our side.

⁴¹For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in My name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.

⁴²And whosoever shall cause one of these little ones that believe in Me to fall, it is better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck and he were cast into the sea.

⁴³And if thy hand cause thee to fall, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed than, having two hands, to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched,

⁴⁴where 'their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.'

⁴⁵And if thy foot cause thee to fall, cut it off. It is better for thee to enter halt into life than, having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched,

⁴⁶where 'their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.'

⁴⁷And if thine eye cause thee to fall, pluck it out. It is better for thee to enter into the Kingdom of God with one eye than, having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire,

⁴⁸where 'their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.'

⁴⁹For every one shall be salted with fire, and every sacrifice shall be salted with salt.

⁵⁰Salt is good, but if the salt has lost his saltness, with what will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace one with another."

10And He rose from thence, and went into the region of Judea by the farther side of the Jordan. And the people resorted unto Him again; and as He was wont, He taught them again.

²And the Pharisees came to Him and asked Him, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife?" -- testing Him.

³And He answered and said unto them, "What did Moses command you?"

⁴And they said, "Moses suffered to write a bill of divorcement, and to put her away."

⁵And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.

⁶But from the beginning of the creation, 'God made them male and female.

⁷For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife,

⁸and the two shall be one flesh.' So then they are no more two, but one flesh.

⁹What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

¹⁰And in the house His disciples asked Him again about the same matter.

¹¹And He said unto them, "Whosoever shall put away his wife and marry another, committeth adultery against her.

¹²And if a woman shall put away her husband and be married to another, she committeth adultery."

¹³And they brought young children to Him, that He should touch them; and His disciples rebuked those who brought them.

¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, He was much displeased and said unto them, "Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God.

¹⁵Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein."

¹⁶And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them.

¹⁷And when He had gone forth onto the road, there came one running, and knelt before Him and asked Him, "Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?"

¹⁸And Jesus said unto him, "Why callest thou Me good? There is none good but One, that is, God.

¹⁹Thou knowest the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, defraud not, honor thy father and mother.'"

²⁰And he answered and said unto Him, "Master, all these have I observed from my youth."

²¹Then Jesus, beholding him, loved him and said unto him, "One thing thou lackest: Go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me."

²²And he was sad at that saying and went away grieved, for he had great possessions.

²³And Jesus looked round about and said unto His disciples, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God!"

²⁴And the disciples were astonished at His words, but Jesus answered again and said unto them, "Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God!

²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."

²⁶And they were astonished beyond measure, saying among themselves, "Who then can be saved?"

²⁷And Jesus, looking upon them, said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."

²⁸Then Peter began to say unto Him, "Lo, we have left all and have followed Thee."

²⁹And Jesus answered and said, "Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or brethren or sisters or father or mother or wife or children or lands for My sake and the Gospel's,

³⁰but he shall receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brethren and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions, and in the world to come, eternal life.

³¹But many that are first shall be last, and the last first."

³²And they were on the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them; and they were amazed, and as they followed, they were afraid. And He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things would happen unto Him,

³³saying, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles.

³⁴And they shall mock Him and shall scourge Him, and shall spit upon Him and shall kill Him. And the third day He shall rise again."

³⁵And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came unto Him, saying, "Master, we would that Thou should do for us whatsoever we shall desire."

³⁶And He said unto them, "What would ye that I should do for you?"

³⁷They said unto Him, "Grant unto us that we may sit, one on Thy right hand and the other on Thy left hand, in Thy glory."

³⁸But Jesus said unto them, "Ye know not what ye ask. Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?"

³⁹And they said unto Him, "We can." And Jesus said unto them, "Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized with, also shall ye be baptized.

⁴⁰But to sit on My right hand and on My left hand is not Mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared."

⁴¹And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

⁴²But Jesus called them to Him and said unto them, "Ye know that they that are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

⁴³But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you shall be your minister,

⁴⁴and whosoever of you would be the chiefest shall be servant of all.

⁴⁵For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give His life as a ransom for many."

⁴⁶And they came to Jericho. And as He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the wayside begging.

⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁸And many charged him that he should hold his peace; but he cried out all the more, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁹And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind man, saying unto him, "Be of good comfort; rise; He calleth thee."

⁵⁰And he, casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus.

⁵¹And Jesus answered and said unto him, "What wilt thou that I should do unto thee?" The blind man said unto Him, "Lord, that I might receive my sight."

⁵²And Jesus said unto him, "Go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole." And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

11And when they came nigh to Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, He sent forth two of His disciples

²and said unto them, "Go your way into the village opposite you, and as soon as ye have entered into it, ye shall find a colt tied, whereon man never sat. Loose him and bring him.

³And if any man say unto you, 'Why do ye this?' say ye that the Lord hath need of him, and straightway he will send him hither."

⁴And they went their way and found the colt tied outside by the door at a place where two ways met, and they loosed him.

⁵And certain of those who stood there said unto them, "What do ye, loosing the colt?"

⁶And they said unto them even as Jesus had commanded, and they let them go.

⁷And they brought the colt to Jesus and cast their garments on him, and He sat upon him.

⁸And many spread their garments upon the way, and others cut down branches off the trees and strewed them upon the way.

⁹And those who went before, and those who followed, cried, saying, "Hosanna! Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord!

¹⁰Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!"

¹¹And Jesus entered into Jerusalem and into the temple. And when He had looked round about upon all things, as now the eventide had come, He went out unto Bethany with the twelve.

¹²And on the morrow, when they had come from Bethany, He was hungry;

¹³and seeing a fig tree afar off having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He might find any thing thereon. But when He came to it He found nothing but leaves, for the time for figs was not yet.

¹⁴And Jesus spoke and said unto it, "Let no man eat fruit of thee hereafter for ever." And His disciples heard it.

¹⁵And they came to Jerusalem. And Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out those who sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves.

¹⁶And He would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

¹⁷And He taught, saying unto them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called for all nations the house of prayer'? But ye have made it a den of thieves."

¹⁸And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His doctrine.

¹⁹And when evening had come, He went out of the city.

²⁰And in the morning as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

²¹And Peter, calling to remembrance, said unto Him, "Master, behold, the fig tree which Thou cursed is withered away."

²²And Jesus answering, said unto them, "Have faith in God.

²³For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea,' and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith.

²⁴Therefore I say unto you, what things so ever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

²⁵And when ye stand praying, forgive if ye have aught against any, that your Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.

²⁶But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in Heaven forgive your trespasses."

²⁷And they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, there came to Him the chief priests and the scribes and the elders,

²⁸and said unto Him, "By what authority doest thou these things? And who gave thee this authority to do these things?"

²⁹And Jesus answered and said unto them, "I will also ask of you one question; answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

³⁰The baptism of John: was it from Heaven, or of men? Answer Me."

³¹And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we shall say 'From Heaven,' he will say 'Why then did ye not believe him?'

³²But if we shall say 'Of men'" -- they feared the people, for all men counted John that he was a prophet indeed.

³³And they answered and said unto Jesus, "We cannot tell." And Jesus answering, said unto them, "Neither do I tell you by what authority I do these things."

12And He began to speak unto them by parables: "A certain man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and dug a place for the wine vat, and built a watchtower; and he leased it out to husbandmen and went into a far country.

²And at the harvest season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard.

³And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.

⁴And again he sent unto them another servant, and at him they cast stones, and wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully handled.

⁵And again he sent another, and him they killed, and many others, beating some and killing some.

⁶Having yet therefore one son, his wellbeloved, he sent him also last unto them, saying, 'They will reverence my son.'

⁷But those husbandmen said among themselves, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance shall be ours.'

⁸And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard.

⁹What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the husbandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others.

¹⁰And have ye not read this Scripture? 'The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner;

¹¹this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes.'"

¹²And they sought to lay hold on Him, but they feared the people, for they knew that He had spoken the parable against them. And they left Him, and went their way.

¹³And they sent unto Him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians to catch Him in His words.

¹⁴And when they had come, they said unto Him, "Master, we know that thou art true and carest for no man; for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?

¹⁵Shall we give, or shall we not give?" But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, "Why tempt ye Me? Bring Me a penny, that I may see it."

¹⁶And they brought it, and He said unto them, "Whose image and superscription is this?" And they said unto Him, "Caesar's."

¹⁷And Jesus answering, said unto them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they marveled at Him.

¹⁸Then came unto Him the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked Him, saying,

¹⁹"Master, Moses wrote unto us that if a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, then his brother should take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.

²⁰Now there were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and dying, left no seed.

²¹And the second took her and died, neither leaving any seed. And the third likewise.

²²So the seven had her and left no seed. Last of all the woman died also.

²³In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be, for all seven had her for a wife?"

²⁴And Jesus answering, said unto them, "Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God?

²⁵For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels who are in Heaven.

²⁶And concerning the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spoke unto him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?

²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. Ye therefore do greatly err."

²⁸And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?"

²⁹And Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.

³⁰And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength;' this is the first commandment.

³¹And the second is like, namely this: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

³²And the scribe said unto Him, "Well, Master, thou hast said the truth, for there is one God, and there is none other than He.

³³And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices."

³⁴And when Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, "Thou art not far from the Kingdom of God." And no man after that dared ask Him any question.

³⁵And Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, "How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David?

³⁶For David himself said by the Holy Ghost: 'The Lord said to my Lord, "Sit Thou at My right hand until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool."'

³⁷David therefore himself calleth Him 'Lord'; and whence is He then his son?" And the common people heard Him gladly.

³⁸And He said unto them in His doctrine, "Beware of the scribes, who love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the marketplaces,

³⁹and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts,

⁴⁰who devour widows' houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation."

⁴¹And Jesus sat opposite the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury. And many who were rich cast in much.

⁴²And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

⁴³And He called unto Him His disciples and said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast more in than all they that have cast into the treasury;

⁴⁴for they all cast in of their abundance, but she of her want cast in all that she had, even all her living."

13And as He went out of the temple, one of His disciples said unto Him, "Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!"

²And Jesus answering, said unto him, "Seest thou these great buildings? There shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."

³And as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately,

⁴"Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled?"

⁵And Jesus answering them, began to say, "Take heed lest any man deceive you.

⁶For many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ!' and shall deceive many.

⁷And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled, for such things must come to pass; but the end shall not be yet.

⁸For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows.

⁹"But take heed for yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to councils, and in the synagogues ye shall be beaten. And ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, for a testimony against them.

¹⁰And the Gospel must first be proclaimed among all nations.

¹¹But when then shall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak; neither need ye premeditate. But whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak ye; for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost.

¹²Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents and shall cause them to be put to death.

¹³And ye shall be hated by all men for My name's sake; but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

¹⁴"But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not be" (let him that readeth understand), "then let them that be in Judea flee to the mountains.

¹⁵And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein to take any thing out of his house.

¹⁶And let him that is in the field not turn back again to take up his garment.

¹⁷But woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days!

¹⁸And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.

¹⁹For in those days shall be affliction such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, neither shall be.

²⁰And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved; but for the elect's sake, whom He hath chosen, He hath shortened the days.

²¹And then if any man shall say to you, 'Lo, here is Christ!' or, 'Lo, He is there!' believe him not;

²²for false christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.

²³But take ye heed; behold, I have foretold you all things.

²⁴"But in those days, after that tribulation, 'the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

²⁵and the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.'

²⁶And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.

²⁷And then shall He send His angels and shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.

²⁸"Now learn a parable of the fig tree: When her branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near.

²⁹So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors.

³⁰Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.

³¹Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

³²But of that day and that hour knoweth no man -- no, not the angels who are in Heaven, neither the Son, but only the Father.

³³"Take ye heed, watch and pray; for ye know not when the time is.

³⁴For the Son of Man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.

³⁵Watch ye therefore, for ye know not when the Master of the house cometh -- at evening, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning --

³⁶lest coming suddenly, He find you sleeping.

³⁷And what I say unto you, I say unto all: Watch!"

14After two days was the Feast of the Passover and of Unleavened Bread. And the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take Him by craft and put Him to death.

²But they said, "Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people."

³And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard, very precious; and she broke the box and poured it on His head.

⁴And there were some who were indignant within themselves and said, "Why was this ointment wasted?

⁵For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor." And they murmured against her.

⁶And Jesus said, "Let her alone. Why trouble ye her? She hath wrought a good work on Me.

⁷For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will, ye may do them good; but Me ye have not always.

⁸She hath done what she could; she hath come beforehand to anoint My body for burial.

⁹Verily I say unto you, wheresoever this Gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of as a memorial of her."

¹⁰And Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went unto the chief priests to betray Him unto them.

¹¹And when they heard it, they were glad and promised to give him money. And he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

¹²And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they killed the Passover lamb, His disciples said unto Him, "Where wilt Thou have us go and prepare, that Thou mayest eat the Passover?"

¹³And He sent forth two of His disciples and said unto them, "Go ye into the city, and there shall meet you a man bearing a pitcher of water; follow him.

¹⁴And wheresoever he shall go in, say ye to the master of the house, 'The Master saith, "Where is the guestchamber where I shall eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

¹⁵And he will show you a large upper room furnished and prepared; there make ready for us."

¹⁶And His disciples went forth, and came into the city, and found it as He had said unto them; and they made ready the Passover.

¹⁷And in the evening He came with the twelve.

¹⁸And as they sat and ate, Jesus said, "Verily I say unto you, one of you who eateth with Me shall betray Me."

¹⁹And they began to be sorrowful and to say unto Him one by one, "Is it I?" And another said, "Is it I?"

²⁰And He answered and said unto them, "It is one of the twelve that dippeth with Me in the dish.

²¹The Son of Man indeed goeth, as it is written of Him; but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! Good were it for that man if he had never been born."

²²And as they ate, Jesus took bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."

²³And He took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to them, and they all drank of it.

²⁴And He said unto them, "This is My blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

²⁵Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine, until that day that I drink it new in the Kingdom of God."

²⁶And when they had sung a hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives.

²⁷And Jesus said unto them, "All ye shall be offended because of Me this night, for it is written: 'I will smite the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered.'

²⁸But after I am risen, I will go before you into Galilee."

²⁹But Peter said unto Him, "Although all shall be offended, yet will I not."

³⁰And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee that this day, even in this night, before the cock crows twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice."

³¹But Peter spoke the more vehemently, "If I should die with Thee, I will not deny Thee in any way." Likewise also said they all.

³²And they came to a place which is named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit ye here while I shall pray."

³³And He took with Him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed and very heavy of heart.

³⁴And He said unto them, "My soul is exceeding sorrowful unto death; tarry ye here, and watch."

³⁵And He went forward a little, and fell on the ground and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.

³⁶And He said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee. Take away this cup from Me; nevertheless not what I will, but what Thou wilt."

³⁷And He came back and found them sleeping, and said unto Peter, "Simon, sleepest thou? Couldest thou not watch one hour?

³⁸Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."

³⁹And again He went away and prayed and spoke the same words.

⁴⁰And when He returned He found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy; neither knew they what to answer Him.

⁴¹And He came the third time and said unto them, "Sleep on now and take your rest. It is enough: the hour is come; behold, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴²Rise up; let us go. Lo, he that betrayeth Me is at hand."

⁴³And immediately, while He yet spoke came Judas, one of the twelve, and with him a great multitude with swords and staves, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders.

⁴⁴And he that betrayed Him had given them a sign, saying, "Whomever I shall kiss, that same is he. Take him and lead him away safely."

⁴⁵And as soon as he had come, he went straightway to Him and said, "Master, Master!" and kissed Him.

⁴⁶And they laid their hands on Him and took Him.

⁴⁷And one of those who stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.

⁴⁸And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Have ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take Me?

⁴⁹I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took Me not. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled."

⁵⁰And they all forsook Him and fled.

⁵¹And there followed Him a certain young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and the young men laid hold on him.

⁵²And he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked.

⁵³And they led Jesus away to the high priest; and with him were assembled all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes.

⁵⁴And Peter followed Him afar off, even into the palace of the high priest. And he sat with the servants, and warmed himself at the fire.

⁵⁵And the chief priests and all of the council sought for witness against Jesus to put Him to death, and found none.

⁵⁶For many bore false witness against Him, but their witness agreed not together.

⁵⁷And there arose certain ones who bore false witness against Him, saying,

⁵⁸"We heard him say, 'I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.'"

⁵⁹But neither did their witness agree together.

⁶⁰And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, saying, "Answerest thou nothing? What is it which these witness against thee?"

⁶¹But He held His peace and answered nothing. Again the high priest asked Him and said unto Him, "Art thou the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?"

⁶²And Jesus said, "I am; and ye shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

⁶³Then the high priest rent his clothes and said, "Why need we any further witnesses?

⁶⁴Ye have heard the blasphemy. What think ye?" And they all condemned Him to be deserving of death.

⁶⁵And some began to spit on Him, and to cover His face, and to buffet Him, and to say unto Him, "Prophesy!" And the servants struck Him with the palms of their hands.

⁶⁶And as Peter was below in the courtyard, there came one of the maids of the high priest.

⁶⁷And when she saw Peter warming himself, she looked upon him and said, "And thou also wast with Jesus of Nazareth."

⁶⁸But he denied it, saying, "I know not, neither understand I what thou sayest." And he went out into the porch, and the cock crowed.

⁶⁹And a maid saw him again and began to say to those who stood by, "This is one of them."

⁷⁰And he denied it again. And a little after, those who stood by said again to Peter, "Surely thou art one of them, for thou art a Galilean, and thy speech agreeth thereto."

⁷¹But he began to curse and to swear, saying, "I know not this man of whom ye speak!"

⁷²And the second time the cock crowed. And Peter called to mind the words that Jesus had said unto him: "Before the cock crows twice, thou shalt deny Me thrice." And when he thought thereon, he wept.

15And straightway in the morning, the chief priests held a consultation with the elders and scribes and the whole council, and bound Jesus and carried Him away and delivered Him to Pilate.

²And Pilate asked Him, "Art thou the King of the Jews?" And answering He said unto him, "Thou sayest it."

³And the chief priests accused Him of many things, but He answered nothing.

⁴And Pilate asked Him again, saying, "Answerest thou nothing? Behold how many things they witness against thee."

⁵But Jesus yet answered nothing, so that Pilate marveled.

⁶Now at that feast he released unto them one prisoner, whomsoever they desired.

⁷And there was one named Barabbas, who lay bound with those who had made insurrection with him, and who had committed murder in the insurrection.

⁸And the multitude, crying aloud, began to desire Pilate to do as he had ever done unto them.

⁹But Pilate answered them, saying, "Will ye that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"

¹⁰For he knew that the chief priests had delivered Him out of envy.

¹¹But the chief priests moved the people, that he should rather release Barabbas unto them.

¹²And Pilate answered and said again unto them, "What will ye then that I shall do unto him whom ye call the King of the Jews?"

¹³And they cried out again, "Crucify him!"

¹⁴Then Pilate said unto them, "Why, what evil hath he done?" But they cried out the more exceedingly, "Crucify him!"

¹⁵And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged Him, to be crucified.

¹⁶And the soldiers led Him away into the hall called the Praetorium, and they called together the whole detachment.

¹⁷And they clothed Him with purple, and they platted a crown of thorns and put it about His head,

¹⁸and began to salute Him, "Hail, King of the Jews!"

¹⁹And they smote Him on the head with a reed and spat upon Him and, bowing their knees, worshiped Him.

²⁰And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him, and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

²¹And they compelled one Simon, a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, who was passing by, coming from the country, to bear His cross.

²²And they brought Him unto the place called Golgotha (which is, being interpreted, The Place of a Skull).

²³And they gave Him to drink wine mingled with myrrh, but He received it not.

²⁴And when they had crucified Him, they parted His garments, casting lots for them to see what every man should take.

²⁵And it was the third hour when they crucified Him.

²⁶And the superscription of His accusation was written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS.

²⁷And with Him they crucified two thieves, the one on His right hand and the other on His left.

²⁸And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, "And He was numbered with the transgressors."

²⁹And those who passed by railed at Him, wagging their heads and saying, "Ah, thou that destroyest the temple and buildest it in three days,

³⁰save thyself and come down from the cross!"

³¹Likewise also the chief priests, mocking, said among themselves with the scribes, "He saved others; himself he cannot save!

³²Let Christ, the King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe." And those who were crucified with Him reviled Him.

³³And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

³⁴And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is, being interpreted, "My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?"

³⁵And some of those who stood by, when they heard it, said, "Behold, he calleth Elijah."

³⁶And one ran and filled a sponge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed and gave it to Him to drink, saying, "Let him alone. Let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down."

³⁷And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost.

³⁸And the veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom.

³⁹And when the centurion who stood opposite Him saw that He so cried out and gave up the ghost, he said, "Truly, this Man was the Son of God!"

⁴⁰There were also women looking on afar off, among whom were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the Less and of Joses, and Salome

⁴¹(who also, when He was in Galilee, had followed Him and ministered unto Him), and many other women who came up with Him unto Jerusalem.

⁴²And now when the evening had come, because it was the Preparation (that is, the day before the Sabbath),

⁴³Joseph of Arimathea, an honorable council member who also was waiting for the Kingdom of God, came and went in boldly unto Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

⁴⁴And Pilate wondered if He were already dead; and calling unto him the centurion, he asked him whether He had been any while dead.

⁴⁵And when he learned it from the centurion, he gave the body to Joseph.

⁴⁶And Joseph bought fine linen, and took Him down and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a sepulcher which was hewn out of a rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulcher.

⁴⁷And Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses beheld where He was laid.

16And when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint Him.

²And very early in the morning on the first day of the week, they came unto the sepulcher at the rising of the sun.

³And they said among themselves, "Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulcher?"

⁴And when they looked, they saw that the stone was rolled away, for it was very large.

⁵And entering into the sepulcher, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, clothed in a long white garment; and they were frightened.

⁶And he said unto them, "Be not afraid. Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen! He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him.

⁷But go your way. Tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you into Galilee. There shall ye see Him, as He said unto you."

⁸And they went out quickly and fled from the sepulcher, for they trembled and were amazed; neither said they any thing to any man, for they were afraid.

⁹Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, He appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had cast seven devils.

¹⁰And she went and told those who had been with Him, as they mourned and wept.

¹¹And they, when they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, believed not.

¹²After that, He appeared in another form unto two of them as they walked and went into the country.

¹³And they went and told it unto the rest, but neither did they believe them.

¹⁴Afterward He appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat; and He upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not those who had seen Him after He was risen.

¹⁵And He said unto them, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature.

¹⁶He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe: In My name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

¹⁸they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them. They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."

¹⁹So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into Heaven, and sat at the right hand of God.

²⁰And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the Word with signs following. Amen.

1Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,

²even as they were delivered unto us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word,

³it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of things from the very first, to write unto thee in order, most excellent Theophilus,

⁴that thou mightest know the certainty of those things wherein thou hast been instructed.

⁵There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the priestly course of Abijah; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.

⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking blameless in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord.

⁷And they had no child because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

⁸And it came to pass that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course,

⁹according to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.

¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the time of incense.

¹¹And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.

¹²And when Zacharias saw him he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³But the angel said unto him, "Fear not, Zacharias, for thy prayer is heard, and thy wife Elizabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

¹⁴And thou shalt have joy and gladness, and many shall rejoice at his birth.

¹⁵For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink, and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost even from his mother's womb.

¹⁶And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God.

¹⁷And he shall go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

¹⁸And Zacharias said unto the angel, "Whereby shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years."

¹⁹And the angel answering said unto him, "I am Gabriel who stands in the presence of God, and am sent to speak unto thee and to show thee these glad tidings.

²⁰And behold, thou shalt be dumb and not able to speak until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words which shall be fulfilled in their season."

²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he tarried so long in the temple.

²²And when he came out, he could not speak unto them, and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple; for he beckoned unto them and remained speechless.

²³And it came to pass that as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, he departed to his own house.

²⁴And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived, and hid herself five months, saying,

²⁵"Thus hath the Lord dealt with me in the days wherein He looked on me, to take away my reproach among men."

²⁶And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth,

²⁷to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.

²⁸And the angel came in unto her and said, "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women."

²⁹And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying and cast about in her mind what manner of salutation this should be.

³⁰And the angel said unto her, "Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with God.

³¹And behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name JESUS.

³²He shall be great and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David,

³³and He shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end."

³⁴Then said Mary unto the angel, "How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?"

³⁵And the angel answered and said unto her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that Holy Being who shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.

³⁶And behold, thy cousin Elizabeth: she hath also conceived a son in her old age, and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

³⁷For with God nothing shall be impossible."

³⁸And Mary said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." And the angel departed from her.

³⁹And Mary arose in those days and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Judah,

⁴⁰and entered into the house of Zacharias and saluted Elizabeth.

⁴¹And it came to pass, when Elizabeth heard the salutation of Mary, that the babe leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost.

⁴²And she spoke out with a loud voice and said, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

⁴³And why is it granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

⁴⁴For lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

⁴⁵And blessed is she that believed; for there shall be a fulfillment of those things which were told her from the Lord."

⁴⁶And Mary said, "My soul doth magnify the Lord,

⁴⁷and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.

⁴⁸For He hath regarded the low estate of His handmaiden; for behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.

⁴⁹For He that is mighty hath done to me great things, and holy is His name.

⁵⁰And His mercy is on them that fear Him, from generation to generation.

⁵¹He hath shown strength with His arm; He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

⁵²He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree.

⁵³He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He hath sent empty away.

⁵⁴He hath helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy,

⁵⁵as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his seed for ever."

⁵⁶And Mary abode with her about three months, and returned to her own house.

⁵⁷Now Elizabeth's full time came that she should be delivered, and she brought forth a son.

⁵⁸And her neighbors and her kindred heard how the Lord had shown great mercy upon her, and they rejoiced with her.

⁵⁹And it came to pass that on the eighth day they came to circumcise the child, and they called him Zacharias, after the name of his father.

⁶⁰But his mother answered and said, "Not so, but he shall be called John."

⁶¹And they said unto her, "There is none of thy kindred that is called by this name."

⁶²And they made signs to his father, how he would have him called.

⁶³And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, saying, "His name is John." And they marveled all.

⁶⁴And his mouth was opened immediately, and his tongue loosed, and he spoke and praised God.

⁶⁵And fear came on all who dwelt round about them; and all these sayings were noised abroad throughout all the hill country of Judea.

⁶⁶And all those who heard them laid them up in their hearts, saying, "What manner of child shall this be?" And the hand of the Lord was with him.

⁶⁷And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost and prophesied, saying,

⁶⁸"Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people,

⁶⁹and hath raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.

⁷⁰As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began,

⁷¹that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all that hate us,

⁷²to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,

⁷³the oath which He swore to our father Abraham:

⁷⁴that He would grant unto us that we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear,

⁷⁵in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.

⁷⁶And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest; for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,

⁷⁷to give knowledge of salvation unto His people by the remission of their sins,

⁷⁸through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the Dayspring from on high hath visited us,

⁷⁹to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

⁸⁰And the child grew and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts until the day of his appearing unto Israel.

2And it came to pass in those days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.

²(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.)

³And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city.

⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, unto the City of David which is called Bethlehem (because he was of the house and lineage of David)

⁵to be taxed with Mary, his espoused wife, who was great with child.

⁶And so it was that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.

⁷And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.

⁸And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

⁹And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.

¹⁰And the angel said unto them, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

¹¹For unto you is born this day in the City of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

¹²And this shall be a sign unto you: Ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

¹³And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

¹⁴"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men!"

¹⁵And it came to pass, when the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem and see this thing which has come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us."

¹⁶And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger.

¹⁷And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child.

¹⁸And all those who heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

¹⁹But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

²¹And when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His name was called JESUS, who was so named by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.

²²And when the days of her purification according to the Law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord

²³(as it is written in the law of the Lord: "Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord"),

²⁴and to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord: "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons."

²⁵And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Ghost was upon him.

²⁶And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost that he should not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ.

²⁷And he came by the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for Him after the custom of the law,

²⁸then he took Him up in his arms, and blessed God and said,

²⁹"Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word;

³⁰for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,

³¹which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people,

³²a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel."

³³And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him.

³⁴And Simeon blessed them and said unto Mary His mother, "Behold, this Child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against

³⁵(yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed."

³⁶And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel of the tribe of Asher. She was of great age and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity,

³⁷and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years. She departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

³⁸And she, coming in that instant, gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

³⁹And when they had performed all things according to the law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee to their own city, Nazareth.

⁴⁰And the Child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.

⁴¹Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover.

⁴²And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the Feast.

⁴³And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and His mother knew not of it.

⁴⁴But they, supposing Him to have been in the company, went a day's journey; and they sought Him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances.

⁴⁵And when they found Him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking Him.

⁴⁶And it came to pass that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them and asking them questions.

⁴⁷And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

⁴⁸And when they saw Him they were amazed, and His mother said unto Him, "Son, why hast Thou thus dealt with us? Behold, Thy father and I have sought Thee sorrowing."

⁴⁹And He said unto them, "How is it that ye sought Me? Knew ye not that I must be about My Father's business?"

⁵⁰And they understood not the saying which He spoke unto them.

⁵¹And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them. But His mother kept all these things in her heart.

⁵²And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

3Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

²Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the Word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

³And he came into all the country about the Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

⁴as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.

⁵Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

⁶and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.'"

⁷Then said he to the multitude who came forth to be baptized by him, "O generation of vipers! Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

⁸Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say among yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I say unto you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

⁹And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees. Every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire."

¹⁰And the people asked him, saying, "What shall we do then?"

¹¹He answered and said unto them, "He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none. And he that hath meat, let him do likewise."

¹²Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, "Master, what shall we do?"

¹³And he said unto them, "Exact no more than that which is appointed you."

¹⁴And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, "And what shall we do?" And he said unto them, "Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages."

¹⁵And as the people were in expectation, and all men mused in their hearts whether John was the Christ or not,

¹⁶John answered, saying unto them all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I cometh, the straps of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose. He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

¹⁷His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor and will gather the wheat into His garner; but the chaff He will burn with fire unquenchable."

¹⁸And with many other exhortations preached he unto the people.

¹⁹But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him because of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

²⁰added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

²¹Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized. And while He prayed the heaven was opened,

²²and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from Heaven, which said, "THOU ART MY BELOVED SON; IN THEE I AM WELL PLEASED."

²³And Jesus Himself had become about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, who was the son of Heli,

²⁴who was the son of Matthat, who was the son of Levi, who was the son of Melchi, who was the son of Janna, who was the son of Joseph,

²⁵who was the son of Mattathias, who was the son of Amos, who was the son of Nahum, who was the son of Esli, who was the son of Naggai,

²⁶who was the son of Maath, who was the son of Mattathias, who was the son of Semei, who was the son of Joseph, who was the son of Juda,

²⁷who was the son of Joanna, who was the son of Rhesa, who was the son of Zerubbabel, who was the son of Shealtiel, who was the son of Neri,

²⁸who was the son of Melchi, who was the son of Addi, who was the son of Cosam, who was the son of Elmodam, who was the son of Er,

²⁹who was the son of Jose, who was the son of Eliezer, who was the son of Jorim, who was the son of Matthat, who was the son of Levi,

³⁰who was the son of Simeon, who was the son of Judah, who was the son of Joseph, who was the son of Jonan, who was the son of Eliakim,

³¹who was the son of Melea, who was the son of Menan, who was the son of Mattatha, who was the son of Nathan, who was the son of David,

³²who was the son of Jesse, who was the son of Obed, who was the son of Boaz, who was the son of Salmon, who was the son of Nahshon,

³³who was the son of Amminadab, who was the son of Aram, who was the son of Hezron, who was the son of Perez, who was the son of Judah,

³⁴who was the son of Jacob, who was the son of Isaac, who was the son of Abraham, who was the son of Terah, who was the son of Nahor,

³⁵who was the son of Serug, who was the son of Reu, who was the son of Peleg, who was the son of Eber, who was the son of Shelah,

³⁶who was the son of Cainan, who was the son of Arphaxad, who was the son of Shem, who was the son of Noah, who was the son of Lamech,

³⁷who was the son of Methuselah, who was the son of Enoch, who was the son of Jared, who was the son of Mahalaleel, who was the son of Cainan,

³⁸who was the son of Enos, who was the son of Seth, who was the son of Adam, who was the son of God.

4And Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

²and for forty days was tempted by the devil. And in those days He ate nothing, and afterward when they were ended, He hungered.

³And the devil said unto Him, "If Thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread."

⁴And Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written: 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"

⁵And the devil, taking Him up onto a high mountain, showed unto Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.

⁶And the devil said unto Him, "All this power will I give Thee, and the glory of them; for this has been delivered unto me, and to whomsoever I will, I give it.

⁷If Thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be Thine."

⁸And Jesus answered and said unto him, "Get thee behind Me, Satan! For it is written: 'Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve.'"

⁹And he brought Him to Jerusalem, and set Him on a pinnacle of the temple and said unto Him, "If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down from hence.

¹⁰For it is written: 'He shall give His angels charge over thee to keep thee,'

¹¹and, 'In their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'"

¹²And Jesus answering said unto him, "It is said, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.'"

¹³And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from Him for a season.

¹⁴And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and His fame went out through all the region round about.

¹⁵And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.

¹⁶And He came to Nazareth where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read.

¹⁷And there was delivered unto Him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

¹⁸"The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor. He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

¹⁹to preach the acceptable year of the Lord."

²⁰And He closed the book, and He gave it again to the minister and sat down. And the eyes of all those who were in the synagogue were fastened on Him.

²¹And He began to say unto them, "This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears."

²²And all bore Him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"

²³And He said unto them, "Ye will surely say unto Me this proverb: 'Physician, heal thyself! Whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.'"

²⁴And He said, "Verily I say unto you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.

²⁵But I tell you in truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land.

²⁶But unto none of them was Elijah sent, save unto Zarephath, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.

²⁷And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian."

²⁸Then all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,

²⁹and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him unto the brow of a hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast Him down headlong.

³⁰But He, passing through the midst of them, went His way.

³¹And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the Sabbath days.

³²And they were astonished at His doctrine, for His word was with power.

³³And in the synagogue there was a man, who had a spirit of an unclean devil, and cried out with a loud voice,

³⁴saying, "Let us alone! What have we to do with Thee, Thou Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us? I know Thee and who Thou art -- the Holy One of God!"

³⁵And Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Hold thy peace, and come out of him!" And when the devil had thrown him in their midst, he came out of him and hurt him not.

³⁶And they were all amazed, and spoke among themselves, saying, "What a word is this! For with authority and power he commandeth the unclean spirits, and they come out."

³⁷And His fame went out into every place in the country round about.

³⁸And He arose out of the synagogue and entered into Simon's house. And Simon's wife's mother was taken with a great fever, and they besought Him for her.

³⁹And He stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her. And immediately she arose and ministered unto them.

⁴⁰Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto Him; and He laid His hands on every one of them, and healed them.

⁴¹And devils also came out of many, crying out and saying, "Thou art Christ, the Son of God!" And He, rebuking them, suffered them not to speak; for they knew that He was Christ.

⁴²And when it was day, He departed and went into a desert place. And the people sought Him and came unto Him and would have stayed Him, that He should not depart from them.

⁴³But He said unto them, "I must preach the Kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent."

⁴⁴And He preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

5And it came to pass that, as the people pressed upon Him to hear the Word of God, He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret

²and saw two boats standing by the lake, but the fishermen were gone out of them and were washing their nets.

³And He entered into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the people from the boat.

⁴Now when He was through speaking, He said unto Simon, "Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draft."

⁵And Simon answering said unto Him, "Master, we have toiled all the night and have taken nothing. Nevertheless, at Thy word I will let down the net."

⁶And when they had done this, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes, and their net began to break.

⁷And they beckoned unto their partners, who were in the other boat, that they should come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink.

⁸When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, "Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord."

⁹For he was astonished, and all those who were with him, at the draft of the fishes which they had taken;

¹⁰and so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, "Fear not. From henceforth thou shalt catch men."

¹¹And when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed Him.

¹²And it came to pass when He was in a certain city, behold, a man full of leprosy, seeing Jesus, fell on his face and besought Him, saying, "Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean."

¹³And He put forth His hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be thou clean." And immediately the leprosy departed from him.

¹⁴And He charged him to tell no man, but, "Go and show thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing according as Moses commanded, as a testimony unto them."

¹⁵But so much the more His fame spread abroad, and great multitudes came together to hear and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.

¹⁶And He withdrew Himself into the wilderness and prayed.

¹⁷And it came to pass on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and doctors of the law sitting by, who had come from every town of Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

¹⁸And behold, men brought in on a bed a man who was taken with a palsy, and they sought means to bring him in and to lay him before Him.

¹⁹And when they could not find a way to bring him in because of the multitude, they went upon the housetop, and let him down on his couch through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.

²⁰And when He saw their faith, He said unto him, "Man, thy sins are forgiven thee."

²¹And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this who speaketh blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

²²But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answering said unto them, "What reason ye in your hearts:

²³whether it is easier to say, 'Thy sins be forgiven thee,' or to say, 'Rise up and walk'?

²⁴But that ye may know that the Son of Man hath power upon earth to forgive sins," He said unto the one sick with the palsy, "I say unto thee, arise and take up thy couch and go into thine house."

²⁵And immediately he rose up before them, and took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.

²⁶And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, "We have seen strange things today."

²⁷And after these things He went forth and saw a publican named Levi, sitting in the customhouse, and He said unto him, "Follow Me."

²⁸And he left all, rose up, and followed Him.

²⁹And Levi made Him a great feast in his own house, and there was a great company of publicans and of others who sat down with them.

³⁰But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against His disciples, saying, "Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?"

³¹And Jesus answering said unto them, "They that are whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

³²I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

³³And they said unto Him, "Why do the disciples of John fast often and make prayers, and likewise the disciples of the Pharisees, but thine eat and drink?"

³⁴And He said unto them, "Can ye make the attendants of the bridechamber fast while the bridegroom is with them?

³⁵But the days will come when the bridegroom shall be taken away from them, and then shall they fast in those days."

³⁶And He spoke also a parable unto them: "No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; otherwise, both the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old.

³⁷And no man putteth new wine into old wineskins; else the new wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins shall perish.

³⁸But new wine must be put into new wineskins, and both are preserved.

³⁹No man also, having drunk old wine, straightway desireth new; for he saith, 'The old is better.'"

6And it came to pass on the second Sabbath after the first, that He went through the cornfields. And His disciples plucked the ears of corn and, rubbing them in their hands, ate.

²And certain of the Pharisees said unto them, "Why do ye that which is not lawful to do on the Sabbath days?"

³And Jesus answering them said, "Have ye not read so much as this, what David did when he himself hungered and they that were with him:

⁴how he went into the house of God, and took and ate the showbread and gave also to them that were with him, which it is not lawful to eat except for the priests alone?"

⁵And He said unto them, "The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath."

⁶And it came to pass also on another Sabbath, that He entered into the synagogue and taught. And there was a man whose right hand was withered.

⁷And the scribes and Pharisees watched Him to see whether He would heal on the Sabbath day, that they might find an accusation against Him.

⁸But He knew their thoughts, and said to the man who had the withered hand, "Rise up and stand forth in the midst." And he arose and stood forth.

⁹Then said Jesus unto them, "I will ask you one thing: Is it lawful on the Sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? To save life, or to destroy it?"

¹⁰And looking round about upon them all, He said unto the man, "Stretch forth thy hand." And he did so, and his hand was restored whole as the other.

¹¹And they were filled with madness, and communed one with another what they might do to Jesus.

¹²And it came to pass in those days that He went out onto a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

¹³And when it was day, He called unto Him His disciples, and from them He chose twelve, whom also He named apostles:

¹⁴Simon (whom He also named Peter), and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

¹⁵Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot,

¹⁶and Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot who also was the traitor.

¹⁷And He came down with them and stood on the plain with the company of His disciples and a great multitude of people out of all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases,

¹⁸and those who were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed.

¹⁹And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for there went virtue out of Him and healed them all.

²⁰And He lifted up His eyes on His disciples and said, "Blessed be ye poor, for yours is the Kingdom of God.

²¹Blessed are ye that hunger now, for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now, for ye shall laugh.

²²Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of Man's sake.

²³Rejoice ye in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in Heaven; for in like manner did their fathers unto the prophets.

²⁴"But woe unto you that are rich, for ye have received your consolation.

²⁵Woe unto you that are full, for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now, for ye shall mourn and weep.

²⁶Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you, for so did their fathers to the false prophets.

²⁷"But I say unto you that hear: Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you.

²⁸Bless them that curse you, and pray for them that despitefully use you.

²⁹And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek, offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloak, forbid not to take thy coat also.

³⁰Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods, ask them not back.

³¹And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

³²For if ye love them that love you, what thanks have ye? For sinners also love those that love them.

³³And if ye do good to them that do good to you, what thanks have ye? For sinners also do even the same.

³⁴And if ye lend to them from whom ye hope to receive, what thanks have ye? For sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

³⁵But love ye your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.

³⁶Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.

³⁷"Judge not, and ye shall not be judged. Condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned. Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.

³⁸Give, and it shall be given unto you: good measure, pressed down and shaken together and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete, therewith it shall be measured to you again."

³⁹And He spoke a parable unto them: "Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?

⁴⁰The disciple is not above his master, but every one that is perfect shall be as his master.

⁴¹And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but perceivest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

⁴²Or how canst thou say to thy brother, 'Brother, let me pull out the mote that is in thine eye,' when thou thyself beholdest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite! Cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then shalt thou see clearly to pull out the mote that is in thy brother's eye.

⁴³"For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

⁴⁴For every tree is known by his own fruit. For from thorns men do not gather figs, nor from a bramble bush gather they grapes.

⁴⁵A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of his heart his mouth speaketh.

⁴⁶"And why call ye Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not the things which I say?

⁴⁷Whosoever cometh to Me, and heareth My sayings and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:

⁴⁸He is like a man who built a house and dug deep and laid the foundation on a rock; and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock.

⁴⁹But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house without a foundation upon the earth, against which the stream beat vehemently, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

7Now when He had ended all His sayings in the audience of the people, He entered into Capernaum.

²And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick and ready to die.

³And when he heard of Jesus, he sent the elders of the Jews unto Him, beseeching Him that He would come and heal his servant.

⁴And when they came to Jesus they besought Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was worthy,

⁵"for he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue."

⁶And Jesus went with them. And when He was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying unto Him, "Lord, trouble not Thyself, for I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof.

⁷Therefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto Thee. But say the word, and my servant shall be healed.

⁸For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers. And I say unto one, 'Go', and he goeth; and to another, 'Come,' and he cometh; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he doeth it."

⁹When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned about and said unto the people who followed Him, "I say unto you, I have not found so great a faith, no, not in Israel."

¹⁰And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole who had been sick.

¹¹And it came to pass the day after, that He went into a city called Nain; and many of His disciples went with Him, and many people.

¹²Now when He came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And many people of the city were with her.

¹³And when the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said unto her, "Weep not."

¹⁴And He came and touched the bier, and those who bore him stood still. And He said, "Young man, I say unto thee, arise."

¹⁵And he that was dead sat up and began to speak. And He delivered him to his mother.

¹⁶And there came a fear on all, and they glorified God, saying, "A great prophet is risen up among us"; and, "God hath visited His people."

¹⁷And this report of Him went forth throughout all Judea and throughout all the region round about.

¹⁸And the disciples of John told him of all these things.

¹⁹And John, calling unto him two of his disciples, sent them to Jesus asking, "Art thou He that should come, or look we for another?"

²⁰When the men had come unto Him, they said, "John the Baptist hath sent us unto thee, asking, 'Art thou He that should come, or look we for another?'"

²¹And in that same hour He cured many of their infirmities and plagues and of evil spirits, and unto many who were blind He gave sight.

²²Then Jesus answering said unto them, "Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard: how the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is preached.

²³And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in Me."

²⁴And when the messengers of John had departed, He began to speak unto the people concerning John: "What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?

²⁵But what went ye out to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that are gorgeously appareled and live luxuriously are in kings' courts.

²⁶But what went ye out to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and much more than a prophet.

²⁷This is he, of whom it is written: 'Behold, I send My messenger before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee.'

²⁸For I say unto you, among those that are born of women, there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist; but he that is least in the Kingdom of God is greater than he."

²⁹And all the people that heard Him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John.

³⁰But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized by him.

³¹And the Lord said, "Whereunto then shall I liken the men of this generation? And to what are they like?

³²They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another and saying, 'We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.'

³³For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and ye say, 'He hath a devil.'

³⁴The Son of Man is come eating and drinking, and ye say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!'

³⁵But wisdom is justified by all her children."

³⁶And one of the Pharisees desired Him that He would eat with him. And He went into the Pharisee's house and sat down to meat.

³⁷And behold, a woman in the city, who was a sinner, when she learned that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,

³⁸and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and began to wash His feet with tears and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed His feet and anointed them with the ointment.

³⁹Now when the Pharisee who had bidden Him saw it, he spoke within himself, saying, "This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is who toucheth him, for she is a sinner."

⁴⁰And Jesus answering said unto him, "Simon, I have something to say unto thee." And he said, "Master, say on."

⁴¹"There was a certain creditor that had two debtors. The one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.

⁴²And when they had nothing to pay, he freely forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?"

⁴³Simon answered and said, "I suppose that he to whom he forgave most. And He said unto him, "Thou hast rightly judged."

⁴⁴And He turned to the woman and said unto Simon, "Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house: Thou gavest Me no water for My feet, but she hath washed My feet with tears and wiped them with the hair of her head.

⁴⁵Thou gavest Me no kiss, but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss My feet.

⁴⁶My head with oil thou didst not anoint, but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment.

⁴⁷Therefore I say unto thee, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little."

⁴⁸And He said unto her, "Thy sins are forgiven."

⁴⁹And those who sat at meat with Him began to say within themselves, "Who is this that forgiveth sins also?"

⁵⁰And He said to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee. Go in peace."

8And it came to pass afterward that He went throughout every city and village, preaching and showing the glad tidings of the Kingdom of God. And the twelve were with Him,

²and certain women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils,

³and Joanna the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward, and Susanna, and many others who ministered unto Him from their substance.

⁴And when many people had gathered together and had come to Him out of every city, He spoke by a parable:

⁵"A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell by the wayside, and it was trodden down, and the fowls of the air devoured it.

⁶And some fell upon a rock, and as soon as it had sprung up, it withered away because it lacked moisture.

⁷And some fell among thorns, and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it.

⁸And other fell on good ground, and sprang up and bore fruit a hundredfold." And when He had said these things, He cried, "He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!"

⁹And His disciples asked Him, saying, "What might this parable mean?"

¹⁰And He said, "Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of God; but to others in parables, that 'seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand.'

¹¹Now the parable is this: The seed is the Word of God.

¹²Those by the wayside are they that hear; then cometh the devil and taketh away the Word out of their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

¹³The seed on the rock are they that, when they hear, receive the Word with joy, but they have no root: they for a while believe, and in time of temptation fall away.

¹⁴And that which fell among thorns are they that, when they have heard, go forth and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.

¹⁵But that on the good ground are they that, in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience.

¹⁶"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, covereth it with a vessel or putteth it under a bed, but setteth it on a candlestick, that they that enter in may see the light.

¹⁷For nothing is secret that shall not be made manifest; neither any thing hid that shall not be known and come abroad.

¹⁸Take heed therefore how ye hear, for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have."

¹⁹Then came to Him His mother and His brethren, and could not come near Him because of the crowd.

²⁰And it was told to Him by certain ones, who said, "Thy mother and thy brethren stand outside, desiring to see thee."

²¹And He answered and said unto them, "My mother and My brethren are these who hear the Word of God, and do it."

²²Now it came to pass on a certain day, that He went into a boat with His disciples. And He said unto them, "Let us go over unto the other side of the lake." And they launched forth.

²³But as they sailed, He fell asleep. And there came down a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in jeopardy.

²⁴And they came to Him and awoke Him, saying, "Master, Master, we perish!" Then He arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they ceased, and there was a calm.

²⁵And He said unto them, "Where is your faith?" And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, "What manner of man is this? For He commandeth even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!"

²⁶And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee.

²⁷And when He went forth to land, there met Him from the city a certain man who had had devils a long time, and wore no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

²⁸When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, "What have I to do with Thee, Jesus, Thou Son of God Most High? I beseech Thee, torment me not!"

²⁹(For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him, and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he broke the bands and was driven by the devil into the wilderness.)

³⁰And Jesus asked him, saying, "What is thy name?" And he said, "Legion," because many devils had entered into him.

³¹And they besought Him that He would not command them to go out into the deep.

³²And there was there a herd of many swine feeding on the mountain. And they besought Him that He would suffer them to enter into them. And He suffered them.

³³Then went the devils out of the man and entered into the swine, and the herd ran violently down a steep slope into the lake and were choked.

³⁴When those who fed them saw what was done, they fled and went and told it in the city and in the country.

³⁵Then they went out to see what was done. And they came to Jesus, and found the man out of whom the devils had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind. And they were afraid.

³⁶Those also who had seen it told them by what means he that had been possessed by the devils was healed.

³⁷Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes and round about besought Him to depart from them, for they were taken with great fear. And He went up into the boat, and returned back again.

³⁸Now the man out of whom the devils had departed besought Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying,

³⁹"Return to thine own house, and show what great things God hath done unto thee." And he went his way, and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done unto him.

⁴⁰And it came to pass that when Jesus had returned, the people gladly received Him, for they were all waiting for Him.

⁴¹And behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue. And he fell down at Jesus' feet and besought Him that He would come into his house,

⁴²for he had one daughter only, about twelve years of age, and she lay dying. But as He went, the people thronged Him.

⁴³And a woman having an issue of blood for twelve years, who had spent all her living upon physicians but could not be healed by any,

⁴⁴came behind Him and touched the border of His garment; and immediately her issue of blood was stanched.

⁴⁵And Jesus said, "Who touched Me?" When all denied it, Peter and those who were with him said, "Master, the multitudes throng Thee and press Thee, and sayest Thou, 'Who touched Me?'"

⁴⁶And Jesus said, "Somebody hath touched Me, for I perceive that virtue is gone out of Me."

⁴⁷And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before Him, she declared unto Him before all the people for what cause she had touched Him, and how she was healed immediately.

⁴⁸And He said unto her, "Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. Go in peace."

⁴⁹While He yet spoke, there came one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, "Thy daughter is dead. Trouble not the Master."

⁵⁰But when Jesus heard it, He answered him, saying, "Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole."

⁵¹And when He came into the house, He suffered no man to go in save Peter and James and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

⁵²And all wept and bewailed her, but He said, "Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth."

⁵³And they laughed Him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

⁵⁴And He put them all out, and took her by the hand and called, saying, "Maid, arise."

⁵⁵And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway, and He commanded to give her meat.

⁵⁶And her parents were astonished, but He charged them that they should tell no man what was done.

9Then He called His twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases.

²And He sent them to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

³And He said unto them, "Take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor pack, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece.

⁴And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide and thence depart.

⁵And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them."

⁶And they departed and went through the towns, preaching the Gospel and healing everywhere.

⁷Now Herod the tetrarch heard of all that had been done by Him. And he was perplexed, because it was said by some that John was risen from the dead;

⁸and by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the old prophets was risen again.

⁹And Herod said, "John have I beheaded, but who is this of whom I hear such things?" And he desired to see Him.

¹⁰And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. And He took them and went aside privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida.

¹¹And the people, when they learned of it, followed Him. And He received them and spoke unto them of the Kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing.

¹²And when the day began to wear away, then came the twelve and said unto Him, "Send the multitude away, that they may go into the towns and country round about and lodge and get victuals, for we are here in a desert place.

¹³But He said unto them, "Give ye them to eat." And they said, "We have no more than five loaves and two fishes, unless we should go and buy meat for all these people."

¹⁴For they were about five thousand men. And He said to His disciples, "Make them sit down by fifties in a company."

¹⁵And they did so, and made them all sit down.

¹⁶Then He took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to Heaven, He blessed them and broke, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude.

¹⁷And they ate and were all filled, and there were taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.

¹⁸And it came to pass as He was alone praying, His disciples were with Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who say the people that I am?"

¹⁹They answering said, "John the Baptist; but some say Elijah, and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."

²⁰He said to them, "But who say ye that I am?" Peter answering said, "The Christ of God!"

²¹And He strictly charged them and commanded them to tell no man this thing,

²²saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and scribes, and be slain and be raised the third day."

²³And He said to them all, "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.

²⁴For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for My sake, the same shall save it.

²⁵For what is a man advantaged if he gain the whole world, and lose himself or be cast away?

²⁶For whosoever shall be ashamed of Me and of My words, of him shall the Son of Man be ashamed when He shall come in His own glory and in His Father's and of the holy angels.

²⁷But I tell you in truth, there are some standing here that shall not taste of death till they see the Kingdom of God."

²⁸And it came to pass about eight days after these sayings, He took Peter and John and James, and went up onto a mountain to pray.

²⁹And as He prayed, the appearance of His countenance was altered, and His raiment was white and glistening.

³⁰And behold, there talked with Him two men, who were Moses and Elijah,

³¹who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He should accomplish at Jerusalem.

³²But Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep. And when they were awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.

³³And it came to pass as they departed from Him, Peter said unto Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he was saying.

³⁴While he thus spoke, there came a cloud and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud.

³⁵And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, "THIS IS MY BELOVED SON. HEAR HIM!"

³⁶And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

³⁷And it came to pass that on the next day, when they had come down from the hill, many people met Him.

³⁸And behold, a man of the company cried out, saying, "Master, I beseech Thee, look upon my son, for he is mine only child.

³⁹And lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out; and it teareth him so that he foameth again, and bruising him, hardly departeth from him.

⁴⁰And I besought Thy disciples to cast him out, and they could not."

⁴¹And Jesus answering said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and suffer you? Bring thy son hither."

⁴²And as he was yet coming, the devil threw him down and tore him. And Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, and healed the child, and delivered him again to his father.

⁴³And they were all amazed at the mighty power of God. But while they wondered every one at all the things which Jesus did, He said unto His disciples,

⁴⁴"Let these sayings sink down into your ears, for the Son of Man shall be delivered into the hands of men."

⁴⁵But they understood not this saying, and it was hid from them, that they perceived it not; and they were afraid to ask Him about that saying.

⁴⁶Then there arose a reasoning among them as to which of them should be greatest.

⁴⁷And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child and set him by Him,

⁴⁸and said unto them, "Whosoever shall receive this child in My name receiveth Me; and whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me. For he that is least among you all, the same shall be great."

⁴⁹And John answered and said, "Master, we saw one casting out devils in Thy name, and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us."

⁵⁰And Jesus said unto him, "Forbid him not; for he that is not against us, is for us."

⁵¹And it came to pass, when the time had come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem,

⁵²and He sent messengers before His face. And they went and entered into a village of the Samaritans to make ready for Him.

⁵³But they did not receive Him, because His face was set as though He would go to Jerusalem.

⁵⁴And when His disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, wilt Thou that we command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, even as Elijah did?"

⁵⁵But He turned and rebuked them and said, "Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of.

⁵⁶For the Son of Man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." And they went to another village.

⁵⁷And it came to pass that, as they went along the way, a certain man said unto Him, "Lord, I will follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest."

⁵⁸And Jesus said unto him, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man hath nowhere to lay His head."

⁵⁹And He said unto another, "Follow Me." But he said, "Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father."

⁶⁰Jesus said unto him, "Let the dead bury their dead, but go thou and preach the Kingdom of God."

⁶¹And another also said, "Lord, I will follow Thee, but let me first go bid those farewell who are at home at my house."

⁶²And Jesus said unto him, "No man, having put his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God."

10After these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two by two ahead of Him into every city and place whither He Himself would come.

²Therefore He said unto them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He would send forth laborers into His harvest.

³Go your ways; behold, I send you forth as lambs among wolves,

⁴carrying neither purse, nor pack, nor shoes; and salute no man by the way.

⁵And into whatsoever house ye enter, first say, 'Peace be to this house.'

⁶And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; if not, it shall return to you again.

⁷And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give, for the laborer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.

⁸And into whatsoever city ye enter and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you.

⁹And heal the sick that are therein and say unto them, 'The Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.'

¹⁰But into whatsoever city ye enter and they receive you not, go your ways out into the streets of the same and say,

¹¹'Even the very dust of your city, which cleaveth on us, we do wipe off against you. Notwithstanding, be ye sure of this: that the Kingdom of God is come nigh unto you.'

¹²But I say unto you that it shall be more tolerable in that Day for Sodom than for that city.

¹³"Woe unto thee, Chorazin! Woe unto thee, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they would have a great while ago repented, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

¹⁴But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon at the Judgment than for you.

¹⁵And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted to heaven, shall be thrust down to hell.

¹⁶He that heareth you heareth Me, and he that despiseth you despiseth Me, and he that despiseth Me despiseth Him that sent Me."

¹⁷And the seventy returned again with joy, saying, "Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through Thy name."

¹⁸And He said unto them, "I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

¹⁹Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.

²⁰Notwithstanding, in this rejoice not that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven."

²¹In that hour Jesus rejoiced in Spirit and said, "I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. Even so, Father, for so it seemed good in Thy sight.

²²All things are delivered to Me by My Father, and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son and he to whom the Son will reveal Him."

²³And He turned unto His disciples and said privately, "Blessed are the eyes which see the things that ye see.

²⁴For I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them."

²⁵And behold, a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him, saying, "Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

²⁶He said unto him, "What is written in the law? How readest thou?"

²⁷And he answering said, "'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.'"

²⁸And He said unto him, "Thou hast answered right; this do, and thou shalt live."

²⁹But he, wanting to justify himself, said unto Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"

³⁰And Jesus answering said, "A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves, who stripped him of his raiment and wounded him and departed, leaving him half dead.

³¹And by chance there came down a certain priest that way. And when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

³²And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him and passed by on the other side.

³³But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was. And when he saw him he had compassion on him,

³⁴and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him.

³⁵And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host and said unto him, 'Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again I will repay thee.'

³⁶Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves?"

³⁷And he said, "He that showed mercy on him." Then said Jesus unto him, "Go and do thou likewise."

³⁸Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.

³⁹And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His Word.

⁴⁰But Martha was encumbered with much serving, and came to Him and said, "Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? Bid her therefore that she help me."

⁴¹And Jesus answered and said unto her, "Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and troubled about many things.

⁴²But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."

11And it came to pass that as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, one of His disciples said unto Him, "Lord, teach us to pray as John also taught his disciples."

²And He said unto them, "When ye pray, say: Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in Heaven, so on earth.

³Give us day by day our daily bread.

⁴And forgive us our sins, for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil."

⁵And He said unto them, "Which of you shall have a friend and shall go unto him at midnight and say unto him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves,

⁶for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him';

⁷and he from within shall answer and say, 'Trouble me not; the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed, and I cannot rise and give to thee'?

⁸I say unto you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

⁹And I say unto you: ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

¹⁰For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

¹¹"If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent?

¹²Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?

¹³If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask Him?"

¹⁴And He was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass when the devil had gone out, the dumb one spoke; and the people wondered.

¹⁵But some of them said, "He casteth out devils through Beelzebub, the chief of the devils."

¹⁶And others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from Heaven.

¹⁷But He, knowing their thoughts, said unto them, "Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and a house divided against a house falleth.

¹⁸If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand -- because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub?

¹⁹And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges.

²⁰But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, doubt not the Kingdom of God is come upon you.

²¹When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.

²²But when one stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

²³He that is not with Me, is against Me; and he that gathereth not with Me, scattereth.

²⁴"When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, 'I will return unto my house whence I came out.'

²⁵And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

²⁶Then he goeth and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter in and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first."

²⁷And it came to pass, as He spoke these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice and said unto Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the breasts which Thou hast sucked."

²⁸But He said, "Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it."

²⁹And when the people were gathered thick together, He began to say, "This is an evil generation. They seek a sign, and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonah the prophet.

³⁰For as Jonah was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of Man be to this generation.

³¹The queen of the south shall rise up in the Judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the utmost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, a greater than Solomon is here.

³²The men of Nineveh shall rise up in the Judgment with this generation and shall condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, a greater than Jonah is here.

³³"No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they that come in may see the light.

³⁴The light of the body is the eye. Therefore, when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light. But when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

³⁵Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee be not darkness.

³⁶If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light."

³⁷And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee besought Him to dine with him. And He went in and sat down to meat.

³⁸And when the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner.

³⁹And the Lord said unto him, "Now do ye Pharisees make clean the outside of the cup and the platter, but your inward part is full of ravening and wickedness.

⁴⁰Ye fools! Did not He that made that which is without, make that which is within also?

⁴¹But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and behold, all things are clean unto you.

⁴²"But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and not left the other undone.

⁴³Woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues and greetings in the markets.

⁴⁴Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them."

⁴⁵Then answered one of the lawyers and said unto Him, "Master, thus saying, thou reproachest us also."

⁴⁶And He said, "Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! For ye laden men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

⁴⁷Woe unto you! For ye build the sepulchers of the prophets, and your fathers killed them.

⁴⁸Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchers.

⁴⁹"Therefore also said the wisdom of God: 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute,'

⁵⁰that the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation,

⁵¹from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the temple. Verily I say unto you, it shall be required of this generation.

⁵²Woe unto you, lawyers! For ye have taken away the key of knowledge. Ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in, ye hindered."

⁵³And as He said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press Him vehemently and to provoke Him to speak of many things,

⁵⁴lying in wait for Him and seeking to catch something out of His mouth, that they might accuse Him.

12In the meantime, when there were gathered together an innumerable multitude of people, insomuch that they trod one upon another, He began to say unto His disciples first of all, "Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

²For there is nothing covered that shall not be revealed, neither hid that shall not be known.

³Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.

⁴"And I say unto you, My friends, be not afraid of them that kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

⁵But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear Him that, after He hath killed, hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, fear Him!

⁶Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

⁷But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

⁸"Also I say unto you, whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God.

⁹But he that denieth Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God.

¹⁰And whosoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but unto him that blasphemeth against the Holy Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.

¹¹"And when they bring you unto the synagogues, and unto magistrates and powers, take ye no thought how or what thing ye shall answer, or what ye shall say.

¹²For the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what ye ought to say."

¹³And one of the company said unto Him, "Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me."

¹⁴And He said unto him, "Man, who made Me a judge or a divider over you?"

¹⁵And He said unto them, "Take heed and beware of covetousness, for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth."

¹⁶And He spoke a parable unto them, saying, "The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully.

¹⁷And he thought within himself, saying, 'What shall I do, because I have no room to store my fruits?'

¹⁸And he said, 'This will I do. I will pull down my barns and build greater, and there will I store all my fruits and my goods.

¹⁹And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years. Take thine ease; eat, drink, and be merry.'

²⁰But God said unto him, 'Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee. Then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?'

²¹So is he that layeth up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

²²And He said unto His disciples, "Therefore I say unto you, take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on.

²³The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment.

²⁴Consider the ravens: for they neither sow nor reap, they neither have storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more are ye better than the fowls?

²⁵And which of you by taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?

²⁶If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

²⁷Consider the lilies, how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

²⁸If then God so clothe the grass, which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith?

²⁹"And seek ye not what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, neither be ye of doubting mind.

³⁰For all these things do the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things.

³¹But rather seek ye the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added unto you.

³²"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom.

³³Sell what ye have, and give alms. Provide yourselves purses which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.

³⁴For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

³⁵"Let your loins be girded about and your lights burning;

³⁶and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord when he will return from the wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately.

³⁷Blessed are those servants whom the lord, when he cometh, shall find watching. Verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.

³⁸And if he shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch and find them so, blessed are those servants.

³⁹And this know, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not have suffered his house to be broken into.

⁴⁰Be ye therefore ready also, for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not."

⁴¹Then Peter said unto Him, "Lord, speakest Thou this parable unto us, or even to all?"

⁴²And the Lord said, "Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

⁴³Blessed is that servant whom his lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing.

⁴⁴In truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath.

⁴⁵But if that servant say in his heart, 'My lord delayeth his coming,' and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink and be drunken,

⁴⁶the lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him asunder and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷And that servant, who knew his lord's will and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes.

⁴⁸But he that knew not and committed things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall much be required; and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

⁴⁹"I am come to send fire on the earth, and what will I, if it be already kindled?

⁵⁰But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how I am straitened till it be accomplished!

⁵¹Suppose ye that I have come to give peace on earth? I tell you, nay, but rather division.

⁵²For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided: three against two, and two against three.

⁵³The father shall be divided against the son and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter and the daughter against the mother; the mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law."

⁵⁴And He said also to the people, "When ye see a cloud rise out of the west, straightway ye say, 'There cometh a shower'; and so it is.

⁵⁵And when ye see the south wind blow, ye say, 'There will be heat'; and it cometh to pass.

⁵⁶Ye hypocrites! Ye can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it that ye do not discern this time?

⁵⁷"Yea, and why even for yourselves judge ye not what is right?

⁵⁸When thou goest with thine adversary to the magistrate, as thou art on the way, be diligent that thou mayest be delivered from him, lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison.

⁵⁹I tell thee, thou shall not depart thence till thou hast paid the very last mite."

13There were present at that season some who told Him of the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

²And Jesus answering said unto them, "Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the other Galileans, because they suffered such things?

³I tell you, nay; but unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

⁴Or those eighteen upon whom the tower of Siloam fell and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all other men that dwelt in Jerusalem?

⁵I tell you, nay; but unless ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

⁶He spoke also this parable: "A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.

⁷Then said he unto the keeper of his vineyard, 'Behold, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down. Why cumbereth it the ground?'

⁸And he answering said unto him, 'Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig around it and dung it.

⁹And if it bear fruit, well; and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.'"

¹⁰And He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.

¹¹And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity for eighteen years, and was bowed down and could in no way lift herself up.

¹²And when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said unto her, "Woman, thou art loosed from thine infirmity."

¹³And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.

¹⁴But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath day, and said unto the people, "There are six days in which men ought to work; in them therefore come and be healed, and not on the Sabbath day."

¹⁵The Lord then answered him and said, "Thou hypocrite! Doth not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or his ass from the stall and lead him away to watering?

¹⁶And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?"

¹⁷And when He had said these things, all His adversaries were ashamed; and all the people rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

¹⁸Then said He, "Unto what is the Kingdom of God like? And unto what shall I compare it?

¹⁹It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it."

²⁰And again He said, "Unto what shall I liken the Kingdom of God?

²¹It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened."

²²And He went through the cities and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem.

²³Then said one unto Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said unto them,

²⁴"Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in and shall not be able.

²⁵When once the master of the house is risen up and hath shut the door, and ye begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open unto us,' and He shall answer and say unto you, 'I know you not from whence ye are,'

²⁶then shall ye begin to say, 'We have eaten and drunk in Thy presence, and Thou hast taught in our streets.'

²⁷But He shall say, 'I tell you, I know you not from whence ye are. Depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity.'

²⁸There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out.

²⁹And they shall come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and shall sit down in the Kingdom of God.

³⁰And behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last."

³¹The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto Him, "Get thee out and depart hence, for Herod will kill thee."

³²And He said unto them, "Go ye and tell that fox, 'Behold, I cast out devils and I do cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.'

³³Nevertheless I must walk today and tomorrow and the day following, for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.

³⁴O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets and stonest them that are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!

³⁵Behold, your house is left unto you desolate; and verily I say unto you, ye shall not see Me until the time come when ye shall say, 'Blessed is He that cometh in the name of the Lord.'"

14And it came to pass, as He went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath day, that they watched Him.

²And behold, there was a certain man before Him who had the dropsy.

³And Jesus answering, spoke unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath day?"

⁴But they held their peace. And He took him and healed him, and let him go.

⁵And He answered them, saying, "Which of you shall have an ox or an ass fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the Sabbath day?"

⁶And again they could not answer Him concerning these things.

⁷And He put forth a parable to those who were bidden, when He marked how they chose out the chief places, saying unto them,

⁸"When thou art bidden by any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest place, lest a more honorable man than thou be bidden by him,

⁹and he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, 'Give this man thy place,' and thou begin with shame to take the lowest place.

¹⁰But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place, that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, 'Friend, go up higher.' Then shalt thou have honor in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee.

¹¹For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

¹²Then said He also to him who bade Him, "When thou makest a dinner or a supper, call not thy friends nor thy brethren, neither thy kinsmen nor thy rich neighbors, lest they also bid thee again and a recompense be made to thee.

¹³But when thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind,

¹⁴and thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee. For thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just."

¹⁵And when one of those who sat at meat with Him heard these things, he said unto Him, "Blessed is he that shall eat bread in the Kingdom of God."

¹⁶Then Jesus said unto him, "A certain man made a great supper and bade many.

¹⁷And he sent his servant at suppertime to say to them that were bidden, 'Come, for all things are now ready.'

¹⁸And they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said unto him, 'I have bought a piece of ground, and I need to go and see it. I pray thee have me excused.'

¹⁹And another said, 'I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to test them. I pray thee have me excused.'

²⁰And another said, 'I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.'

²¹So that servant came and showed his lord these things. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, 'Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor and the maimed and the halt and the blind.'

²²And the servant said, 'Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room.'

²³And the lord said unto the servant, 'Go out into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

²⁴For I say unto you that none of those men who were bidden shall taste of my supper.'"

²⁵And there went great multitudes with Him, and He turned and said unto them,

²⁶"If any man come to Me and hate not his father and mother, and wife and children, and brethren and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.

²⁷And whosoever doth not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

²⁸For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?

²⁹Lest it may happen, after he hath laid the foundation and is not able to finish it, all who behold it begin to mock him,

³⁰saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.'

³¹Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?

³²Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an envoy and desireth conditions of peace.

³³So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be My disciple.

³⁴"Salt is good; but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned?

³⁵It is neither fit for the land, nor yet for the dunghill; but men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."

15Then drew near unto Him all the publicans and sinners to hear Him.

²And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, "This man receiveth sinners and eateth with them."

³And He spoke this parable unto them, saying,

⁴"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he find it?

⁵And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

⁶And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'

⁷I say unto you that likewise more joy shall be in Heaven over one sinner that repenteth, than over ninety and nine just persons who need no repentance.

⁸"Or what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle and sweep the house and seek diligently until she find it?

⁹And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I had lost!'

¹⁰Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

¹¹And He said, "A certain man had two sons.

¹²And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me.' And he divided unto them his estate.

¹³And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

¹⁴And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land, and he began to be in want.

¹⁵And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed swine.

¹⁶And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine ate, and no man gave unto him.

¹⁷And when he came to himself, he said, 'How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!

¹⁸I will arise and go to my father and will say unto him, "Father, I have sinned against Heaven and before thee,

¹⁹and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Make me as one of thy hired servants."'

²⁰And he arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.

²¹And the son said unto him, 'Father, I have sinned against Heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.'

²²But the father said to his servants, 'Bring forth the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.

²³And bring hither the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry;

²⁴for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.' And they began to be merry.

²⁵"Now his elder son was in the field; and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.

²⁶And he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.

²⁷And he said unto him, 'Thy brother is come, and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.'

²⁸And he was angry and would not go in; therefore came his father out and entreated him.

²⁹And he answering said to his father, 'Lo, these many years have I served thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment; and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends.

³⁰But as soon as this thy son was come who hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.'

³¹And he said unto him, 'Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.

³²It was meet that we should make merry and be glad; for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.'"

16And He said also unto His disciples, "There was a certain rich man who had a steward, and the same was accused unto him that he had wasted his goods.

²And he called him and said unto him, 'How is it that I hear this of thee? Give an account of thy stewardship, for thou mayest be no longer steward.'

³Then the steward said within himself, 'What shall I do? For my lord taketh away from me the stewardship. I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.

⁴I am resolved what to do, that when I am put out of the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.'

⁵So he called every one of his lord's debtors unto him, and said unto the first, 'How much owest thou unto my lord?'

⁶And he said, 'A hundred measures of oil.' And he said to him, 'Take thy bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.'

⁷Then said he to another, 'And how much owest thou?' And he said, 'A hundred measures of wheat.' And he said unto him, 'Take thy bill and write fourscore.'

⁸And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely; for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.

⁹And I say unto you, make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations.

¹⁰He that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much.

¹¹If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?

¹²And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

¹³No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

¹⁴And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things, and they derided Him.

¹⁵And He said unto them, "Ye are they who justify yourselves before men, but God knoweth your hearts. For that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God.

¹⁶"The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the Kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it.

¹⁷And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than one tittle of the law to fail.

¹⁸"Whosoever putteth away his wife and marrieth another committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away from her husband committeth adultery.

¹⁹"There was a certain rich man, who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.

²⁰And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate, full of sores

²¹and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.

²²And it came to pass that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom. The rich man also died, and was buried.

²³And in hell, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom.

²⁴And he cried and said, 'Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.'

²⁵But Abraham said, 'Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and thou art tormented.

²⁶And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they who would pass from here to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from there.'

²⁷Then he said, 'I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house,

²⁸for I have five brethren, that he may testify unto them lest they also come into this place of torment.'

²⁹Abraham said unto him, 'They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.'

³⁰And he said, 'Nay, father Abraham; but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent.'

³¹And Abraham said unto him, 'If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead.'"

17Then said He unto His disciples, "It is impossible but that offenses will come, but woe unto him through whom they come!

²It were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck and he cast into the sea, than that he should cause one of these little ones to fall.

³"Take heed to yourselves. If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.

⁴And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, 'I repent,' thou shalt forgive him."

⁵And the apostles said unto the Lord, "Increase our faith."

⁶And the Lord said, "If ye had faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree, 'Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea,' and it should obey you.

⁷But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by when he is come from the field, 'Go and sit down to meat'?

⁸But will you not rather say unto him, 'Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself and serve me until I have eaten and drunk, and afterward thou shalt eat and drink'?

⁹Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I think not!

¹⁰So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unprofitable servants. We have done that which was our duty to do.'"

¹¹And it came to pass as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

¹²And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.

¹³And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

¹⁴And when He saw them, He said unto them, "Go, show yourselves unto the priests." And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed.

¹⁵And one of them when he saw that he was healed, turned back and with a loud voice glorified God,

¹⁶and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he was a Samaritan.

¹⁷And Jesus answering said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?

¹⁸There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger."

¹⁹And He said unto him, "Arise; go thy way. Thy faith hath made thee whole."

²⁰And when the Pharisees had demanded of Him when the Kingdom of God should come, He answered them and said, "The Kingdom of God cometh not with outward show.

²¹Neither shall they say, 'Lo, it is here!' or 'Lo, it is there!' For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you."

²²And He said unto the disciples, "The days will come when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and ye shall not see it.

²³And they shall say to you, 'See, here!' or 'See, there!' Go not after them, nor follow them.

²⁴For as the lightning that lighteneth one part under heaven shineth unto the other part under heaven, so shall also the Son of Man be in His day.

²⁵But first must He suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

²⁶And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of Man:

²⁷They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

²⁸"Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built;

²⁹but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all.

³⁰"Even thus shall it be in the Day when the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹In that Day, he that shall be upon the housetop, and his goods in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And he that is in the field, let him likewise not return back.

³²Remember Lot's wife.

³³Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it, and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it.

³⁴I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left.

³⁵Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

³⁶Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

³⁷And they answered and said unto Him, "Where, Lord?" And He said unto them, "Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together."

18And He spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint,

²saying, "There was in a city a judge who feared not God, neither regarded man.

³And there was a widow in that city, and she came unto him, saying, 'Avenge me on mine adversary.'

⁴And for a while he would not, but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I fear not God nor regard man,

⁵yet because this widow troubleth me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.'"

⁶And the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge saith.

⁷And shall not God avenge His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?

⁸I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?"

⁹And He spoke this parable unto certain ones who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:

¹⁰"Two men went up into the temple to pray, the one a Pharisee and the other a publican.

¹¹The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, 'God, I thank Thee that I am not as other men are: extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

¹²I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess.'

¹³And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!'

¹⁴I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other; for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

¹⁵And they brought unto Him also infants, that He would touch them; but when His disciples saw it, they rebuked them.

¹⁶But Jesus called them unto Him and said, "Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the Kingdom of God.

¹⁷Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein."

¹⁸And a certain ruler asked Him, saying, "Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"

¹⁹And Jesus said unto him, "Why callest thou Me good? None is good save One, that is, God.

²⁰Thou knowest the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery.' 'Do not kill.' 'Do not steal.' 'Do not bear false witness.' 'Honor thy father and thy mother.'"

²¹And he said, "All these have I kept from my youth up."

²²Now when Jesus heard these things, He said unto him, "Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me."

²³And when he heard this he was very sorrowful, for he was very rich.

²⁴And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, He said, "How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the Kingdom of God!

²⁵For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God."

²⁶And those who heard it said, "Who then can be saved?"

²⁷And He said, "The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

²⁸Then Peter said, "Lo, we have left all and followed Thee."

²⁹And He said unto them, "Verily I say unto you, there is no man that hath left house or parents or brethren or wife or children for the Kingdom of God's sake,

³⁰who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting."

³¹Then He took unto Him the twelve and said unto them, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man shall be accomplished.

³²For He shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked and spitefully treated and spit upon;

³³and they shall scourge Him and put Him to death, and the third day He shall rise again."

³⁴And they understood none of these things; and this saying was hidden from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken.

³⁵And it came to pass that as He was coming nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside begging.

³⁶And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.

³⁷And they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by.

³⁸And he cried, saying, "Jesus, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"

³⁹And those who went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, but he cried out all the more, "Thou Son of David, have mercy on me!"

⁴⁰And Jesus stood and commanded him to be brought unto Him. And when he had come near, He asked him,

⁴¹saying, "What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee?" And he said, "Lord, that I may receive my sight."

⁴²And Jesus said unto him, "Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee."

⁴³And immediately he received his sight and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.

19And Jesus entered and passed through Jericho.

²And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was the chief among the publicans, and he was rich.

³And he sought to see Jesus, who He was, but could not for the press of the crowd, because he was short in stature.

⁴And he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was to pass that way.

⁵And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said unto him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must abide at thy house."

⁶And he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully.

⁷And when they saw it, they all murmured, saying that He had gone to be the guest of a man who was a sinner.

⁸And Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord, "Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore to him fourfold."

⁹And Jesus said unto him, "This day is salvation come to this house, in that he also is a son of Abraham.

¹⁰For the Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."

¹¹And as they heard these things, He added and spoke a parable, because He was nigh to Jerusalem and because they thought that the Kingdom of God should immediately appear.

¹²He said therefore, "A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom, and to return.

¹³And he called his ten servants and delivered them ten pounds, and said unto them, 'Make use of it till I come.'

¹⁴But his citizens hated him and sent a message after him, saying, 'We will not have this man to reign over us.'

¹⁵And it came to pass that when he had returned, having received the kingdom, then he commanded these servants to be called unto him, to whom he had given the money, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.

¹⁶Then came the first, saying, 'Lord, thy pound hath gained ten pounds.'

¹⁷And he said unto him, 'Well done, thou good servant; because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.'

¹⁸And the second came, saying, 'Lord, thy pound hath gained five pounds.'

¹⁹And he said likewise to him, 'Be thou also over five cities.'

²⁰And another came, saying, 'Lord, behold, here is thy pound, which I have kept laid away in a napkin.

²¹For I feared thee, because thou art an austere man: thou takest up what thou layest not down, and reapest what thou did not sow.'

²²And he said unto him, 'Out of thine own mouth will I judge thee, thou wicked servant. Thou knewest that I was an austere man, taking up what I laid not down and reaping what I did not sow.

²³Why then gavest not thou my money unto the bank, that at my coming I might have required mine own with interest?'

²⁴And he said unto them that stood by, 'Take from him the pound and give it to him that hath ten pounds.'

²⁵(And they said unto him, 'Lord, he hath ten pounds!')

²⁶'For I say unto you, that unto every one that hath shall be given; and from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away from him.

²⁷But those mine enemies, who would not that I should reign over them, bring them hither and slay them before me.'"

²⁸And when Jesus had thus spoken, He went ahead, ascending up to Jerusalem.

²⁹And it came to pass, when He had come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples,

³⁰saying, "Go ye into the village opposite you, in which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat. Loose him and bring him hither.

³¹And if any man ask you, 'Why do ye loose him?' thus shall ye say unto him, 'Because the Lord hath need of him.'"

³²And those who were sent went their way and found even as He had said unto them.

³³And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, "Why loose ye the colt?"

³⁴And they said, "The Lord hath need of him."

³⁵And they brought him to Jesus, and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon.

³⁶And as He went, they spread their clothes along the way.

³⁷And when He had come nigh, even now at the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen,

³⁸saying, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

³⁹And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto Him, "Master, rebuke thy disciples."

⁴⁰And He answered and said unto them, "I tell you that if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."

⁴¹And when He had come near, He beheld the city and wept over it,

⁴²saying, "If thou had known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which must be for thy peace! But now they are hid from thine eyes.

⁴³For the days shall come upon thee that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee around, and keep thee in on every side.

⁴⁴And they shall lay thee even with the ground and thy children within thee; and they shalt not leave in thee one stone upon another, because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation."

⁴⁵And He went into the temple and began to cast out those who sold therein and those who bought,

⁴⁶saying unto them, "It is written, 'My house is the house of prayer,' but ye have made it a den of thieves."

⁴⁷And He taught daily in the temple. But the chief priests and the scribes and the chief of the people sought to destroy Him;

⁴⁸and they could not find what they might do, for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.

20And it came to pass that on one of those days, as He taught the people in the temple and preached the Gospel, the chief priests and the scribes came upon Him with the elders

²and spoke unto Him, saying, "Tell us by what authority doest thou these things? Or who is he that gave thee this authority?

³And He answered and said unto them, "I will also ask you one thing, and answer Me:

⁴The baptism of John -- was it from Heaven, or of men?"

⁵And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "If we shall say 'From Heaven,' he will say, 'Why then have ye not believed him?'

⁶But if we say, 'Of men,' all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet."

⁷And they answered that they could not tell from whence it was.

⁸And Jesus said unto them, "Neither tell I you by what authority I do these things."

⁹Then He began to speak to the people this parable: "A certain man planted a vineyard and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country for a long time.

¹⁰And at the season, he sent a servant to the husbandmen, that they should give him of the fruit of the vineyard; but the husbandmen beat him and sent him away empty.

¹¹And again he sent another servant; and they beat him also, and treated him shamefully, and sent him away empty.

¹²And again he sent a third; and they wounded him also and cast him out.

¹³Then said the lord of the vineyard, 'What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will reverence him when they see him.'

¹⁴But when the husbandmen saw him, they reasoned among themselves, saying, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.'

¹⁵So they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What therefore shall the lord of the vineyard do unto them?

¹⁶He shall come and destroy these husbandmen and shall give the vineyard to others." And when they heard it they said, "God forbid!"

¹⁷And He beheld them and said, "What is this then that is written: 'The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner'?

¹⁸Whosoever shall fall upon that stone shall be broken; but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder."

¹⁹And the chief priests and the scribes that same hour sought to lay hands on Him, but they feared the people; for they perceived that He had spoken this parable against them.

²⁰And they watched Him and sent forth spies, who should feign themselves to be just men, that they might take hold of His words and so they might deliver Him unto the power and authority of the governor.

²¹And they asked Him, saying, "Master, we know that thou sayest and teachest rightly, neither acceptest thou the person of any, but teachest the way of God truly.

²²Is it lawful for us to give tribute unto Caesar or no?"

²³But He perceived their craftiness and said unto them, "Why tempt ye Me?

²⁴Show Me a penny. Whose image and superscription hath it?" They answered and said, "Caesar's."

²⁵And He said unto them, "Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things which are God's."

²⁶And they could not take hold of His words before the people. And they marveled at His answer and held their peace.

²⁷Then came to Him certain of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, and they asked Him,

²⁸saying, "Master, Moses wrote unto us that if any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife and raise up seed unto his brother.

²⁹There were therefore seven brethren, and the first took a wife and died without children.

³⁰And the second took her as wife, and he died childless.

³¹And the third took her, and in like manner the seven also; and they left no children, and died.

³²Last of all the woman died also.

³³Therefore, in the resurrection whose wife is she, for seven had her as wife?"

³⁴And Jesus answering said unto them, "The children of this world marry and are given in marriage.

³⁵But they that shall be accounted worthy to obtain that World and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage,

³⁶neither can they die any more; for they are equal unto the angels and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.

³⁷Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush when he called the Lord 'the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.'

³⁸For He is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for all live unto Him."

³⁹Then certain of the scribes answering said, "Master, thou hast said well."

⁴⁰And after that they dared not ask Him any question at all.

⁴¹And He said unto them, "How say they that Christ is David's son?

⁴²For David himself saith in the book of Psalms: 'The LORD said unto my Lord, "Sit Thou on My right hand,

⁴³until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool."'

⁴⁴If David therefore calleth Him 'Lord,' how is He then his son?"

⁴⁵Then in the audience of all the people, He said unto His disciples,

⁴⁶"Beware of the scribes who desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts;

⁴⁷who devour widows' houses, and for a show make long prayers. The same shall receive greater damnation."

21And He looked up and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury,

²and He saw also a certain poor widow casting therein two mites.

³And He said, "In truth I say unto you that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all.

⁴For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God, but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had."

⁵And when some spoke of the temple and how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, He said,

⁶"As for these things which ye behold, the days will come in which there shall not be left one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down."

⁷And they asked Him, saying, "Master, but when shall these things be? And what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass?"

⁸And He said, "Take heed that ye be not deceived, for many shall come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and, 'the time draweth near.' Go ye not therefore after them.

⁹But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified, for these things must first come to pass. But the end is not at once."

¹⁰Then said He unto them, "Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom,

¹¹and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines and pestilences. And fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.

¹²But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, and you will be brought before kings and rulers for My name's sake.

¹³And it shall turn to you to bear testimony.

¹⁴Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate beforehand what ye shall answer.

¹⁵For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist.

¹⁶And ye shall be betrayed both by parents and brethren and kinsfolk and friends, and some of you they shall cause to be put to death.

¹⁷And ye shall be hated by all men for My name's sake.

¹⁸But there shall not a hair of your head perish.

¹⁹In your patience possess ye your souls.

²⁰"And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.

²¹Then let them that are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let them that are in the midst of it depart out, and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.

²²For these are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

²³But woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days! For there shall be great distress in the land and wrath upon this people.

²⁴And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

²⁵"And there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars; and upon the earth distress among nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring.

²⁶Men's hearts will fail them for fear and for looking upon those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

²⁷And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

²⁸And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh."

²⁹And He spoke to them a parable: "Behold the fig tree and all the trees.

³⁰When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.

³¹So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand.

³²Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.

³³Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.

³⁴"And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this life, and so that Day come upon you unawares.

³⁵For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

³⁶Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man."

³⁷And in the daytime He was teaching in the temple; and at night He went out and stayed on the mount that is called the Mount of Olives.

³⁸And all the people came early in the morning to Him in the temple to hear Him.

22Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

²And the chief priests and scribes sought how they might kill Him, for they feared the people.

³Then entered Satan into Judas, surnamed Iscariot, being one of the twelve.

⁴And he went his way and communed with the chief priests and captains how he might betray Him unto them.

⁵And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.

⁶And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray Him unto them in the absence of the multitude.

⁷Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread when the Passover lamb must be killed.

⁸And He sent Peter and John, saying, "Go and prepare us the Passover, that we may eat."

⁹And they said unto Him, "Where wilt Thou have us prepare?"

¹⁰And He said unto them, "Behold, when ye are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water. Follow him into the house where he entereth in.

¹¹And ye shall say unto the master of the house, 'The Master saith unto thee, "Where is the guestchamber where I shall eat the Passover with My disciples?"'

¹²And he shall show you a large upper room furnished. There make ready."

¹³And they went and found as He had said unto them. And they made ready the Passover.

¹⁴And when the hour had come, He sat down and the twelve apostles with Him.

¹⁵And He said unto them, "With desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer;

¹⁶for I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the Kingdom of God."

¹⁷And He took the cup, and gave thanks and said, "Take this, and divide it among yourselves;

¹⁸for I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom of God shall come."

¹⁹And He took bread, and gave thanks and broke it and gave it unto them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you. This do in remembrance of Me."

²⁰Likewise also He took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new testament in My blood, which is shed for you.

²¹But behold, the hand of him that betrayeth Me is with Me on the table.

²²And truly the Son of Man goeth as it was determined; but woe unto that man by whom He is betrayed!"

²³And they began to inquire among themselves which of them it was that should do this thing.

²⁴And there was also a contention among them, which of them should be accounted the greatest.

²⁵And He said unto them, "The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and they that exercise authority over them are called 'benefactors.'

²⁶But ye shall not be so; but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.

²⁷For who is greater, he that sitteth at meat or he that serveth? Is it not he that sitteth at meat? But I am among you as He that serveth.

²⁸"Ye are they that have continued with Me in My temptations.

²⁹And I appoint unto you a Kingdom, as My Father hath appointed unto Me,

³⁰that ye may eat and drink at My table in My Kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

³¹And the Lord said, "Simon, Simon! Behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

³²But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

³³And Peter said unto Him, "Lord, I am ready to go with Thee, both into prison and to death."

³⁴And He said, "I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day before thou shalt thrice deny that thou knowest Me."

³⁵And He said unto them, "When I sent you without purse and pack and shoes, lacked ye anything?" And they said, "Nothing."

³⁶Then said He unto them, "But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it and likewise his pack; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

³⁷For I say unto you that this that is written must yet be accomplished in Me: 'And He was reckoned among the transgressors.' For the things concerning Me have an end."

³⁸And they said, "Lord, behold, here are two swords." And He said unto them, "It is enough."

³⁹And He came out and went, as He was wont, to the Mount of Olives; and His disciples also followed Him.

⁴⁰And when He was at the place, He said unto them, "Pray that ye enter not into temptation."

⁴¹And He was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and kneeled down and prayed,

⁴²saying, "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Thine be done."

⁴³And there appeared an angel unto Him from Heaven, strengthening Him.

⁴⁴And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

⁴⁵And when He rose up from prayer and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping for sorrow.

⁴⁶And He said unto them, "Why sleep ye? Rise and pray, lest ye enter into temptation."

⁴⁷And while He yet spoke, behold, a multitude; and he that was called Judas, one of the twelve, went before them and drew near unto Jesus to kiss Him.

⁴⁸But Jesus said unto him, "Judas, betrayest thou the Son of Man with a kiss?"

⁴⁹When those who were about Him saw what would follow, they said unto Him, "Lord, shall we smite with the sword?"

⁵⁰And one of them smote the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

⁵¹And Jesus answered and said, "Suffer ye thus far." And He touched his ear and healed him.

⁵²Then Jesus said unto the chief priests and captains of the temple and the elders, who had come to Him, "Have ye come out as against a thief, with swords and staves?

⁵³When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against Me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."

⁵⁴Then they took Him and led Him, and brought Him into the high priest's house. And Peter followed afar off.

⁵⁵And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall and had sat down together, Peter sat down among them.

⁵⁶But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him and said, "This man was also with him."

⁵⁷And he denied Him, saying, "Woman, I know Him not."

⁵⁸And after a little while another saw him and said, "Thou art also of them." And Peter said, "Man, I am not!"

⁵⁹And after the space of about an hour, another confidently affirmed, saying, "In truth this fellow also was with him, for he is a Galilean."

⁶⁰And Peter said, "Man, I know not what thou sayest!" And immediately, while he yet spoke, the cock crowed.

⁶¹And the Lord turned and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said unto him, "Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny Me thrice."

⁶²And Peter went out and wept bitterly.

⁶³And the men who held Jesus mocked Him and smote Him.

⁶⁴And when they had blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, "Prophesy! Who is it that smote thee?"

⁶⁵And many other things they spoke blasphemously against Him.

⁶⁶And as soon as it was day, the elders of the people and the chief priests and the scribes came together, and led Him into their council, saying,

⁶⁷"Art thou the Christ? Tell us." And He said unto them, "If I tell you, ye will not believe.

⁶⁸And if I also ask you, ye will not answer Me nor let Me go.

⁶⁹Hereafter shall the Son of Man sit on the right hand of the power of God."

⁷⁰Then said they all, "Art thou then the Son of God?" And He said unto them, "Ye say that I am."

⁷¹And they said, "What need we any further witness? For we ourselves have heard it from his own mouth."

23And the whole multitude of them arose and led Him unto Pilate.

²And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this fellow perverting the nation and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that he himself is Christ, a king."

³And Pilate asked Him, saying, "Art thou the king of the Jews?" And He answered him and said, "Thou sayest it."

⁴Then said Pilate to the chief priests and the people, "I find no fault in this man."

⁵And they became the more fierce, saying, "He stirreth up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place."

⁶When Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the Man were a Galilean.

⁷And as soon as he learned that He belonged unto Herod's jurisdiction, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was at Jerusalem at that time.

⁸And when Herod saw Jesus he was exceedingly glad, for he had been desirous to see Him for a long time, because he had heard many things about Him, and he hoped to see some miracle done by Him.

⁹Then he questioned Him with many words, but He answered him nothing.

¹⁰And the chief priests and scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.

¹¹And Herod, with his men of war, treated Him with contempt and mocked Him, and arrayed Him in a gorgeous robe and sent Him again to Pilate.

¹²And on the same day, Pilate and Herod were made friends together, for before that there was enmity between them.

¹³And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,

¹⁴said unto them, "Ye have brought this man unto me as one who perverteth the people. And behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man concerning those things whereof ye accuse him.

¹⁵No, nor yet Herod; for I sent you to him, and lo, nothing worthy of death is done unto him.

¹⁶I will therefore chastise him and release him."

¹⁷(For of necessity he must release one unto them at the Feast.)

¹⁸And they all cried out at once, saying, "Away with this man, and release unto us Barabbas"

¹⁹(who had been cast into prison for a certain sedition made in the city, and for murder).

²⁰Pilate therefore, desiring to release Jesus, spoke again to them.

²¹But they cried, saying, "Crucify him, crucify him!"

²²And he said unto them the third time, "Why? What evil hath he done? I have found no cause for death in him. I will therefore chastise him and let him go."

²³But they were instant with loud voices, requiring that He might be crucified. And the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed.

²⁴And Pilate gave sentence that it should be as they required.

²⁵And he released unto them the one who for sedition and murder had been cast into prison, whom they had desired; but he delivered Jesus to their will.

²⁶And as they led Him away, they laid hold upon one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the country, and on him they laid the cross, that he might bear it after Jesus.

²⁷And there followed Him a great company of people, and of women who also bewailed and lamented Him.

²⁸But Jesus, turning unto them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.

²⁹For behold, the days are coming in which they shall say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore and the breasts which never gave suck.'

³⁰Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and to the hills, 'Cover us!'

³¹For if they do these things in a green tree, what shall be done in the dry?"

³²And there were also two others, malefactors, led with Him to be put to death.

³³And when they had come to the place which is called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

³⁴Then Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." And they parted His raiment and cast lots.

³⁵And the people stood beholding. And the rulers who were also with them derided Him, saying, "He saved others; let him save himself if he be Christ, the chosen of God."

³⁶And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming to Him and offering Him vinegar

³⁷and saying, "If thou art the king of the Jews, save thyself."

³⁸And a superscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek and Latin and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

³⁹And one of the malefactors who was hanged railed against Him, saying, "If thou be Christ, save thyself and us!"

⁴⁰But the other answering rebuked him, saying, "Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art under the same condemnation?

⁴¹And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds. But this Man hath done nothing amiss."

⁴²And he said unto Jesus, "Lord, remember me when Thou comest into Thy Kingdom."

⁴³And Jesus said unto him, "Verily I say unto thee, today shalt thou be with Me in Paradise."

⁴⁴And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.

⁴⁵And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst.

⁴⁶And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit." And having said thus, He gave up the ghost.

⁴⁷Now when the centurion saw what was done, he glorifed God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man!"

⁴⁸And all the people who came together to that sight, beholding the things which had been done, smote their breasts and returned.

⁴⁹And all His acquaintances and the women who had followed Him from Galilee stood afar off, beholding these things.

⁵⁰And behold, there was a man named Joseph, a council member, and he was a good man and a just.

⁵¹(The same had not consented to their counsel and deed.) He was of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who himself also waited for the Kingdom of God.

⁵²This man went unto Pilate and begged the body of Jesus.

⁵³And he took it down and wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a sepulcher that was hewn in stone, wherein never man before was laid.

⁵⁴And that day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.

⁵⁵And the women also, who came with Him from Galilee, followed after, and beheld the sepulcher and how His body was laid.

⁵⁶And they returned and prepared spices and ointments, and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.

24Now upon the first day of the week very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher, bringing the spices which they had prepared; and certain others were with them.

²And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher.

³And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus.

⁴And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments.

⁵And as they were afraid and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, "Why seek ye the living among the dead?

⁶He is not here, but is risen! Remember how He spoke unto you when He was yet in Galilee,

⁷saying, 'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again.'"

⁸And they remembered His words,

⁹and returned from the sepulcher and told all these things unto the eleven and to all the rest.

¹⁰It was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, and other women who were with them, who told these things unto the apostles.

¹¹And their words seemed to them as idle tales, and they believed them not.

¹²Then arose Peter and ran unto the sepulcher; and stooping down, he beheld the linen cloths laid by themselves. And he departed, wondering to himself at that which had come to pass.

¹³And behold, two of them were going that same day to a village called Emmaus, which was from Jerusalem about seven miles.

¹⁴And they talked together of all these things which had happened.

¹⁵And it came to pass that while they communed and reasoned together, Jesus Himself drew near and went with them.

¹⁶But their eyes were held, that they should not know Him.

¹⁷And He said unto them, "What manner of communications are these that ye have one to another as ye walk and are sad?"

¹⁸And one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answering said unto Him, "Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and hast not known the things which have come to pass there in these days?"

¹⁹And He said unto them, "What things?" And they said unto Him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people;

²⁰and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to be condemned to death and have crucified Him.

²¹But we trusted that it had been He who should have redeemed Israel. And besides all this, today is the third day since these things were done.

²²Yea, and certain women also of our company, who were early at the sepulcher, made us astonished.

²³And when they found not His body, they came saying that they had also seen a vision of angels, who said that He was alive.

²⁴And certain of those who were with us went to the sepulcher and found it even so as the women had said, but Him they saw not."

²⁵Then He said unto them, "O fools, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!

²⁶Ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?"

²⁷And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

²⁸And they drew nigh unto the village whither they were going, and He made as though He would have gone further.

²⁹But they constrained Him, saying, "Abide with us, for it is toward evening and the day is far spent." And He went in to tarry with them.

³⁰And it came to pass, as He sat at meat with them, He took bread and blessed it, and broke and gave it to them.

³¹And their eyes were opened and they knew Him. And He vanished out of their sight.

³²And they said to one another, "Did not our hearts burn within us while He talked with us on the way and while He opened to us the Scriptures?"

³³And they rose up that same hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven gathered together and those who were with them,

³⁴saying, "The Lord is risen indeed and hath appeared to Simon!"

³⁵And they told what things were done on the way, and how He was known to them in the breaking of bread.

³⁶And as they thus spoke, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them and said unto them, "Peace be unto you."

³⁷But they were terrified and afraid, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

³⁸And He said unto them, "Why are ye troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?

³⁹Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself. Handle Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see Me to have."

⁴⁰And when He had thus spoken, He showed them His hands and His feet.

⁴¹And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, He said unto them, "Have ye here any meat?"

⁴²And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb.

⁴³And He took it and ate before them.

⁴⁴And He said unto them, "These are the words which I spoke unto you while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and in the Prophets and in the Psalms concerning Me."

⁴⁵Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures,

⁴⁶and said unto them, "Thus it is written, and thus it behooved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day,

⁴⁷and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.

⁴⁸And ye are witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹And behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you; but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem until ye be endued with power from on high."

⁵⁰And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.

⁵¹And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them and carried up into Heaven.

⁵²And they worshiped Him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy,

⁵³and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen.

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

²The same was in the beginning with God.

³All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made.

⁴In Him was life, and that life was the Light of men.

⁵And the Light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not.

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

⁷The same came as a witness to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

⁸He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.

⁹That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not.

¹¹He came unto His own, and His own received Him not.

¹²But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to those who believe in His name,

¹³who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only Begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth.

¹⁵John bore witness of Him and cried, saying, "This was He of whom I spoke, 'He that cometh after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"

¹⁶And of His fullness have we all received, and grace for grace.

¹⁷For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

¹⁸No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him.

¹⁹And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who art thou?"

²⁰And he confessed and denied not, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."

²¹And they asked him, "What then? Art thou Elijah?" And he said, "I am not." "Art thou that Prophet?" And he answered, "No."

²²Then said they unto him, "Who art thou, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What sayest thou of thyself?"

²³He said, "I am 'the voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Make straight the way of the Lord,"' as said the prophet Isaiah."

²⁴And those who were sent were of the Pharisees.

²⁵And they asked him, and said unto him, "Why dost thou baptize then if thou art not that Christ, nor Elijah, neither that Prophet?"

²⁶John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there standeth One among you whom ye know not.

²⁷He it is who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose shoe's strap I am not worthy to unloose."

²⁸These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

²⁹The next day John saw Jesus coming unto him, and said, "Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!

³⁰This is He of whom I said, 'After me cometh a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.'

³¹And I knew Him not; but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore have I come baptizing with water."

³²And John bore record, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and It abode upon Him.

³³And I knew Him not. But He that sent me to baptize with water, the Same said unto me, 'Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the Same is He that baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.'

³⁴And I saw and bore record that this is the Son of God."

³⁵Again the next day John stood with two of his disciples,

³⁶and looking upon Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!"

³⁷And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

³⁸Then Jesus turned and saw them following, and said unto them, "What seek ye?" They said unto Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, being interpreted, "Master"), "where dwellest Thou?"

³⁹He said unto them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He dwelt and stayed with Him that day, for it was about the tenth hour.

⁴⁰One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

⁴¹He first found his own brother Simon and said unto him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is, being interpreted, "the Christ").

⁴²And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, He said, "Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah. Thou shalt be called Cephas" (which is by interpretation, "a stone").

⁴³The day following, Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and found Philip and said unto him, "Follow Me."

⁴⁴Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

⁴⁵Philip found Nathanael and said unto him, "We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets wrote: Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph."

⁴⁶And Nathanael said unto him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip said unto him, "Come and see."

⁴⁷Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, "Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!"

⁴⁸Nathanael said unto Him, "How knowest Thou me?" Jesus answered and said unto him, "Before Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee."

⁴⁹Nathanael answered and said unto Him, "Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; Thou art the King of Israel."

⁵⁰Jesus answered and said unto him, "Because I said unto thee, 'I saw thee under the fig tree,' believest thou? Thou shalt see greater things than these."

⁵¹And He said unto him, "Verily, verily I say unto you, hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man."

2And on the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;

²and both Jesus and His disciples were called to the marriage.

³And when they lacked wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, "They have no wine."

⁴Jesus said unto her, "Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come."

⁵His mother said unto the servants, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."

⁶And there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, holding twenty to thirty gallons apiece.

⁷Jesus said unto them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim.

⁸And He said unto them, "Draw some out now, and bear it unto the governor of the feast." And they took it.

⁹When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, not knowing from whence it had come (but the servants who drew the water knew), the governor of the feast called the bridegroom

¹⁰and said unto him, "Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, and when men have drunk well, then that which is worse; but thou hast kept the good wine until now."

¹¹This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

¹²After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brethren and His disciples; and they continued there a few days.

¹³And the Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem

¹⁴and found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and also the changers of money, sitting there.

¹⁵And when He had made a scourge of small cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overthrew the tables.

¹⁶And He said unto those who sold doves, "Take these things hence! Make not My Father's house a house of merchandise!"

¹⁷And His disciples remembered that it was written: "The zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up."

¹⁸Then the Jews answered and said unto Him, "What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?"

¹⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."

²⁰Then said the Jews, "Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days?"

²¹But He spoke of the temple of His body.

²²When therefore He was risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this unto them. And they believed the Scripture and the Word which Jesus had said.

²³Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover on the feast day, many believed in His name when they saw the miracles which He did.

²⁴But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them, because He knew all men,

²⁵and needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

3There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews.

²The same came to Jesus by night and said unto Him, "Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God; for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, unless God be with him."

³Jesus answered and said unto him, "Verily, verily I say unto thee, unless a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God."

⁴Nicodemus said unto Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?"

⁵Jesus answered, "Verily, verily I say unto thee, unless a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.

⁶That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

⁷Marvel not that I said unto thee, 'Ye must be born again.'

⁸The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit."

⁹Nicodemus answered and said unto Him, "How can these things be?"

¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto him, "Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?

¹¹Verily, verily I say unto thee, we speak what we know and testify what we have seen; and ye receive not our witness.

¹²If I have told you earthly things and ye believe not, how shall ye believe if I tell you of heavenly things?

¹³And no man hath ascended up to Heaven, but He that came down from Heaven, even the Son of Man who is in Heaven.

¹⁴And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,

¹⁵that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.

¹⁶"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

¹⁷For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

¹⁸"He that believeth in Him is not condemned; but He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

¹⁹And this is the condemnation: that Light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

²⁰For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.

²¹But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."

²²After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He tarried with them, and baptized.

²³And John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there. And they came and were baptized,

²⁴for John had not yet been cast into prison.

²⁵Then there arose a question between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purifying.

²⁶And they came unto John and said unto him, "Rabbi, He that was with thee beyond the Jordan, to whom thou bearest witness -- behold, the same baptizeth and all men come to Him."

²⁷John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing, unless it be given him from Heaven.

²⁸Ye yourselves bear me witness that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but that 'I am sent before Him.'

²⁹He that hath the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. This my joy, therefore, is fulfilled.

³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.

³¹"He that cometh from above is above all; he that is of the earth is earthly and speaketh of the earth. He that cometh from Heaven is above all.

³²And what He hath seen and heard, to that He testifieth, and no man receiveth His testimony.

³³He that hath received His testimony hath set his seal to this: that God is true.

³⁴For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto Him.

³⁵The Father loveth the Son and hath given all things into His hand.

³⁶He that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life; and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."

4When therefore the Lord knew how the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John

²(though Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples),

³He left Judea and departed again into Galilee,

⁴and He needed to go through Samaria.

⁵Then came He to a city of Samaria, which is called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.

⁶Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with His journey, sat thus by the well; and it was about the sixth hour.

⁷There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said unto her, "Give Me to drink."

⁸(For His disciples had gone away unto the city to buy meat.)

⁹Then said the woman of Samaria unto Him, "How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest a drink of me, who am a woman of Samaria?" For the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.

¹⁰Jesus answered and said unto her, "If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee, 'Give Me to drink,' thou wouldest have asked of Him, and He would have given thee living water."

¹¹The woman said unto Him, "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep. From whence then hast thou that living water?

¹²Art thou greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank thereof himself, and his children and his cattle?"

¹³Jesus answered and said unto her, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again,

¹⁴but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life."

¹⁵The woman said unto Him, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."

¹⁶Jesus said unto her, "Go, call thy husband, and come hither."

¹⁷The woman answered and said, "I have no husband." Jesus said unto her, "Thou hast well said, 'I have no husband';

¹⁸for thou hast had five husbands, and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband. In that thou saidst truly."

¹⁹The woman said unto Him, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.

²⁰Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and ye say that Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship."

²¹Jesus said unto her, "Woman, believe Me, the hour cometh when ye shall neither on this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

²²Ye worship ye know not what; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

²³But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshipers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; for the Father seeketh such to worship Him.

²⁴God is a Spirit, and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."

²⁵The woman said unto Him, "I know that Messiah cometh, who is called Christ. When He has come, He will tell us all things."

²⁶Jesus said unto her, "I that speak unto thee am He."

²⁷And upon this came His disciples and marveled that He talked with the woman; yet no man said, "What seekest Thou?" or, "Why talkest Thou with her?"

²⁸The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city and said to the men,

²⁹"Come, see a man who told me all things that ever I did. Is not this the Christ?"

³⁰Then they went out of the city and came unto Him.

³¹Meanwhile His disciples entreated Him, saying, "Master, eat."

³²But He said unto them, "I have meat to eat that ye know not of."

³³Therefore the disciples said one to another, "Hath any man brought Him aught to eat?"

³⁴Jesus said unto them, "My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.

³⁵Say not ye, 'There are yet four months and then cometh the harvest'? Behold, I say unto you, lift up your eyes and look on the fields, for they are white already to harvest.

³⁶And he that reapeth receiveth wages and gathereth fruit unto life eternal, that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.

³⁷And herein is that saying true, 'One soweth and another reapeth.'

³⁸I sent you to reap that whereon ye bestowed no labor; other men labored, and ye have entered into their labors."

³⁹And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in Him because of the saying of the woman who testified, "He told me all that ever I did."

⁴⁰So when the Samaritans had come unto Him, they besought Him that He would tarry with them; and He abode there two days.

⁴¹And many more believed because of His own word,

⁴²and said unto the woman, "Now we believe, not because of thy saying, for we have heard Him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world."

⁴³Now after two days He departed thence and went into Galilee.

⁴⁴For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet hath no honor in his own country.

⁴⁵Then when He had come into Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did at Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

⁴⁶So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

⁴⁷When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto Him and besought Him that He would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.

⁴⁸Then Jesus said unto him, "Unless ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."

⁴⁹The nobleman said unto Him, "Sir, come down ere my child die!"

⁵⁰Jesus said unto him, "Go thy way; thy son liveth." And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

⁵¹And as he was going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Thy son liveth!"

⁵²Then he inquired of them the hour when he began to be healed. And they said unto him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."

⁵³So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus had said unto him, "Thy son liveth." And he himself believed, and his whole house.

⁵⁴This is again the second miracle that Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

5After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

²Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches.

³In these lay a great multitude of invalid folk -- blind, halt, withered -- waiting for the moving of the water.

⁴For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool and troubled the water. Whosoever then first stepped in, after the troubling of the water, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.

⁵And a certain man was there who had an infirmity for thirty and eight years.

⁶When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he had been in that state a long time, He said unto him, "Wilt thou be made whole?"

⁷The infirm man answered Him, "Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool; but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me."

⁸Jesus said unto him, "Rise, take up thy bed, and walk."

⁹And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked. Now it was the Sabbath on that day.

¹⁰The Jews therefore said unto him that was cured, "It is the Sabbath day; it is not lawful for thee to carry thy bed."

¹¹He answered them, "He that made me whole said unto me, 'Take up thy bed and walk.'"

¹²Then they asked him, "What man is that who said unto thee, 'Take up thy bed and walk'?"

¹³And he that was healed knew not who it was, for Jesus had removed Himself away, a multitude being in that place.

¹⁴Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said unto him, "Behold, thou art made whole. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

¹⁵The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him whole.

¹⁶And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay Him, because He had done these things on the Sabbath day.

¹⁷But Jesus answered them, "My Father worketh hitherto, and I work."

¹⁸Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill Him, because He not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

¹⁹Then answered Jesus and said unto them, "Verily, verily I say unto you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He seeth the Father do; for what things soever He doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

²⁰For the Father loveth the Son and showeth Him all things that He Himself doeth; and He will show Him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

²¹For as the Father raiseth up the dead and quickeneth them, even so the Son quickeneth whom He will.

²²For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son,

²³that all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son honoreth not the Father who hath sent Him.

²⁴Verily, verily I say unto you, he that heareth My Word and believeth in Him that sent Me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

²⁵"Verily, verily I say unto you, the hour is coming and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.

²⁶For as the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself,

²⁷and hath given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man.

²⁸Marvel not at this; for the hour is coming in which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice

²⁹and shall come forth -- they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life, and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.

³⁰"I can of Mine own self do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I seek not Mine own will, but the will of the Father who hath sent Me.

³¹If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.

³²There is Another that beareth witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesseth of Me is true.

³³"Ye sent unto John, and he bore witness unto the truth.

³⁴But I receive not testimony from man, but these things I say, that ye might be saved.

³⁵He was a burning and a shining light, and ye were willing for a season to rejoice in his light.

³⁶But I have greater witness than that of John; for the works which the Father hath given Me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of Me that the Father hath sent Me.

³⁷And the Father Himself, who hath sent Me, hath borne witness of Me. Ye have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape.

³⁸And ye have not His Word abiding in you; for Whom He hath sent, Him ye believe not.

³⁹"Search the Scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life; and it is they which testify of Me.

⁴⁰And ye will not come to Me, that ye might have life!

⁴¹I receive not honor from men.

⁴²But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

⁴³I have come in My Father's name, and ye receive Me not; if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

⁴⁴How can ye believe, who receive honor one from another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?

⁴⁵Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.

⁴⁶For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me, for he wrote of Me.

⁴⁷But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe My words?"

6After these things Jesus went across the Sea of Galilee which is the Sea of Tiberias.

²And a great multitude followed Him, because they saw His miracles which He did on those who were diseased.

³And Jesus went up onto a mountain, and there He sat with His disciples.

⁴Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh.

⁵And when Jesus lifted up His eyes and saw a great company coming unto Him, He said unto Philip, "Whence shall we buy bread, that these may eat?"

⁶And this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.

⁷Philip answered Him, "Two hundred pennyworth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may take a little."

⁸One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, said unto Him,

⁹"There is a lad here who hath five barley loaves and two small fishes, but what are they among so many?"

¹⁰And Jesus said, "Make the men sit down." Now there was much grass in the place; so the men sat down, in number about five thousand.

¹¹And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks, He distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to those who were sitting down; and likewise of the fishes, as much as they wanted.

¹²When they were filled, He said unto His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost."

¹³Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above, unto them that had eaten.

¹⁴Then those men, when they had seen the miracle that Jesus had done, said, "This is in truth that Prophet who is coming into the world!"

¹⁵When Jesus therefore perceived that they would come and take Him by force to make Him a king, He departed again onto a mountain alone.

¹⁶And as evening had now come, His disciples went down unto the sea,

¹⁷and entered into a boat and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus had not come to them.

¹⁸And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

¹⁹So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing nigh unto the boat; and they were afraid.

²⁰But He said unto them, "It is I; be not afraid."

²¹Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land whither they were going.

²²The day following, when the people who stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other boat there, save the one into which His disciples had entered, and that Jesus had not gone with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone

²³(however there came other boats from Tiberias nigh unto the place where they had eaten bread after the Lord had given thanks)"

²⁴when the people therefore saw that Jesus was not there, neither His disciples, they also took boats and came to Capernaum, seeking for Jesus.

²⁵And when they had found Him on the other side of the sea, they said unto Him, "Rabbi, when camest thou hither?"

²⁶Jesus answered them and said, "Verily, verily I say unto you, ye seek Me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye ate of the loaves and were filled.

²⁷Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of Man shall give unto you; for on Him hath God the Father set His seal."

²⁸Then said they unto Him, "What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?"

²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, "This is the work of God: that ye believe in Him whom He hath sent."

³⁰They said therefore unto Him, "What sign showest thou then, that we may see and believe thee? What works dost thou do?

³¹Our fathers ate manna in the desert; as it is written: 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'"

³²Then Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from Heaven, but My Father giveth you the true bread from Heaven.

³³For the bread of God is He that cometh down from Heaven, and giveth life unto the world."

³⁴Then they said unto Him, "Lord, evermore give us this bread."

³⁵And Jesus said unto them, "I am the Bread of Life. He that cometh to Me shall never hunger, and he that believeth in Me shall never thirst.

³⁶But I said unto you that ye also have seen Me, and believe not.

³⁷All that the Father giveth Me shall come to Me, and him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out.

³⁸For I came down from Heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.

³⁹And this is the Father's will who hath sent Me, that of all which He hath given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the Last Day.

⁴⁰And this is the will of Him that sent Me: that every one who seeth the Son and believeth in Him may have everlasting life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day."

⁴¹The Jews then murmured at Him, because He said, "I am the Bread which came down from Heaven."

⁴²And they said, "Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How is it then that he saith, 'I came down from Heaven'?"

⁴³Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, "Murmur not among yourselves.

⁴⁴No man can come to Me unless the Father who hath sent Me draw him; and I will raise him up at the Last Day.

⁴⁵It is written in the Prophets: 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Every man therefore that hath heard and hath learned from the Father cometh unto Me.

⁴⁶Not that any man hath seen the Father, save He that is of God; He hath seen the Father.

⁴⁷Verily, verily I say unto you, He that believeth in Me hath everlasting life.

⁴⁸I am that Bread of Life.

⁴⁹Your fathers ate manna in the wilderness, and are dead.

⁵⁰This is the Bread which cometh down from Heaven, that a man may eat thereof and not die.

⁵¹I am the living Bread which came down from Heaven. If any man eat of this Bread, he shall live for ever; and the Bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world."

⁵²The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?"

⁵³Then Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily I say unto you, unless ye eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, ye have no life in you.

⁵⁴Whoso eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life, and I will raise him up at the Last Day.

⁵⁵For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed.

⁵⁶He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood dwelleth in Me, and I in him.

⁵⁷As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father, so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me.

⁵⁸This is that Bread which came down from Heaven, not as your fathers ate manna and are dead; he that eateth of this Bread shall live for ever."

⁵⁹These things said He in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum.

⁶⁰Many of His disciples therefore, when they had heard this, said, "This is a hard saying; who can hear it?"

⁶¹When Jesus knew in Himself that His disciples murmured at it, He said unto them, "Doth this offend you?

⁶²What if ye shall see the Son of Man ascend up where He was before?

⁶³It is the Spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

⁶⁴But there are some of you that believe not." For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were who believed not and who should betray Him.

⁶⁵And He said, "Therefore said I unto you that no man can come unto Me, unless it were given unto him by My Father."

⁶⁶From that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him.

⁶⁷Then Jesus said unto the twelve, "Will ye also go away?"

⁶⁸Then Simon Peter answered Him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life,

⁶⁹and we believe and are sure that Thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God."

⁷⁰Jesus answered them, "Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?"

⁷¹He spoke of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, for he it was who should betray Him, being one of the twelve.

7After these things, Jesus walked in Galilee, for He would not walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.

²Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.

³His brethren therefore said unto Him, "Depart hence and go into Judea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest.

⁴For no man doeth anything in secret if he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, show thyself to the world."

⁵For neither did His brethren believe in Him.

⁶Then Jesus said unto them, "My time is not yet come, but your time is always ready.

⁷The world cannot hate you, but Me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil.

⁸Go ye up unto this feast. I go not up yet unto this feast, for My time is not yet fully come."

⁹When He had said these words unto them, He remained still in Galilee.

¹⁰But when His brethren had gone up, then He also went up unto the feast, not openly but, as it were, in secret.

¹¹Then the Jews sought Him at the feast and said, "Where is he?"

¹²And there was much murmuring among the people concerning Him. For some said, "He is a good man," and others said, "Nay, for he deceiveth the people."

¹³Yet no man spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

¹⁴Now about the midst of the feast, Jesus went up into the temple and taught.

¹⁵And the Jews marveled, saying, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?"

¹⁶Jesus answered them, "My doctrine is not Mine, but His that sent Me.

¹⁷If any man will do His will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be from God, or whether I speak from Myself.

¹⁸He that speaketh from himself seeketh his own glory; but He that seeketh the glory of Him that sent Him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.

¹⁹Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill Me?"

²⁰The people answered and said, "Thou hast a devil. Who goeth about to kill thee?"

²¹Jesus answered and said unto them, "I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

²²Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers), and ye on the Sabbath day circumcise a man.

²³If a man receive circumcision on the Sabbath day, that the Law of Moses should not be broken, are ye angry at Me because I have made a man every whit whole on the Sabbath day?

²⁴Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment."

²⁵Then said some of them from Jerusalem, "Is not this he whom they seek to kill?

²⁶But lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

²⁷Yet we know from whence this man comes; but when Christ cometh, no man will know from whence He comes."

²⁸Then Jesus cried out in the temple as He taught, saying, "Ye both know Me, and ye know from whence I am. And I am not come of Myself, but He that sent Me is true, whom ye know not.

²⁹But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He hath sent Me."

³⁰Then they sought to take Him; but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour had not yet come.

³¹And many of the people believed in Him and said, "When Christ cometh, will He do more miracles than these which this man hath done?"

³²The Pharisees heard that the people murmured such things concerning Him, and the Pharisees and the chief priests sent officers to take Him.

³³Then said Jesus unto them, "Yet a little while am I with you, and then I go unto Him that sent Me.

³⁴Ye shall seek Me, and shall not find Me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come."

³⁵Then the Jews said among themselves, "Whither will he go that we shall not find him? Will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?

³⁶What manner of saying is this that he said, 'Ye shall seek me and shall not find me; and where I am, thither ye cannot come'?"

³⁷On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If any man thirst, let him come unto Me, and drink.

³⁸He that believeth in Me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water."

³⁹(But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believe in Him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.)

⁴⁰Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, "In truth this is the Prophet."

⁴¹Others said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

⁴²Hath not the Scripture said that Christ cometh out of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem where David was?"

⁴³So there was a division among the people because of Him.

⁴⁴And some of them would have taken Him, but no man laid hands on Him.

⁴⁵Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said unto them, "Why have ye not brought him?"

⁴⁶The officers answered, "Never did man speak like this man!"

⁴⁷Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are ye also deceived?

⁴⁸Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him?

⁴⁹But this people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed."

⁵⁰Nicodemus said unto them (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them),

⁵¹"Doth our law judge any man before it hear him and know what he doeth?"

⁵²They answered and said unto him, "Art thou also from Galilee? Search and look, for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet."

⁵³And every man went unto his own house.

8Jesus went unto the Mount of Olives.

²And early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came unto Him; and He sat down and taught them.

³And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst,

⁴they said unto Him, "Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.

⁵Now Moses in the law commanded us that such should be stoned but what sayest thou?"

⁶This they said testing Him, that they might have cause to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not.

⁷So when they continued asking Him, He lifted Himself up and said unto them, "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."

⁸And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

⁹And they who heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the eldest even unto the last, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing in the midst.

¹⁰When Jesus had lifted Himself up and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, "Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee?"

¹¹She said, "No man, Lord." And Jesus said unto her, "Neither do I condemn thee; go, and sin no more."

¹²Then spoke Jesus again unto them, saying, "I am the Light of the world. He that followeth Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life."

¹³The Pharisees therefore said unto Him, "Thou bearest record of thyself; thy record is not true."

¹⁴Jesus answered and said unto them, "Though I bear record of Myself, yet My record is true, for I know whence I came and whither I go; but ye cannot tell whence I come and whither I go.

¹⁵Ye judge according to the flesh; I judge no man.

¹⁶And yet if I judge, My judgment is true; for I am not alone, but I and the Father that sent Me.

¹⁷It is also written in your law that the testimony of two men is true.

¹⁸I am One that bear witness of Myself, and the Father that sent Me beareth witness of Me."

¹⁹Then they said unto Him, "Where is thy father?" Jesus answered, "Ye neither know Me, nor My Father. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also."

²⁰These words spoke Jesus in the treasury as He taught in the temple, and no man laid hands on Him, for His hour was not yet come.

²¹Then Jesus said again unto them, "I go My way, and ye shall seek Me, and shall die in your sins. Whither I go, ye cannot come."

²²Then said the Jews, "Will he kill himself, because he saith, 'Whither I go ye cannot come'?"

²³And He said unto them, "Ye are from beneath; I am from above. Ye are of this world; I am not of this world.

²⁴I said therefore unto you that ye shall die in your sins; for if ye believe not that I am He, ye shall die in your sins."

²⁵Then they said unto Him, "Who art thou?" And Jesus said unto them, "Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

²⁶I have many things to say and to judge of you, but He that sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of Him."

²⁷They understood not that He spoke to them of the Father.

²⁸Then said Jesus unto them, "When ye have lifted up the Son of Man, then shall ye know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father hath taught Me, I speak these things.

²⁹And He that sent Me is with Me. The Father hath not left Me alone, for I do always those things that please Him."

³⁰As He spoke those words, many believed in Him.

³¹Then said Jesus to those Jews who believed in Him, "If ye continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed.

³²And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."

³³They answered Him, "We are Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man. How sayest thou, 'Ye shall be made free'?"

³⁴Jesus answered them, "Verily, verily I say unto you, whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.

³⁵And the servant abideth not in the house for ever, but the Son abideth ever.

³⁶If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

³⁷I know that ye are Abraham's seed, but ye seek to kill Me, because My Word hath no place in you.

³⁸I speak that which I have seen with My Father, and ye do that which ye have seen with your father."

³⁹They answered and said unto Him, "Abraham is our father." Jesus said unto them, "If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

⁴⁰But now ye seek to kill Me, a Man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard from God: this did not Abraham.

⁴¹Ye do the deeds of your father." Then they said to Him, "We are not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God."

⁴²Jesus said unto them, "If God were your Father, ye would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God; neither came I of Myself, but He sent Me.

⁴³Why do ye not understand My speech? Even because ye cannot hear My Word!

⁴⁴Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it.

⁴⁵And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not.

⁴⁶Which of you convicteth Me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe Me?

⁴⁷He that is of God heareth God's words; ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God."

⁴⁸Then the Jews answered and said unto Him, "Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan and hast a devil?"

⁴⁹Jesus answered, "I have not a devil, but I honor My Father, and ye do dishonor Me.

⁵⁰And I seek not Mine own glory; there is One that seeketh and judgeth.

⁵¹Verily, verily I say unto you, if a man keep My saying, he shall never see death."

⁵²Then said the Jews unto Him, "Now we know that thou hast a devil! Abraham is dead and the prophets; and thou sayest, 'If a man keep my saying he shall never taste of death.'

⁵³Art thou greater than our father Abraham, who is dead? And the prophets are dead. Whom makest thou thyself?"

⁵⁴Jesus answered, "If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing. It is My Father that honoreth Me, of whom ye say that He is your God.

⁵⁵Yet ye have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I should say, 'I know Him not,' I shall be a liar like unto you. But I know Him and keep His saying.

⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day; and He saw it and was glad."

⁵⁷Then said the Jews unto Him, "Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?"

⁵⁸Jesus said unto them, "Verily, verily I say unto you, before Abraham was, I am!"

⁵⁹Then they took up stones to cast at Him; but Jesus hid Himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

9And as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from his birth.

²And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Master, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

³Jesus answered, "Neither hath this man sinned nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.

⁴I must work the works of Him that sent Me while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work.

⁵As long as I am in the world, I am the Light of the world."

⁶When He had thus spoken, He spat on the ground and made clay with the spittle; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay

⁷and said unto him, "Go, wash in the pool of Siloam" (which interpreted means, "Sent"). He went his way therefore and washed, and came back seeing.

⁸The neighbors therefore, and those who before had seen that he was blind, said, "Is not this he that sat and begged?"

⁹Some said, "This is he." Others said, "He is like him." But he said, "I am he!"

¹⁰Therefore they said unto him, "How were thine eyes opened?"

¹¹He answered and said, "A man who is called Jesus made clay, and anointed mine eyes, and said unto me, 'Go to the pool of Siloam and wash.' And I went and washed, and I received sight."

¹²Then they said unto him, "Where is he?" He said, "I know not."

¹³They brought to the Pharisees him that beforehand was blind.

¹⁴And it was the Sabbath day when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes.

¹⁵Then again the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. He said unto them, "He put clay upon mine eyes, and I washed and do see."

¹⁶Therefore some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not of God, because he keepeth not the Sabbath day." Others said, "How can a man who is a sinner do such miracles?" And there was a division among them.

¹⁷They said unto the blind man again, "What sayest thou of him, that he hath opened thine eyes?" He said, "He is a prophet."

¹⁸But the Jews did not believe concerning him that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him that had received his sight.

¹⁹And they asked them, saying, "Is this your son, who ye say was born blind? How then doth he now see?"

²⁰His parents answered them and said, "We know that this is our son and that he was born blind;

²¹but by what means he now seeth we know not, or who hath opened his eyes we know not. He is of age; ask him. He shall speak for himself."

²²These words spoke his parents, because they feared the Jews; for the Jews had agreed already that if any man confessed that He was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue.

²³Therefore said his parents, "He is of age; ask him."

²⁴Then they again called the man who was blind and said unto him, "Give God the praise! We know that this man is a sinner."

²⁵He answered and said, "Whether he be a sinner or not, I know not. One thing I know, that whereas I was blind, now I see."

²⁶Then said they to him again, "What did he do to thee? How opened he thine eyes?"

²⁷He answered them, "I have told you already, and ye did not hear. Why would ye hear it again? Will ye also be his disciples?"

²⁸Then they reviled him and said, "Thou art his disciple, but we are Moses' disciples.

²⁹We know that God spoke unto Moses. As for this fellow, we know not from whence he is."

³⁰The man answered and said unto them, "Why, herein is a marvelous thing: that ye know not from whence he is, and yet he hath opened mine eyes.

³¹Now we know that God heareth not sinners, but if any man be a worshiper of God and doeth His will, him He heareth.

³²Since the world began it was not heard that any man opened the eyes of one who was born blind.

³³If this man were not from God, he could do nothing."

³⁴They answered and said unto him, "Thou wast altogether born in sins, and dost thou teach us?" And they cast him out.

³⁵Jesus heard that they had cast him out. And when He had found him, He said unto him, "Dost thou believe in the Son of God?"

³⁶He answered and said, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe in him?"

³⁷And Jesus said unto him, "Thou hast both seen Him, and it is He that talketh with thee."

³⁸And he said, "Lord, I believe!" And he worshiped Him.

³⁹And Jesus said, "For judgment I am come into this world, that they that see not might see, and that they that see might be made blind."

⁴⁰And some of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these words, and said unto Him, "Are we blind also?"

⁴¹Jesus said unto them, "If ye were blind, ye should have no sin; but now ye say, 'We see.' Therefore your sin remaineth.

10"Verily, verily I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.

²But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.

³To him the doorkeeper openeth, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calleth his own sheep by name and leadeth them out.

⁴And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.

⁵And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers."

⁶This parable Jesus spoke unto them, but they understood not what things they were which He spoke unto them.

⁷Then said Jesus unto them again, "Verily, verily I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.

⁸All that ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them.

⁹I am the door; by Me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.

¹⁰The thief cometh not but to steal and to kill and to destroy. I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

¹¹I am the Good Shepherd; the Good Shepherd giveth His life for the sheep.

¹²But he that is a hireling and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth; and the wolf catcheth them and scattereth the sheep.

¹³The hireling fleeth because he is a hireling, and careth not for the sheep.

¹⁴I am the Good Shepherd, and know My sheep and am known by Mine.

¹⁵As the Father knoweth Me, even so know I the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

¹⁶And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one fold and one Shepherd.

¹⁷Therefore doth My Father love Me, because I lay down My life, that I might take it again.

¹⁸No man taketh it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received from My Father."

¹⁹There was a division therefore again among the Jews for these sayings.

²⁰And many of them said, "He hath a devil and is mad. Why hear ye him?"

²¹Others said, "These are not the words of him that hath a devil. Can a devil open the eyes of the blind?"

²²And it was at Jerusalem the Feast of the Dedication, and it was winter.

²³And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's Porch.

²⁴Then came the Jews round about Him and said unto Him, "How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly."

²⁵Jesus answered them, "I told you, and ye believed not. The works that I do in My Father's name, they bear witness of Me.

²⁶But ye believe not, because ye are not of My sheep, as I said unto you.

²⁷My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me.

²⁸And I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of My hand.

²⁹My Father, who gave them to Me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of My Father's hand.

³⁰I and My Father are one."

³¹Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him.

³²Jesus answered them, "Many good works have I shown you from My Father. For which of those works do ye stone Me?"

³³The Jews answered Him, saying, "For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy and because thou, being a man, makest thyself God."

³⁴Jesus answered them, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said "Ye are gods"'?

³⁵If He called them gods unto whom the Word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken),

³⁶do ye say of Him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, 'Thou blasphemest,' because I said, 'I am the Son of God'?

³⁷If I do not the works of My Father, believe Me not.

³⁸But if I do, though ye believe not Me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in Me, and I in Him."

³⁹Therefore they sought again to take Him, but He escaped out of their hand,

⁴⁰and went away again beyond the Jordan into the place where John had first baptized; and there He abode.

⁴¹And many resorted unto Him and said that John did no miracle, but all things that John spoke of this Man were true.

⁴²And many believed in Him there.

11Now a certain man was sick named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

²(It was that Mary who had anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

³Therefore his sisters sent unto Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom Thou lovest is sick."

⁴When Jesus heard that, He said, "This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby."

⁵Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

⁶When He heard therefore that Lazarus was sick, He stayed two days still in the same place where He was.

⁷Then after that He said to His disciples, "Let us go into Judea again."

⁸His disciples said unto Him, "Master, the Jews of late sought to stone Thee, and goest Thou thither again?"

⁹Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

¹⁰But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth because there is no light in him."

¹¹These things said He, and after that He said unto them, "Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep."

¹²Then said His disciples, "Lord, if he sleep he shall do well."

¹³However Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought that He had spoken of the taking of rest in sleep.

¹⁴Then Jesus said unto them plainly, "Lazarus is dead.

¹⁵And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent that ye may believe. Nevertheless let us go unto him."

¹⁶Then Thomas, who was called Didymus, said unto his fellow disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with Him."

¹⁷Then when Jesus came, He found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

¹⁸Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about two miles away,

¹⁹and many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.

²⁰Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met Him; but Mary sat still in the house.

²¹Then Martha said unto Jesus, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died.

²²But I know that even now, whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee."

²³Jesus said unto her, "Thy brother shall rise again."

²⁴Martha said unto Him, "I know that he shall rise again at the resurrection on the Last Day."

²⁵Jesus said unto her, "I am the resurrection and the Life. He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live;

²⁶and whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die. Believest thou this?"

²⁷She said unto Him, "Yea, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world."

²⁸And when she had so said, she went her way and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, "The Master has come, and calleth for thee."

²⁹As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came unto Him.

³⁰Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met Him.

³¹The Jews then, who were with her in the house and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, "She goeth unto the grave to weep there."

³²Then when Mary had come where Jesus was and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying unto Him, "Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died."

³³When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled,

³⁴and said, "Where have ye laid him?" They said unto Him, "Lord, come and see."

³⁵Jesus wept.

³⁶Then said the Jews, "Behold, how he loved him!"

³⁷And some of them said, "Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?"

³⁸Jesus therefore again, groaning in Himself, came to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.

³⁹Jesus said, "Take ye away the stone." Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said unto Him, "Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he hath been dead four days."

⁴⁰Jesus said unto her, "Said I not unto thee that if thou would believe, thou should see the glory of God?"

⁴¹Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, "Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me.

⁴²And I knew that Thou hearest Me always, but because of the people who stand by I said it, that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me."

⁴³And when He thus had spoken, He cried with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth!"

⁴⁴And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus said unto them, "Loose him, and let him go."

⁴⁵Then many of the Jews who came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed in Him.

⁴⁶But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

⁴⁷Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council and said, "What shall we do? For this man doeth many miracles.

⁴⁸If we let him thus alone, all men will believe in him, and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation."

⁴⁹And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, "Ye know nothing at all,

⁵⁰nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not."

⁵¹And he spoke this not of himself, but, being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for that nation;

⁵²and not for that nation only, but that also He should gather together in one the children of God who were scattered abroad.

⁵³So from that day forth, they took counsel together to put Him to death.

⁵⁴Jesus therefore walked no longer openly among the Jews, but went thence unto a region near the wilderness into a city called Ephraim, and there continued with His disciples.

⁵⁵And the Jews' Passover was nigh at hand, and many went out of the country up to Jerusalem before the Passover to purify themselves.

⁵⁶Then they sought for Jesus and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, saying, "What think ye -- that he will not come to the feast?"

⁵⁷Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command that if any man knew where He was, he should report it, that they might take Him.

12Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, who had been dead and whom He had raised from the dead.

²There they made Him a supper; and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of those who sat at the table with Him.

³Then Mary took a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment.

⁴Then one of His disciples, Judas Iscariot, Simon's son who was to betray Him, said,

⁵"Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence and given to the poor?"

⁶This he said, not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the money bag and took what was put therein.

⁷Then Jesus said, "Let her alone; against the day of My burying hath she kept this.

⁸For the poor always ye have with you, but Me ye have not always."

⁹Many people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there. And they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom He had raised from the dead.

¹⁰But the chief priests consulted, that they might put Lazarus also to death,

¹¹because by reason of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

¹²On the next day many people who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,

¹³took branches of palm trees and went forth to meet Him and cried, "Hosanna! Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord!"

¹⁴And Jesus, when He had found a young ass, sat thereon, as it is written:

¹⁵"Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt."

¹⁶These things His disciples understood not at first; but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things were written of Him, and that they had done these things unto Him.

¹⁷The people therefore who were with Him, when He called Lazarus out of his grave and raised him from the dead, bore record.

¹⁸For this cause the people also met Him, for they heard that He had done this miracle.

¹⁹The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, "Perceive ye how ye prevail not at all? Behold, the world has gone after him!"

²⁰And there were certain Greeks among them, who came up to worship at the feast.

²¹They came therefore to Philip, who was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we would see Jesus."

²²Philip went and told Andrew, and again Andrew and Philip told Jesus.

²³And Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour is come that the Son of Man should be glorified.

²⁴Verily, verily I say unto you, unless a grain of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

²⁵He that loveth his life shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.

²⁶If any man serve Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall also My servant be. If any man serve Me, him will My Father honor.

²⁷"Now is My soul troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save Me from this hour'? But for this cause came I unto this hour.

²⁸Father, glorify Thy name." Then there came a voice from Heaven, saying, "I HAVE BOTH GLORIFIED IT, AND WILL GLORIFY IT AGAIN."

²⁹The people therefore who stood by and heard it said that it thundered. Others said, "An angel spoke to him."

³⁰Jesus answered and said, "This voice came not because of Me, but for your sakes.

³¹Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

³²And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me."

³³This He said, signifying what death He should die.

³⁴The people answered Him, "We have heard from the law that Christ abideth for ever; and how sayest thou, 'The Son of Man must be lifted up'? Who is this son of man?"

³⁵Then Jesus said unto them, "Yet a little while is the Light with you. Walk while ye have the Light, lest darkness come upon you; for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

³⁶While ye have Light, believe in the Light, that ye may be the children of Light." These things spoke Jesus, and departed and hid Himself from them.

³⁷But though He had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not in Him,

³⁸that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke: "Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?"

³⁹Therefore they could not believe, because as Isaiah said again:

⁴⁰"He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them."

⁴¹These things said Isaiah when he saw His glory and spoke of Him.

⁴²Nevertheless, among the chief rulers also, many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue;

⁴³for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.

⁴⁴Jesus cried out and said, "He that believeth in Me, believeth not in Me, but in Him that sent Me.

⁴⁵And he that seeth Me, seeth Him that sent Me.

⁴⁶I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me should not abide in darkness.

⁴⁷And if any man hear My words and believe not, I judge him not; for I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.

⁴⁸He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth him; the Word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the Last Day.

⁴⁹For I have not spoken of Myself; but the Father who sent Me, He gave Me a commandment, what I should say and what I should speak.

⁵⁰And I know that His commandment is life everlasting. Whatsoever I speak therefore, even as the Father said unto Me, so I speak."

13Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them unto the end.

²And supper being ended, and the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray Him,

³Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands and that He had come from God and was going to God,

⁴rose from supper and laid aside His garments, and took a towel and girded Himself.

⁵After that He poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith He was girded.

⁶Then came He to Simon Peter, and Peter said unto Him, "Lord, dost Thou wash my feet?"

⁷Jesus answered and said unto him, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter."

⁸Peter said unto Him, "Thou shalt never wash my feet." Jesus answered him, "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me."

⁹Simon Peter said unto Him, "Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."

¹⁰Jesus said to him, "He that is washed needeth not but to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. And ye are clean, but not all."

¹¹(For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "Ye are not all clean.")

¹²So after He had washed their feet and had taken His garments and had sat down again, He said unto them, "Know ye what I have done to you?

¹³Ye call Me Master and Lord; and ye say well, for so I am.

¹⁴If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet.

¹⁵For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.

¹⁶Verily, verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord, neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

¹⁷If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

¹⁸"I speak not of you all. I know whom I have chosen; but that the Scripture may be fulfilled, 'He that eateth bread with Me hath lifted up his heel against Me.'

¹⁹Now I tell you before it come that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am He.

²⁰Verily, verily I say unto you, he that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth Me; and he that receiveth Me, receiveth Him that sentMe."

²¹When Jesus had thus said, He was troubled in spirit, and testified and said, "Verily, verily I say unto you that one of you shall betray Me."

²²Then the disciples looked at one another, not knowing of whom He spoke.

²³Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved.

²⁴Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom He spoke.

²⁵He then, leaning on Jesus' breast, said unto Him, "Lord, who is it?"

²⁶Jesus answered, "He it is to whom I shall give a sop when I have dipped it." And when He had dipped the sop, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon.

²⁷And after the sop, Satan entered into him. Then Jesus said unto him, "What thou doest, do quickly."

²⁸Now no man at the table knew with what intent He spoke this unto him.

²⁹For some of them thought, because Judas had the money bag, that Jesus had said unto him, "Buy those things that we have need of for the feast," or that he should give something to the poor.

³⁰Judas then, having received the sop, went immediately out. And it was night.

³¹Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, "Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him.

³²If God be glorified in Him, God shall also glorify Him in Himself, and shall straightway glorify Him.

³³Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek Me; and as I said unto the Jews, 'Whither I go ye cannot come,' so now say I to you.

³⁴A new commandment I give unto you: that ye love one another, as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

³⁵By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples: if ye have love one for another."

³⁶Simon Peter said unto Him, "Lord, whither goest Thou?" Jesus answered him, "Whither I go thou canst not follow Me now, but thou shalt follow Me afterwards."

³⁷Peter said unto Him, "Lord, why cannot I follow Thee now? I will lay down my life for Thy sake."

³⁸Jesus answered him, "Wilt thou lay down thy life for My sake? Verily, verily I say unto thee, the cock shall not crow till thou hast denied Me thrice.

14"Let not your heart be troubled. Ye believe in God; believe also in Me.

²In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

³And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.

⁴And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know."

⁵Thomas said unto Him, "Lord, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way?"

⁶Jesus said unto him, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.

⁷If ye had known Me, ye should have known My Father also; and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him."

⁸Philip said unto Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us."

⁹Jesus said unto him, "Have I been so long a time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, 'Show us the Father'?

¹⁰Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself; but the Father that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works.

¹¹Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me; or else believe Me for the very works' sake.

¹²Verily, verily I say unto you, he that believeth in Me, the works that I do he shall do also; and greater works than these shall he do, because I go unto My Father.

¹³And whatsoever ye shall ask in My name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

¹⁴If ye shall ask anything in My name, I will do it.

¹⁵"If ye love Me, keep My commandments.

¹⁶And I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever"

¹⁷even the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him. But ye know Him, for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

¹⁸"I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.

¹⁹Yet a little while and the world seeth Me no more, but ye see Me. Because I live, ye shall live also.

²⁰At that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you.

²¹He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me; and he that loveth Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will manifest Myself to him."

²²Judas (not Iscariot) said unto Him, "Lord, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world?"

²³Jesus answered and said unto him, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him.

²⁴He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My sayings. And the Word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father's who sent Me.

²⁵"These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

²⁶But the Comforter, who is the Holy Ghost whom the Father will send in My name, He shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

²⁷"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

²⁸Ye have heard how I said unto you, 'I go away and come again unto you.' If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice because I said, 'I go unto the Father,' for My Father is greater than I.

²⁹And now I have told you before it come to pass, that when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

³⁰"Hereafter I will not talk much with you, for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me.

³¹But that the world may know that I love the Father, as the Father gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

15"I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman.

²Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

³Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you.

⁴"Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine, no more can ye, unless ye abide in Me.

⁵"I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me and I in Him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without Me ye can do nothing.

⁶If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

⁷If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

⁸Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples.

⁹"As the Father hath loved Me, so have I loved you. Continue ye in My love.

¹⁰If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love, even as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.

¹¹These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.

¹²"This is My commandment: that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

¹³Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

¹⁴Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you.

¹⁵Henceforth I call you not servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard of My Father, I have made known unto you.

¹⁶Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit and that your fruit should remain, that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you.

¹⁷These things I command you, that ye love one another.

¹⁸"If the world hate you, ye know that it hated Me before it hated you.

¹⁹If ye were of the world, the world would love his own; but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

²⁰Remember the word that I said unto you: 'The servant is not greater than his lord.' If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept My saying, they will keep yours also.

²¹But all these things will they do unto you for My name's sake, because they know not Him that sent Me.

²²If I had not come and spoken unto them, they would not have sin, but now they have no cloak for their sin.

²³He that hateth Me hateth My Father also.

²⁴If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they would not have had sin; but now they have both seen and hated both Me and My Father.

²⁵But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law: 'They hated Me without a cause.'

²⁶"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of Truth who proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me.

²⁷And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning.

16"These things have I spoken unto you, that ye should not lose faith.

²They shall put you out of the synagogues; yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.

³And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor Me.

⁴But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. "And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

⁵But now I go My way to Him that sent Me, and none of you asketh Me, 'Whither goest Thou?'

⁶But because I have said these things unto you, sorrow hath filled your heart.

⁷Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is expedient for you that I go away, for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send Him unto you.

⁸And when He is come, He will reprove the world concerning sin, and concerning righteousness, and concerning judgment:

⁹concerning sin, because they believe not in Me;

¹⁰concerning righteousness, because I go to My Father and ye see Me no more;

¹¹concerning judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

¹²"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now.

¹³However when He, the Spirit of Truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak from Himself, but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak; and He will show you things to come.

¹⁴He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine, and shall show it unto you.

¹⁵All things that the Father hath are Mine; therefore I said that He shall take of Mine, and shall show it unto you.

¹⁶A little while, and ye shall not see Me; and again a little while, and ye shall see Me, because I go to the Father."

¹⁷Then said some of His disciples among themselves, "What is this that He saith unto us, 'A little while, and ye shall not see Me; and again a little while, and ye shall see Me,' and, 'because I go to the Father'?"

¹⁸They said therefore, "What is this that He saith, 'A little while'? We cannot tell what He saith."

¹⁹Now Jesus knew that they were desirous of asking Him, and said unto them, "Do ye inquire among yourselves of what I said, 'A little while, and ye shall not see Me; and again a little while, and ye shall see Me'?

²⁰Verily, verily I say unto you that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy.

²¹A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come; but as soon as she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world.

²²And ye now therefore have sorrow; but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

²³And in that day ye shall ask Me nothing. Verily, verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in My name, He will give it to you.

²⁴Hitherto have ye asked nothing in My name. Ask and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full.

²⁵"These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs; but the time cometh when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father.

²⁶In that day ye shall ask in My name, and I say not unto you that I will pray the Father for you;

²⁷for the Father Himself loveth you, because ye have loved Me and have believed that I came out from God.

²⁸I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world. Again, I leave the world and go to the Father."

²⁹His disciples said unto Him, "Lo, now speakest Thou plainly and speakest no proverb.

³⁰Now are we sure that Thou knowest all things and needest not that any man should ask Thee. By this we believe that Thou camest forth from God."

³¹Jesus answered them, "Do ye now believe?

³²Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me.

³³These things I have spoken unto you, that in Me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world."

17These words spoke Jesus and lifted up His eyes to Heaven and said, "Father, the hour is come. Glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee,

²as Thou hast given Him power over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as Thou hast given Him.

³And this is life eternal: that they might know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

⁴I have glorified Thee on the earth; I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do.

⁵And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own Self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was.

⁶"I have manifested Thy name unto the men whom Thou gavest Me out of the world. Thine they were, and Thou gavest them to Me, and they have kept Thy Word.

⁷Now they have known that all things whatsoever Thou hast given Me are of Thee.

⁸For I have given unto them the Words which Thou gavest Me; and they have received them and have known surely that I came out from Thee, and they have believed that Thou didst send Me.

⁹I pray for them; I pray not for the world, but for them whom Thou hast given Me, for they are Thine.

¹⁰And all Mine are Thine, and Thine are Mine, and I am glorified in them.

¹¹And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to Thee. Holy Father, keep through Thine own name those whom Thou hast given Me, that they may be one, as We are.

¹²While I was with them in the world, I kept them in Thy name. Those that Thou gavest Me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition, that the Scripture might be fulfilled.

¹³"And now come I to Thee, and these things I speak in the world, that they might have My joy fulfilled in themselves.

¹⁴I have given them Thy Word, and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

¹⁵I pray not that Thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that Thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

¹⁶They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

¹⁷Sanctify them through Thy truth: Thy Word is truth.

¹⁸As Thou hast sent Me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.

¹⁹And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.

²⁰"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also who shall believe in Me through their word,

²¹that they all may be one, as Thou, Father, art in Me and I in Thee, that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that Thou hast sent Me.

²²And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them, that they may be one, even as We are one:

²³I in them and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.

²⁴"Father, I will that they also, whom Thou hast given Me, be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which Thou hast given Me; for Thou loved Me before the foundation of the world.

²⁵"O righteous Father, the world hath not known Thee, but I have known Thee, and these have known that Thou hast sent Me.

²⁶And I have declared unto them Thy name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

18When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where was a garden into which He entered with His disciples.

²And Judas also, who betrayed Him, knew the place, for Jesus oftentimes resorted thither with His disciples.

³Judas then, having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came thither with lanterns and torches and weapons.

⁴Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon Him, went forth and said unto them, "Whom seek ye?"

⁵They answered Him, "Jesus of Nazareth." Jesus said unto them, "I am He." And Judas also, who betrayed Him, stood with them.

⁶As soon then as He had said unto them, "I am He," they went backward and fell to the ground.

⁷Then asked He them again, "Whom seek ye?" And they said, "Jesus of Nazareth."

⁸Jesus answered, "I have told you that I am He. If therefore ye seek Me, let these go their way,"

⁹that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, "Of those that Thou gavest Me, have I lost none."

¹⁰Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and smote the high priest's servant and cut off his right ear. The servant's name was Malchus.

¹¹Then said Jesus unto Peter, "Put up thy sword into the sheath. The cup which My Father hath given Me, shall I not drink it?"

¹²Then the band and the captain and officers of the Jews took Jesus and bound Him,

¹³and led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was the high priest that same year.

¹⁴Now it was Caiaphas who gave counsel to the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

¹⁵And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. That disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

¹⁶But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known unto the high priest, went out and spoke unto her who kept the door, and brought in Peter.

¹⁷Then the damsel who kept the door said unto Peter, "Art not thou also one of this man's disciples?" He said, "I am not."

¹⁸And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals, for it was cold and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them, and warmed himself.

¹⁹The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and about His doctrine.

²⁰Jesus answered him, "I spoke openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue and in the temple whither the Jews always resort, and in secret have I said nothing.

²¹Why askest thou Me? Ask them that heard Me what I have said unto them. Behold, they know what I said."

²²And when He had thus spoken, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, "Answerest thou the high priest so?"

²³Jesus answered him, "If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why smitest thou Me?"

²⁴Now Annas had sent Him bound unto Caiaphas, the high priest.

²⁵And Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. They said therefore unto him, "Art not thou also one of his disciples?" He denied it and said, "I am not."

²⁶One of the servants of the high priest, being kinsman of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, "Did not I see thee in the garden with him?"

²⁷Peter then denied again; and immediately the cock crowed.

²⁸Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas unto the hall of judgment. And it was early, and they themselves went not into the judgment hall, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover.

²⁹Pilate then went out unto them and said, "What accusation bring ye against this man?"

³⁰They answered and said unto him, "If he were not a malefactor, we would not have delivered him up unto thee."

³¹Then said Pilate unto them, "Take ye him and judge him according to your law." The Jews therefore said unto him, "It is not lawful for us to put any man to death,"

³²that the saying which Jesus had spoken, signifying what death He should die, might be fulfilled.

³³Then Pilate entered into the judgment hall again, and called Jesus and said unto Him, "Art thou the King of the Jews?"

³⁴Jesus answered him, "Sayest thou this thing of thyself, or did others tell it thee of Me?"

³⁵Pilate answered, "Am I a Jew? Thine own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee unto me. What hast thou done?"

³⁶Jesus answered, "My Kingdom is not of this world. If My Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews. But now is My Kingdom not from hence."

³⁷Pilate therefore said unto Him, "Art thou a king then?" Jesus answered, "Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice."

³⁸Pilate said unto Him, "What is truth?" And when he said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and said unto them, "I find in him no fault at all.

³⁹But ye have a custom that I should release unto you one at the Passover. Will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?"

⁴⁰Then cried they all again, saying, "Not this man, but Barabbas!" Now Barabbas was a robber.

19Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and scourged Him.

²And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe

³and said, "Hail, King of the Jews!" And they smote Him with their hands.

⁴Pilate therefore went forth again and said unto them, "Behold, I bring him forth to you, that ye may know that I find no fault in him."

⁵Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said unto them, "Behold the man!"

⁶When therefore the chief priests and the officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate said unto them, "Ye take him and crucify him, for I find no fault in him."

⁷The Jews answered him, "We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God."

⁸When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he was the more afraid.

⁹And he went again into the judgment hall and said unto Jesus, "From whence art thou?" But Jesus gave him no answer.

¹⁰Then said Pilate unto Him, "Speakest thou not unto me? Knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?"

¹¹Jesus answered, "Thou couldest have no power at all against Me, unless it were given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered Me unto thee hath the greater sin."

¹²And from thenceforth Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, "If thou let this man go, thou art not Caesar's friend. Whosoever maketh himself a king speaketh against Caesar."

¹³When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in Hebrew, Gabbatha.

¹⁴And it was the Preparation of the Passover and about the sixth hour, and Pilate said unto the Jews, "Behold your king!"

¹⁵But they cried out, "Away with him, away with him! Crucify him!" Pilate said unto them, "Shall I crucify your king?" The chief priests answered, "We have no king but Caesar!"

¹⁶Then he delivered Him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him away.

¹⁷And He, bearing His cross, went forth into a place called the Place of a Skull (which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha)

¹⁸where they crucified Him and two others with Him, one on either side and Jesus in the midst.

¹⁹And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.

²⁰Then many of the Jews read this title, for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city, and it was written in Hebrew and Greek and Latin.

²¹Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, "Write not 'The King of the Jews,' but, 'He said, I am King of the Jews.'"

²²Pilate answered, "What I have written, I have written."

²³Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took His garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part, and also His coat. Now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

²⁴They said therefore among themselves, "Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be," that the Scripture might be fulfilled which saith, "They parted My raiment among them, and for My vesture did they cast lots." These things therefore the soldiers did.

²⁵Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother and His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.

²⁶When Jesus therefore saw His mother and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He said unto His mother, "Woman, behold thy son!"

²⁷Then said He to the disciple, "Behold thy mother!" And from that hour, that disciple took her unto his own home.

²⁸After this Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst."

²⁹Now there was set there a vessel full of vinegar; and they filled a sponge with vinegar and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth.

³⁰When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, "It is finished." And He bowed His head and gave up the ghost.

³¹The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, and so that the bodies should not remain upon the cross on the Sabbath day (for that Sabbath day was a high day), besought Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.

³²Then came the soldiers and broke the legs of the first and of the other who was crucified with Him.

³³But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was dead already, they broke not His legs,

³⁴but one of the soldiers with a spear pierced His side, and forthwith there came out blood and water.

³⁵And he that saw it bore record, and his record is true, and he knoweth that he saith truly, that ye might believe.

³⁶For these things were done, that the Scripture should be fulfilled: "A bone of Him shall not be broken."

³⁷And again another Scripture saith, "They shall look on Him whom they pierced."

³⁸And after this, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but secretly for fear of the Jews, besought Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate gave him leave. He came therefore and took the body of Jesus.

³⁹And there came also Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, and brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds in weight.

⁴⁰Then took they the body of Jesus and wound it in linen cloths with the spices, as is the manner of the Jews for burial.

⁴¹Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new sepulcher wherein was never man yet laid.

⁴²There they laid Jesus therefore because of the Jews' Preparation Day, for the sepulcher was nigh at hand.

20On the first day of the week came Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulcher and saw the stone taken away from the sepulcher.

²Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said unto them, "They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher, and we know not where they have laid Him!"

³Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulcher.

⁴And they both ran together, and the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the sepulcher.

⁵And stooping down and looking in, he saw the linen cloths lying, yet he went not in.

⁶Then came Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher and saw the linen cloths as they lay

⁷and the napkin that had been about His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but wrapped together in a place by itself.

⁸Then the other disciple, who came first to the sepulcher, went in also; and he saw, and believed.

⁹For as yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.

¹⁰Then the disciples went away again unto their own home.

¹¹But Mary stood outside at the sepulcher weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the sepulcher,

¹²and saw two angels in white, sitting one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus had lain.

¹³And they said unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou?" She said unto them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I know not where they have laid Him."

¹⁴And when she had thus said, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.

¹⁵Jesus said unto her, "Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?" She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said unto Him, "Sir, if thou have borne Him hence, tell me where thou hast laid Him, and I will take Him away."

¹⁶Jesus said unto her, "Mary!" She turned herself and said unto Him, "Rabboni!" (which is to say, "Master").

¹⁷Jesus said unto her, "Touch Me not, for I am not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say unto them, 'I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.'"

¹⁸Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things unto her.

¹⁹Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in their midst and said unto them, "Peace be unto you."

²⁰And when He had so said, He showed unto them His hands and His side. Then were the disciples glad when they saw the Lord.

²¹Then said Jesus to them again, "Peace be unto you. As My Father hath sent Me, even so send I you."

²²And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said unto them, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost.

²³Whosoever sins ye remit, they are remitted unto them; and whosoever sins ye retain, they are retained."

²⁴But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁵The other disciples therefore said unto him, "We have seen the Lord." But he said unto them, "Unless I shall see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into His side, I will not believe."

²⁶And after eight days the disciples were again within, and Thomas was with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in their midst and said, "Peace be unto you."

²⁷Then said He to Thomas, "Reach hither thy finger and behold My hands, and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into My side: and be not faithless, but believing."

²⁸And Thomas answered and said unto Him, "My Lord and my God!"

²⁹Jesus said unto him, "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed. Blessed are they that have not seen and yet have believed."

³⁰And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.

³¹But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, ye might have life through His name.

21After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way showed He Himself:

²There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two other of His disciples.

³Simon Peter said unto them, "I am going fishing." They said unto him, "We also go with thee." They went forth and entered into a boat immediately; and that night they caught nothing.

⁴But when the morning had now come, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples knew not that it was Jesus.

⁵Then Jesus said unto them, "Children, have ye any meat?" And they answered Him, "No."

⁶And He said unto them, "Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and ye shall find." They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it in for the multitude of fishes.

⁷Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said unto Peter, "It is the Lord!" Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girded his fisher's coat unto him (for he was naked) and cast himself into the sea.

⁸And the other disciples came in a little boat (for they were not far from land, but, as it were, two hundred cubits), dragging the net with fishes.

⁹As soon then as they had come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon and bread.

¹⁰Jesus said unto them, "Bring of the fish which ye have now caught."

¹¹Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of great fishes, a hundred and fifty three; and though there were so many, yet the net was not broken.

¹²Jesus said unto them, "Come and dine." And none of the disciples dared ask Him, "Who art Thou?" knowing that it was the Lord.

¹³Jesus then came and took bread and gave it to them, and fish likewise.

¹⁴This is now the third time that Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was risen from the dead.

¹⁵So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou Me more than these?" He said unto Him, "Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee." He said unto him, "Feed My lambs."

¹⁶He said to him again the second time, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou Me?" He said unto Him, "Yea, Lord; Thou knowest that I love Thee." He said unto him, "Feed My sheep."

¹⁷He said unto him the third time, "Simon, son of Jonah, lovest thou Me?" Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, "Lovest thou Me?" And he said unto Him, "Lord, Thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love Thee." Jesus said unto him, "Feed My sheep.

¹⁸Verily, verily I say unto thee, when thou wast young, thou girded thyself and walked whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not."

¹⁹This spoke He, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said unto him, "Follow Me."

²⁰Then Peter, turning about, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following, who also had leaned on His breast at supper, and said, "Lord, who is he that betrayeth Thee?"

²¹Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "Lord, and what shall this man do?"

²²Jesus said unto him, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me."

²³Then this saying went abroad among the brethren, that that disciple should not die. Yet Jesus had not said unto him, "He shall not die," but, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee?"

²⁴This is the disciple who testifieth of these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

²⁵And there are also many other things which Jesus did, which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.

1In the former treatise, O Theophilus, I have given an account of all that Jesus began both to do and teach

²until the day in which He was taken up, after He had given commandments through the Holy Ghost unto the apostles, whom He had chosen.

³To these also He showed Himself alive after His passion by many infallible proofs, being seen by them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.

⁴And being assembled together with them, He commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, "which," saith He, "ye have heard from Me;

⁵for John truly baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence."

⁶When they therefore had come together, they asked of Him, saying, "Lord, wilt Thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?"

⁷And He said unto them, "It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father hath put in His own power.

⁸But ye shall receive power after the Holy Ghost is come upon you; and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth."

⁹And when He had spoken these things, while they beheld, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.

¹⁰And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as He went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel,

¹¹who also said, "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven."

¹²Then they returned unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a Sabbath day's journey.

¹³And when they had come in, they went up into an upper room where abode both Peter and James, and John and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the brother of James.

¹⁴These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren.

¹⁵And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples (the number of names altogether were about a hundred and twenty) and said,

¹⁶"Men and brethren, it was necessary that this Scripture be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spoke before concerning Judas, who was the guide to those who took Jesus.

¹⁷For he was numbered with us, and had obtained a part of this ministry.

¹⁸Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the middle, and all his bowels gushed out.

¹⁹And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem, insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Akel Dama, that is to say, the Field of Blood.

²⁰For it is written in the book of Psalms: 'Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein'; and, 'His bishopric let another take.'

²¹Therefore from these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,

²²beginning from the baptism of John until that same day that He was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of His resurrection."

²³And they appointed two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.

²⁴And they prayed and said, "Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all men, show us which of these two Thou hast chosen,

²⁵that he may take part of this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place."

²⁶And they cast their lots, and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

2And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.

³And there appeared unto them cloven tongues as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.

⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

⁵And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men out of every nation under heaven.

⁶Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together and were confounded, because every man heard them speaking in his own language.

⁷And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, "Behold, are not all these who speak Galileans?

⁸And how then do we each hear them speaking in our own tongue wherein we were born?

⁹Parthians, Medes, Elamites and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,

¹⁰Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,

¹¹Cretans and Arabians -- we hear them speak in our own tongues the wonderful works of God."

¹²And they were all amazed and were in doubt, saying one to another, "What meaneth this?"

¹³Others mocking said, "These men are full of new wine."

¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice and said unto them, "Ye men of Judea and all ye who dwell in Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words.

¹⁵For these are not drunken as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day;

¹⁶but this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel:

¹⁷'And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams.

¹⁸And on My servants and on My handmaidens I will pour out in those days My Spirit, and they shall prophesy.

¹⁹And I will show wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath -- blood and fire and vapor of smoke.

²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood before that great and notable Day of the Lord come.

²¹And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.'

²²"Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man approved of God among you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did through Him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know --

²³Him, being delivered by the determinate will and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain.

²⁴But God hath raised Him up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it.

²⁵For David speaketh concerning Him: 'I beheld the Lord always before my face, for He is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.

²⁶Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope,

²⁷because Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.

²⁸Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; Thou shalt make me full of joy with Thy countenance.'

²⁹"Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulcher is with us unto this day.

³⁰Therefore, being a prophet and knowing that God had sworn an oath to him that from the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh He would raise up Christ to sit on his throne,

³¹David, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of Christ that 'His soul was not left in hell, neither did His flesh see corruption.'

³²This Jesus hath God raised up, of which we are all witnesses.

³³Therefore, being exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this which ye now see and hear.

³⁴For David is not ascended into the heavens, but he himself saith, 'The LORD said unto my Lord, "Sit Thou on My right hand

³⁵until I make Thy foes Thy footstool."'

³⁶"Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ."

³⁷Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?"

³⁸Then Peter said unto them, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

³⁹For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all who are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call."

⁴⁰And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, "Save yourselves from this untoward generation."

⁴¹Then those who gladly received his words were baptized, and that same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

⁴²And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in the breaking of bread and in prayers.

⁴³And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.

⁴⁴And all who believed were together and had all things in common,

⁴⁵and they sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all men, as every man had need.

⁴⁶And continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,

⁴⁷praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

3Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

²And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered into the temple.

³He, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.

⁴And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, "Look on us."

⁵And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them.

⁶Then Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have, I give thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk."

⁷And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.

⁸And leaping up, he stood and walked and entered with them into the temple, walking and leaping and praising God.

⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God,

¹⁰and they knew that it was he that sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.

¹¹And as the lame man who had been healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch, which is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

¹²And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, "Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man walk?

¹³The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus, whom ye delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let Him go.

¹⁴But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you,

¹⁵and killed the Prince of Life whom God hath raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

¹⁶And His name, through faith in His name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know. Yea, the faith which is by Him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

¹⁷"And now, brethren, I know that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.

¹⁸But those things which God before had shown by the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath thus fulfilled.

¹⁹Repent ye therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.

²⁰Then He shall send Jesus Christ, who before was preached unto you,

²¹whom Heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.

²²For Moses truly said unto the fathers, 'A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever He shall say unto you.

²³And it shall come to pass that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be destroyed from among the people.'

²⁴Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those who follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

²⁵Ye are the children of the prophets and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, 'And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.'

²⁶Unto you first, God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent Him to bless you in turning every one of you away from his iniquities."

4And as they spoke unto the people, the priests and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,

²being aggrieved that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

³And they laid hands on them and put them in hold until the next day, for it was now eventide.

⁴However, many of those who had heard the Word believed, the number of the men being about five thousand.

⁵And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers and elders and scribes,

⁶and Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and as many as were kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.

⁷And when they had set them in their midst, they asked, "By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?"

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, "Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel,

⁹if we this day are examined about the good deed done to the infirm man, and by what means he is made whole,

¹⁰be it known unto you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified and whom God raised from the dead, even by Him doth this man stand here before you whole.

¹¹This is 'the stone which was set at nought by you builders and which has become the head of the corner.'

¹²Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled; and they took note concerning them that they had been with Jesus.

¹⁴And beholding the man who was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

¹⁵But when they had commanded them to go outside the council, they conferred among themselves,

¹⁶saying, "What shall we do to these men? For indeed, that a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all those who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.

¹⁷But so that it spread no further among the people, let us strictly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name."

¹⁸And they called them back and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said unto them, "Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye;

²⁰for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard."

²¹So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing for which they might punish them, because of the people; for all men glorified God for that which had been done.

²²For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing was shown.

²³And being let go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.

²⁴And when they heard this, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, "Lord, Thou art God who hast made heaven and earth and the sea and all that is in them,

²⁵who by the mouth of Thy servant David hast said, 'Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?

²⁶The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and against His Christ.'

²⁷For truly against Thy holy child Jesus, whom Thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, had gathered together

²⁸to do whatsoever Thy hand and Thy counsel determined before to be done.

²⁹And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, and grant unto Thy servants that with all boldness they may speak Thy Word,

³⁰by stretching forth Thine hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of Thy holy child Jesus."

³¹And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spoke the Word of God with boldness.

³²And the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and of one soul; neither said any one of them that any of the things which he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common.

³³And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.

³⁴Neither was there any among them that lacked, for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold

³⁵and laid them down at the apostles' feet. And distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

³⁶And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, "the Son of Consolation"), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,

³⁷having land, sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet.

5But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession

²and kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part of it and laid it at the apostles' feet.

³But Peter said, "Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost and to keep back part of the price of the land?

⁴While it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God."

⁵And Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost. And great fear came on all those who heard these things.

⁶And the young men arose and wrapped him up, and carried him out and buried him.

⁷And it was about the space of three hours later when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.

⁸And Peter said unto her, "Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much?" And she said, "Yea, for so much."

⁹Then Peter said unto her, "How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the feet of those who have buried thy husband are at the door and shall carry thee out."

¹⁰Then she fell down straightway at his feet and yielded up the ghost. And the young men came in and found her dead and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.

¹¹And great fear came upon all the church and upon as many as heard these things.

¹²And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people, and they were all with one accord in Solomon's Porch.

¹³But of the rest, no man dared join himself to them, but the people magnified them.

¹⁴And more believers were added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women,

¹⁵insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.

¹⁶There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks and those who were vexed with unclean spirits; and they were healed, every one.

¹⁷Then the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees); and they were filled with indignation,

¹⁸and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.

¹⁹But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth and said,

²⁰"Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this Life."

²¹And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest came, and those who were with him, and called the council together with all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.

²²But when the officers came and found them not in the prison, they returned and reported, saying,

²³"The prison truly found we shut with all safety and the keepers standing outside before the doors; but when we had opened them, we found no man within."

²⁴Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they were in doubt about them as to where this would grow.

²⁵Then there came one and told them, saying, "Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people."

²⁶Then the captain went with his officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned.

²⁷And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them,

²⁸saying, "Did not we strictly command you that ye should not teach in this name? And behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon us."

²⁹Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, "We ought to obey God rather than men.

³⁰The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.

³¹Him hath God exalted with His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

³²And we are His witnesses of these things, and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to those who obey Him."

³³When they heard this, they were cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them.

³⁴Then there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law held in high repute among all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside a little while.

³⁵And he said unto them, "Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do concerning these men.

³⁶For before these days Theudas rose up, boasting himself to be somebody, to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves. He was slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and brought to nought.

³⁷After this man, rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.

³⁸And now I say unto you, refrain from these men and let them alone, for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought;

³⁹but if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it, lest it may happen ye be found even to fight against God."

⁴⁰And with him they agreed. And when they had called the apostles back and had beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

⁴¹And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.

⁴²And daily in the temple and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.

6And in those days when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.

²Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them and said, "It is not fitting that we should leave the Word of God to serve tables.

³Therefore, brethren, look ye out among you for seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.

⁴But we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the Word."

⁵And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor, and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch,

⁶whom they set before the apostles. And when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

⁷And the Word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly, and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.

⁸And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.

⁹Then there arose certain from the synagogue which is called the Synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and those of Cilicia and of Asia, and they disputed with Stephen.

¹⁰And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke.

¹¹Then they suborned men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God."

¹²And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and came upon him and caught him, and brought him to the council.

¹³And they set up false witnesses who said, "This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law;

¹⁴for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered to us."

¹⁵And all who sat on the council, looking steadfastly on him, saw his face as though it were the face of an angel.

7Then said the high priest, "Are these things so?"

²And Stephen said, "Men, brethren and fathers, hearken! The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran,

³and said unto him, 'Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall show thee.'

⁴Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans, and dwelt in Haran; and from thence, when his father was dead, He removed himself into this land wherein ye now dwell.

⁵And He gave him no inheritance in it -- no, not so much as to set his foot on; yet He promised that He would give it to him as a possession and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.

⁶And God spoke in this way: that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should be brought into bondage and be mistreated for four hundred years.

⁷'And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge,' said God, 'and after that shall they come forth, and serve Me in this place.'

⁸And He gave him the covenant of circumcision. And so Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot the twelve patriarchs.

⁹And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. But God was with him

¹⁰and delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him governor over Egypt and all his house.

¹¹"Now there came a dearth and great affliction over all the land of Egypt and Canaan, and our fathers found no sustenance.

¹²But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he first sent out our fathers.

¹³And on the second visit Joseph was made known to his brethren, and Joseph's kindred were made known unto Pharaoh.

¹⁴Then Joseph sent and called his father Jacob to him and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.

¹⁵So Jacob went down into Egypt and died, he and our fathers.

¹⁶And they were carried back into Shechem, and laid in the sepulcher that Abraham had bought for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor, the father of Shechem.

¹⁷"But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,

¹⁸until another king arose who knew not Joseph.

¹⁹The same dealt craftily with our kindred and illtreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end that they might not live.

²⁰At that time Moses was born and was exceedingly fair, and was nourished in his father's house three months.

²¹And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him as her own son.

²²And Moses became learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.

²³"And when he was fully forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel.

²⁴And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian,

²⁵for he supposed his brethren would have understood how God, by his hand, would deliver them; but they understood not.

²⁶And the next day he showed himself unto them as they were quarreling, and would have set them at one again, saying, 'Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one another?'

²⁷But he that was doing his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying, 'Who made thee a ruler and judge over us?

²⁸Wilt thou kill me as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday?'

²⁹Then Moses fled at this saying and became a stranger in the land of Midian, where he begot two sons.

³⁰"And when forty years had expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai an angel of the Lord, in a flame of fire in a bush.

³¹When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight; and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying,

³²'I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.' Then Moses trembled and dared not behold.

³³Then said the Lord to him, 'Put off thy shoes from thy feet, for the place where thou standest is holy ground.

³⁴I have seen, I have seen the affliction of My people who are in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning and have come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.'

³⁵"This Moses whom they refused, saying, 'Who made thee a ruler and a judge?' was the same whom God sent to be a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush.

³⁶He brought them out after he had shown wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness forty years.

³⁷This is that Moses who said unto the children of Israel, 'A Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from your brethren, like unto me; Him shall ye hear.'

³⁸This is he, who in the church in the wilderness was with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers--the one who received the living oracles to give unto us,

³⁹to whom our fathers would not be obedient, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,

⁴⁰saying unto Aaron, 'Make us gods to go before us; for as for this Moses, who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we know not what has become of him.'

⁴¹And they made a calf in thosedaysandoffered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.

⁴²"Then God turned, and gave them up to the worship of the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: 'O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to Me slain beasts and sacrifices for the space of forty years in the wilderness?

⁴³Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch and the star of your god Remphan, images which ye made to worship them. And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.'

⁴⁴"Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as He had appointed, speaking unto Moses that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen,

⁴⁵which also our fathers, who came later, brought with Joshua into the territory of the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the days of David.

⁴⁶David found favor before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.

⁴⁷But Solomon built Him a house.

⁴⁸"However, the Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands, as saith the prophet:

⁴⁹'Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What house will ye build Me? saith the Lord. Or what is the place of My rest?

⁵⁰Hath not My hand made all these things?'

⁵¹"Ye stiffnecked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost! As your fathers did, so do ye!

⁵²Which of the prophets have your fathers not persecuted? And they have slain those who foretold the coming of the Just One. Of Him ye have now been the betrayers and murderers,

⁵³ye who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it."

⁵⁴When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed with their teeth at him.

⁵⁵But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up steadfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God,

⁵⁶and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."

⁵⁷Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

⁵⁸and cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man whose name was Saul.

⁵⁹And they stoned Stephen as he called upon God and said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

⁶⁰And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, charge not this sin against them." And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

8And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

²And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.

³As for Saul, he made havoc of the church. Entering into every house and haling men and women, he committed them to prison.

⁴Therefore those who were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the Word.

⁵Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.

⁶And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spoke, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.

⁷For unclean spirits, crying with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed with them; and many taken with palsies and who were lame, were healed.

⁸And there was great joy in that city.

⁹But there was a certain man called Simon, who earlier in the same city had used sorcery and bewitched the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great,

¹⁰to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is great with the power of God."

¹¹And for him they had regard, because for a long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.

¹²But when they believed Philip's preaching of the things concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³Then Simon himself believed also; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.

¹⁴Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that amaria had received the Word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John,

¹⁵who, when they had come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost.

¹⁶(For as yet, He had fallen upon none of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus).

¹⁷Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,

¹⁹saying, "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost."

²⁰But Peter said unto him, "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money!

²¹Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.

²²Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God that perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.

²³For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."

²⁴Then Simon answered and said, "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me."

²⁵And they, when they had testified and preached the Word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem and preached the Gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶And the angel of the Lord spoke unto Philip, saying, "Arise and go toward the south unto the road that goeth down from Jerusalem into Gaza, which is desert."

²⁷And he arose and went. And behold, a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who had charge of all her treasure and had come to Jerusalem to worship,

²⁸was returning; and sitting in his chariot, he was reading Isaiah the prophet.

²⁹Then the Spirit said unto Philip, "Go near and join thyself to this chariot."

³⁰And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, "Understandest thou what thou readest?"

³¹And he said, "How can I, unless some man should guide me?" And he besought Philip that he would come up and sit with him.

³²The place of the Scripture from which he read was this: "He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb before his shearer is dumb, so opened He not His mouth.

³³In His humiliation, His judgment was taken away. And who shall declare His generation? For His life is taken from the earth."

³⁴And the eunuch answered Philip and said, "I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? Of himself, or of some other man?"

³⁵Then Philip opened his mouth and began at the same Scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.

³⁶And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water; and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What doth hinder me from being baptized?"

³⁷And Philip said, "If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest." And he answered and said, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."

³⁸And he commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

³⁹And when they had come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. And the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus, and passing through, he preached in all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

9And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,

²and asked of him letters to the synagogues at Damascus, that if he found any who were of this Way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.

³And as he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly there shone round about him a light from heaven.

⁴And he fell to the earth and heard a voice saying unto him, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?"

⁵And he said, "Who art Thou, Lord?" And the Lord said, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest; it is hard for thee to kick against the goads."

⁶And he, trembling and astonished, said, "Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" And the Lord said unto him, "Arise and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do."

⁷And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no man.

⁸And Saul arose from the earth, and when his eyes were opened, he could see no man; but they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

⁹And he was three days without sight, and neither did he eat nor drink.

¹⁰And there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Behold, I am here, Lord."

¹¹And the Lord said unto him, "Arise and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for the one called Saul of Tarsus; for behold, he prayeth

¹²and hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight."

¹³Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many of this man, and how much evil he hath done to Thy saints in Jerusalem.

¹⁴And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Thy name."

¹⁵But the Lord said unto him, "Go thy way, for he is a chosen vessel unto Me, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

¹⁶For I will show him what great things he must suffer for My name's sake."

¹⁷And Ananias went his way and entered into the house, and putting his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus who appeared unto thee on the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive thy sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost."

¹⁸And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received sight forthwith, and arose and was baptized.

¹⁹And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

²⁰And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God.

²¹But all that heard him were amazed and said, "Is not this he that destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither with the intent that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?"

²²But Saul increased the more in strength and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that Jesus is the very Christ.

²³And after many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him.

²⁴But their lying in wait became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.

²⁵Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall in a basket.

²⁶And when Saul had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join himself to the disciples, but they were all afraid of him and believed not that he was a disciple.

²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord on the way and that He had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

²⁸And he was with them, coming in and going out at Jerusalem.

²⁹And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Grecians, but they went about to slay him.

³⁰And when the brethren heard of this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him forth to Tarsus.

³¹Then the churches throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had rest and were edified, and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.

³²And it came to pass, as Peter was passing throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints who dwelt at Lydda.

³³And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had kept to his bed for eight years and was sick with the palsy.

³⁴And Peter said unto him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed." And he arose immediately.

³⁵And all who dwelt in Lydda and Sharon saw him, and turned to the Lord.

³⁶Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha (which interpreted is called Dorcas). This woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.

³⁷And it came to pass in those days that she was sick and died; and when they had washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber.

³⁸And inasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he should not delay to come to them.

³⁹Then Peter arose and went with them. And when he had come, they brought him into the upper chamber; and all the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the coats and garments which Dorcas made while she was with them.

⁴⁰But Peter put them all outside and kneeled down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, arise." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.

⁴¹And he gave her his hand and lifted her up; and calling in the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

⁴²And it became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

⁴³And it came to pass that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon, a tanner.

10There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of the band called the Italian Band,

²a devout man and one who feared God with all his house, who gave many alms to the people and prayed to God always.

³He saw in a vision clearly, about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in to him and saying unto him, "Cornelius!"

⁴And when he looked on him, he was afraid and said, "What is it, lord?" And he said unto him, "Thy prayers and thine alms have risen up as a memorial before God.

⁵And now send men to Joppa and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.

⁶He lodgeth with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the seaside; he shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do."

⁷And when the angel who spoke unto Cornelius had departed, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier from those who waited on him continually.

⁸And when he had related all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa.

⁹On the morrow, as they went on their journey and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the housetop to pray about the sixth hour.

¹⁰And he became very hungry and would have eaten; but while they were making ready he fell into a trance,

¹¹and saw heaven opened and a certain vessel descending unto him as though it had been a great sheet knit at the four corners and let down to the earth,

¹²wherein were all kinds of fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air.

¹³And there came a voice to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

¹⁴But Peter said, "Not so, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean."

¹⁵And the voice spoke unto him again the second time, "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common."

¹⁶This was done thrice, and the vessel was received up again into heaven.

¹⁷Now while Peter wondered to himself what this vision which he had seen could mean, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate,

¹⁸and called and asked whether Simon, who was surnamed Peter, was lodged there.

¹⁹While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, "Behold, three men seek thee.

²⁰Arise therefore, and get thee down and go with them, doubting nothing, for I have sent them."

²¹Then Peter went down to the men who were sent unto him from Cornelius and said, "Behold, I am he whom ye seek. What is the cause for which ye have come?"

²²And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man and one who feareth God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house and to hear words from thee."

²³Then Peter called them in and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and certain brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

²⁴And the morrow after they entered into Caesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called together his kinsmen and near friends.

²⁵And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him.

²⁶But Peter took him up, saying, "Stand up; I myself also am a man."

²⁷And as he talked with him, he went in and found many who had come together.

²⁸And he said unto them, "Ye know that it is an unlawful thing for a man who is a Jew to keep company with or to come unto one of another nation. But God hath shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean.

²⁹Therefore came I unto you without gainsaying as soon as I was sent for. I ask therefore, with what intent ye have sent for me?"

³⁰And Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

³¹and said, 'Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms have been remembered in the sight of God.

³²Send therefore to Joppa and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter. He is lodged in the house of one Simon, a tanner, by the seaside. He, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee.'

³³Immediately therefore I sent to thee, and thou hast done well, that thou hast come. Now therefore are we all here present before God to hear all things that are commanded thee from God."

³⁴Then Peter opened his mouth and said, "In truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons,

³⁵but in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted by Him.

³⁶The Word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) --

³⁷that Word, I say, ye know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism which John preached:

³⁸how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

³⁹And we are witnesses of all things which He did, both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem -- He whom they hanged on a tree and slew.

⁴⁰Him God raised up the third day and showed Him openly,

⁴¹not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before by God, even to us who ate and drank with Him after He rose from the dead.

⁴²And He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be the Judge of the quick and dead.

⁴³To Him all the prophets bear witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins."

⁴⁴While Peter was yet speaking these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all those who heard the Word.

⁴⁵And those of the Circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Ghost was poured out also on the Gentiles.

⁴⁶For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then answered Peter,

⁴⁷"Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Ghost, as well as we?"

⁴⁸And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they entreated him to tarry certain days.

11And the apostles and the brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God.

²And when Peter had come up to Jerusalem, those who were of the Circumcision contended with him,

³saying, "Thou wentest in to uncircumcised men and didst eat with them."

⁴But Peter reviewed the matter from the beginning and expounded it in order unto them, saying,

⁵"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. A certain vessel descended as though it had been a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners, and it came even to me.

⁶And when I had fastened my eyes on it, I considered it and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things and fowls of the air.

⁷And I heard a voice saying unto me, 'Arise, Peter; slay and eat.'

⁸But I said, 'Not so, Lord, for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth.'

⁹But the voice answered me again from heaven, 'What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.'

¹⁰And this was done three times, and all were drawn up again into heaven.

¹¹And behold, immediately three men had already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me.

¹²And the Spirit bade me go with them, doubting nothing. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man's house.

¹³And he showed us how he had seen an angel in his house, who stood and said unto him, 'Send men to Joppa and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter,

¹⁴who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all of thy house shall be saved.'

¹⁵And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning.

¹⁶Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.'

¹⁷If therefore God gave them the same gift as He did unto us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God?"

¹⁸When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, "Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life."

¹⁹Now those who had been scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose on account of Stephen, traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the Word to none but unto the Jews only.

²⁰And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they had come to Antioch, spoke unto the Greeks, preaching the Lord Jesus.

²¹And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord.

²²Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

²³And when he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and exhorted them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord,

²⁴for he was a good man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And many people were added unto the Lord.

²⁵Then Barnabas departed to Tarsus to seek out Saul;

²⁶and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass that for a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught many people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.

²⁷And in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch.

²⁸And one of them named Agabus stood up, and signified by the Spirit that there would be a great dearth throughout all the world, which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.

²⁹Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren who dwelt in Judea.

³⁰This also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul.

12Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.

²And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.

³And because he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (This was during the Days of Unleavened Bread.)

⁴And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.

⁵Peter therefore was kept in prison, but prayer was made without ceasing by the church unto God for him.

⁶And when Herod would have brought him forth, that same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and the keepers were guarding the door of the prison.

⁷And behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, "Arise up quickly." And his chains fell off from his hands.

⁸And the angel said unto him, "Gird thyself and bind on thy sandals." And so he did. And the angel said unto him, "Cast thy garment about thee and follow me."

⁹And he went out and followed him, and knew not whether what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he saw a vision.

¹⁰When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came unto the iron gate that leadeth unto the city, which opened to them of his own accord. And they went out and passed on through one street, and forthwith the angel departed from him.

¹¹And when Peter had come to himself, he said, "Now I know in truth that the Lord hath sent His angel, and hath delivered me out of the hand of Herod and from all the expectations of the people of the Jews."

¹²And when he had considered this thing, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying.

¹³And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel named Rhoda came to ask who was there.

¹⁴And when she recognized Peter's voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in and told how Peter stood before the gate.

¹⁵And they said unto her, "Thou art mad." But she continued to affirm that it was even so. Then they said, "It is his angel."

¹⁶But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.

¹⁷But he, beckoning unto them with his hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Go and tell these things unto James and to the brethren." And he departed and went into another place.

¹⁸Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

¹⁹And when Herod had sought him and found him not, he examined the guards and commanded that they should be put to death. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and there stayed.

²⁰And Herod was highly displeased with those from Tyre and Sidon. But they came with one accord to him and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was nourished by the king's country.

²¹And upon a set day Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon his throne and delivered an oration unto them.

²²And the people gave a shout, saying, "It is the voice of a god, and not of a man!"

²³And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory; and he was eaten by worms and gave up the ghost.

²⁴But the Word of God grew and multiplied.

²⁵And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

13Now there were in the church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene,and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

²As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, "Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

³And when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

⁴So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, departed unto Seleucia, and from thence they sailed to Cyprus.

⁵And when they were at Salamis, they preached the Word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had also John in their ministry.

⁶And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus.

⁷He was with the deputy of the country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the Word of God.

⁸But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith.

⁹Then Saul (who also is called Paul), filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him

¹⁰and said, "O, full of all guile and all mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

¹¹And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season." And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking someone to lead him by the hand.

¹²Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.

¹³Now when Paul and his company cast loose from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem.

¹⁴But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down.

¹⁵And after the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, "Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."

¹⁶Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said: "Men of Israel and ye that fear God, give audience!

¹⁷The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm He brought them out of it.

¹⁸And for about forty years, He suffered their ways in the wilderness.

¹⁹And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He divided their land among them by lot.

²⁰And after that, He gave unto them judges for about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

²¹And afterward they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years.

²²And when He had removed him, He raised up unto them David to be their king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after Mine own heart, who shall fulfill all My will.'

²³Of this man's seed hath God, according to His promise, raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus.

²⁴John had first preached, before His coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

²⁵And as John was fulfilling his course, he said, 'Whom think ye that I am? I am not He. But behold, there cometh One after me, the shoes of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.'

²⁶"Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.

²⁷For those who dwell in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they knew Him not nor yet understood the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath day, have fulfilled them in condemning Him.

²⁸And though they found no cause for death in Him, yet they asked Pilate that He should be slain.

²⁹And when they had fulfilled all that was written of Him, they took Him down from the tree and laid Him in a sepulcher.

³⁰But God raised Him from the dead;

³¹and He was seen many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are His witnesses unto the people.

³²And we declare unto you glad tidings of the promise which was made unto the fathers:

³³God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that He hath raised up Jesus again, as it is also written in the second Psalm: 'Thou art My Son; this day have I begotten Thee.'

³⁴And concerning that He raised Him up from the dead, now no more to return to corruption, He said thus: 'I will give you the sure mercies of David.'

³⁵Therefore He saith also in another Psalm: 'Thou shalt not suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.'

³⁶For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers, and saw corruption.

³⁷But He whom God raised again saw no corruption.

³⁸Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins;

³⁹and by Him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.

⁴⁰Beware therefore, lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the Prophets:

⁴¹'Behold, ye despisers, and wonder and perish; for I work a work your days, a work in which you shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.'"

⁴²And when the Jews had gone out of the synagogue, the Gentiles besought that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.

⁴³Now when the congregation had broken up, many of the Jews and religious proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴And the next Sabbath day came almost the whole city together to hear the Word of God.

⁴⁵But when the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with envy, and spoke against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.

⁴⁶Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold and said, "It was necessary that the Word of God should first have been spoken to you. But seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.

⁴⁷For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, 'I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest bring salvation unto the ends of the earth.'"

⁴⁸And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the Word of the Lord; and as many as were ordained to eternal life believed.

⁴⁹And the Word of the Lord was spread abroad throughout all the region.

⁵⁰But the Jews stirred up the devout and honorable women and the chief men of the city, and raised persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them out of their borders.

⁵¹But they shook off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium.

⁵²And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Ghost.

14And it came to pass in Iconium that together they both went into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude of both the Jews and also of the Greeks believed.

²But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and planted evil in their minds against the brethren.

³A long time therefore they tarried among them, speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of His grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

⁴But the multitude of the city was divided, and part held with the Jews and part with the apostles.

⁵And when there was an assault made both by the Gentiles and also the Jews, with their rulers, to use them spitefully and to stone them,

⁶they were aware of it and fled unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about.

⁷And there they preached the Gospel.

⁸And there sat at Lystra a certain man, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked.

⁹This same one heard Paul speak who, steadfastly beholding him and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,

¹⁰said with a loud voice, "Stand upright on thy feet!" And he leaped and walked.

¹¹And when the people saw what Paul had done, they lifted up their voices, saying in the language of Lycaonia, "The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men."

¹²And they called Barnabas, Jupiter, and Paul, Mercury, because he was the chief speaker.

¹³Then the priest of Jupiter, who was in front of the city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates and would have done sacrifice along with the people.

¹⁴But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they rent their clothes and ran in among the people, crying out and saying,

¹⁵"Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions as you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all things that are therein,

¹⁶and who in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways.

¹⁷Nevertheless, He left not Himself without witness, in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness."

¹⁸But even with these sayings they scarcely restrained the people from doing sacrifice unto them.

¹⁹And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium who persuaded the people; and having stoned Paul, they dragged him out of the city, supposing he was dead.

²⁰However, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came into the city; and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

²¹And when they had preached the Gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra and to Iconium and Antioch,

²²confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God.

²³And when they had ordained elders in every church and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they believed.

²⁴And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.

²⁵And when they had preached the Word in Perga, they went down into Attalia

²⁶and thence sailed to Antioch, from whence they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had fulfilled.

²⁷And when they had come and had gathered the church together, they recounted all that God had done with them, and how He had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

²⁸And there they remained a long time with the disciples.

15And certain men who came down from Judea taught the brethren and said, "Unless ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved."

²When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined that Paul and Barnabas and certain others of them should go up to Jerusalem unto the apostles and elders about this question.

³And being sent on their way by the church, they passed through Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles; and they caused great joy unto all the brethren.

⁴And when they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the church and by the apostles and elders, and they declared all things that God had done with them.

⁵But there rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees who believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.

⁶And the apostles and the elders came together to consider this matter.

⁷And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, "Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the Word of the Gospel and believe.

⁸And God, who knoweth the hearts, bore them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost even as He did unto us,

⁹and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

¹⁰Now therefore why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the necks of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?

¹¹But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they."

¹²Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul as they declared what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

¹³And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, "Men and brethren, hearken unto me.

¹⁴Simon hath declared how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out from them a people for His name.

¹⁵And to this agree the words of the Prophets, as it is written:

¹⁶'After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down. And I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up,

¹⁷that the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles upon whom My name is called, saith the Lord who doeth all these things.'

¹⁸Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world.

¹⁹Therefore my judgment is that we trouble not those from among the Gentiles who are turned to God,

²⁰but that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood.

²¹For Moses from olden times hath in every city those who preach him, he being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day."

²²Then it pleased the apostles and elders, together with the whole church, to send men chosen from their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas surnamed Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.

²³And they wrote letters to accompany them in this manner: "The apostles and elders and brethren send greetings unto the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia:

²⁴Inasmuch as we have heard that certain ones who went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, 'Ye must be circumcised and keep the law' -- to whom we gave no such commandment --

²⁵it seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

²⁶men who have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

²⁷We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth.

²⁸For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things:

²⁹that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. If ye keep yourselves from these things, ye shall do well. Fare ye well!"

³⁰So when they were sent off, they went to Antioch. And when they had gathered the multitude together, they delivered the epistle;

³¹and when they had read it, they rejoiced in its consolation.

³²And Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and strengthened them.

³³And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go in peace by the brethren to return unto the apostles.

³⁴Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to remain there still.

³⁵Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the Word of the Lord, with many others also.

³⁶And some days later, Paul said unto Barnabas, "Let us go again and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the Word of the Lord, and see how they do."

³⁷And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark.

³⁸But Paul thought it not good to take him with them, as he had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them in the work.

³⁹And the contention was so sharp between them that they parted asunder, one from the other; and so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus.

⁴⁰And Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren unto the grace of God.

⁴¹And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

16Then Paul came to Derbe and Lystra. And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain woman who was a Jewess who believed, but whose father was a Greek.

²He was well reported of by the brethren who were at Lystra and Iconium.

³Him Paul wanted to have go forth with him, and took and circumcised him because of the Jews who were in those quarters, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.

⁴And as they went through the cities, they delivered unto them the decrees to keep, that had been ordained by the apostles and elders who were at Jerusalem.

⁵And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily.

⁶Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in Asia.

⁷After they had come to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit suffered permit not.

⁸And passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas.

⁹And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: there stood a man of Macedonia beseeching him, saying, "Come over into Macedonia and help us."

¹⁰And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the Gospel unto them.

¹¹Therefore casting loose from Troas we made a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day Neapolis,

¹²and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony. And we stayed in that city a number of days.

¹³And on the Sabbath, we went out of the city by a riverside where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down and spoke unto the women who resorted thither.

¹⁴And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God, heard us; and the Lord opened her heart to give heed unto the things which were spoken by Paul.

¹⁵And when she was baptized with her household, she besought us, saying, "If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house and abide there." And she constrained us.

¹⁶And it came to pass as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed by a spirit of divination met us. She had brought her masters much gain by soothsaying.

¹⁷The same followed Paul and us, crying out and saying, "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who show unto us the way of salvation."

¹⁸And this she did many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, "I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her." And he came out that same hour.

¹⁹And when her masters saw that the hope of their gain was gone, they caught Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace unto the rulers,

²⁰and brought them to the magistrates, saying, "These men, being Jews, trouble our city exceedingly,

²¹and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive nor to observe, being Romans."

²²And the multitude rose up together against them, and the magistrates rent off their clothes and commanded that they be beaten.

²³And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely.

²⁴He, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.

²⁵And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them.

²⁶And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone's bands were loosed.

²⁷And the keeper of the prison, awakening out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open, drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had fled.

²⁸But Paul cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Do thyself no harm, for we are all here!"

²⁹Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling and fell down before Paul and Silas,

³⁰and brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

³¹And they said, "Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

³²And they spoke unto him the Word of the Lord, and to all who were in his house.

³³And he took them that same hour of the night and washed their stripes, and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.

³⁴And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.

³⁵And when it was day, the magistrates sent the sergeants, saying, "Let those men go."

³⁶And the keeper of the prison told these words to Paul, saying, "The magistrates have sent to let you go; now therefore depart and go in peace."

³⁷But Paul said unto them, "They have beaten us openly, uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast us into prison. And now do they thrust us out privily? Nay verily! Let them come themselves and fetch us out."

³⁸And the sergeants told these words unto the magistrates, and they feared when they heard that they were Romans.

³⁹And they came and besought them and brought them out, and entreated them to depart out of the city.

⁴⁰And they went out of the prison and entered into the house of Lydia. And when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them and departed.

17Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica where there was a synagogue of the Jews.

²And Paul, as was his custom, went in unto them, and for three Sabbath days reasoned with them from the Scriptures,

³expounding and alleging that it was necessary for Christ to have suffered and risen again from the dead, and saying, "This Jesus whom I preach unto you is Christ."

⁴And some of them believed, and joined themselves with Paul and Silas, as did a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and of the chief women not a few.

⁵But the Jews who believed not, moved with envy, engaged certain wicked fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a crowd and set all the city in an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason and sought to bring them out to the people.

⁶And when they found them not, they dragged Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, "These that have turned the world upside down have come hither also,

⁷and Jason hath received them; and they all do contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, one Jesus."

⁸And they troubled the people and the rulers of the city when they heard these things.

⁹And when they had taken security from Jason and the others, they let them go.

¹⁰And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who arriving there, went into the synagogue of the Jews.

¹¹These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the Word with allreadiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily to see whether those things were so.

¹²Therefore many of them believed, also honorable women who were Greeks, and of men not a few.

¹³But when the Jews of Thessalonica became aware that the Word of God was preached by Paul at Berea, they came there also and stirred up the people.

¹⁴And then immediately the brethren sent away Paul to go down to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained there still.

¹⁵And those who conducted Paul brought him unto Athens and, having received direction for Silas and Timothy to come to him with all speed, they departed.

¹⁶Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

¹⁷Therefore he disputed in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the marketplace daily with those who met with him.

¹⁸Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans and of the Stoics encountered him. And some said, "What will this babbler say?" And some others said, "He seemeth to be a proclaimer of strange gods," because he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.

¹⁹And they took him and brought him unto the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new doctrine is whereof thou speakest?

²⁰For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears, and we would know therefore what these things mean."

²¹(For all the Athenians and strangers who were there spent their time in nothing else than either telling or hearing some new thing.)

²²Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' Hill and said, "Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

²³For as I passed by and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: 'To the Unknown God'. Whom therefore ye worship in ignorance, Him I declare unto you.

²⁴God who made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of Heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands.

²⁵Neither is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things.

²⁶And He hath made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation,

²⁷that they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after Him and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us.

²⁸For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as also certain of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'

²⁹"For inasmuch, then, as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver or stone, graven by art and of man's devising.

³⁰The times of this ignorance God overlooked, but now He commandeth all men everywhere to repent,

³¹because He hath appointed a Day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man whom He hath ordained. Of this He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead."

³²But when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked and others said, "We will hear thee again on this matter."

³³So Paul departed from among them.

³⁴However, certain men cleaved unto him and believed, among whom were Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

18After these things, Paul departed from Athens and came to Corinth.

²There he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus and lately come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. Paul went unto them,

³and because he was of the same craft, he lodged with them and worked; for by their occupation they were tentmakers.

⁴And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.

⁵And when Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ.

⁶But when they opposed themselves and blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said unto them, "Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles."

⁷And he departed thence and entered into a certain man's house named Justus, one who worshiped God and whose house was adjoining the synagogue.

⁸And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, with all his house. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.

⁹Then the Lord spoke to Paul in the night through a vision, saying, "Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace.

¹⁰For I am with thee, and no man shall set upon thee to hurt thee, for I have many people in this city."

¹¹And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the Word of God among them.

¹²And when Gallio was deputy of Achaia, the Jews with one accord began an insurrection against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat,

¹³saying, "This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law."

¹⁴And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would have it that I should bear with you.

¹⁵But if it be a question of words and names and your own law, look ye to it; for I will not be judge of such matters."

¹⁶And he drove them from the judgment seat.

¹⁷Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him in front of the judgment seat. But Gallio was concerned about none of those things.

¹⁸And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, having shorn his head at Cenchrea, for he had made a vow.

¹⁹And he came to Ephesus and left them there, but he himself entered into the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.

²⁰When they desired him to tarry a longer time with them, he consented not,

²¹but bade them farewell, saying, "I must by all means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem, but I will return again unto you, if God wills." And he sailed from Ephesus.

²²And when he had landed at Caesarea and had gone up and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch.

²³And after he had spent some time there, he departed and went through all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.

²⁴And a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.

²⁵This man was instructed in the Way of the Lord; and being fervent in the Spirit, he spoke and taught diligently the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.

²⁶And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla had heard him, they took him unto them and expounded unto him the Way of God more perfectly.

²⁷And when he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him. And when he had come, he helped them much who had believed through grace;

²⁸for he mightily refuted the Jews (and that publicly), showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ.

19And it came to pass that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus; and finding certain disciples,

²he said unto them, "Have ye received the Holy Ghost, having believed?" And they said unto him, "We have not so much as heard whether there is any Holy Ghost."

³And he said unto them, "Unto what then were ye baptized?" And they said, "Unto John's baptism."

⁴Then said Paul, "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe in Him who should come after him, that is, in Christ Jesus."

⁵When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

⁶And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.

⁷And there were about twelve men in all.

⁸And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for the space of three months, disputing and persuading about the things concerning the Kingdom of God.

⁹But when divers ones were hardened and believed not, but spoke evil of that Way before the multitude, he departed from them and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus.

¹⁰And this continued for the space of two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the Word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.

¹¹And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul,

¹²so that handkerchiefs or aprons from his body were brought unto the sick, and the diseases departed from them and the evil spirits went out of them.

¹³Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists, took it upon themselves to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth."

¹⁴And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew and chief of the priests, who did so.

¹⁵And the evil spirit answered and said, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?"

¹⁶And the man in whom the evil spirit dwelt leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

¹⁷And this became known to all the Jews and Greeks also dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.

¹⁸And many who believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds.

¹⁹Many of those also who used occult arts brought their books together and burned them before all men; and they counted up the price of them, and found it to be fifty thousand pieces of silver.

²⁰So the Word of God grew mightily and prevailed.

²¹After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the Spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying,"After I have been there, I must also see Rome."

²²So he sent into Macedonia two of those who had ministered unto him, Timothy and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season.

²³And the same time, there arose no small stir about that Way.

²⁴For a certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small gain unto the craftsmen.

²⁵These he called together with the workmen of like occupation, and said, "Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth.

²⁶Moreover, ye see and hear that, not alone at Ephesus but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are made with hands,

²⁷so that not only this our craft is in danger of being set at nought, but also the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world worshipeth."

²⁸And when they heard these things, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

²⁹And the whole city was filled with confusion and, having seized Gaius and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia who were Paul's companions in his travel, they rushed with one accord into the theater.

³⁰And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.

³¹And certain of the Asian chiefs, who were his friends, sent unto him, urging that he would not venture into the theater.

³²Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and the greater part knew not why they had come together.

³³And they drew Alexander out from the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander beckoned with his hand, and would have made his defense unto the people;

³⁴but when they perceived that he was a Jew, all with one voice for about the space of two hours cried out, "Great is Diana of the Ephesians!"

³⁵And when the town clerk had appeased the people, he said, "Ye men of Ephesus, what man is there who knoweth not that the city of the Ephesians is a worshiper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter?

³⁶Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly;

³⁷for ye have brought hither these men who are neither robbers of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess.

³⁸Therefore if Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a matter against any man, the law is open and there are deputies. Let them implead one another.

³⁹But if ye inquire of anything concerning other matters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly.

⁴⁰For we are in danger of being called in question for this day's uproar, there being no cause whereby we can give an account of this concourse."

⁴¹And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.

20And after the uproar had ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and departed to go into Macedonia.

²And when he had gone through those parts and had given them much exhortation, he came into Greece.

³And there he abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait for him, as he was about to sail for Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia.

⁴And there accompanied him into Asia, Sopater of Berea, and Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and from Asia, Tychichus and Trophimus.

⁵These, going ahead, tarried for us at Troas.

⁶And we sailed away from Philippi after the Days of Unleavened Bread and came unto them in five days at Troas, where we stayed seven days.

⁷And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow, and continued his speech until midnight.

⁸And there were many lights in the upper chamber where they were gathered together.

⁹And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, having fallen into a deep sleep; and as Paul was long in preaching, he sank down with sleep and fell down from the third floor and was taken up dead.

¹⁰And Paul went down and fell on him and, embracing him, said, "Trouble not yourselves, for his life is in him."

¹¹When he therefore had come up again, and had broken bread and eaten and talked for a long while, even until break of day, he departed.

¹²And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.

¹³And we went ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, there intending to take aboard Paul; for so had he arranged, intending himself to go on foot.

¹⁴And when he met with us at Assos, we took him on board and came to Mitylene.

¹⁵And we sailed thence and arrived the next day off Chios; and the next day we arrived at Samos and tarried at Trogyllium; and the next day we came to Miletus.

¹⁶For Paul had determined to sail past Ephesus, because he would not spend the time in Asia; for he was in haste, that it might be possible for him to be at Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost.

¹⁷And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called for the elders of the church.

¹⁸And when they had come to him, he said unto them, "Ye know, from the first day that I came into Asia, in what manner I have been with you in all seasons,

¹⁹serving the Lord in all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations which befell me through the lying in wait of the Jews;

²⁰and how I kept back nothing that was profitable for you, but have shown you and have taught you publicly and from house to house,

²¹testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

²²And now behold, bound by the Spirit, I go unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall befall me there,

²³save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me.

²⁴But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the Gospel of the grace of God.

²⁵"And now, behold, I know that ye all, among whom I have gone preaching the Kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.

²⁶Therefore I attest to you this day that I am pure from the blood of all men,

²⁷for I have not shrunk from declaring unto you all the counsel of God.

²⁸"Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God which He hath purchased with His own blood.

²⁹For I know this: that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.

³⁰Also from among your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things to draw away disciples after them.

³¹Therefore watch, and remember that for the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.

³²"And now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

³³I have coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel.

³⁴Yea, ye yourselves know that these hands have ministered unto my own necessities, and also to those who were with me.

³⁵I have shown you all things, how that by so laboring ye ought to support the weak and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how He said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

³⁶And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all.

³⁷And they all wept sorely and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him,

³⁸sorrowing most of all because of the words which he had spoken, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship.

21And it came to pass that after we had parted from them and had launched, we came on a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara.

²And finding a ship sailing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard and set forth.

³Now when we had sighted Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was to unload her burden.

⁴And having found disciples, we tarried there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

⁵And when those days there had been accomplished, we departed and went our way; and they all brought us on our way, with wives and children, until we were out of the city. And we kneeled down on the shore and prayed.

⁶And when we had taken our leave one of another, we boarded ship, and they returned home again.

⁷And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais and saluted the brethren, and stayed with them one day.

⁸The next day, we who were in Paul's company departed and came unto Caesarea, and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, and lodged with him.

⁹And this man had four daughters, virgins, who prophesied.

¹⁰And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a certain prophet named Agabus.

¹¹And when he had come unto us, he took Paul's girdle and bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus saith the Holy Ghost, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"

¹²And when we heard these things, both we and those at that place besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

¹³Then Paul answered, "What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? For I am not only ready to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."

¹⁴And when he would not be dissuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."

¹⁵And after those days we took up our baggage and went up to Jerusalem.

¹⁶There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, who brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we were to lodge.

¹⁷And when we had come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly.

¹⁸And the day following, Paul went with us unto James, and all the elders were present.

¹⁹And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

²⁰And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord and said unto him, "Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are who believe, and they are all zealous for the law.

²¹And they are informed about thee, that thou teachest all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, nor walk according to the customs.

²²What is therefore to be done? The multitude must surely come together, for they will hear that thou art come.

²³Do therefore this which we say to thee: We have four men who have taken a vow upon themselves.

²⁴Take them and purify thyself with them, and bear their charges with them, that they may shave their heads; and all may know that those things of which they have been informed concerning thee are nothing, butthat thou thyself also walkest orderly and keepest the law.

²⁵And as to the Gentiles who believe, we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication."

²⁶Then Paul took the men, and the next day, purifying himself with them, he entered into the temple to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification, until an offering should be offered for every one of them.

²⁷And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews who were from Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people and laid hands on him,

²⁸crying out, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teacheth all men everywhere against the people and the law and this place, and furthermore brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place."

²⁹(For they had seen previously with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)

³⁰And all the city was moved and the people ran together, and they took Paul and dragged him out of the temple; and forthwith the doors were shut.

³¹And as they went about to kill him, tidings came unto the chief captain of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar,

³²who immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down unto them; and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left off beating Paul.

³³Then the chief captain came near, and took him and commanded that he be bound with two chains, and demanded who he was and what he had done.

³⁴And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude. And when he could learn nothing with certainty because of the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

³⁵And when Paul came upon the stairs, so it was that he had to be borne by the soldiers because of the violence of the people.

³⁶For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, "Away with him!"

³⁷And as Paul was about to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain, "May I speak unto thee?" And he said, "Canst thou speak Greek?

³⁸Art not thou that Egyptian who prior to these days madest an uproar and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men who were murderers?"

³⁹But Paul said, "I am a man who am a Jew of Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city; and I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the people."

⁴⁰And when he had given him leave, Paul stood on the stairs and beckoned with his hand unto the people. And when there fell a great silence, he spoke unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying:

22"Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defense which I make now unto you."

²(And when they heard that he spoke in the Hebrew tongue to them, they were the more silent.) And he said,

³"I am verily a man who am a Jew, born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taughtaccording to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.

⁴And I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women,

⁵as also the high priest doth bear me witness and all the council of the elders. From them I also received letters unto the brethren, and I went to Damascus to bring those who were there bound unto Jerusalem to be punished.

⁶"And it came to pass that, as I made my journey and had come nigh unto Damascus about noon, suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

⁷And I fell unto the ground and heard a voice saying unto me, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me?'

⁸And I answered, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And He said unto me, 'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest.'

⁹And those who were with me saw indeed the light and were afraid, but they heard not the voice of Him that spoke to me.

¹⁰And I said, 'What shall I do, Lord?' And the Lord said unto me, 'Arise and go into Damascus, and there it shall be told thee of all the things which are appointed for thee to do.'

¹¹And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of those who were with me, I came into Damascus.

¹²"And one Ananias, a devout man according to the law, of good report among all the Jews who dwelt there,

¹³came unto me and stood and said unto me, 'Brother Saul, receive thy sight!' And that same hour I looked up upon him.

¹⁴And he said, 'The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know His will and see that Just One, and shouldest hear the voice of His mouth.

¹⁵For thou shalt be His witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard.

¹⁶And now why tarriest thou? Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.'

¹⁷"And it came to pass that when I had come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance

¹⁸and saw Him saying unto me, 'Make haste and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem, for they will not receive thy testimony concerning Me.'

¹⁹And I said, 'Lord, they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue those who believed in Thee.

²⁰And when the blood of Thy martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by and consenting unto his death and kept the raiment of those who slew him.'

²¹And He said unto me, 'Depart, for I will send thee far hence, unto the Gentiles.'"

²²And the crowd gave him an audience up to this word; and then they lifted up their voices and said, "Away with such a fellow from the earth, for it is not fit that he should live!"

²³And as they cried out and cast off their clothes and threw dust into the air,

²⁴the chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined by scourging, so that he might find out why they cried so against him.

²⁵And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion who stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a Roman and uncondemned?"

²⁶When the centurion heard this, he went and told the chief captain, saying, "Take heed what thou doest, for this man is a Roman."

²⁷Then the chief captain came and said unto him, "Tell me, art thou a Roman?" And he said, "Yea."

²⁸And the chief captain answered, "With a great sum I obtained this freedom." And Paul said, "But I was free born."

²⁹Then straightway those who should have examined him departed from him, and the chief captain also was afraid after he found out that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him.

³⁰On the morrow, because he would know with certainty why he was accused by the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down and set him before them.

23And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, "Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God to this day."

²And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to smite him on the mouth.

³Then said Paul unto him, "God shall smite thee, thou whited wall! For sittest thou to judge me according to the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law?"

⁴And those who stood by said, "Revilest thou God's high priest?"

⁵Then said Paul, "I knew not, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written: 'Thou shalt not speak evil of the ruler of thy people.'"

⁶But when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out to the council, "Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee: for the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called into question!"

⁷And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the multitude was divided.

⁸For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.

⁹And there arose a great cry, and the scribes who were on the Pharisees' side arose and strove, saying, "We find no evil in this man; but if a spirit or angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God."

¹⁰And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle.

¹¹And that night the Lord stood by him and said, "Be of good cheer, Paul; for as thou hast testified for Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome."

¹²And when it was day, certain of the Jews banded together and bound themselves under a curse, saying that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

¹³And there were more than forty who entered into this conspiracy.

¹⁴And they came to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we will eat nothing until we have slain Paul.

¹⁵Now, therefore, ye, of the council, ask the chief captain that he bring him down unto you tomorrow, as though ye would inquire somewhat more thoroughly concerning him; and we, even before he comes near, are ready to kill him."

¹⁶But when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the castle and told Paul.

¹⁷Then Paul called one of the centurions unto him and said, "Bring this young man unto the chief captain, for he hath a certain thing to tell him."

¹⁸So he took him and brought him to the chief captain and said, "Paul, the prisoner, called me unto him and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, as he hath something to say unto thee."

¹⁹Then the chief captain took him by the hand, and going aside with him privately, asked him, "What is it that thou hast to tell me?"

²⁰And he said, "The Jews have agreed to request thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul tomorrow into the council, as though they wished to inquire of him somewhat more thoroughly.

²¹But do not thou yield unto them, for there lie in wait for him more than forty of their men, who have bound themselves with an oath that they will neither eat nor drink until they have killed him. And now they are ready, looking for consent from thee."

²²So the chief captain then let the young man depart and charged him, "See thou tell no man that thou hast revealed these things to me."

²³And he called unto him two centurions, saying, "Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea, and threescore and ten horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, at the third hour of the night;

²⁴and provide them with beasts that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor."

²⁵And he wrote a letter in this manner:

²⁶"Claudius Lysias, unto the most excellent governor Felix, sendeth greeting:

²⁷This man was taken by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them. Then came I with an army and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman.

²⁸And desiring to know the cause whereof they accused him, I brought him forth into their council.

²⁹I perceived him to be accused about questions of their law, but there was nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds.

³⁰And when it was told me how the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him straightway to thee, and gave a command to his accusers also to speak before thee what they have against him. Farewell."

³¹Then the soldiers took Paul, as it was commanded them, and brought him by night to Antipatris.

³²On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him and returned to the castle,

³³who, when they had come to Caesarea and delivered the epistle to the governor, presented Paul also before him.

³⁴And when the governor had read the letter, he asked of what province Paul was. And when he understood that he was from Cilicia,

³⁵he said, "I will hear thee when thine accusers have also come." And he commanded him to be kept in Herod's judgment hall.

24And after five days Ananias the high priest descended with the elders and with him a certain orator named Tertullus, who informed the governor against Paul.

²And when Paul was called forth, Tertullus began to accuse him, saying, "Seeing that by thee we enjoy much quietness, most noble Felix, and that very worthy deeds are done unto this nation by thy providence,

³we accept it always and in all places with all thankfulness.

⁴Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, I pray thee that thou wouldest hear from us in thy clemency a few words.

⁵For we have found this man a pestilent fellow, and a mover of sedition among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes,

⁶who also hath gone about profaning the temple. Him we took and would have judged according to our law.

⁷But the chief captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands,

⁸commanding his accusers to come unto thee, so that by examining him thyself, thou mayest have knowledge of all of these things whereof we accuse him."

⁹And the Jews also assented, saying that these things were so.

¹⁰Then Paul, after the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered: "Inasmuch as I know that thou hast been for many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself.

¹¹For thou mayest understand that there have been yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship.

¹²And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither stirring up the people, neither in the synagogues nor in the city.

¹³Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

¹⁴But this I confess unto thee, that according to the Way, which they call heresy, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the Law and in the Prophets.

¹⁵And I have hope in God, which they themselves also hold, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.

¹⁶And herein do I exercise myself to have always a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.

¹⁷"Now after many years I came to bring alms to my nation, and offerings,

¹⁸whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, with neither crowd nor tumult.

¹⁹These ought to have been here before thee to object if they had aught against me;

²⁰or else let these same say here if they have found any evildoing in me when I stood before the council,

²¹unless it be for this one utterance that I cried out standing among them: 'Concerning the resurrection of the dead I am called into question by you this day.'"

²²And when Felix heard these things, having a more complete knowledge of that Way, he deferred the hearing and said, "When Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter."

²³And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, but to let him have some liberties, and that he should forbid none of his acquaintances to minister or come unto him.

²⁴And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.

²⁵And as Paul reasoned about righteousness, temperance, and the Judgment to come, Felix trembled and answered, "Go thy way for this time. When I have a convenient occasion I will call for thee."

²⁶He hoped also that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him the oftener and communed with him.

²⁷But after two years Porcius Festus came into Felix's position; and Felix, wanting to show the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.

25Now when Festus had come into the province, after three days he ascended from Caesarea to Jerusalem.

²Then the high priest and the chief men of the Jews informed him against Paul and besought him,

³desiring a favor against him: that he would have Paul brought to Jerusalem, so that they might lie in wait on the way to kill him.

⁴But Festus answered that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither.

⁵"Let those therefore," he said, "who among you are able, go down with me and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him."

⁶And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Caesarea. And the next day, sitting in the judgment seat, he commanded Paul to be brought.

⁷And when he had come, the Jews who came down from Jerusalem stood round about and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove,

⁸while Paul answered for himself: "Neither against the law of the Jews, nor against the temple, nor yet against Caesar have I offended any thing at all."

⁹But Festus, desiring to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, "Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem and there be judged of these things before me?"

¹⁰Then said Paul, "I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged. To the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest.

¹¹For if I am an offender, or have committed anything worthy of death, I should not refuse to die; but if there is nothing to these things whereof they accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal unto Caesar."

¹²Then Festus, when he had conferred with the council, answered, "Hast thou appealed unto Caesar? Unto Caesar shalt thou go!"

¹³Some days later, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute Festus.

¹⁴And when they had been there many days, Festus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying, "There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix,

¹⁵about whom, when I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring to have judgment against him.

¹⁶To them I answered, 'It is not in the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die before he that is accused has the accusers face to face, and has license to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.'

¹⁷Therefore when they had come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought forth,

¹⁸against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought no accusation of such things as I supposed,

¹⁹but had certain questions against him concerning their own superstition and of one Jesus, who was dead and whom Paul affirmed to be alive.

²⁰And because I was in doubt as to this manner of questions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged on these matters.

²¹But when Paul appealed to be reserved for a hearing by Augustus, I commanded him to be kept until I might send him to Caesar."

²²Then Agrippa said unto Festus, "I would also hear the man myself." "Tomorrow," said he, "thou shalt hear him."

²³And on the morrow, when Agrippa and Bernice had come with great pomp, and had entered into the place of hearing with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus' command Paul was brought forth.

²⁴And Festus said, "King Agrippa and all men who are here present with us, ye see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have applied to me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying out that he ought not to live any longer.

²⁵But when I found that he hath committed nothing worthy of death, and that he himself hath appealed to Augustus, I have determined to send him.

²⁶Of him I have nothing certain to write unto my lord. Therefore I have brought him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa, that after we have examined him I might have something to write.

²⁷For it seemeth to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not also to specify the crimes laid against him."

26Then Agrippa said unto Paul, "Thou art permitted to speak for thyself." Then Paul stretched forth his hand and answered for himself:

²"I think myself happy, King Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee concerning all the things whereof I am accused by the Jews,

³especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews. Therefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

⁴"My manner of life from my youth, which was from the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, is known to all the Jews.

⁵They knew me from the beginning, if they would testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee.

⁶And now I stand and am judged because of the hope of the promise made by God unto our fathers,

⁷unto which promise our twelve tribes, earnestly serving God day and night, hope to come. For this hope's sake, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.

⁸Why should it be thought an incredible thing by you that God should raise the dead?

⁹"I myself verily thought that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth,

¹⁰which things I also did in Jerusalem; and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priests; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them.

¹¹And I punished them often in every synagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly maddened against them, I persecuted them even unto foreign cities.

¹²"Thereupon, as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

¹³at midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, brighter than the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and those who journeyed with me.

¹⁴And when we had all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, 'Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? It is hard for thee to kick against the goads.'

¹⁵And I said, 'Who art Thou, Lord?' And He said, 'I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

¹⁶But rise and stand upon thy feet, for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose: to make thee a minister and a witness, both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in which I will appear unto thee,

¹⁷delivering thee from the people and from the Gentiles unto whom now I send thee,

¹⁸to open their eyes and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in Me.'

¹⁹"Thereupon, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision,

²⁰but showed first unto those at Damascus and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.

²¹For these causes the Jews seized me in the temple and went about to kill me.

²²Having therefore obtained the help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said should come:

²³that Christ should suffer, and that He should be the first who should rise from the dead, and should show light unto the people and to the Gentiles."

²⁴And as he thus spoke for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, "Paul, thou art beside thyself! Much learning doth make thee mad!"

²⁵But Paul said, "I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

²⁶For the king himself knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done in a corner.

²⁷King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest."

²⁸Then Agrippa said unto Paul, "Thou almost persuadest me to be a Christian."

²⁹And Paul said, "I would to God that not only thou, but also all who hear me this day, were both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these bonds."

³⁰And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and also the governor and Bernice and those who sat with them.

³¹And when they had gone aside, they talked among themselves, saying, "This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds."

³²Then said Agrippa unto Festus, "This man might have been set at liberty if he had not appealed unto Caesar."

27And when it was determined that we should sail to Italy, they delivered Paul and certain other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Augustus' band.

²And entering into a ship from Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail along the coasts of Asia, one Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us.

³And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Julius courteously treated Paul, and gave him liberty to go unto his friends to refresh himself.

⁴And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were contrary.

⁵And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia.

⁶And there the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard.

⁷And when we had sailed slowly many days and scarcely had come as far as Cnidus, the wind not suffering us, we sailed under the lee of Crete off Salmone;

⁸and, with difficulty passing by it, we came unto a place which is called The Fair Havens, nigh unto the city of Lasea.

⁹Now after much time had been lost, and when sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was now already past, Paul admonished them

¹⁰and said unto them, "Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be attended by hurt and much damage, not only to the lading and ship, but also to our lives."

¹¹Nevertheless the centurion believed the master and the owner of the ship, rather than those things which were spoken by Paul.

¹²And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the greater number advised to depart thence also, hoping that by some means they might attain Phoenix, which is a haven of Crete and lieth toward the southwest and northwest, and there to winter.

¹³And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, casting loose from thence, they sailed close by Crete.

¹⁴But not long after, there arose against it a tempestuous wind, called Euroclydon.

¹⁵And when the ship was caught and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive.

¹⁶And running under the lee of a certain island, which is called Clauda, we had much work in securing the boat,

¹⁷which when they had taken up, they used helps to undergird the ship. And fearing lest they should fall into the quicksands, they struck sail, and so were driven.

¹⁸And being exceedingly tossed by a tempest, the next day they lightened the ship;

¹⁹and the third day we cast out with our own hands the ship's tackle.

²⁰And when neither sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope that we should be saved was then taken away.

²¹But after long fasting, Paul stood forth in the midst of them and said, "Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and should not have cast loose from Crete and suffered this harm and loss.

²²And now I exhort you to be of good cheer, for there shall be no loss of any man's life among you, but of the ship only.

²³For there stood by me this night the angel of God, to whom I belong and whom I serve,

²⁴saying, 'Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before Caesar. And lo, God hath given thee all them that sail with thee.'

²⁵Therefore sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe God, and that it shall be even as it was told to me.

²⁶Nonetheless, we must be cast upon a certain island."

²⁷But when the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven up and down in the Adriatic, about midnight the shipmen deemed that we were drawing near to some land.

²⁸And they took a sounding and found it to be twenty fathoms deep; and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again and found it fifteen fathoms.

²⁹Then, fearing lest we should be driven upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished for the day.

³⁰And as the shipmen were about to flee from the ship, and had let down the boat into the sea under the pretext that they would cast anchors out of the prow,

³¹Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, "Unless these remain in the ship, ye cannot be saved."

³²Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off.

³³And as the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying, "This day is the fourteenth day that ye have tarried and continued fasting, having taken nothing.

³⁴Therefore I pray you to take some meat, for this is for your health; for there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you."

³⁵And when he had thus spoken, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of them all; and when he had broken it, he began to eat.

³⁶Then they were all of good cheer, and they also took some meat.

³⁷And we were in all on the ship, two hundred threescore and sixteen souls.

³⁸And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship and cast out the wheat into the sea.

³⁹And when it was day, they knew not the land, but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship.

⁴⁰And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rudder ropes, and hoisted up the mainsail into the wind, and made toward shore.

⁴¹And falling into a place where two currents met, they ran the ship aground; and the forepart stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern began to break up with the violence of the waves.

⁴²And the soldier's counsel was to kill the prisoners, lest any of them should swim out and escape.

⁴³But the centurion, desiring to save Paul, kept them from their purpose, and commanded that those who could swim should cast themselves first into the sea and get to land,

⁴⁴and the rest, some on boards and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass that they all escaped safely to land.

28And when they had escaped, they then learned that the island was called Malta.

²And the barbarous people showed us no little kindness, for they kindled a fire and received us every one, because of the present rain and because of the cold.

³And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand.

⁴And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hanging from his hand, they said among themselves, "No doubt this man is a murderer whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live."

⁵And he shook off the beast into the fire and felt no harm.

⁶Now they were expecting that he should have swollen or suddenly fallen down dead; but after watching a great while and seeing no harm come to him, they changed their minds and said that he was a god.

⁷In the same quarters were the possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius, who received us and lodged us three days courteously.

⁸And it came to pass that the father of Publius lay sick with a fever and a bloody flux. Paul entered in and prayed and laid his hands on him, and healed him.

⁹So when this was done, others also on the island who had diseases, came and were healed.

¹⁰These also honored us with many honors; and when we departed, they laded us with such things as were necessary.

¹¹And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered on the isle and whose sign was Castor and Pollux.

¹²And landing at Syracuse, we tarried there three days.

¹³And from thence we followed a circuitous course and came to Rhegium. And a day later the south wind blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli.

¹⁴There we found brethren and were invited to tarry with them seven days; and so we went toward Rome.

¹⁵And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came to meet us as far as the Appii Forum and The Three Taverns. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and took courage.

¹⁶And when we came to Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard, but Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with a soldier who kept him.

¹⁷And it came to pass that after three days Paul called the chief Jews together; and when they had come together, he said unto them,"Men and brethren, though I have committed nothing against the people or customs of our fathers, yet was I delivered prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans,

¹⁸who, when they had examined me, would have let me go because there was no cause deserving of death in me.

¹⁹But when the Jews spoke against it, I was constrained to appeal unto Caesar, not that I had anything to accuse my nation of.

²⁰For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you and to speak with you, because it is for the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain."

²¹And they said unto him, "We neither received letters from Judea concerning thee, nor did any of the brethren who came show or speak any harm of thee.

²²But we desire to hear from thee what thou thinkest; for concerning this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against.

²³And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets, from morning until evening.

²⁴And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.

²⁵And when they were unable to agree among themselves, they departed after Paul had spoken one word: "Well spoke the Holy Ghost through Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers,

²⁶saying, 'Go unto this people and say, "Hearing, ye shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing, ye shall see and not perceive.

²⁷For the heart of this people has waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."'

²⁸"Be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it."

²⁹And when he had said these words, the Jews departed and had great reasoning among themselves.

³⁰And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received all who came in unto him,

³¹preaching the Kingdom of God and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him.

1Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle and separated unto the Gospel of God,

²which He had promised before by His prophets in the Holy Scriptures,

³concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh,

⁴and was declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection from the dead,

⁵by whom we have received grace and apostleship for obedience to the faith among all nations for His name,

⁶among whom ye also are the called of Jesus Christ.

⁷To all who are in Rome, beloved of God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

⁸First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.

⁹For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers,

¹⁰making request that now at length and by any means I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.

¹¹For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift to the end that ye may be established:

¹²that is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith of both you and me.

¹³Now I would not have you ignorant, brethren, that oftentimes I have purposed to come unto you (but was prevented hitherto), that I might have some fruit among you also, even as among other Gentiles.

¹⁴I am debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the wise and to the unwise;

¹⁵so, as much as is in me, I am ready to preach the Gospel to you also who are at Rome.

¹⁶For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one who believeth, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

¹⁷For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written: "The just shall live by faith."

¹⁸For the wrath of God is revealed from Heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness,

¹⁹because that which may be known of God is manifest in them, for God hath shown it unto them.

²⁰For from the creation of the world the invisible things of Him are clearly seen, being understood through the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse.

²¹For when they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God, nor were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

²²Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

²³and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man, and to birds and fourfooted beasts and creeping things.

²⁴Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies among themselves.

²⁵They changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshiped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

²⁶For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women changed the natural use into that which is against nature.

²⁷And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another, men with men, working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense for their error which was meet.

²⁸And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind to do those things which are not fitting,

²⁹being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity. They are whisperers,

³⁰backbiters, haters of God, spiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

³¹without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affections, implacable, unmerciful.

³²And knowing the judgment of God, that those who commit such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but have pleasure in those who do them.

2Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art who judgest; for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself, for thou that judgest doest the same things.

²But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who commit such things.

³And thinkest thou this, O man, who judgest those who do such things and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?

⁴Or despisest thou the riches of His goodness and forbearance and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?

⁵But because of thy hardness and impenitence of heart, thou treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the Day of Wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,

⁶who will render to every man according to his deeds:

⁷to those who by patient continuance in welldoing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life;

⁸but unto those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

⁹tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man who doeth evil, upon the Jew first and also upon the Gentile;

¹⁰but glory, honor and peace to every man who worketh good, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile.

¹¹For there is no respect of persons with God.

¹²For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law.

¹³(For it is not the hearers of the law who are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified.

¹⁴For when the Gentiles, who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, they, not having the law, are a law unto themselves,

¹⁵which shows the work of the law written in their hearts,their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts between accusing and excusing one another.)

¹⁶Thus will it be on the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my Gospel.

¹⁷Behold, thou art called a Jew and rest in the law and make thy boast of God,

¹⁸and knowest His will and approvest the things that are more excellent, being instructed from the law,

¹⁹and art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind, a light to those who are in darkness,

²⁰an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, having in the law the form of knowledge and of the truth.

²¹Thou therefore who teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? Thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

²²Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? Thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

²³Thou that makest thy boast in the law, dost thou dishonor God through breaking the law?

²⁴For, "The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you," as it is written.

²⁵For circumcision verily profiteth if thou keep the law; but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision.

²⁶Therefore if the Uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

²⁷And shall not uncircumcision, which is by nature, if it fulfill the law, judge thee, who having the letter and circumcision dost transgress the law?

²⁸For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh.

²⁹But he is a Jew who is one inwardly, and whose circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter, and whose praise is not from men, but from God.

3What advantage then hath the Jew? Or what profit is there in circumcision?

²Much in every way; chiefly because unto them were committed the oracles of God.

³For what if some did not believe? Shall their unbelief make the faithfulness of God without effect?

⁴God forbid! Yea, let God be true, but every man a liar. As it is written: "That Thou mightest be justified in Thy sayings, and mightest overcome when Thou art judged."

⁵But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man.)

⁶God forbid! For then how shall God judge the world?

⁷For if the truth of God through my lie hath abounded more unto His glory, why am I also yet judged as a sinner?

⁸And why not say rather (as we are slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say), "Let us do evil, that good may come"? Their damnation is just!

⁹What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise! For we have before proved that both Jews and Gentiles are all under sin.

¹⁰As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;

¹¹there is none that understandeth; there is none that seeketh after God.

¹²They have all gone from the way; they have together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

¹³"Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit." "The poison of asps is under their lips,"

¹⁴"whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

¹⁵"Their feet are swift to shed blood;

¹⁶destruction and misery are in their ways,

¹⁷and the way of peace have they not known."

¹⁸"There is no fear of God before their eyes."

¹⁹Now we know that whatsoever things the law saith, it saith to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.

²⁰Therefore by the deeds of the law, no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

²¹But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

²²even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all and upon all those who believe. For there is no difference,

²³for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,

²⁴being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

²⁵Him God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

²⁶to declare, I say, at this time, His righteousness: that He might be just, and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus.

²⁷Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? Nay, but by the law of faith.

²⁸Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

²⁹Is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also,

³⁰seeing it is one God who shall justify the Circumcision by faith, and Uncircumcision through faith.

³¹Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid! Yea, we establish the law.

4What shall we say then that Abraham our father hath found pertaining to the flesh?

²For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath reason to glory, but not before God.

³For what saith the Scripture? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness."

⁴Now to him that worketh, his reward is reckoned not according to grace, but according to debt.

⁵But to him that worketh not, but believeth in Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness,

⁶even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying,

⁷"Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered.

⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin."

⁹Cometh this blessedness then upon the Circumcision only, or upon the Uncircumcision also? For we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

¹⁰How was it then reckoned? When he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision!

¹¹And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had, yet being uncircumcised, that he might be the father of all those who believe, though they are not circumcised, that righteousness might be imputed unto them also,

¹²and the father of circumcision to those who are not of the Circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham which he had, being yet uncircumcised.

¹³For the promise that he should be the heir of the world came not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

¹⁴For if those who are of the law be heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect,

¹⁵because the law worketh wrath; for where there is no law, there is no transgression.

¹⁶Therefore it is of faith, that it might be given by grace to the end that the promise might be made sure to all the seed, not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all

¹⁷(as it is written: "I have made thee a father of many nations"), in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things which are not, as though they were.

¹⁸Abraham, against all hope, believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which had been spoken, "So shall thy seed be."

¹⁹And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, nor yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.

²⁰He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God,

²¹and being fully persuaded that what He had promised, He was able also to perform.

²²And therefore "it was imputed to him for righteousness."

²³Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him,

²⁴but for us also, to whom it shall be imputed if we believe in Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead,

²⁵who was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification.

5Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

²by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

³And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

⁴and patience, experience; and experience, hope;

⁵and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost who is given unto us.

⁶For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

⁷For scarcely will one die for a righteous man, yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die.

⁸But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

⁹Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.

¹⁰For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

¹¹And not only that, but we shall also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

¹²Therefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed onto all men, for all have sinned.

¹³For until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

¹⁴Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the similitude of Adam's transgression, he being the figure of Him that was to come.

¹⁵But not as the offense, so also is the free gift. For if through the offense of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one Man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.

¹⁶And not as it was by one who sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is for many offenses unto justification.

¹⁷For if by one man's offense death reigned by one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One, Jesus Christ.

¹⁸Therefore as by the offense of one, judgment to condemnation came upon all men, even so by the righteousness of One, the free gift unto justification of life came upon all men.

¹⁹For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of One shall many be made righteous.

²⁰Moreover the law entered, that the offense might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound,

²¹that, as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.

6What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

²God forbid! How shall we, who are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

³Know ye not that as many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death?

⁴Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

⁵For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, so we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection,

⁶knowing this: that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

⁷For he that is dead is freed from sin.

⁸Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him,

⁹knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death no more hath dominion over Him.

¹⁰For in that He died, He died unto sin once; but in that He liveth, He liveth unto God.

¹¹Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹²Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

¹³Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin, but yield yourselves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

¹⁴For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

¹⁵What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!

¹⁶Know ye not that to whomever ye yield yourselves as servants to obey, his servants ye become whom ye obey, whether of sin which leads unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

¹⁷But God be thanked that though ye were the servants of sin, now ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

¹⁸Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

¹⁹I speak in the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh. For as ye have yielded your members as servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members as servants to righteousness unto holiness.

²⁰For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

²¹What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death.

²²But now, being made free from sin and having become servants of God, ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end, everlasting life.

²³For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

7Know ye not, brethren (for I speak to those who know the law), how the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

²For the woman who hath a husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of the husband.

³So then, if while her husband liveth she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress; but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

⁴Therefore, my brethren, ye also have become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

⁵For when we were in the flesh, the passions of sins, which were by the law, worked in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

⁶But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

⁷What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid! Nay, I would not have known sin, but through the law; for I would not have known lust, except that the law had said, "Thou shalt not covet."

⁸But sin, taking occasion through the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence; for without the law sin was dead.

⁹For I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died;

¹⁰and the commandment, which was ordained to bring life, I found to be unto death.

¹¹For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me and by it slew me.

¹²Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good.

¹³Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid! But sin, that it might appear as sin, was working death in me by that which is good, that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

¹⁴For we know that the law is spiritual; but I am carnal, sold under sin.

¹⁵For that which I do, I know not. For what I would do, that do I not; but what I hate, that I do.

¹⁶If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law, that it is good.

¹⁷Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

¹⁸For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) dwelleth no good thing; for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not.

¹⁹For the good that I would do, I do not; but the evil which I would not do, that I do.

²⁰Now if I do that which I would not do, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

²¹I find then a law that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

²²For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man.

²³But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

²⁴O wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

²⁵I thank God -- through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.

8There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

²For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

³For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh,

⁴that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.

⁵For those who are according to the flesh mind the things of the flesh; but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

⁶For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace,

⁷because the carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

⁸So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

⁹But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so it be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His.

¹⁰And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

¹¹But if the Spirit of Him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by His Spirit that dwelleth in you.

¹²Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh to live according to the flesh;

¹³for if ye live according to the flesh ye shall die, but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body ye shall live.

¹⁴For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

¹⁵For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, "Abba! Father!"

¹⁶The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God;

¹⁷and if children, then heirs -- heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if so it be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.

¹⁸For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

¹⁹For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.

²⁰For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of Him who hath subjected the same in hope,

²¹because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

²²For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

²³And not only they, but ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

²⁴For we are saved by hope; but hope that is seen is not hope, for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for it?

²⁵But if we hope for that which we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

²⁶Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

²⁷And He that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

²⁸And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

²⁹For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

³⁰Moreover, whom He predestined, those He also called; and whom He called, those He also justified; and whom He justified, those He also glorified.

³¹What then shall we say of these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

³²He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?

³³Who shall lay anything to the charge against God's elect? It is God who justifieth.

³⁴Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ who died, yea rather, who is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

³⁵Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

³⁶As it is written: "For Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter."

³⁷Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

³⁸For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

³⁹nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

9I speak the truth in Christ -- I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost--

²that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart.

³For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for the sake of my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh,

⁴who are Israelites and to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;

⁵of whom are the fathers, and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.

⁶It is not as though the Word of God hath taken no effect. For they are not all Israel, who are of Israel;

⁷neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children; but, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called."

⁸That is, they who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; rather, the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

⁹For this is the word of promise: "At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son."

¹⁰And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac

¹¹(for the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, in order that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not by works, but by Him that calleth),

¹²it was said unto her, "The elder shall serve the younger."

¹³As it is written: "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated."

¹⁴What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid!

¹⁵For He saith to Moses, "I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."

¹⁶So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God who showeth mercy.

¹⁷For the Scripture saith unto Pharaoh, "Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show My power in thee, and that My name might be declared throughout all the earth."

¹⁸Therefore hath He mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will, He hardeneth.

¹⁹Thou wilt say then unto me, "Why doth He yet find fault, for who hath resisted His will?"

²⁰But nay, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, "Why hast thou made me thus?"

²¹Hath not the potter power over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor?

²²What if God, choosing to show His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted for destruction;

²³and this, that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, whom He had prepared before unto glory,

²⁴even us whom He hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?

²⁵As He saith also in Hosea: "I will call them 'My people,' who were not My people, and 'her beloved' who was not beloved."

²⁶And, "It shall come to pass that in the place where it was said unto them, 'Ye are not My people,' there shall they be called the children of the living God."

²⁷Isaiah also crieth concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved.

²⁸For He will finish the work and cut it short in righteousness, because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth."

²⁹And as Isaiah said before: "Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we would have been as Sodom and been made like unto Gomorrah."

³⁰What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, who followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith;

³¹but Israel, who followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.

³²Why so? Because they sought it not by faith but, as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.

³³As it is written: "Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whosoever believeth in Him shall not be ashamed."

10Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.

²For I bear them record that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

³For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.

⁴For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth.

⁵For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law: that "the man who doeth those things shall live by them."

⁶But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh in this manner: "Say not in thine heart, 'Who shall ascend into Heaven?'" (that is, to bring Christ down from above)

⁷or, "'Who shall descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead).

⁸But what saith it? "The Word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth and in thy heart," that is, the word of faith which we preach:

⁹that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

¹⁰For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

¹¹For the Scripture saith, "Whosoever believeth in Him shall not be ashamed."

¹²For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich unto all who call upon Him.

¹³For "whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

¹⁴How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?

¹⁵And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the Gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!"

¹⁶But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah saith, "Lord, who hath believed our report?"

¹⁷So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

¹⁸But I ask, have they not heard? Yes, verily: "Their sound went out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world."

¹⁹But I ask, did not Israel know? First Moses saith, "I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you."

²⁰But Isaiah is very bold and saith, "I was found by them that sought Me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after Me."

²¹But to Israel he saith, "All day long I have stretched forth My hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."

11I ask then: Hath God cast away His people? God forbid! For I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin.

²God hath not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Know ye not what the Scripture saith of Elijah, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying,

³"Lord, they have killed Thy prophets and torn down Thine altars, and I am left alone and they seek my life"?

⁴But what saith the answer of God unto him? "I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to the image of Baal."

⁵Even so then, at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.

⁶And if by grace, then it is no longer by works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it be by works, then it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work.

⁷What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for; but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded,

⁸according as it is written: "God hath given them the spirit of slumber, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, unto this day."

⁹And David saith, "Let their table be made a snare and a trap, a stumbling block and a recompense unto them.

¹⁰Let their eyes be darkened, that they may not see, and bow down their backs alway."

¹¹I say then: Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid! But rather, through their fall salvation has come unto the Gentiles to provoke them to jealousy.

¹²Now if the fall of them be the riches of the world and the diminishing of them the riches of the Gentiles, how much more their fullness?

¹³For I speak to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my office,

¹⁴that by any means I may provoke to emulation those who are my flesh, and might save some of them.

¹⁵For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

¹⁶For if the firstfruit be holy, the whole lump is also holy; and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

¹⁷And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree,

¹⁸boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

¹⁹Thou wilt say then, "The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."

²⁰Thou sayest well! Because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear;

²¹for if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest He also spare not thee.

²²Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in His goodness. Otherwise, thou also shalt be cut off.

²³And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

²⁴For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which are the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?

²⁵For I, brethren, would not have you be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits: that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in.

²⁶And so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written: "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

²⁷For this is My covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins."

²⁸Concerning the Gospel, they are enemies for your sake; but concerning the election, they are beloved for the fathers' sakes.

²⁹For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.

³⁰For as in times past ye have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief,

³¹even so have these also now not believed, that through your mercy they also may obtain mercy.

³²For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that He might have mercy upon all.

³³O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments, and His ways past finding out!

³⁴"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or who hath been His counselor?"

³⁵Or, "who hath first given to Him, and it shall be recompensed unto him again?"

³⁶For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever. Amen.

12I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

²And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

³For I say to every man that is among you, through the grace given unto me, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

⁴For as we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office,

⁵so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

⁶Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us: if prophecy, let us prophesy according to our portion of faith;

⁷or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching;

⁸or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁹Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

¹⁰Have kindly affection one for another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another;

¹¹not slothful in business; fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

¹²rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer;

¹³distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality.

¹⁴Bless those who persecute you; bless and curse not.

¹⁵Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.

¹⁶Be of the same mind one toward another. Set not your mind on high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.

¹⁷Recompense no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.

¹⁸If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

¹⁹Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath; for it is written: "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,saith the Lord."

²⁰Therefore: "If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head."

²¹Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

13Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but from God; the powers that be are ordained by God.

²Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God, and those who resist shall receive for themselves damnation.

³For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? Do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same,

⁴for he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the sword in vain; for he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

⁵Therefore ye must be subject not only for wrath, but also for conscience' sake.

⁶For, for this cause pay ye tribute also, for they are God's ministers, attending continually upon this very thing.

⁷Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

⁸Owe no man anything, but to love one another, for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.

⁹For this, "Thou shalt not commit adultery," "Thou shalt not kill," "Thou shalt not steal," "Thou shalt not bear false witness," "Thou shalt not covet," and if there be any other commandment, all are briefly comprehended in this saying, namely: "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself."

¹⁰Love worketh no ill to his neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

¹¹And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awaken out of sleep; for now is our salvation nearer than when we first believed.

¹²The night is far spent; the day is at hand. Let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.

¹³Let us walk honestly as in the day, not in rioting and drunkenness, not in lewdness and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

¹⁴But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill the lusts thereof.

14Receive ye him that is weak in the faith, but not to judge his doubtful disputations.

²For one believeth that he may eat all things, while another who is weak eateth herbs.

³Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him that eateth not, judge him that eateth; for God hath received him.

⁴Who art thou who judgest another man's servant? To his own master he standeth or falleth; yea, he shall be held up, for God is able to make him stand.

⁵One man esteemeth one day above another; another esteemeth every day alike. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.

⁶He that regardeth one day, regardeth it unto the Lord; and he that regardeth not that day, to the Lord doth he not regard it. He that eateth, eateth to the Lord, for he giveth God thanks; and he that eateth not, to the Lord he eateth not and giveth God thanks.

⁷For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.

⁸For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord. Whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

⁹For to this end Christ both died, and arose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.

¹⁰But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

¹¹For it is written: "'As I live,' saith the Lord, 'every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'"

¹²So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

¹³Let us not therefore judge one another any more, but judge this rather: that no man put a stumbling block or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

¹⁴I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him that regardeth anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean.

¹⁵But if thy brother be grieved because of thy meat, thou walkest no longer charitably. Destroy not with thy meat him for whom Christ died.

¹⁶Let not your good be spoken of as evil;

¹⁷for the Kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Ghost.

¹⁸For he that in these things serveth Christ, is acceptable to God and approved by men.

¹⁹Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and the things wherewith one may edify another.

²⁰Destroy not the work of God for the sake of meat. All things indeed are pure, but it is evil for that man to eat what causeth offense.

²¹It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor to do anything whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

²²Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

²³And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not from faith; for whatsoever is not from faith is sin.

15We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

²Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification.

³For even Christ pleased not Himself, but as it is written: "The reproaches of them that reproached Thee fell on Me."

⁴For whatsoever things were written in times past, were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

⁵Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded one toward another, according to Christ Jesus,

⁶that ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁷Therefore receive ye one another as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

⁸Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the Circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers,

⁹and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy; as it is written: "For this cause I will confess to Thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto Thy name."

¹⁰And again he saith, "Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with His people."

¹¹And again, "Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud Him, all ye people."

¹²And again Isaiah saith, "There shall be a Root of Jesse, and He that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in Him shall the Gentiles trust."

¹³Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost.

¹⁴And I myself also am persuaded about you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.

¹⁵Nevertheless, brethren, I have written the more boldly unto you in some measure to remind you, because of the grace that is given to me from God,

¹⁶that I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the Gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

¹⁷I have therefore cause that I may glory through Jesus Christ in those things which pertain to God.

¹⁸For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient by word and deed,

¹⁹through mighty signs and wonders by the power of the Spirit of God; so that from Jerusalem and round about into Illyricum, I have fully preached the Gospel of Christ.

²⁰Yea, so have I striven to preach the Gospel not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation;

²¹but as it is written: "To whom He was not spoken of, they shall see; and they that have not heard shall understand."

²²For this cause also I have been much hindered from coming to you.

²³But now having no more place in these parts, and having a great desire these many years to come unto you,

²⁴whensoever I make my journey into Spain I will come to you. For I trust to see you on my journey, and to be brought on my way thither by you, if first I be somewhat filled with your company.

²⁵But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.

²⁶For it hath pleased those of Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the poor saints who are at Jerusalem.

²⁷It hath pleased them verily, and their debtors they are. For if the Gentiles have been made partakers in their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things.

²⁸When therefore I have performed this, and have secured to them this fruit, I will come to you on my way to Spain.

²⁹And I am sure that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fullness of the blessing of the Gospel of Christ.

³⁰Now I beseech you, brethren, for the Lord Jesus Christ's sake, and for the love of the Spirit, that ye strive together with me in your prayers to God for me,

³¹that I may be delivered from those who do not believe in Judea, and that my service which I have for Jerusalem may be accepted by the saints,

³²and that I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.

³³Now the God of peace be with you all. Amen.

16I commend unto you Phoebe our sister, who is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea,

²that ye receive her in the Lord as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you. For she hath been a succorer of many, and of myself also.

³Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my helpers in Christ Jesus,

⁴who have for my life laid down their own necks, unto whom not only I give thanks, but also all the churches of the Gentiles.

⁵Likewise greet the church that is in their house. Salute my well-beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia unto Christ.

⁶Greet Mary, who bestowed much labor on us.

⁷Salute Andronicus and Junia, my kinsmen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles and who also were in Christ before me.

⁸Greet Amplias, my beloved in the Lord.

⁹Salute Urbanus, our helper in Christ, and my beloved Stachys.

¹⁰Salute Apelles, approved in Christ. Salute those who are of the household of Aristobulus.

¹¹Salute Herodion, my kinsman. Greet those who are of the household of Narcissus, who are in the Lord.

¹²Salute Tryphena and Tryphosa, who labor in the Lord. Salute the beloved Persis, who labored much in the Lord.

¹³Salute Rufus, chosen in the Lord, and his mother and mine.

¹⁴Salute Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and the brethren who are with them.

¹⁵Salute Philologus and Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas, and all the saints who are with them.

¹⁶Salute one another with a holy kiss. The churches of Christ salute you.

¹⁷Now I beseech you, brethren, mark those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them.

¹⁸For such as they serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

¹⁹For your obedience has become known abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf; but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.

²⁰And the God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.

²¹Timothy, my fellow worker, and Lucius and Jason and Sosipater, my kinsmen, salute you.

²²(I, Tertius, who wrote down this epistle, salute you in the Lord.)

²³Gaius, my host and host of the whole church, saluteth you. Erastus, the treasurer of the city, saluteth you, and Quartus, a brother.

²⁴The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

²⁵Now to Him who has the power to establish you according to my Gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery which was kept secret since the world began

²⁶but now is made manifest, and by the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith,

²⁷to God alone wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen.

1The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto Him to show unto His servants things which must shortly come to pass. And He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John,

²who bore record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

³Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein; for the time is at hand.

⁴John, To the seven churches in Asia: Grace be unto you and peace from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before His throne;

⁵and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the prince over the kings of the earth. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood,

⁶and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

⁷Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so. Amen.

⁸"I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE ENDING," saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.

⁹I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation and in the Kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the isle that is called Patmos, for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.

¹⁰I was in the Spirit on the Lord's Day, and I heard behind me a great voice as of a trumpet,

¹¹saying, "I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last," and, "What thou seest, write in a book and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea."

¹²And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks;

¹³and in the midst of the seven candlesticks One like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the breast with a golden girdle.

¹⁴His head and His hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes were as a flame of fire;

¹⁵and His feet like unto fine brass, as though they burned in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters.

¹⁶And He had in His right hand seven stars, and out of His mouth went a sharp twoedged sword, and His countenance shone as the sun shineth in his strength.

¹⁷And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. And He laid His right hand upon me, saying unto me, "Fear not; I am the First and the Last.

¹⁸I am He that liveth, and was dead; and behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and of death.

¹⁹Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.

²⁰The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks: the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches.

2"Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write: 'These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks:

²I know thy works and thy labor and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil; and how thou hast tried them that say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars;

³and hast borne, and hast patience, and for My name's sake hast labored and hast not fainted.

⁴Nevertheless, I have something against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

⁵Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the works as at first; or else I will come unto thee quickly and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, unless thou repent.

⁶But this thou hast: that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

⁷He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.'

⁸"And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive:

⁹I know thy works and tribulation and poverty (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.

¹⁰Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have tribulation ten days. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of Life.

¹¹He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death.'

¹²"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write: 'These things saith He that hath the sharp sword with two edges:

¹³I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is; and that thou holdest fast My name and hast not denied My faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

¹⁴But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.

¹⁵So thou also hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

¹⁶Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.

¹⁷He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth save he that receiveth it.'

¹⁸"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: 'These things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet are like fine brass:

¹⁹I know thy works, and charity and service, and faith and thy patience, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first.

²⁰Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess,to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.

²¹And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.

²²Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.

²³And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.

²⁴But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine and who have not known the depths of Satan (as they say) I will put upon you no other burden.

²⁵But that which ye have already, hold fast till I come.

²⁶And he that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations,

²⁷and "he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers," even as I have received from My Father.

²⁸And I will give him the morning star.

²⁹He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!'

3"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: 'These things saith He that hath the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: I know thy works, and that thou hast a name that thou livest, but thou art dead.

²Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

³Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard; and hold fast and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

⁴Thou hast a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.

⁵He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.

⁶He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!'

⁷"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: 'These things saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth:

⁸I know thy works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. For thou hast a little strength, and hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My name.

⁹Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but do lie -- behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.

¹⁰Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth.

¹¹Behold, I come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

¹²Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out no more; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God, and I will write upon him My new name.

¹³He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!'

¹⁴"And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: 'These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:

¹⁵I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot.

¹⁶So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth.

¹⁷Because thou sayest, "I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing," and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable, and poor and blind and naked,

¹⁸I counsel thee to buy from Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed and thatthe shame of thy nakedness may not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.

¹⁹As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.

²⁰Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with Me.

²¹To him that overcometh, will I grant to sit with Me on My throne, even as I also overcame and am set down with My Father on His throne.

²²He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches!'"

4After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven; and the first voice which I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet talking with me, which said, "Come up hither, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter."

²And immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was set in Heaven, and One sat on the throne.

³And He that sat thereon was to look upon like a jasper and a sardius stone; and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in appearance like unto an emerald.

⁴And round about the throne were four and twenty seats; and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment, and they had on their heads crowns of gold.

⁵And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God;

⁶and before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four living beings full of eyes in front and behind.

⁷And the first being was like a lion, and the second being like a calf, and the third being had the face of a man, and the fourth being was like a flying eagle.

⁸And each of the four living beings had six wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they rested not day and night, saying,"Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come!"

⁹And when those living beings give glory and honor and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever,

¹⁰the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sits on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹"Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are, and were created."

5And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

²And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?"

³And no man in Heaven, nor on earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon.

⁴And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon.

⁵And one of the elders said unto me, "Weep not! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof."

⁶And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne and the four living beings, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth.

⁷And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.

⁸And when He had taken the book, the four living beings and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of saints.

⁹And they sang a new song, saying, "Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof; for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood, from every kindred and tongue, and people and nation,

¹⁰and hast made us unto our God kings and priests; and we shall reign on the earth."

¹¹And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the living beings and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands,

¹²saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength, and honor and glory and blessing!"

¹³And I heard every creature which is in heaven and on the earth, and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, saying, "Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever!"

¹⁴And the four living beings said, "Amen." And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshiped Him that liveth for ever and ever.

6And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four living beings saying, "Come and see!"

²And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering andto conquer.

³And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living being say, "Come and see!"

⁴And there went out another horse that was red; and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, that they should kill one another; and there was given unto him a great sword.

⁵And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third living being say, "Come and see!" And I beheld, and lo, a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.

⁶And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living beings say, "A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine!"

⁷And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living being say, "Come and see!"

⁸And I looked, and behold, a pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over a fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

⁹And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held.

¹⁰And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?"

¹¹And white robes were given unto every one of them, and it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow servants and also their brethren, who were to be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.

¹²And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;

¹³and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken by a mighty wind.

¹⁴And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

¹⁵And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;

¹⁶and they said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb!

¹⁷For the great Day of His wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?"

7And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.

²And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea,

³saying, "Hurt not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."

⁴And I heard the number of them that were sealed: there were sealed a hundred and fortyfour thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.

⁵Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand;

⁶of the tribe of Asher were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Naphtali were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand;

⁷of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand;

⁸of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand; of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.

⁹After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and with palms in their hands.

¹⁰And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb!"

¹¹And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four living beings, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,

¹²saying, "Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, and honor and power and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen!"

¹³And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, "Who are these that are arrayed in white robes, and from whence have they come?"

¹⁴And I said unto him, "Sir, thou knowest." And he said to me, "These are they that came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵Therefore, "they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

¹⁶They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat.

¹⁷For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes."

8And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in Heaven about the space of half an hour.

²And I saw the seven angels who stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets.

³And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar, which was before the throne.

⁴And the smoke of the incense, which came with the prayers of the saints, ascended up before God out of the angel's hand.

⁵And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire from the altar, and cast it onto the earth; and there were voices and thunderings and lightnings, and an earthquake.

⁶And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

⁷The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth; and a third part of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.

⁸And the second angel sounded and, as it were, a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and a third part of the sea became blood;

⁹and a third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died, and a third part of the ships were destroyed.

¹⁰And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as if it were a lamp, and it fell upon a third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters;

¹¹and the name of the star is called Wormwood. And a third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

¹²And the fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was smitten, and a third part of the moon and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened; and a third of the day shone not, and the night likewise.

¹³And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, "Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the other voices of the trumpets of the three other angels, which are yet to sound!"

9And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth; and to him was given the key to the bottomless pit.

²And he opened the bottomless pit, and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit.

³And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth; and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

⁴And it was commanded to them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree, but only those men who have not the seal of God in their foreheads.

⁵And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months; and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man.

⁶And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.

⁷And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for battle; and on their heads were, as it were, crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men.

⁸And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions.

⁹And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots with many horses running to battle.

¹⁰And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stingers in their tails; and their power was to hurt men five months.

¹¹And they had a king over them, the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue his name is Apollyon.

¹²One woe is past; and behold, there come two more woes hereafter.

¹³And the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which stands before God,

¹⁴saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, "Loose the four angels who are bound in the great river Euphrates."

¹⁵And the four angels were loosed, who had been prepared for an hour and a day and a month and a year, to slay a third part of men.

¹⁶And the number of the army of horsemen was two hundred thousand thousand, and I heard the number of them.

¹⁷And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and they that sat on them had breastplates of fire and of jacinth and brimstone; and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions, and out of their mouths issued fire and smoke and brimstone.

¹⁸By these three was a third part of men killed by the fire and by the smoke and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.

¹⁹For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails were like unto serpents and had heads, and with them they cause hurt.

²⁰And the rest of the men, who were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold and silver, and brass and stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk;

²¹neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.

10And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire.

²And he had in his hand a little book open. And he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth,

³and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth. And when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

⁴And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write, and I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me, "Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not."

⁵And the angel, whom I saw standing upon the sea and upon the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven.

⁶And he swore by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are therein, and the earth and the things that are therein, and the sea and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer,

⁷but that in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets.

⁸And the voice which I heard from Heaven spoke unto me again and said, "Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel who standeth upon the sea and upon the earth."

⁹And I went unto the angel and said unto him, "Give me the little book." And he said unto me, "Take it and eat it up, and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey."

¹⁰And I took the little book out of the angel's hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey; and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter.

¹¹And he said unto me, "Thou must prophesy again before many peoples and nations, and tongues and kings."

11And there was given me a reed like unto a rod; and the angel stood, saying, "Rise, and measure the temple of God and the altar, and them that worship therein.

²But the court which is outside the temple, leave out, and measure it not, for it is given unto the Gentiles; and the Holy City shall they tread under foot for forty and two months.

³And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth."

⁴These are the two olive trees and the two candlesticks, standing before the God of the earth.

⁵And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth and devoureth their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.

⁶These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy, and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.

⁷And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them and kill them.

⁸And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.

⁹And they of the people and kindreds, and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and a half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.

¹⁰And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another, because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.

¹¹But after three days and a half, the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fellupon them that saw them.

¹²And they heard a great voice from Heaven, saying unto them, "Come up hither!" And they ascended up to Heaven in a cloud, and their enemies beheld them.

¹³And that same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth part of the city fell; and in the earthquake were slain seven thousand men, and the remnant were seized with fear, and gave glory to the God of Heaven.

¹⁴The second woe is past; and behold, the third woe cometh quickly.

¹⁵And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in Heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign for ever and ever!"

¹⁶And the four and twenty elders, who sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces and worshiped God,

¹⁷saying, "We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art, and wast, and art to come, because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned.

¹⁸And the nations were angry; and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints and them that fear Thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them that destroy the earth."

¹⁹And the temple of God was opened in Heaven; and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament, and there were lightnings and voices, and thunderings and an earthquake, and great hail.

12And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.

²And she, being with child, cried, travailing in birth and in pain to be delivered.

³And there appeared another wonder in heaven: behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.

⁴And his tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to be delivered to devour her child as soon as it was born.

⁵And she brought forth a manchild, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God and to His throne.

⁶And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

⁷And there was war in Heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels,

⁸and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in Heaven.

⁹And the great dragon was cast out -- that serpent of old called the Devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world. He was cast out onto the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

¹⁰And I heard a loud voice saying in Heaven, "Now have come salvation and strength, and the Kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, who accused them before our God day and night.

¹¹And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death.

¹²Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea! For the devil has come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time."

¹³And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman who brought forth the manchild.

¹⁴And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the face of the serpent.

¹⁵And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood.

¹⁶And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

¹⁷And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and he went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

13And I stood upon the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

²And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority.

³And I saw that one of his heads was, as it were, wounded to death, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world wondered after the beast.

⁴And they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

⁵And there was given unto him a mouth, speaking great things and blasphemies, and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.

⁶And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in Heaven.

⁷And it was given unto him to make war with the saints and to overcome them; and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

⁸And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the Book of Life of the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world.

⁹If any man have an ear, let him hear:

¹⁰He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity. He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

¹¹And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon.

¹²And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him; and he causeth the earth and them that dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

¹³And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men.

¹⁴And he deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword and lived.

¹⁵And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause to be killed as many as would not worship the image of the beast.

¹⁶And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads,

¹⁷that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name.

¹⁸Here is wisdom: Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man; and his number is six hundred threescore and six.

14And I looked and lo, a Lamb stood on Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred forty and four thousand, having His Father's name written in their foreheads.

²And I heard a voice from Heaven as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps.

³And they sang, as it were, a new song before the throne, and before the four living beings and the elders; and no man could learn that song, except the hundred and forty and four thousand who were redeemed from the earth.

⁴These are they that were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.

⁵And in their mouth was found no guile, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

⁶And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation and kindred, and tongue and people,

⁷saying with a loud voice, "Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His Judgment is come. Worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea and the fountains of waters."

⁸And there followed another angel, saying, "Babylon is fallen! Fallen is that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication."

⁹And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, "If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand,

¹⁰the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out unmixed into the cup of His indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

¹¹And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name."

¹²Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.

¹³And I heard a voice from Heaven, saying unto me, "Write: 'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth.'" "Yea," saith the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them."

¹⁴And I looked, and behold, a white cloud; and upon the cloud sat one like unto the Son of Man, having on his head a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle.

¹⁵And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, "Thrust in thy sickle and reap; for the time has come for thee to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

¹⁶And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped.

¹⁷And another angel came out of the temple which is in Heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.

¹⁸And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe."

¹⁹And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God.

²⁰And the wine press was trodden outside the city, and blood came out of the wine press, even unto the horse bridles, for the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

15And I saw another sign in Heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels holding the seven last plagues, for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

²And I saw, as it were, a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass and having the harps of God.

³And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints!

⁴Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou only art holy. For all nations shall come and worship before Thee, for Thy judgments are made manifest."

⁵And after that I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in Heaven was opened;

⁶and the seven angels, having the seven plagues, came out of the temple, clothed in pure and white linen and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.

⁷And one of the four living beings gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

⁸And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no man was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.

16And I heard a great voice out of the temple, saying to the seven angels, "Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth."

²And the first went and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men who had the mark of the beast and upon them that worshiped his image.

³And the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became as the blood of a dead man, and every living soul died in the sea.

⁴And the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters; and they became blood.

⁵And I heard the angel of the waters say, "Thou art righteous, O Lord, who art, and wast, and shall be, because Thou hast judged thus;

⁶for they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and Thou hast given them blood to drink, for they are worthy."

⁷And I heard another out of the altar say, "Even so, Lord God Almighty; true and righteous are Thy judgments."

⁸And the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun; and power was given unto him to scorch men with fire.

⁹And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God, who hath power over these plagues; and they repented not to give Him glory.

¹⁰And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness, and they gnawed their tongues from pain;

¹¹and they blasphemed the God of Heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.

¹²And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared.

¹³And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

¹⁴For they are the spirits of devils working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them for the battle of that great Day of God Almighty.

¹⁵"Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame."

¹⁶And he gathered them together at a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.

¹⁷And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of Heaven from the throne, saying, "IT IS DONE!"

¹⁸And there were voices and thunders and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as has not been since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake and so great.

¹⁹And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and great Babylon came to remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath.

²⁰And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found.

²¹And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent. And men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, for the plague thereof was exceeding great.

17And there came one of the seven angels, who had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, "Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment upon the great whore who sitteth upon many waters,

²with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication."

³So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, and having seven heads and ten horns.

⁴And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and bedecked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication;

⁵and upon her forehead was a name written: Mystery, Babylon the Great, Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth.

⁶And I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I wondered with great amazement.

⁷And the angel said unto me, "Why dost thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns.

⁸The beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit and go into perdition; and they that dwell on the earth, whose names were not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, shall wonder when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

⁹"And here is the mind which hath wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth.

¹⁰And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other has not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space.

¹¹And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, yet is one of the seven and goeth into perdition.

¹²And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have received no kingdom as yet, but will receive power as kings for one hour with the beast.

¹³These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

¹⁴These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and they that are with Him are called, and chosen, and faithful."

¹⁵And he saith unto me, "The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples and multitudes, and nations and tongues.

¹⁶And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire.

¹⁷For God hath put into their hearts to fulfill His will and to agree, and to give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.

¹⁸And the woman whom thou sawest is that great city which reigneth over the kings of the earth."

18And after these things, I saw another angel come down from Heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened by his glory.

²And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird.

³For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication; and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have waxed rich through the abundance of her indulgences pleasures."

⁴And I heard another voice from Heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues;

⁵for her sins have reached unto Heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities.

⁶Reward her even as she has rewarded you, and unto her double according to her works; in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double.

⁷How much she hath glorified herself and lived voluptuously! That much torment and sorrow give back to her; for she saith in her heart,'I sit a queen and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow.'

⁸Therefore shall her plagues come in one day" death and mourning and famine, and she shall be utterly burned with fire; for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.

⁹"And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived wantonly with her, shall bewail her and lament for her when they shall see the smoke of her burning,

¹⁰standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, 'Alas! Alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour has thy judgment come.'

¹¹"And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her, for no man buyeth their merchandise any more:

¹²the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls; and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; all scented wood, all manner of vessels of ivory and most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble;

¹³and cinnamon, and perfumes, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat; and cattle, and sheep, and horses, and chariots; and slaves, and the souls of men.

¹⁴"And the fruits that thy soul lusted after have departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly have departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all.

¹⁵The merchants of these things, who were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing

¹⁶and saying, 'Alas! Alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and bedecked with gold and precious stones and pearls!

¹⁷For in one hour such great riches have come to nought!' "And every shipmaster and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off;

¹⁸and they cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, 'What city is like unto this great city!'

¹⁹And they cast dust on their heads and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, 'Alas! Alas, that great city, wherein all that had ships in the sea were made rich by reason of her extravagances! For in one hour is she made desolate!'

²⁰Rejoice over her, thou heaven and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her."

²¹Then a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, "Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all.

²²And the voice of harpers and musicians, and of pipers and trumpeters shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee;

²³and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth, for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived.

²⁴And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth."

19And after these things I heard a great voice of a multitude of people in Heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power, unto the Lord our God,

²for true and righteous are His judgments: He hath judged the great whore who corrupted the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand."

³And again they said, "Alleluia!" And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.

⁴And the four and twenty elders and the four living beings fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!"

⁵And a voice came out of the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great."

⁶And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, and the voice of many waters, and the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth.

⁷Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready."

⁸And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.

⁹And he said unto me, "Write: 'Blessed are they that are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb.'" And he said unto me, "These are the true sayings of God."

¹⁰And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said unto me, "See that thou do it not! I am thy fellow servant and one of thy brethren, who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

¹¹And I saw Heaven opened, and behold, a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war.

¹²His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written that no man knew, but He Himself.

¹³And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called, The Word of God.

¹⁴And the armies which were in Heaven, clothed in fine linen white and clean, followed Him upon white horses.

¹⁵And out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword with which He shall smite the nations, and He shall rule them with a rod of iron; and He treadeth the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

¹⁶And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

¹⁷And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God,

¹⁸that ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great."

¹⁹And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army.

²⁰And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet who wrought miracles in his presence, by which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire, burning with brimstone.

²¹And the remnant were slain with the sword of Him that sat upon the horse, whose sword proceeded out of His mouth. And all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

20And I saw an angel come down from Heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

²And he laid hold on the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.

³And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years should be fulfilled; and after that he must be loosed a little season.

⁴And I saw thrones and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. And I saw the souls of them that had been beheaded for the witness of Jesus and for the Word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast, nor his image, nor had received his mark upon their foreheads or on their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

⁵But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

⁶Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

⁷And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

⁸and shall go out to deceive the nations to the four quarters of the earth -- Gog and Magog -- to gather them together for battle, thenumber of whom is as the sand of the sea.

⁹And they went out over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

¹⁰And the devil who had deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

¹¹And I saw a great white throne and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.

¹²And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

¹³And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them; and they were judged every man according to their works.

¹⁴And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.

¹⁵And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

21And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no more sea.

²And I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of Heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

³And I heard a great voice out of Heaven, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them; and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God.

⁴And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away."

⁵And He that sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said unto me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

⁶And He said unto me, "It is done! I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the Water of Life freely.

⁷He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

⁸But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers,and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

⁹And there came unto me one of the seven angels, who had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, "Come hither; I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife."

¹⁰And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of Heaven from God,

¹¹having the glory of God. And her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.

¹²It had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:

¹³on the east three gates, on the north three gates, on the south three gates, and on the west three gates.

¹⁴And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

¹⁵And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof and the walls thereof.

¹⁶And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as great as the breadth; and he measured the city with the reed: twelve thousand furlongs; the length and the breadth and the height of it are equal.

¹⁷And he measured the wall thereof: a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel.

¹⁸And the wall was built of jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

¹⁹And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones: the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald,

²⁰the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.

²¹And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; each separate gate was of one pearl, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were, transparent glass.

²²And I saw no temple therein, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

²³And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon to shine in it; for the glory of God gave it light, and the Lamb is the light thereof.

²⁴And the nations of them that are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it.

²⁵And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day, for there shall be no night there,

²⁶and they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it.

²⁷And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie, but only they that are written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

22And he showed me a pure river of the Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

²In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, there was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve kinds of fruit and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him.

⁴And they shall see His face, and His name shall be in their foreheads.

⁵And there shall be no night there, and they will need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light. And they shall reign for ever and ever.

⁶And he said unto me, "These sayings are faithful and true," and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done.

⁷"Behold, I come quickly." Blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

⁸And I, John, saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.

⁹Then said he unto me, "See that thou do it not, for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them that keep the sayings of this book. Worship God!"

¹⁰And he said unto me, "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.

¹¹He that is unjust, let him be unjust still; and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still; and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still; and he that is holy, let him be holy still."

¹²"And behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.

¹³I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last."

¹⁴Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the Tree of Life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

¹⁵For outside are dogs and sorcerers, and whoremongers and murderers and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

¹⁶"I, Jesus, have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the Bright and Morning Star."

¹⁷And the Spirit and the bride say, "Come." And let him that heareth say, "Come." And let him that is athirst come; and whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely.

¹⁸For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book: If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book.

¹⁹And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the Book of Life and out of the Holy City, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰He that testifieth these things saith, "Surely I come quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.