Removed CTRL-M line endings

This commit is contained in:
Jesse Griffin 2017-06-23 09:59:16 -06:00
parent be91a0866b
commit db232e0cb5
26 changed files with 9101 additions and 9101 deletions

View File

@ -498,150 +498,150 @@
\p
\v 28 Noah lived 350 more years after the flood.
\v 29 He died when he was 950 years old.
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They became the fathers of many children after the flood.
\s5
\v 2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
\v 3 The sons of Gomer were Askenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
\v 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
\v 5 The sons and their families who were descended from Javan lived in the islands and in the lands close to the ocean. Their descendants became people groups, each with its own language, clans, and territory.
\s5
\v 6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.
\p
\v 7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtah. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Another one of Cush's sons was Nimrod. Nimrod was the first person on earth who became a mighty warrior.
\v 9 Yahweh saw that he had become a great hunter. That is why people say to a great hunter, "Yahweh sees that you are a great hunter like Nimrod."
\v 10 Nimrod became a king who ruled in Babylonia land. The first cities over which he ruled were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Kalneh.
\s5
\v 11 From there he went with other people to Assyria, and there they built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
\v 12 and Resen. Resen was a large city between Nineveh and Calah.
\p
\v 13 Ham's son, Egypt, became the ancestor of the Lud, Anam, Lehab and Naphtuh,
\v 14 Pathrus, Casluh and Caphtor people groups. The Philistine people were descended from Casluh.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Ham's youngest son, Canaan, became the father of Sidon, who was his eldest son, and Heth, his younger son.
\v 16 Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebus, Amor, Girgash,
\v 17 Hiv, Ark, Sin,
\v 18 Arved, Zemar and Hamath people groups. Later the descendants of Canaan scattered over a large area.
\s5
\v 19 Their land extended from the city of Sidon in the north as far south as Gaza near Gerar, and then east toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboyim towns, as far as the town of Lasha.
\p
\v 20 Those are the descendants of Ham. They became people groups that had their own clans, their own languages, and their own lands.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Shem, the older brother of Japheth, also had sons, and he became the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber.
\v 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphachshad, Lud, and Aram.
\v 23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
\s5
\v 24 Arphachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.
\v 25 Eber became the father of two sons. One of them was named Peleg, which means "division," because during the time he lived, people on the earth became divided and scattered everywhere. Peleg's younger brother was Joktan.
\s5
\v 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
\v 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
\v 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
\v 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
\s5
\v 30 The areas in which the clans began to live extended from Mesha to Sephar, which is in the hill country in the east.
\v 31 They are descendants from the sons of Shem. They became people groups that had their own clans, their own languages, and their own land.
\s5
\p
\v 32 All these clans descended from the sons of Noah. Each clan had its own genealogy and each became a separate people group. Those people groups formed after the flood and spread all around the earth.
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 At this time, all the people in the world spoke the same language.
\v 2 As people moved around in the east, they arrived at a plain in the region of Babylon and began to live there.
\s5
\v 3 Then they said to each other, "Let us make bricks and bake them to make them hard, for building!" So they used bricks instead of stones, and used tar instead of mortar to hold them together.
\v 4 They said, "Let us build a city for ourselves! We also ought to build a very high tower that reaches up to the sky! In that way people will know who we are! If we do not do this, we will be scattered all over the earth!"
\s5
\p
\v 5 One day Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building.
\v 6 Yahweh said, "These people are one group that all speak the same language. If they have begun to do this, then there is nothing that they will decide to do that will be impossible for them!
\v 7 So, let us go down there and make the people speak different languages, so that they will not be able to understand what each other is saying."
\s5
\p
\v 8 By doing this, Yahweh caused them to scatter all over the earth, and the people stopped building the city.
\v 9 The city was called Babel, because there Yahweh caused the people all over the earth to no longer speak only one language. And Yahweh caused them to scatter all over the earth from that place.
\s5
\p
\v 10 These are those who descended from Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was one hundred years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
\v 11 After Arphaxad was born, Shem lived five hundred more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 12 When Arphachshad was thirty-five years old, he became the father of Shelah.
\v 13 After Shelah was born, Arphaxad lived 403 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When Shelah was thirty years old, he became the father of Eber.
\v 15 After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 16 When Eber was thirty-four years old, he became the father of Peleg.
\v 17 After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 18 When Peleg was thirty years old, he became the father of Reu.
\v 19 After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 20 When Reu was thirty-two years old, he became the father of Serug.
\v 21 After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 22 When Serug was thirty years old, he became the father of Nahor.
\v 23 After Nahor was born, Serug lived two hundred more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 24 When Nahor was twenty-nine years old, he became the father of Terah.
\v 25 After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\p
\v 26 After Terah was seventy years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
\s5
\p
\v 27 This is what happened concerning the descendants of Terah: Terah's sons were Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran's son was named Lot.
\v 28 Haran's father was with him when Haran died in the city of Ur, in the country of the Chaldeans. This is the land where he was born.
\s5
\v 29 Abram and Nahor both married. Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milkah. Milkah and her sister Iskah were the daughters of Haran.
\v 30 Sarai was unable to have any children.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Terah decided to leave Ur and go to live in the land of Canaan. So he took his son Abram and his grandson Lot son of Haran, and Abram's wife Sarai with him. But instead of going to Canaan, they stopped at the town of Haran and lived there.
\v 32 When Terah was 205 years old, he died in Haran.
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 These are the descendants of Noah's sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. They became the fathers of many children after the flood.
\s5
\v 2 The sons of Japheth were Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, and Tiras.
\v 3 The sons of Gomer were Askenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah.
\v 4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
\v 5 The sons and their families who were descended from Javan lived in the islands and in the lands close to the ocean. Their descendants became people groups, each with its own language, clans, and territory.
\s5
\v 6 The sons of Ham were Cush, Egypt, Put, and Canaan.
\p
\v 7 The sons of Cush were Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabtah. The sons of Raamah were Sheba and Dedan.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Another one of Cush's sons was Nimrod. Nimrod was the first person on earth who became a mighty warrior.
\v 9 Yahweh saw that he had become a great hunter. That is why people say to a great hunter, "Yahweh sees that you are a great hunter like Nimrod."
\v 10 Nimrod became a king who ruled in Babylonia land. The first cities over which he ruled were Babel, Erech, Akkad, and Kalneh.
\s5
\v 11 From there he went with other people to Assyria, and there they built the cities of Nineveh, Rehoboth Ir, Calah,
\v 12 and Resen. Resen was a large city between Nineveh and Calah.
\p
\v 13 Ham's son, Egypt, became the ancestor of the Lud, Anam, Lehab and Naphtuh,
\v 14 Pathrus, Casluh and Caphtor people groups. The Philistine people were descended from Casluh.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Ham's youngest son, Canaan, became the father of Sidon, who was his eldest son, and Heth, his younger son.
\v 16 Canaan was also the ancestor of the Jebus, Amor, Girgash,
\v 17 Hiv, Ark, Sin,
\v 18 Arved, Zemar and Hamath people groups. Later the descendants of Canaan scattered over a large area.
\s5
\v 19 Their land extended from the city of Sidon in the north as far south as Gaza near Gerar, and then east toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboyim towns, as far as the town of Lasha.
\p
\v 20 Those are the descendants of Ham. They became people groups that had their own clans, their own languages, and their own lands.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Shem, the older brother of Japheth, also had sons, and he became the ancestor of all the descendants of Eber.
\v 22 The sons of Shem were Elam, Ashur, Arphachshad, Lud, and Aram.
\v 23 The sons of Aram were Uz, Hul, Gether, and Mash.
\s5
\v 24 Arphachshad became the father of Shelah. Shelah became the father of Eber.
\v 25 Eber became the father of two sons. One of them was named Peleg, which means "division," because during the time he lived, people on the earth became divided and scattered everywhere. Peleg's younger brother was Joktan.
\s5
\v 26 Joktan became the father of Almodad, Sheleph, Hazarmaveth, Jerah,
\v 27 Hadoram, Uzal, Diklah,
\v 28 Obal, Abimael, Sheba,
\v 29 Ophir, Havilah, and Jobab. All these were sons of Joktan.
\s5
\v 30 The areas in which the clans began to live extended from Mesha to Sephar, which is in the hill country in the east.
\v 31 They are descendants from the sons of Shem. They became people groups that had their own clans, their own languages, and their own land.
\s5
\p
\v 32 All these clans descended from the sons of Noah. Each clan had its own genealogy and each became a separate people group. Those people groups formed after the flood and spread all around the earth.
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 At this time, all the people in the world spoke the same language.
\v 2 As people moved around in the east, they arrived at a plain in the region of Babylon and began to live there.
\s5
\v 3 Then they said to each other, "Let us make bricks and bake them to make them hard, for building!" So they used bricks instead of stones, and used tar instead of mortar to hold them together.
\v 4 They said, "Let us build a city for ourselves! We also ought to build a very high tower that reaches up to the sky! In that way people will know who we are! If we do not do this, we will be scattered all over the earth!"
\s5
\p
\v 5 One day Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that the people were building.
\v 6 Yahweh said, "These people are one group that all speak the same language. If they have begun to do this, then there is nothing that they will decide to do that will be impossible for them!
\v 7 So, let us go down there and make the people speak different languages, so that they will not be able to understand what each other is saying."
\s5
\p
\v 8 By doing this, Yahweh caused them to scatter all over the earth, and the people stopped building the city.
\v 9 The city was called Babel, because there Yahweh caused the people all over the earth to no longer speak only one language. And Yahweh caused them to scatter all over the earth from that place.
\s5
\p
\v 10 These are those who descended from Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was one hundred years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
\v 11 After Arphaxad was born, Shem lived five hundred more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 12 When Arphachshad was thirty-five years old, he became the father of Shelah.
\v 13 After Shelah was born, Arphaxad lived 403 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When Shelah was thirty years old, he became the father of Eber.
\v 15 After Eber was born, Shelah lived 403 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 16 When Eber was thirty-four years old, he became the father of Peleg.
\v 17 After Peleg was born, Eber lived 430 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 18 When Peleg was thirty years old, he became the father of Reu.
\v 19 After Reu was born, Peleg lived 209 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 20 When Reu was thirty-two years old, he became the father of Serug.
\v 21 After Serug was born, Reu lived 207 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 22 When Serug was thirty years old, he became the father of Nahor.
\v 23 After Nahor was born, Serug lived two hundred more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\s5
\p
\v 24 When Nahor was twenty-nine years old, he became the father of Terah.
\v 25 After Terah was born, Nahor lived 119 more years and became the father of other sons and daughters.
\p
\v 26 After Terah was seventy years old, he became the father of Abram, Nahor, and Haran.
\s5
\p
\v 27 This is what happened concerning the descendants of Terah: Terah's sons were Abram, Nahor, and Haran. Haran's son was named Lot.
\v 28 Haran's father was with him when Haran died in the city of Ur, in the country of the Chaldeans. This is the land where he was born.
\s5
\v 29 Abram and Nahor both married. Abram's wife was named Sarai, and Nahor's wife was named Milkah. Milkah and her sister Iskah were the daughters of Haran.
\v 30 Sarai was unable to have any children.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Terah decided to leave Ur and go to live in the land of Canaan. So he took his son Abram and his grandson Lot son of Haran, and Abram's wife Sarai with him. But instead of going to Canaan, they stopped at the town of Haran and lived there.
\v 32 When Terah was 205 years old, he died in Haran.
\s5
@ -953,84 +953,84 @@
\s5
\v 32 Finally, Abraham said, "My Lord, do not be angry now. Just let me speak one time more. What will you do if you find that there are only ten good people there?" Yahweh answered, "I will not destroy the city for the sake of those ten."
\v 33 Abraham said no more. As soon as Yahweh finished speaking with Abraham, he left, and Abraham went home.
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 That evening, the two angels arrived in Sodom. Lot was sitting at the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to greet them and prostrated himself with his face on the ground.
\v 2 He said to them, "Gentlemen, please stay in my house tonight. You can wash your feet, and early tomorrow you can continue your journey." But they said, "No, we will just sleep in the city square."
\v 3 But Lot kept insisting strongly that they sleep in his house. So they entered his house with him, and he prepared a meal for them. He baked some bread without yeast, and they ate it.
\s5
\v 4 After they finished eating, before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, all of them, from the young ones to the old ones, surrounded the house.
\v 5 They called out to Lot, saying, "Where are the men who came to your house this evening? Bring them out, so that we can sleep with them!"
\s5
\v 6 Lot went outside the house and shut the door behind him, so that they could not go inside.
\v 7 He said to them, "My friends, do not do such an evil thing!
\v 8 Listen to me. I have two daughters who have never slept with any man. Let me bring them out to you now, and you can do with them whatever pleases you. But do not do anything to these men, because they are guests in my house, so I must protect them!"
\s5
\v 9 But they replied, "Get out of our way! You are a foreigner; so you have no right to tell us what is right! We will do worse things to you than we will do to them!" Then they lunged toward Lot, and tried forcefully to break down the door.
\s5
\v 10 But the two angels opened the door carefully, reached out their hands, and pulled Lot inside the house. Then they quickly shut the door.
\v 11 Then they caused all the men who were outside the door of the house, young and old, to become blind, so that they could not find the door.
\s5
\v 12 Then the two angels said to Lot, "Who else is with you here? If you have sons or sons-in-law or daughters or anyone else in the city who is related to you, take them out of the city,
\v 13 because we are going to destroy this place. Yahweh has heard many terrible things that some people have said about this city, and he has sent us to destroy it."
\s5
\v 14 So Lot went and spoke to the men who had pledged to marry his daughters. He said to them, "Hurry! Get out of this city, because Yahweh is about to destroy it!" But his future sons-in-law thought he was joking.
\v 15 As it was about to dawn the next morning, the two angels urged Lot, saying, "Get up quickly! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here with you and leave! If you do not, you will be swept away when we destroy the city!"
\s5
\v 16 When Lot hesitated, the angels grasped his hand and his wife's hand and the hands of his two daughters. They led them outside the city safely. The angels did that because Yahweh was acting mercifully toward them.
\v 17 When they were outside the city, one of the angels said, "If you want to stay alive, run away quickly! Do not look back! And do not stop anywhere in the valley! Flee to the hills! If you do not, you will die!"
\s5
\v 18 But Lot said to one of them, "No, sir, do not make me do that!
\v 19 Please, listen. You have been pleased with me and have been very kind to me and spared my life. But I cannot flee to the mountain. If I try to do that, I will die in this disaster.
\v 20 Listen to me. There is a town nearby. Let me run there now. It is only a small town, and if you do not destroy it, our lives will be saved if we go there."
\s5
\v 21 One of the angels said to Lot, "I will allow you to do what you have requested. And I will not destroy the town you are talking about.
\v 22 But hurry! Run there, because I cannot destroy anything until you arrive." People later called the name of the town Zoar, which means 'not-important,' because Lot said that it was a small village.
\s5
\p
\v 23 As the sun was rising, Lot and his family arrived in the town which is now called Zoar.
\v 24 Then Yahweh caused fire and burning sulfur to fall down on Sodom and Gomorrah like rain from the sky.
\v 25 In that way, he destroyed those cities and all the people who were living in those cities. He also destroyed everything in the valley, including all the plants.
\s5
\v 26 But Lot's wife stopped and looked back to see what was happening, so she died, and her body later became a pillar of salt.
\p
\v 27 That morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood in front of Yahweh.
\v 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and he was surprised to see that all over the valley, smoke was rising, like the smoke of a huge furnace.
\s5
\p
\v 29 So when God destroyed those cities in the valley, he did not forget to help Abraham, and he rescued Lot from the disaster that occurred in the cities where Lot lived.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, so he left there and moved with his two daughters to the mountain, and they lived in a cave.
\s5
\v 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger daughter, "Our father is old, and there is no man in this area who will sleep with us, as people all over the earth do.
\v 32 Let us make our father drink wine until he gets drunk. Then we can sleep with him without him knowing it. In that way he will cause us to become pregnant and we can bear children who will be our father's descendants."
\v 33 So that night they caused their father to become drunk. And the older daughter went in and slept with her father, but he was so drunk that he did not know when she lay down with him or when she got up.
\s5
\v 34 The next day, his older daughter said to his younger daughter, "Listen to me. Last night I slept with our father. Let us cause him to become drunk again tonight! This time you can go and sleep with him. If he sleeps with you, you can become pregnant, and that way you can have a child, too."
\v 35 So that night, they caused their father to become drunk with wine again, and then his younger daughter went and slept with him. But again, he was so drunk that he did not know when she lay down with him or when she got up.
\s5
\v 36 So Lot caused his two daughters to become pregnant.
\v 37 The older one later gave birth to a son, whom she named Moab. He became the ancestor of the Moab people group.
\v 38 The younger one also gave birth to a son, whom she named Ben-Ammi. He became the ancestor of the people that are now called the Ammon people group.
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 That evening, the two angels arrived in Sodom. Lot was sitting at the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to greet them and prostrated himself with his face on the ground.
\v 2 He said to them, "Gentlemen, please stay in my house tonight. You can wash your feet, and early tomorrow you can continue your journey." But they said, "No, we will just sleep in the city square."
\v 3 But Lot kept insisting strongly that they sleep in his house. So they entered his house with him, and he prepared a meal for them. He baked some bread without yeast, and they ate it.
\s5
\v 4 After they finished eating, before they went to bed, the men of the city of Sodom, all of them, from the young ones to the old ones, surrounded the house.
\v 5 They called out to Lot, saying, "Where are the men who came to your house this evening? Bring them out, so that we can sleep with them!"
\s5
\v 6 Lot went outside the house and shut the door behind him, so that they could not go inside.
\v 7 He said to them, "My friends, do not do such an evil thing!
\v 8 Listen to me. I have two daughters who have never slept with any man. Let me bring them out to you now, and you can do with them whatever pleases you. But do not do anything to these men, because they are guests in my house, so I must protect them!"
\s5
\v 9 But they replied, "Get out of our way! You are a foreigner; so you have no right to tell us what is right! We will do worse things to you than we will do to them!" Then they lunged toward Lot, and tried forcefully to break down the door.
\s5
\v 10 But the two angels opened the door carefully, reached out their hands, and pulled Lot inside the house. Then they quickly shut the door.
\v 11 Then they caused all the men who were outside the door of the house, young and old, to become blind, so that they could not find the door.
\s5
\v 12 Then the two angels said to Lot, "Who else is with you here? If you have sons or sons-in-law or daughters or anyone else in the city who is related to you, take them out of the city,
\v 13 because we are going to destroy this place. Yahweh has heard many terrible things that some people have said about this city, and he has sent us to destroy it."
\s5
\v 14 So Lot went and spoke to the men who had pledged to marry his daughters. He said to them, "Hurry! Get out of this city, because Yahweh is about to destroy it!" But his future sons-in-law thought he was joking.
\v 15 As it was about to dawn the next morning, the two angels urged Lot, saying, "Get up quickly! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here with you and leave! If you do not, you will be swept away when we destroy the city!"
\s5
\v 16 When Lot hesitated, the angels grasped his hand and his wife's hand and the hands of his two daughters. They led them outside the city safely. The angels did that because Yahweh was acting mercifully toward them.
\v 17 When they were outside the city, one of the angels said, "If you want to stay alive, run away quickly! Do not look back! And do not stop anywhere in the valley! Flee to the hills! If you do not, you will die!"
\s5
\v 18 But Lot said to one of them, "No, sir, do not make me do that!
\v 19 Please, listen. You have been pleased with me and have been very kind to me and spared my life. But I cannot flee to the mountain. If I try to do that, I will die in this disaster.
\v 20 Listen to me. There is a town nearby. Let me run there now. It is only a small town, and if you do not destroy it, our lives will be saved if we go there."
\s5
\v 21 One of the angels said to Lot, "I will allow you to do what you have requested. And I will not destroy the town you are talking about.
\v 22 But hurry! Run there, because I cannot destroy anything until you arrive." People later called the name of the town Zoar, which means 'not-important,' because Lot said that it was a small village.
\s5
\p
\v 23 As the sun was rising, Lot and his family arrived in the town which is now called Zoar.
\v 24 Then Yahweh caused fire and burning sulfur to fall down on Sodom and Gomorrah like rain from the sky.
\v 25 In that way, he destroyed those cities and all the people who were living in those cities. He also destroyed everything in the valley, including all the plants.
\s5
\v 26 But Lot's wife stopped and looked back to see what was happening, so she died, and her body later became a pillar of salt.
\p
\v 27 That morning, Abraham got up and went to the place where he had stood in front of Yahweh.
\v 28 He looked down toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and he was surprised to see that all over the valley, smoke was rising, like the smoke of a huge furnace.
\s5
\p
\v 29 So when God destroyed those cities in the valley, he did not forget to help Abraham, and he rescued Lot from the disaster that occurred in the cities where Lot lived.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Lot was afraid to stay in Zoar, so he left there and moved with his two daughters to the mountain, and they lived in a cave.
\s5
\v 31 One day the older daughter said to the younger daughter, "Our father is old, and there is no man in this area who will sleep with us, as people all over the earth do.
\v 32 Let us make our father drink wine until he gets drunk. Then we can sleep with him without him knowing it. In that way he will cause us to become pregnant and we can bear children who will be our father's descendants."
\v 33 So that night they caused their father to become drunk. And the older daughter went in and slept with her father, but he was so drunk that he did not know when she lay down with him or when she got up.
\s5
\v 34 The next day, his older daughter said to his younger daughter, "Listen to me. Last night I slept with our father. Let us cause him to become drunk again tonight! This time you can go and sleep with him. If he sleeps with you, you can become pregnant, and that way you can have a child, too."
\v 35 So that night, they caused their father to become drunk with wine again, and then his younger daughter went and slept with him. But again, he was so drunk that he did not know when she lay down with him or when she got up.
\s5
\v 36 So Lot caused his two daughters to become pregnant.
\v 37 The older one later gave birth to a son, whom she named Moab. He became the ancestor of the Moab people group.
\v 38 The younger one also gave birth to a son, whom she named Ben-Ammi. He became the ancestor of the people that are now called the Ammon people group.
\s5
@ -1068,74 +1068,74 @@
\s5
\v 17 Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech's wife and his slave girls so that they could have children.
\v 18 This was because Yahweh had caused it to be impossible for any of the women in Abimelech's household to bear children, because Abimelech had taken Abraham's wife Sarah.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 Yahweh acted very kindly toward Sarah, just as he said he would do. He did for Sarah exactly what he promised to do,
\v 2 for she became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was very old, at the time God promised it would happen.
\v 3 Abraham gave the name "Isaac" to the son Sarah delivered.
\v 4 He also circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, just as God had commanded him to do.
\s5
\v 5 Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born.
\v 6 Sarah said, "Although I was sad before because I did not have any children, God has now enabled me to laugh with joy, and everyone who hears about what God has done for me will laugh with me."
\v 7 She also said, "No one would have said to Abraham that some day I would nurse a child, but I have given birth to a son when Abraham is very old."
\s5
\p
\v 8 The baby grew. The day came when he was taken off his mother's milk. On that day, Abraham prepared a large feast to celebrate.
\v 9 One day Sarah noticed that Hagar's son Ishmael was making fun of Isaac.
\s5
\v 10 So she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman from Egypt and her son! I do not want the son of that slave woman to take what my son Isaac will inherit."
\v 11 Abraham was very upset about the matter, because he was also concerned about his son Ishmael.
\s5
\v 12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be upset about your son, Ishmael, and about your servant Hagar. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you to do, and do it, because Isaac is the one who will be the forefather of the descendants I promised to give you.
\v 13 But I will also cause the son of your servant Hagar to be the ancestor of a great people group, because he is also your son."
\s5
\v 14 So Abraham got up early the next morning. He got some food ready, put water in a bag, and gave it to Hagar. He put the bag on her shoulder, handed her Ishmael, and sent them away into the wilderness of Beersheba.
\p
\v 15 After Hagar and her son had drunk all the water in the bag, she put the boy under one of the bushes there.
\v 16 Then she went and sat nearby, about as far as someone can shoot an arrow. She thought, "I cannot endure seeing my son die!" As she sat there, she began to cry loudly.
\s5
\v 17 Soon God heard the sound of Ishmael, so he sent one of his angels to call out from heaven to Hagar. He said, "Hagar, what is the matter with you? Do not be afraid, because God has heard the boy crying there.
\v 18 Go lift the boy up and help him be brave, because I will cause his descendants to become a great people group."
\s5
\v 19 Then God showed her a well of water. So she went to the well and filled the container with water, and gave the boy a drink.
\p
\v 20 God helped the boy as he grew up in the wilderness, and he became a good archer.
\v 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. Hagar got a wife for him from Egypt.
\s5
\p
\v 22 At that time, King Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "It is clear that God helps you in all that you do.
\v 23 So now, solemnly promise to me here, as God is listening, that you will not deceive me and my children, or my descendants. Act faithfully toward me and toward all the people here in the country where you are now living. Act faithfully toward me, as I have acted toward you."
\v 24 So Abraham swore an oath to do that.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Abraham also complained to Abimelech about one of Abraham's wells of water that Abimelech's servants had taken control of.
\v 26 But Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done that. You did not tell me previously, and I did not hear about it until today."
\v 27 So Abraham brought some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them solemnly agreed to have peace between themselves.
\s5
\v 28 Abraham went to his flock and chose seven female lambs from it.
\v 29 Abimelech asked Abraham, "Why have you taken these seven female lambs from your flock?"
\v 30 Abraham replied, "I want you to accept these female lambs from me. In this way, my gift to you will be proof to everyone that this well belongs to me because I dug it."
\s5
\v 31 So Abimelech accepted the lambs. Then Abraham named that place Beersheba, which means 'Well of the oath,' because he and Abimelech had sworn an oath there to be peaceful toward each other.
\v 32 After they made the treaty at Beersheba, Abimelech and his army commander, Phicol, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.
\s5
\v 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there, and there he worshiped Yahweh, the eternal God.
\v 34 Abraham stayed as an outsider in the land of the Philistine people for a long time.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 Yahweh acted very kindly toward Sarah, just as he said he would do. He did for Sarah exactly what he promised to do,
\v 2 for she became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Abraham when he was very old, at the time God promised it would happen.
\v 3 Abraham gave the name "Isaac" to the son Sarah delivered.
\v 4 He also circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, just as God had commanded him to do.
\s5
\v 5 Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born.
\v 6 Sarah said, "Although I was sad before because I did not have any children, God has now enabled me to laugh with joy, and everyone who hears about what God has done for me will laugh with me."
\v 7 She also said, "No one would have said to Abraham that some day I would nurse a child, but I have given birth to a son when Abraham is very old."
\s5
\p
\v 8 The baby grew. The day came when he was taken off his mother's milk. On that day, Abraham prepared a large feast to celebrate.
\v 9 One day Sarah noticed that Hagar's son Ishmael was making fun of Isaac.
\s5
\v 10 So she said to Abraham, "Get rid of that slave woman from Egypt and her son! I do not want the son of that slave woman to take what my son Isaac will inherit."
\v 11 Abraham was very upset about the matter, because he was also concerned about his son Ishmael.
\s5
\v 12 But God said to Abraham, "Do not be upset about your son, Ishmael, and about your servant Hagar. Listen to everything that Sarah tells you to do, and do it, because Isaac is the one who will be the forefather of the descendants I promised to give you.
\v 13 But I will also cause the son of your servant Hagar to be the ancestor of a great people group, because he is also your son."
\s5
\v 14 So Abraham got up early the next morning. He got some food ready, put water in a bag, and gave it to Hagar. He put the bag on her shoulder, handed her Ishmael, and sent them away into the wilderness of Beersheba.
\p
\v 15 After Hagar and her son had drunk all the water in the bag, she put the boy under one of the bushes there.
\v 16 Then she went and sat nearby, about as far as someone can shoot an arrow. She thought, "I cannot endure seeing my son die!" As she sat there, she began to cry loudly.
\s5
\v 17 Soon God heard the sound of Ishmael, so he sent one of his angels to call out from heaven to Hagar. He said, "Hagar, what is the matter with you? Do not be afraid, because God has heard the boy crying there.
\v 18 Go lift the boy up and help him be brave, because I will cause his descendants to become a great people group."
\s5
\v 19 Then God showed her a well of water. So she went to the well and filled the container with water, and gave the boy a drink.
\p
\v 20 God helped the boy as he grew up in the wilderness, and he became a good archer.
\v 21 He lived in the wilderness of Paran. Hagar got a wife for him from Egypt.
\s5
\p
\v 22 At that time, King Abimelech and Phicol, the commander of his army, said to Abraham, "It is clear that God helps you in all that you do.
\v 23 So now, solemnly promise to me here, as God is listening, that you will not deceive me and my children, or my descendants. Act faithfully toward me and toward all the people here in the country where you are now living. Act faithfully toward me, as I have acted toward you."
\v 24 So Abraham swore an oath to do that.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Abraham also complained to Abimelech about one of Abraham's wells of water that Abimelech's servants had taken control of.
\v 26 But Abimelech said, "I do not know who has done that. You did not tell me previously, and I did not hear about it until today."
\v 27 So Abraham brought some sheep and cattle and gave them to Abimelech, and the two of them solemnly agreed to have peace between themselves.
\s5
\v 28 Abraham went to his flock and chose seven female lambs from it.
\v 29 Abimelech asked Abraham, "Why have you taken these seven female lambs from your flock?"
\v 30 Abraham replied, "I want you to accept these female lambs from me. In this way, my gift to you will be proof to everyone that this well belongs to me because I dug it."
\s5
\v 31 So Abimelech accepted the lambs. Then Abraham named that place Beersheba, which means 'Well of the oath,' because he and Abimelech had sworn an oath there to be peaceful toward each other.
\v 32 After they made the treaty at Beersheba, Abimelech and his army commander, Phicol, left and returned to the land of the Philistines.
\s5
\v 33 Abraham planted a tamarisk tree there, and there he worshiped Yahweh, the eternal God.
\v 34 Abraham stayed as an outsider in the land of the Philistine people for a long time.
\s5
@ -1522,122 +1522,122 @@
\s5
\c 27
\p
\v 1 When Isaac was old, he became almost blind. One day he summoned Esau, his firstborn son,
and said to him, "My son?" He replied, "Here I am!"
\v 2 Isaac said, "Listen to me. I am very old, and I do not know when I will die.
\s5
\v 3 So take now your bow and quiver full of arrows and go out into the countryside, and hunt for a wild animal for me.
\v 4 Kill one and prepare the kind of tasty meat that I like. Then bring it to me so that after I eat it, I can give you a blessing before I die."
\s5
\v 5 Rebekah was listening as Isaac said that to his son, Esau. So when Esau left the tent to go hunting,
\v 6 Rebekah said to her son, Jacob, "Listen to me. I heard your father talking to your brother, Esau, saying,
\v 7 'Go and kill some wild animal and bring it here, and prepare the meat in a tasty way, so that I may eat it. Then before I die I will give you my blessing while Yahweh is listening.'
\s5
\v 8 So now, my son, do what I am telling you.
\v 9 Go out to the flock and kill two nice young goats and bring the meat to me. Then I will prepare some tasty food for your father, the way he likes it.
\v 10 Then you can take it to your father, in order that he can eat it, and then he will give you his blessing before he dies."
\s5
\p
\v 11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "My brother Esau's skin has hair all over it, and my skin is not like that! My skin is smooth!
\v 12 What will happen if my father touches me? He will realize that I am tricking him, and I will bring a curse on myself, not a blessing!"
\s5
\v 13 His mother said to him, "If that happens, my son, let the curse be on me. You do what I am telling you. Go and get the goats for me!"
\v 14 So Jacob went and killed two goats and brought them to his mother. Then his mother prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked.
\s5
\v 15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau's best clothes that were with her in the tent, and she put them on her younger son Jacob.
\v 16 She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck.
\v 17 Then she put into his hands some bread and the tasty food that she had prepared.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Jacob took it and went to his father and said, "My father!" Isaac replied, "I am here; which of my sons are you?"
\v 19 Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau, your firstborn son. I did what you told me to do. Sit up and eat some of the meat so that you can bless me."
\s5
\v 20 But Isaac asked his son, "My son, how is it that you were able to find and kill an animal so quickly?" Jacob replied, "Because Yahweh, whom you worship, enabled me to be successful."
\v 21 Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near to me, my son, so that I can touch you and find out whether you are really my son Esau."
\s5
\v 22 So Jacob went close to his father, Isaac. Isaac touched him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands feel hairy, like the hands of his older brother, Esau."
\v 23 Isaac did not recognize him, because he was blind and because Jacob's hands were hairy, like those of his older brother, Esau. So Isaac got ready to bless him.
\s5
\v 24 But first Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob replied, "Yes, I am."
\v 25 Isaac said, "My son, bring me some of the meat that you have cooked, so that I may eat it and then give you my blessing." So Jacob brought him some, and he ate it. Jacob also brought him some wine, and he drank it.
\s5
\v 26 Then his father, Isaac, said to him, "My son, come here and kiss me."
\v 27 So Jacob went to him, and his father kissed him on the cheek. Isaac smelled the smell of the clothes Jacob was wearing. They smelled like Esau's clothes. So he said,
"Truly, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that Yahweh has blessed.
\s5
\v 28 I ask that God will send down to you dew from heaven to water your fields,
and cause you to have abundant crops from the soil,
and good harvests of grain, and grapes for wine.
\s5
\v 29 I ask that people of many people groups serve you and bow down to you.
I ask that you rule over your brothers, and that your mother's descendants also bow down to you.
I ask that God curse those who curse you, and bless those who bless you."
\s5
\p
\v 30 After Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just left the room where his father was, his older brother, Esau, returned from hunting.
\v 31 Esau cooked some tasty meat and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "My father, please sit up and eat some of the meat that I have cooked, so that you can then give me your blessing!"
\s5
\v 32 His father, Isaac, said to him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am Esau, your firstborn son!"
\v 33 Then Isaac began to tremble very violently. He said, "Then who is it that brought me some meat from an animal that he had hunted and killed, and I ate it all? He was here just before you came. I blessed him, and I cannot take back that blessing."
\s5
\v 34 When Esau heard those words of his father, he cried loudly. He was very disappointed. He said to his father, "My father, bless me, too!"
\v 35 But his father said, "Your brother came, tricked me, and took your blessing!"
\s5
\v 36 Esau said, "It is right that his name is Jacob, because he tricked me two times. The first time he took my rights as firstborn, and this time he took my blessing!" Then he asked, "Do you not have any blessing left for me?"
\v 37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, "I have declared that your younger brother will rule over you, and I have declared that all his relatives will serve him. And I have said that God will give him plenty of grain and grapes for wine. So, my son, what can I do for you?"
\s5
\v 38 Esau said to his father, "My father, do you have only one blessing? My father, bless me, too!" Then Esau cried very loudly.
\s5
\v 39 His father Isaac answered and said to him,
"The place where you will live will be far from the fertile soil and from the dew that God sends from heaven to water the fields.
\v 40 You will rob and kill people in order to get what you need to live,
\q and you will be as though you are your brother's slave.
\q But when you decide to rebel against him, you will free yourself from his control."
\s5
\p
\v 41 Because of the blessing that his father had given to Jacob, Esau hated his brother. Esau said to himself, "After my father dies and we finish mourning for him, I will kill Jacob!"
\v 42 But Rebekah found out what her older son, Esau, was thinking. So she summoned her younger son, Jacob, and said to him, "Listen to me. Your older brother, Esau, is comforting himself by planning to kill you, to get revenge for you tricking your father.
\s5
\v 43 So now, my son, listen carefully to what I am telling you. Escape quickly and go and stay with my brother Laban, in Haran.
\v 44 Stay with him a while, until your older brother is no longer angry.
\v 45 When he forgets what you did to him, I will send a message to you to tell you to return from there. If Esau killed you, then others would kill him, and then both my sons would die at the same time!"
\s5
\p
\v 46 Rebekah then said to Isaac, "These foreign women whom Esau has married, who are descendants of Heth, are making my life miserable. If Jacob also marries a woman from the descendants of Heth in this area, my life will be worthless!"
\s5
\c 27
\p
\v 1 When Isaac was old, he became almost blind. One day he summoned Esau, his firstborn son,
and said to him, "My son?" He replied, "Here I am!"
\v 2 Isaac said, "Listen to me. I am very old, and I do not know when I will die.
\s5
\v 3 So take now your bow and quiver full of arrows and go out into the countryside, and hunt for a wild animal for me.
\v 4 Kill one and prepare the kind of tasty meat that I like. Then bring it to me so that after I eat it, I can give you a blessing before I die."
\s5
\v 5 Rebekah was listening as Isaac said that to his son, Esau. So when Esau left the tent to go hunting,
\v 6 Rebekah said to her son, Jacob, "Listen to me. I heard your father talking to your brother, Esau, saying,
\v 7 'Go and kill some wild animal and bring it here, and prepare the meat in a tasty way, so that I may eat it. Then before I die I will give you my blessing while Yahweh is listening.'
\s5
\v 8 So now, my son, do what I am telling you.
\v 9 Go out to the flock and kill two nice young goats and bring the meat to me. Then I will prepare some tasty food for your father, the way he likes it.
\v 10 Then you can take it to your father, in order that he can eat it, and then he will give you his blessing before he dies."
\s5
\p
\v 11 But Jacob said to his mother Rebekah, "My brother Esau's skin has hair all over it, and my skin is not like that! My skin is smooth!
\v 12 What will happen if my father touches me? He will realize that I am tricking him, and I will bring a curse on myself, not a blessing!"
\s5
\v 13 His mother said to him, "If that happens, my son, let the curse be on me. You do what I am telling you. Go and get the goats for me!"
\v 14 So Jacob went and killed two goats and brought them to his mother. Then his mother prepared some tasty food, just the way his father liked.
\s5
\v 15 Then Rebekah took her older son Esau's best clothes that were with her in the tent, and she put them on her younger son Jacob.
\v 16 She also put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck.
\v 17 Then she put into his hands some bread and the tasty food that she had prepared.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Jacob took it and went to his father and said, "My father!" Isaac replied, "I am here; which of my sons are you?"
\v 19 Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau, your firstborn son. I did what you told me to do. Sit up and eat some of the meat so that you can bless me."
\s5
\v 20 But Isaac asked his son, "My son, how is it that you were able to find and kill an animal so quickly?" Jacob replied, "Because Yahweh, whom you worship, enabled me to be successful."
\v 21 Isaac said to Jacob, "Come near to me, my son, so that I can touch you and find out whether you are really my son Esau."
\s5
\v 22 So Jacob went close to his father, Isaac. Isaac touched him and said, "The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands feel hairy, like the hands of his older brother, Esau."
\v 23 Isaac did not recognize him, because he was blind and because Jacob's hands were hairy, like those of his older brother, Esau. So Isaac got ready to bless him.
\s5
\v 24 But first Isaac asked, "Are you really my son Esau?" Jacob replied, "Yes, I am."
\v 25 Isaac said, "My son, bring me some of the meat that you have cooked, so that I may eat it and then give you my blessing." So Jacob brought him some, and he ate it. Jacob also brought him some wine, and he drank it.
\s5
\v 26 Then his father, Isaac, said to him, "My son, come here and kiss me."
\v 27 So Jacob went to him, and his father kissed him on the cheek. Isaac smelled the smell of the clothes Jacob was wearing. They smelled like Esau's clothes. So he said,
"Truly, the smell of my son is like the smell of a field that Yahweh has blessed.
\s5
\v 28 I ask that God will send down to you dew from heaven to water your fields,
and cause you to have abundant crops from the soil,
and good harvests of grain, and grapes for wine.
\s5
\v 29 I ask that people of many people groups serve you and bow down to you.
I ask that you rule over your brothers, and that your mother's descendants also bow down to you.
I ask that God curse those who curse you, and bless those who bless you."
\s5
\p
\v 30 After Isaac had finished blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just left the room where his father was, his older brother, Esau, returned from hunting.
\v 31 Esau cooked some tasty meat and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "My father, please sit up and eat some of the meat that I have cooked, so that you can then give me your blessing!"
\s5
\v 32 His father, Isaac, said to him, "Who are you?" He answered, "I am Esau, your firstborn son!"
\v 33 Then Isaac began to tremble very violently. He said, "Then who is it that brought me some meat from an animal that he had hunted and killed, and I ate it all? He was here just before you came. I blessed him, and I cannot take back that blessing."
\s5
\v 34 When Esau heard those words of his father, he cried loudly. He was very disappointed. He said to his father, "My father, bless me, too!"
\v 35 But his father said, "Your brother came, tricked me, and took your blessing!"
\s5
\v 36 Esau said, "It is right that his name is Jacob, because he tricked me two times. The first time he took my rights as firstborn, and this time he took my blessing!" Then he asked, "Do you not have any blessing left for me?"
\v 37 Isaac answered and said to Esau, "I have declared that your younger brother will rule over you, and I have declared that all his relatives will serve him. And I have said that God will give him plenty of grain and grapes for wine. So, my son, what can I do for you?"
\s5
\v 38 Esau said to his father, "My father, do you have only one blessing? My father, bless me, too!" Then Esau cried very loudly.
\s5
\v 39 His father Isaac answered and said to him,
"The place where you will live will be far from the fertile soil and from the dew that God sends from heaven to water the fields.
\v 40 You will rob and kill people in order to get what you need to live,
\q and you will be as though you are your brother's slave.
\q But when you decide to rebel against him, you will free yourself from his control."
\s5
\p
\v 41 Because of the blessing that his father had given to Jacob, Esau hated his brother. Esau said to himself, "After my father dies and we finish mourning for him, I will kill Jacob!"
\v 42 But Rebekah found out what her older son, Esau, was thinking. So she summoned her younger son, Jacob, and said to him, "Listen to me. Your older brother, Esau, is comforting himself by planning to kill you, to get revenge for you tricking your father.
\s5
\v 43 So now, my son, listen carefully to what I am telling you. Escape quickly and go and stay with my brother Laban, in Haran.
\v 44 Stay with him a while, until your older brother is no longer angry.
\v 45 When he forgets what you did to him, I will send a message to you to tell you to return from there. If Esau killed you, then others would kill him, and then both my sons would die at the same time!"
\s5
\p
\v 46 Rebekah then said to Isaac, "These foreign women whom Esau has married, who are descendants of Heth, are making my life miserable. If Jacob also marries a woman from the descendants of Heth in this area, my life will be worthless!"
\s5
@ -1777,106 +1777,106 @@ I ask that God curse those who curse you, and bless those who bless you."
\s5
\c 30
\p
\v 1 Rachel realized that she was not becoming pregnant at all. So she became jealous of her older sister, Leah, because Leah had given birth to four sons. She said to Jacob, "Make me pregnant so I can have children. If you do not do that, I will die!"
\v 2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "I am not God! He is the one who has prevented you from becoming pregnant!"
\s5
\v 3 Then she said, "Look, here is my slave, Bilhah. Sleep with her so that she will have children in my place. In that way I will have legal children."
\v 4 So she gave him her slave, Bilhah, to be another wife for him, and Jacob slept with her.
\s5
\v 5 She became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.
\v 6 Rachel said, "God gave me justice. He has heard me when I prayed to him, and his justice was to give me a son." She named him Dan, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "he gives me justice."
\s5
\v 7 Later, Rachel's slave Bilhah became pregnant again and gave birth to another son for Jacob.
\v 8 Then Rachel said, "I have had a great struggle to have children like my older sister, but truly I have a son." So she named him Naphtali, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "struggle."
\s5
\p
\v 9 When Leah realized that she was not having any more children, she took her slave, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob to be another wife for him.
\v 10 Zilpah soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.
\v 11 Leah said, "I am truly fortunate!" So she named him Gad, which means "fortunate."
\s5
\v 12 Later Leah's slave, Zilpah, gave birth to another son for Jacob.
\v 13 Leah said, "Now I am very happy, and people will call me happy." So she named him Asher, which means "happy."
\s5
\p
\v 14 During the time when they were harvesting wheat, Reuben went out into the fields and saw some mandrakes. He brought some of them to his mother Leah. But Rachel saw them and said to Leah, "Please give me some of those plants that your son brought to you!"
\v 15 But Leah said to her, "No! It was bad that you stole my husband! Now are you going to take my son's mandrake plants?" So Rachel said, "All right, Jacob can sleep with you tonight, if you give me some of your son's mandrake plants." So Leah agreed with Rachel.
\s5
\p
\v 16 When Jacob returned from the wheat fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. She said, "You must sleep with me tonight, because I gave Rachel some mandrake plants to pay her for allowing us to do that." So Jacob slept with her that night.
\v 17 God answered Leah's prayers, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob.
\v 18 Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband to be another wife for him." So she named him Issachar, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "reward."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Leah became pregnant again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.
\v 20 Leah said, "God has given me a precious gift. This time my husband will honor me, because I have given birth to six sons for him." So she named him Zebulun.
\p
\v 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Then God thought about what Rachel wanted. He heard her pray and enabled her to become pregnant.
\v 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, "God has caused me to be ashamed no longer for not having children."
\v 24 She named him Joseph, which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean, "Yahweh gave me another son."
\s5
\p
\v 25 After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Now allow me to stop working for you and let me return to my own land.
\v 26 You know the work that I have done for you. So let me take my wives and my children for whom I worked for you to get them, and leave."
\s5
\v 27 But Laban said to him, "If you are pleased with me, stay here, because I have found out by performing a magic ritual that Yahweh has blessed me because of what you have done for me.
\v 28 Tell me what you want me to pay you for continuing to work for me, and that is what I will pay you."
\s5
\v 29 Jacob said to him, "You know how I have worked for you, and you know that your livestock have increased greatly as I have taken care of them.
\v 30 You had only a few animals before I came here. But now you have a large number of animals and Yahweh has caused them to increase into an even larger number everywhere I have taken them. But now I need to start taking care of the needs of my own family."
\s5
\v 31 Laban replied, "What do you want me to pay you?" Jacob replied, "I do not want you to pay me anything. But if you will do this one thing for me, I will continue to take care of your flocks and protect them.
\v 32 Allow me to go and look at all of your flocks today and remove from them all the speckled sheep, all the spotted sheep, and every dark-colored lamb, all the goats that are speckled, and all the goats that are spotted. I want to keep them for myself. They will be my wages.
\s5
\v 33 In that way, in the future, you will be able to know whether I have been honest regarding what you have paid me. If any of my goats have no speckles or spots, and if any of my lambs are not dark-colored, you will know that I have stolen them from you."
\p
\v 34 Laban agreed and said, "Yes, we will do as you have said."
\s5
\v 35 But on that same day, Laban removed all the male goats that had black and white stripes on them or were spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled or spotted, all the goats that were partly white, and all the dark-colored lambs. He separated them from the other animals and put his sons in charge of them.
\v 36 Then Laban and his sons took these animals and journeyed for three days from where Jacob was. Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban's flocks.
\s5
\p
\v 37 Then Jacob cut some branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees. He peeled strips of bark from the branches. In this way, where he peeled the bark off, the branches were light in color.
\v 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in the troughs where they put the water for the animals to drink, so that the flocks saw them when they were drinking water.
\s5
\v 39 The animals also mated in front of the branches, and later they gave birth to animals that were speckled, or to animals that were spotted, or to animals that had black and white stripes on them.
\v 40 During the several years following, Jacob often separated the female sheep in Laban's flock from the other sheep and goats. When they mated, he made them look toward the animals that had black and white stripes, and toward the dark-colored animals. So they gave birth to animals with similar markings. Then he would separate these animals from Laban's flocks and keep them for his own.
\s5
\v 41 In addition, whenever the stronger female sheep were ready to mate, Jacob put some of those peeled branches in the troughs in front of them, so that they would mate in front of the branches.
\v 42 But when weak animals were ready to mate, he did not put the branches in their troughs. So they gave birth to weak lambs, which remained in Laban's flock, but the strong ones became part of Jacob's flock.
\s5
\v 43 As a result, Jacob became very rich. He owned many large flocks. He also owned many male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.
\s5
\c 30
\p
\v 1 Rachel realized that she was not becoming pregnant at all. So she became jealous of her older sister, Leah, because Leah had given birth to four sons. She said to Jacob, "Make me pregnant so I can have children. If you do not do that, I will die!"
\v 2 Jacob became angry with Rachel and said, "I am not God! He is the one who has prevented you from becoming pregnant!"
\s5
\v 3 Then she said, "Look, here is my slave, Bilhah. Sleep with her so that she will have children in my place. In that way I will have legal children."
\v 4 So she gave him her slave, Bilhah, to be another wife for him, and Jacob slept with her.
\s5
\v 5 She became pregnant and bore Jacob a son.
\v 6 Rachel said, "God gave me justice. He has heard me when I prayed to him, and his justice was to give me a son." She named him Dan, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "he gives me justice."
\s5
\v 7 Later, Rachel's slave Bilhah became pregnant again and gave birth to another son for Jacob.
\v 8 Then Rachel said, "I have had a great struggle to have children like my older sister, but truly I have a son." So she named him Naphtali, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "struggle."
\s5
\p
\v 9 When Leah realized that she was not having any more children, she took her slave, Zilpah, and gave her to Jacob to be another wife for him.
\v 10 Zilpah soon became pregnant and gave birth to a son for Jacob.
\v 11 Leah said, "I am truly fortunate!" So she named him Gad, which means "fortunate."
\s5
\v 12 Later Leah's slave, Zilpah, gave birth to another son for Jacob.
\v 13 Leah said, "Now I am very happy, and people will call me happy." So she named him Asher, which means "happy."
\s5
\p
\v 14 During the time when they were harvesting wheat, Reuben went out into the fields and saw some mandrakes. He brought some of them to his mother Leah. But Rachel saw them and said to Leah, "Please give me some of those plants that your son brought to you!"
\v 15 But Leah said to her, "No! It was bad that you stole my husband! Now are you going to take my son's mandrake plants?" So Rachel said, "All right, Jacob can sleep with you tonight, if you give me some of your son's mandrake plants." So Leah agreed with Rachel.
\s5
\p
\v 16 When Jacob returned from the wheat fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. She said, "You must sleep with me tonight, because I gave Rachel some mandrake plants to pay her for allowing us to do that." So Jacob slept with her that night.
\v 17 God answered Leah's prayers, and she became pregnant and bore a fifth son to Jacob.
\v 18 Leah said, "God has rewarded me for giving my slave to my husband to be another wife for him." So she named him Issachar, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "reward."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Leah became pregnant again and bore a sixth son for Jacob.
\v 20 Leah said, "God has given me a precious gift. This time my husband will honor me, because I have given birth to six sons for him." So she named him Zebulun.
\p
\v 21 Later she gave birth to a daughter and named her Dinah.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Then God thought about what Rachel wanted. He heard her pray and enabled her to become pregnant.
\v 23 She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She said, "God has caused me to be ashamed no longer for not having children."
\v 24 She named him Joseph, which sounds like the Hebrew words that mean, "Yahweh gave me another son."
\s5
\p
\v 25 After Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Now allow me to stop working for you and let me return to my own land.
\v 26 You know the work that I have done for you. So let me take my wives and my children for whom I worked for you to get them, and leave."
\s5
\v 27 But Laban said to him, "If you are pleased with me, stay here, because I have found out by performing a magic ritual that Yahweh has blessed me because of what you have done for me.
\v 28 Tell me what you want me to pay you for continuing to work for me, and that is what I will pay you."
\s5
\v 29 Jacob said to him, "You know how I have worked for you, and you know that your livestock have increased greatly as I have taken care of them.
\v 30 You had only a few animals before I came here. But now you have a large number of animals and Yahweh has caused them to increase into an even larger number everywhere I have taken them. But now I need to start taking care of the needs of my own family."
\s5
\v 31 Laban replied, "What do you want me to pay you?" Jacob replied, "I do not want you to pay me anything. But if you will do this one thing for me, I will continue to take care of your flocks and protect them.
\v 32 Allow me to go and look at all of your flocks today and remove from them all the speckled sheep, all the spotted sheep, and every dark-colored lamb, all the goats that are speckled, and all the goats that are spotted. I want to keep them for myself. They will be my wages.
\s5
\v 33 In that way, in the future, you will be able to know whether I have been honest regarding what you have paid me. If any of my goats have no speckles or spots, and if any of my lambs are not dark-colored, you will know that I have stolen them from you."
\p
\v 34 Laban agreed and said, "Yes, we will do as you have said."
\s5
\v 35 But on that same day, Laban removed all the male goats that had black and white stripes on them or were spotted, and all the female goats that were speckled or spotted, all the goats that were partly white, and all the dark-colored lambs. He separated them from the other animals and put his sons in charge of them.
\v 36 Then Laban and his sons took these animals and journeyed for three days from where Jacob was. Jacob continued to take care of the rest of Laban's flocks.
\s5
\p
\v 37 Then Jacob cut some branches of poplar, almond, and plane trees. He peeled strips of bark from the branches. In this way, where he peeled the bark off, the branches were light in color.
\v 38 Then he placed the peeled branches in the troughs where they put the water for the animals to drink, so that the flocks saw them when they were drinking water.
\s5
\v 39 The animals also mated in front of the branches, and later they gave birth to animals that were speckled, or to animals that were spotted, or to animals that had black and white stripes on them.
\v 40 During the several years following, Jacob often separated the female sheep in Laban's flock from the other sheep and goats. When they mated, he made them look toward the animals that had black and white stripes, and toward the dark-colored animals. So they gave birth to animals with similar markings. Then he would separate these animals from Laban's flocks and keep them for his own.
\s5
\v 41 In addition, whenever the stronger female sheep were ready to mate, Jacob put some of those peeled branches in the troughs in front of them, so that they would mate in front of the branches.
\v 42 But when weak animals were ready to mate, he did not put the branches in their troughs. So they gave birth to weak lambs, which remained in Laban's flock, but the strong ones became part of Jacob's flock.
\s5
\v 43 As a result, Jacob became very rich. He owned many large flocks. He also owned many male and female slaves, camels, and donkeys.
\s5
@ -2189,75 +2189,75 @@ I ask that God curse those who curse you, and bless those who bless you."
\s5
\c 35
\p
\v 1 Some time later, God said to Jacob, "Go up to the city of Bethel and live there. Build an altar to worship me, God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your older brother Esau."
\v 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all the others who were with him, "Get rid of the idols you brought from the land of Mesopotamia. Also, bathe yourselves and put on clean clothes.
\v 3 Then we will get ready and go up to Bethel. There I will build an altar to worship God. He is the one who helped me at the time when I was greatly distressed and afraid, and he has been with me wherever I have gone."
\s5
\v 4 So they gave to Jacob all the idols that they had brought, and all their earrings. Jacob buried them in the ground under the big oak tree that was near the city of Shechem.
\p
\v 5 As they prepared to leave there, God caused the people who lived in the cities around them to be very afraid of Jacob's family, so that they did not pursue them.
\s5
\v 6 Jacob and all those who were with him went to Luz, which is now called Bethel, in Canaan land.
\v 7 There he built an altar. He named the place El Bethel, which means "God of Bethel," because it was there that God revealed himself to Jacob when he was fleeing from his older brother Esau.
\p
\v 8 Deborah, who had taken care of Isaac's wife Rebekah when Rebekah was a small girl, was now very old. She died and was buried under an oak tree south of Bethel. So they named that place Allon Bakuth, which means "oak of weeping."
\s5
\p
\v 9 After Jacob and his family returned from Paddan Aram, while they were still at Bethel, God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him.
\v 10 God said to him again, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. It will be Israel." So Jacob was then called "Israel."
\s5
\v 11 Then God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Produce many children. Your descendants will become many nations, and some of your descendants will be kings.
\v 12 The land that I promised to give to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you. I will also give it to your descendants."
\p
\v 13 When God finished talking there with Jacob, he left him.
\s5
\v 14 Jacob set up a large stone at the place where God had talked with him. He poured some wine and some olive oil on it to dedicate it to God.
\v 15 Jacob named that place Bethel, which means "house of God," because God had spoken to him there.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Jacob and his family left Bethel and traveled south toward Ephrath town. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to have severe childbirth pains.
\v 17 When her pain was the most severe, the midwife said to Rachel, "Do not be afraid, because now you have given birth to another son!"
\v 18 But she was dying, and with her last breath she said, "Name him Ben-Oni," which means "son of my sorrow," but his father named him Benjamin, which means "son of my right hand."
\p
\v 19 After Rachel died, she was buried alongside the road to Ephrath, which is now called Bethlehem.
\v 20 Jacob set up a large stone over her grave, and it is still there, showing where Rachel's grave is.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Jacob, whose new name was Israel, continued traveling with his family, and he set up his tents on the south side of the watchtower at Eder.
\v 22 While they were living in that area, Jacob's son Reuben slept with Bilhah, one of his father's concubines. Someone told Jacob about it, and it made him very angry.
\p Now Jacob had twelve sons.
\s5
\v 23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, who was Jacob's oldest son, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon.
\v 24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
\v 25 The sons of Rachel's female slave Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.
\s5
\v 26 The sons of Leah's female slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. All those sons of Jacob, except Benjamin, were born while he was living in Paddan Aram.
\p
\v 27 Jacob went back home to see his father Isaac at Mamre, which is also named Kiriath Arba, and which is now named Hebron. Isaac's father Abraham had also lived there.
\s5
\v 28 Isaac lived until he was 180 years old.
\v 29 He was very old when he died and went to join his ancestors who had died previously. His sons Esau and Jacob buried his body.
\s5
\c 35
\p
\v 1 Some time later, God said to Jacob, "Go up to the city of Bethel and live there. Build an altar to worship me, God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your older brother Esau."
\v 2 So Jacob said to his household and to all the others who were with him, "Get rid of the idols you brought from the land of Mesopotamia. Also, bathe yourselves and put on clean clothes.
\v 3 Then we will get ready and go up to Bethel. There I will build an altar to worship God. He is the one who helped me at the time when I was greatly distressed and afraid, and he has been with me wherever I have gone."
\s5
\v 4 So they gave to Jacob all the idols that they had brought, and all their earrings. Jacob buried them in the ground under the big oak tree that was near the city of Shechem.
\p
\v 5 As they prepared to leave there, God caused the people who lived in the cities around them to be very afraid of Jacob's family, so that they did not pursue them.
\s5
\v 6 Jacob and all those who were with him went to Luz, which is now called Bethel, in Canaan land.
\v 7 There he built an altar. He named the place El Bethel, which means "God of Bethel," because it was there that God revealed himself to Jacob when he was fleeing from his older brother Esau.
\p
\v 8 Deborah, who had taken care of Isaac's wife Rebekah when Rebekah was a small girl, was now very old. She died and was buried under an oak tree south of Bethel. So they named that place Allon Bakuth, which means "oak of weeping."
\s5
\p
\v 9 After Jacob and his family returned from Paddan Aram, while they were still at Bethel, God appeared to Jacob again and blessed him.
\v 10 God said to him again, "Your name will no longer be Jacob. It will be Israel." So Jacob was then called "Israel."
\s5
\v 11 Then God said to him, "I am God Almighty. Produce many children. Your descendants will become many nations, and some of your descendants will be kings.
\v 12 The land that I promised to give to Abraham and Isaac, I will give to you. I will also give it to your descendants."
\p
\v 13 When God finished talking there with Jacob, he left him.
\s5
\v 14 Jacob set up a large stone at the place where God had talked with him. He poured some wine and some olive oil on it to dedicate it to God.
\v 15 Jacob named that place Bethel, which means "house of God," because God had spoken to him there.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Jacob and his family left Bethel and traveled south toward Ephrath town. When they were still some distance from Ephrath, Rachel began to have severe childbirth pains.
\v 17 When her pain was the most severe, the midwife said to Rachel, "Do not be afraid, because now you have given birth to another son!"
\v 18 But she was dying, and with her last breath she said, "Name him Ben-Oni," which means "son of my sorrow," but his father named him Benjamin, which means "son of my right hand."
\p
\v 19 After Rachel died, she was buried alongside the road to Ephrath, which is now called Bethlehem.
\v 20 Jacob set up a large stone over her grave, and it is still there, showing where Rachel's grave is.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Jacob, whose new name was Israel, continued traveling with his family, and he set up his tents on the south side of the watchtower at Eder.
\v 22 While they were living in that area, Jacob's son Reuben slept with Bilhah, one of his father's concubines. Someone told Jacob about it, and it made him very angry.
\p Now Jacob had twelve sons.
\s5
\v 23 The sons of Leah were Reuben, who was Jacob's oldest son, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulon.
\v 24 The sons of Rachel were Joseph and Benjamin.
\v 25 The sons of Rachel's female slave Bilhah were Dan and Naphtali.
\s5
\v 26 The sons of Leah's female slave Zilpah were Gad and Asher. All those sons of Jacob, except Benjamin, were born while he was living in Paddan Aram.
\p
\v 27 Jacob went back home to see his father Isaac at Mamre, which is also named Kiriath Arba, and which is now named Hebron. Isaac's father Abraham had also lived there.
\s5
\v 28 Isaac lived until he was 180 years old.
\v 29 He was very old when he died and went to join his ancestors who had died previously. His sons Esau and Jacob buried his body.
\s5
@ -2359,162 +2359,162 @@ I ask that God curse those who curse you, and bless those who bless you."
\s5
\c 37
\p
\v 1 Jacob continued to live in Canaan land, where his father had lived previously.
\v 2 This is what happened to Jacob's family.
\p When his son Joseph was seventeen years old, he was taking care of the flocks of sheep and goats with some of his older brothers. They were sons of his father's concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. Joseph told his father about bad things that his brothers were doing.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved any of his other children, because Joseph had been born when Jacob was an old man. Jacob had someone make for Joseph a beautiful piece of clothing with long sleeves.
\v 4 When Joseph's older brothers realized that their father loved him more than he loved any of them, they hated him. They never spoke kindly to him.
\s5
\p
\v 5 One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream, who hated him even more as a result. This is in detail what happened:
\v 6 He said to them, "Listen to the dream I had!
\s5
\v 7 In the dream, we were tying up bundles of wheat in the field. Suddenly my bundle stood up straight, and your bundles gathered around my bundle and bowed down to it!"
\v 8 His brothers said to him, "Do you think that some day you will rule over us? Are you going to be our king?" They hated him even more than before because of what he had told them about his dream.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Later he had another dream, and again he told his older brothers about it. He said, "Listen to this! I had another dream. In this dream, the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me!"
\v 10 He also told his father about it. His father corrected him, saying "What are you suggesting by that dream? Do you think it means that your mother and I and your older brothers will some day bow down to the ground in front of you?"
\v 11 Joseph's older brothers resented him, but his father kept thinking about what the dream might mean.
\s5
\p
\v 12 One day Joseph's older brothers went to take care of their father's sheep and goats that were in fields near Shechem.
\v 13 Some time later, Jacob said to Joseph, "Your brothers are taking care of the sheep and goats near Shechem. I am going to send you there to see them." Joseph replied, "I will go."
\v 14 Jacob said, "Go and see if they are doing okay, and if the flocks are doing okay. Then come back and give me a report." So Jacob sent Joseph from the valley where they were living, the valley where Hebron is located, to go to find his brothers.
\p Then Joseph arrived near the city of Shechem.
\s5
\v 15 While he was wandering around in the fields looking for his brothers, a man saw him and asked him, "Whom are you looking for?"
\v 16 Joseph replied, "I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?"
\v 17 The man replied, "They are not here anymore. I heard one of them saying, 'Let us take the sheep and goats and go to Dothan town.'"
\p So Joseph left there and went north, and found his older brothers near Dothan.
\s5
\v 18 But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
\v 19 They said to each other things like, "Here comes that dreamer!"
\v 20 "Come on, let us kill him and throw his body into one of the pits! Then we will tell people that a wild animal attacked and killed him and ate him. And then we will find out whether his dreams come true!"
\s5
\p
\v 21 Reuben heard what they were saying, so he tried to persuade them not to kill Joseph. He said, "No, we should not kill him.
\v 22 Do not take his life! We can throw him into this pit in the desert, but we should not harm him." He said that and then left them, planning to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.
\s5
\p
\v 23 When Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his long-sleeved clothing.
\v 24 Then they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was dry; there was no water in it.
\s5
\p
\v 25 After they sat down to eat some food, they looked up and saw a caravan, descendants of Ishmael, coming from the Gilead area. Their camels were loaded with bags of spices and sweet-smelling resins. They were going down to Egypt to sell those things there.
\v 26 Judah said to his older and younger brothers, "If we kill our younger brother and hide his body, what will we gain?
\s5
\v 27 So instead of harming him, let us sell him to these men who are descendants of Ishmael. Do not forget, he is our own younger brother!" So they all agreed to do that.
\p
\v 28 When those traders from the Midian area came near, Joseph's brothers pulled him up out of the pit. Then they sold him to the men from Midian for twenty pieces of silver. The traders then took Joseph to Egypt.
\s5
\p
\v 29 When Reuben returned to the pit, he saw that his younger brother was not there. He was so grieved that he tore his clothes.
\v 30 He went back to his younger brothers and said, "The boy is not in the pit! What can I do now?"
\s5
\p
\v 31 They did not dare to tell their father what they had done. So they decided to invent a story about what had happened. They got Joseph's piece of long-sleeved clothing. Then they killed a goat and dipped the clothing into the goat's blood.
\v 32 They took that piece of clothing back to their father and said, "We found this! Look at it. Is it your son's clothing?"
\v 33 He recognized it, and he said, "Yes, it is my son's! Some ferocious animal must have attacked and killed him! I am sure that the animal has torn Joseph to pieces!"
\s5
\p
\v 34 Jacob was so grieved that he tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth. He mourned.
\v 35 All of his children came to try to comfort him, but he did not pay attention to what they said. He said, "No, I will still be mourning when I die and go to be with my son." So Joseph's father continued to cry because of what had happened to his son.
\p
\v 36 In the meantime, the men from Midian took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, who was one of the king's officials. He was the captain of the soldiers who protected the king.
\s5
\c 38
\p
\v 1 At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hill country and stayed with a man who lived in Adullam. His name was Hiram.
\v 2 There he met a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan land named Shua. He married her and slept with her.
\s5
\v 3 She became pregnant and later gave birth to a son. His father named him Er.
\v 4 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, whom she named Onan.
\v 5 Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib, Judah's wife gave birth to another son, and she named him Shelah.
\s5
\p
\v 6 When Judah's oldest son Er grew up, Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
\v 7 But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
\s5
\v 8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and sleep with her. That is what our customs require that you should do."
\v 9 But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he slept with his brother's widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
\v 10 Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
\s5
\p
\v 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Return to your father's house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, he can marry you." But Judah really did not want Shelah to marry her, because he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar obeyed Judah and went back to live in her father's house again.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Several years later, Judah's wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his men were shearing his sheep. His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
\v 13 Someone said to Tamar, "Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep."
\v 14 She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So she took off her widow's clothes and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not recognize her. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.
\s5
\v 15 When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head and sat where prostitutes often sat.
\v 16 Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, "Let me sleep with you." She replied, "What will you give me in exchange?"
\s5
\v 17 He replied, "I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats." She asked, "Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?"
\v 18 He replied, "What do you want me to give to you?" She replied, "Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand." So he gave them to her. Then he slept with her, and she became pregnant.
\s5
\v 19 After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow's clothes on again.
\p
\v 20 Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
\s5
\v 21 So his friend asked the men who lived there, "Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?" They replied, "There has never been a prostitute here!"
\v 22 So he went back to Judah and said, "I did not find her. Furthermore, the men who live in that town said, 'There has never been a prostitute here.'"
\v 23 Judah said, "She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her."
\s5
\p
\v 24 About three months later, someone told Judah, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute, and now she is pregnant!" Judah said, "Drag her outside of the city and burn her to death!"
\p
\v 25 But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, "The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant." She also said to tell him, "Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?"
\v 26 When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, "She is more right than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would." And Judah did not sleep with her again.
\s5
\p
\v 27 When it was time for her to give birth, she was surprised that there were twin boys in her womb.
\v 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, "This one came out first."
\s5
\v 29 But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, "So this is how you break your way out first!" So she named him Perez, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "breaking out."
\v 30 Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "redness of dawn."
\s5
\c 37
\p
\v 1 Jacob continued to live in Canaan land, where his father had lived previously.
\v 2 This is what happened to Jacob's family.
\p When his son Joseph was seventeen years old, he was taking care of the flocks of sheep and goats with some of his older brothers. They were sons of his father's concubines, Bilhah and Zilpah. Joseph told his father about bad things that his brothers were doing.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Jacob loved Joseph more than he loved any of his other children, because Joseph had been born when Jacob was an old man. Jacob had someone make for Joseph a beautiful piece of clothing with long sleeves.
\v 4 When Joseph's older brothers realized that their father loved him more than he loved any of them, they hated him. They never spoke kindly to him.
\s5
\p
\v 5 One night Joseph had a dream. He told his brothers about the dream, who hated him even more as a result. This is in detail what happened:
\v 6 He said to them, "Listen to the dream I had!
\s5
\v 7 In the dream, we were tying up bundles of wheat in the field. Suddenly my bundle stood up straight, and your bundles gathered around my bundle and bowed down to it!"
\v 8 His brothers said to him, "Do you think that some day you will rule over us? Are you going to be our king?" They hated him even more than before because of what he had told them about his dream.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Later he had another dream, and again he told his older brothers about it. He said, "Listen to this! I had another dream. In this dream, the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me!"
\v 10 He also told his father about it. His father corrected him, saying "What are you suggesting by that dream? Do you think it means that your mother and I and your older brothers will some day bow down to the ground in front of you?"
\v 11 Joseph's older brothers resented him, but his father kept thinking about what the dream might mean.
\s5
\p
\v 12 One day Joseph's older brothers went to take care of their father's sheep and goats that were in fields near Shechem.
\v 13 Some time later, Jacob said to Joseph, "Your brothers are taking care of the sheep and goats near Shechem. I am going to send you there to see them." Joseph replied, "I will go."
\v 14 Jacob said, "Go and see if they are doing okay, and if the flocks are doing okay. Then come back and give me a report." So Jacob sent Joseph from the valley where they were living, the valley where Hebron is located, to go to find his brothers.
\p Then Joseph arrived near the city of Shechem.
\s5
\v 15 While he was wandering around in the fields looking for his brothers, a man saw him and asked him, "Whom are you looking for?"
\v 16 Joseph replied, "I am looking for my older brothers. Can you tell me where they are taking care of their sheep and goats?"
\v 17 The man replied, "They are not here anymore. I heard one of them saying, 'Let us take the sheep and goats and go to Dothan town.'"
\p So Joseph left there and went north, and found his older brothers near Dothan.
\s5
\v 18 But they saw him when he was still far away, and they decided to kill him.
\v 19 They said to each other things like, "Here comes that dreamer!"
\v 20 "Come on, let us kill him and throw his body into one of the pits! Then we will tell people that a wild animal attacked and killed him and ate him. And then we will find out whether his dreams come true!"
\s5
\p
\v 21 Reuben heard what they were saying, so he tried to persuade them not to kill Joseph. He said, "No, we should not kill him.
\v 22 Do not take his life! We can throw him into this pit in the desert, but we should not harm him." He said that and then left them, planning to rescue Joseph later and take him back to his father.
\s5
\p
\v 23 When Joseph arrived where his older brothers were, they seized him and ripped off his long-sleeved clothing.
\v 24 Then they took him and threw him into the pit. Now the pit was dry; there was no water in it.
\s5
\p
\v 25 After they sat down to eat some food, they looked up and saw a caravan, descendants of Ishmael, coming from the Gilead area. Their camels were loaded with bags of spices and sweet-smelling resins. They were going down to Egypt to sell those things there.
\v 26 Judah said to his older and younger brothers, "If we kill our younger brother and hide his body, what will we gain?
\s5
\v 27 So instead of harming him, let us sell him to these men who are descendants of Ishmael. Do not forget, he is our own younger brother!" So they all agreed to do that.
\p
\v 28 When those traders from the Midian area came near, Joseph's brothers pulled him up out of the pit. Then they sold him to the men from Midian for twenty pieces of silver. The traders then took Joseph to Egypt.
\s5
\p
\v 29 When Reuben returned to the pit, he saw that his younger brother was not there. He was so grieved that he tore his clothes.
\v 30 He went back to his younger brothers and said, "The boy is not in the pit! What can I do now?"
\s5
\p
\v 31 They did not dare to tell their father what they had done. So they decided to invent a story about what had happened. They got Joseph's piece of long-sleeved clothing. Then they killed a goat and dipped the clothing into the goat's blood.
\v 32 They took that piece of clothing back to their father and said, "We found this! Look at it. Is it your son's clothing?"
\v 33 He recognized it, and he said, "Yes, it is my son's! Some ferocious animal must have attacked and killed him! I am sure that the animal has torn Joseph to pieces!"
\s5
\p
\v 34 Jacob was so grieved that he tore his clothes. He put on sackcloth. He mourned.
\v 35 All of his children came to try to comfort him, but he did not pay attention to what they said. He said, "No, I will still be mourning when I die and go to be with my son." So Joseph's father continued to cry because of what had happened to his son.
\p
\v 36 In the meantime, the men from Midian took Joseph to Egypt and sold him to Potiphar, who was one of the king's officials. He was the captain of the soldiers who protected the king.
\s5
\c 38
\p
\v 1 At that time, Judah left his older and younger brothers and went down from the hill country and stayed with a man who lived in Adullam. His name was Hiram.
\v 2 There he met a woman who was the daughter of a man from Canaan land named Shua. He married her and slept with her.
\s5
\v 3 She became pregnant and later gave birth to a son. His father named him Er.
\v 4 Later she became pregnant again and gave birth to another son, whom she named Onan.
\v 5 Many years later, when Judah and his family went to live in Kezib, Judah's wife gave birth to another son, and she named him Shelah.
\s5
\p
\v 6 When Judah's oldest son Er grew up, Judah got a wife for him, a woman named Tamar.
\v 7 But Er did something that Yahweh considered to be very wicked, so Yahweh caused him to die.
\s5
\v 8 Then Judah said to Onan, "Your older brother died without having any sons. So marry his widow and sleep with her. That is what our customs require that you should do."
\v 9 But Onan knew if he did that, any children who would be born would not be considered to be his. So every time he slept with his brother's widow, he spilled his semen on the ground, so that she would not get pregnant and produce children for his older brother.
\v 10 Yahweh considered that what he did was wicked, so he caused him to die also.
\s5
\p
\v 11 Then Judah said to his daughter-in-law Tamar, "Return to your father's house, but do not marry anyone else. When my youngest son Shelah grows up, he can marry you." But Judah really did not want Shelah to marry her, because he was afraid that then Shelah would die too, just as his older brothers had died. So Tamar obeyed Judah and went back to live in her father's house again.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Several years later, Judah's wife, who was the daughter of Shua, died. When the time of mourning for her was finished, Judah decided to go up to Timnah, to the place where his men were shearing his sheep. His friend Hiram, from Adullam, went with him.
\v 13 Someone said to Tamar, "Your father-in-law is going to Timnah to help the men who are shearing his sheep."
\v 14 She realized that now Shelah was grown up, but Judah had not given her to him to be his wife. So she took off her widow's clothes and covered her head with a veil, so that people would not recognize her. Then she sat down at the entrance to Enaim, which is on the road to Timnah.
\s5
\v 15 When Judah came along and saw her, he thought that she was a prostitute, because she had covered her head and sat where prostitutes often sat.
\v 16 Judah did not realize that she was his daughter-in-law. So he said to her, "Let me sleep with you." She replied, "What will you give me in exchange?"
\s5
\v 17 He replied, "I will send you a young goat from my flock of goats." She asked, "Will you give me something now for me to keep until you send the goat?"
\v 18 He replied, "What do you want me to give to you?" She replied, "Give me the ring that has your name on it that is tied by a cord around your neck, and give me the walking stick that you are holding in your hand." So he gave them to her. Then he slept with her, and she became pregnant.
\s5
\v 19 After she left, she took off the veil and put her widow's clothes on again.
\p
\v 20 Judah gave a young goat to his friend from Adullam, for him to take back to the woman, as he had promised. But his friend could not find the woman.
\s5
\v 21 So his friend asked the men who lived there, "Where is the prostitute who was sitting by the road at Enaim?" They replied, "There has never been a prostitute here!"
\v 22 So he went back to Judah and said, "I did not find her. Furthermore, the men who live in that town said, 'There has never been a prostitute here.'"
\v 23 Judah said, "She can keep the things that I gave to her. If we continued to search for her, people would ridicule us. I tried to send this young goat to her, but you could not find her to give it to her."
\s5
\p
\v 24 About three months later, someone told Judah, "Your daughter-in-law Tamar has become a prostitute, and now she is pregnant!" Judah said, "Drag her outside of the city and burn her to death!"
\p
\v 25 But as they were taking her outside of the city, she gave the ring and walking stick to someone, and told him to take them to Judah, and say to him, "The man who owns these things is the one who caused me to become pregnant." She also said to tell him, "Look at this ring, and the cord that is attached to it, and this walking stick. Whose are they?"
\v 26 When the man did that, Judah recognized the ring and the stick. He said, "She is more right than I am. I did not tell my son Shelah to marry her, as I promised that I would." And Judah did not sleep with her again.
\s5
\p
\v 27 When it was time for her to give birth, she was surprised that there were twin boys in her womb.
\v 28 As she was giving birth, one of them put out his hand. So the midwife fastened a scarlet thread around his wrist, saying, "This one came out first."
\s5
\v 29 But he pulled his hand back inside the womb, and his brother came out first. So she said, "So this is how you break your way out first!" So she named him Perez, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "breaking out."
\v 30 Then his younger brother, the one who had the scarlet thread around his wrist, came out. And he was named Zerah, which sounds like the Hebrew word that means "redness of dawn."
\s5
@ -2912,83 +2912,83 @@ I ask that God curse those who curse you, and bless those who bless you."
\s5
\c 44
\p
\v 1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, "Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry on their donkeys. And put in the top of each man's sack the silver that he paid for the grain.
\v 2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain." So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.
\s5
\p
\v 3 The next morning at dawn the men were allowed to leave for home with their donkeys.
\v 4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, "Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, 'We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?
\v 5 You have stolen the cup that my master drinks from! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!'"
\s5
\p
\v 6 When the servant caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
\v 7 But one of them replied to him, "Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!
\s5
\v 8 We even brought back to you from Canaan the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master's house!
\v 9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves."
\p
\v 10 The man replied, "I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home."
\s5
\p
\v 11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
\v 12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother's sack and ended with the youngest one's sack. He found the cup in Benjamin's sack and showed it to them.
\v 13 The brothers tore their clothes because they were so dismayed. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When Judah and his older and younger brothers entered Joseph's house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.
\v 15 He said to them, "Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?"
\s5
\p
\v 16 Judah replied, "Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we are innocent? God has paid us back for the sins we committed many years ago. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found."
\v 17 But Joseph replied, "No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, "Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.
\v 19 You asked us, 'Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?'
\s5
\v 20 We answered, 'Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an older brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother's sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.'
\v 21 Then you said to us, 'The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.'
\v 22 We said to you, 'No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die because of sorrow.'
\s5
\v 23 But you told us, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, I will not let you see me again!'
\v 24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
\v 25 Months later our father said, 'Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!'
\v 26 But we said, 'We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.'
\s5
\v 27 Our father replied, 'You know that my wife Rachel gave birth to two sons for me.
\v 28 One of them disappeared, and I said, "A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces." And I have not seen him since then.
\v 29 If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me, an old gray-haired man, to die because of my sorrow.'
\s5
\p
\v 30 So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
\v 31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow.
\v 32 I guaranteed that the boy would return safely. I told him, 'You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that I am to blame for not bringing him back to you.'
\s5
\p
\v 33 So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.
\v 34 I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me! I do not want to see how miserable my father would become!"
\s5
\c 44
\p
\v 1 When his brothers were ready to return home, Joseph said to the man who was in charge of things in his house, "Fill the sacks of those men with as much grain as they can carry on their donkeys. And put in the top of each man's sack the silver that he paid for the grain.
\v 2 Then put my silver cup in the top of the youngest brother's sack, along with the silver that he paid for the grain." So the servant did what Joseph told him to do.
\s5
\p
\v 3 The next morning at dawn the men were allowed to leave for home with their donkeys.
\v 4 When they had not gone far from the city, Joseph said to the servant in charge of things in his house, "Pursue those men immediately. When you catch up to them, say to them, 'We did good things for you! Why have you paid us back by doing something bad to us?
\v 5 You have stolen the cup that my master drinks from! It is the cup that he uses to find out things that nobody knows! What you did was very wicked!'"
\s5
\p
\v 6 When the servant caught up with them, he told them what Joseph had told him to say.
\v 7 But one of them replied to him, "Sir, why do you say such things? We are your servants, and we would never do anything like that!
\s5
\v 8 We even brought back to you from Canaan the silver that we found inside the tops of our sacks! So we certainly would not steal silver or gold from your master's house!
\v 9 If you discover that any of us has that cup, you can execute him, and the rest of us will become your slaves."
\p
\v 10 The man replied, "I will do what you say. But the one who has the cup will not be executed. Instead, he will become my slave, and the rest of you may return home."
\s5
\p
\v 11 Each of the men quickly lowered his sack down from the donkey to the ground and opened it.
\v 12 Then the servant started to search for the cup in each sack. He started with the oldest brother's sack and ended with the youngest one's sack. He found the cup in Benjamin's sack and showed it to them.
\v 13 The brothers tore their clothes because they were so dismayed. They loaded the sacks on the donkeys again and returned to the city.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When Judah and his older and younger brothers entered Joseph's house, Joseph was still there. The servant told Joseph what had happened. Then the brothers threw themselves down on the ground in front of Joseph.
\v 15 He said to them, "Why did you do this? Do you not know that a man like me can find out things that nobody knows?"
\s5
\p
\v 16 Judah replied, "Sir, what can we say? How can we prove that we are innocent? God has paid us back for the sins we committed many years ago. So now we will become your slaves—both we and the one in whose sack the cup was found."
\v 17 But Joseph replied, "No, I could never do anything like that. Only the man in whose sack the cup was found will become my slave. The rest of you can return to your father peacefully."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then Judah came near to Joseph and said, "Sir, please let me say something to you. You are equal to the king himself, so you could command that I be executed; but do not be angry with me for speaking to you.
\v 19 You asked us, 'Is your father still living, and do you have another brother?'
\s5
\v 20 We answered, 'Our father is alive, but he is an old man. He has a young son who was born after our father became an old man. That son had an older brother, who is now dead. So the youngest son is the only one of his mother's sons who is still alive, and his father loves him very much.'
\v 21 Then you said to us, 'The next time you come here, bring your younger brother down to me, so that I can see him.'
\v 22 We said to you, 'No, we cannot do that, because the boy cannot leave his father. If he leaves his father, his father will die because of sorrow.'
\s5
\v 23 But you told us, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, I will not let you see me again!'
\v 24 When we returned to our father, we told him what you said.
\v 25 Months later our father said, 'Go back to Egypt and buy some more grain!'
\v 26 But we said, 'We cannot go back by ourselves. We will go only if our youngest brother is with us. We will not be able to see the man who sells grain if our youngest brother is not with us.'
\s5
\v 27 Our father replied, 'You know that my wife Rachel gave birth to two sons for me.
\v 28 One of them disappeared, and I said, "A wild animal has surely torn him to pieces." And I have not seen him since then.
\v 29 If you take this other one from me, too, and something harms him, you would cause me, an old gray-haired man, to die because of my sorrow.'
\s5
\p
\v 30 So please listen. My father will remain alive only if his youngest son remains alive.
\v 31 If he sees that the boy is not with us when we return to him, he will die. We will cause our gray-haired father to die because of his sorrow.
\v 32 I guaranteed that the boy would return safely. I told him, 'You can require me to do what I am promising. If I do not bring him back to you, you can say forever that I am to blame for not bringing him back to you.'
\s5
\p
\v 33 So, please let me remain here as your slave instead of my youngest brother, and let the boy return home with his other older brothers.
\v 34 I cannot return to my father if the boy is not with me! I do not want to see how miserable my father would become!"
\s5

View File

@ -492,120 +492,120 @@
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Eight days later Moses summoned the elders of Israel.
\v 2 Then he said to Aaron, "Take a young bull so you can offer it for your sins, and a ram so that you can burn it whole on the altar, both of them without any defects, and offer them to Yahweh.
\s5
\v 3 Then say to the Israelite people, 'Take a male goat to offer it for your sins. Also take a calf and a lamb that have no defects, so that you can burn them whole on the altar.
\v 4 Also take an ox and a ram to offer them, so you may promise friendship with Yahweh, along with an offering of flour mixed with olive oil. Do this because today Yahweh is going to appear to you.'"
\p
\v 5 After Moses gave these instructions to the Israelites, some of them brought these things and went to the courtyard in front of the sacred tent. Then all the people came near and stood in front of Yahweh.
\s5
\v 6 Then Moses said, "This is what Yahweh has commanded you to do, in order that his glory will appear to you."
\p
\v 7 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice the animal that is your offering to enable you to be forgiven for the sins you have committed. Also bring the animal that you will burn whole on the altar. Because of those offerings, God will forgive you and the people for the sins that you have committed. Do these things that Yahweh has commanded you to do."
\s5
\p
\v 8 So Aaron came up to the altar and slaughtered the calf as an offering for his sins.
\v 9 His sons brought its blood to him in a bowl. He dipped his finger into the blood and put some of it on the projections at the corners of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
\s5
\v 10 He burned the fat, including that which covered the kidneys and the liver, as Yahweh had commanded him.
\v 11 Then Aaron went outside the camp and there burned the rest of the meat and the hide.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Aaron slaughtered the animal that he was going to burn whole on the altar. His sons handed him the bowl containing its blood, and he sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar.
\v 13 Then they handed him the head and the pieces of the animal that would be burned, and he burned them on the altar.
\v 14 He washed the inner parts and the legs of the animal, and he burned them on the altar, on top of the other pieces of the animal.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Aaron brought the animals that would be sacrifices for the Israelite people. He took a goat and slaughtered it for the people's sins, as he had done with the goat for his own offering.
\p
\v 16 Then he brought the animal for the offering in order to burn it whole. He slaughtered it and offered it in the way that Yahweh had commanded him to do.
\v 17 He also brought the offering made from flour. He took a handful of it and burned it on the altar, as he had done with the animal that he had sacrificed earlier that morning.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram to be an offering for the Israelite people to promise friendship with Yahweh. His sons handed him the bowl containing the blood, and he sprinkled the blood against all sides of the altar.
\v 19 But he took the fat from the ox and the ram, including their fat tails that were cut close to the backbone, and all the fat that covered the livers and the kidneys.
\s5
\v 20 He put these parts on top of the breasts of those animals and carried them to the altar to burn them.
\v 21 Then, doing what Moses had commanded, he lifted up in front of Yahweh the breast and the right thigh of those animals to show that those two animals completely belonged to Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Then Aaron lifted his arms toward the people and asked Yahweh to bless them. Then having finished making all those offerings, he stepped down from the place where the altar was.
\p
\v 23 Then Aaron and Moses entered the sacred tent. When they came out later, they asked Yahweh to bless the people. And suddenly the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the people.
\v 24 A fire from Yahweh appeared and burned up the entire offering, together with the fat that was on the altar. When all the people saw this happen, they shouted joyfully and prostrated themselves on the ground to worship Yahweh.
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 Two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, took the pans in which they burned incense. They put some burning coals in them and put incense on top of the coals, but this fire was not acceptable to Yahweh because it was not the kind that he had commanded them to burn.
\v 2 So suddenly a fire from Yahweh appeared and burned them up in his own presence.
\s5
\v 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what Yahweh was talking about when he said,
\q1 'Those priests who come near to me—
\q2 I will show them that they must honor me;
\q1 in the presence of all the people
\q2 I am the one whom they must honor.'"
\m But Aaron said nothing.
\p
\v 4 Then Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, who were the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Take the corpses of your cousins outside the camp, away from being in front of the sacred tent."
\s5
\v 5 So they carried the corpses, on which were still the special tunics, outside the camp, and buried them.
\p
\v 6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his other two sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "You are sad because Nadab and Abihu died, but you must act like you always do. Do not allow the hair on your heads to remain uncombed, and do not tear your clothes. If you do, Yahweh will be angry with all the people. But you must let your relatives and all your fellow Israelites engage in mourning ceremonies for those whom Yahweh has destroyed by fire.
\v 7 But you must not leave the entrance of the sacred tent to join those who are mourning, because if you do that, you also will die. Do not forget that Yahweh has set you apart to work for him here, and he does not want you to become defiled by touching a corpse." So they obeyed Moses; they did not join the rest of the people in mourning for their cousins' death.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Yahweh said to Aaron,
\v 9 "You and your two sons who are still alive must not drink wine or other fermented drinks before you enter the sacred tent. If you do that, you will die. That is a command that you and your descendants must obey forever.
\v 10 You must do that in order to learn what things are holy and what things are not holy; you must also learn what things I will accept what I will not accept.
\v 11 And you must teach the Israelite people all the laws that I gave to them by telling them to Moses."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Moses said to Aaron and his two sons who were still alive, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the offering made from flour that is left after a portion of it has been offered to Yahweh to be burned, and eat it alongside the altar. It should not be eaten elsewhere because it is very holy.
\v 13 Eat it in a holy place. It is the share for you and your sons from the meat that you have burned as offerings. Yahweh has commanded me to tell you this.
\s5
\v 14 But you and your sons and daughters are permitted to eat the breast and the thigh that were lifted up in front of Yahweh. Eat them in any place that is holy. They have been given to you and your descendants as your share of the offerings when the Israelites promise friendship with Yahweh.
\v 15 The thigh and the breast that were lifted up in front of Yahweh must be brought with the portions of fat to be burned, to be lifted up and offered in his presence. They will be the regular share for you and your descendants, as Yahweh has commanded."
\s5
\p
\v 16 When Moses inquired about the goat that the priests had sacrificed for the people's sins, he found out that the priests had burned it all. So he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar and asked them,
\v 17 "Why did you not eat near the sacred tent the meat of the sin offering? It was very special for Yahweh; he gave it to you so he could forgive the sins of the people.
\v 18 Since its blood was not taken into the holy place inside the sacred tent, you should have eaten the meat of the goat outside the sacred tent, as I commanded."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Aaron replied to Moses, "Today the people brought to Yahweh their offering for him to forgive their sins, and also the offering we burned completely to please Yahweh. But think about the terrible thing that happened to my other two sons! Would Yahweh have been pleased if I had eaten some of the people's sin offering today?"
\v 20 When Moses heard that, he was satisfied and said nothing more.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Eight days later Moses summoned the elders of Israel.
\v 2 Then he said to Aaron, "Take a young bull so you can offer it for your sins, and a ram so that you can burn it whole on the altar, both of them without any defects, and offer them to Yahweh.
\s5
\v 3 Then say to the Israelite people, 'Take a male goat to offer it for your sins. Also take a calf and a lamb that have no defects, so that you can burn them whole on the altar.
\v 4 Also take an ox and a ram to offer them, so you may promise friendship with Yahweh, along with an offering of flour mixed with olive oil. Do this because today Yahweh is going to appear to you.'"
\p
\v 5 After Moses gave these instructions to the Israelites, some of them brought these things and went to the courtyard in front of the sacred tent. Then all the people came near and stood in front of Yahweh.
\s5
\v 6 Then Moses said, "This is what Yahweh has commanded you to do, in order that his glory will appear to you."
\p
\v 7 Then Moses said to Aaron, "Come to the altar and sacrifice the animal that is your offering to enable you to be forgiven for the sins you have committed. Also bring the animal that you will burn whole on the altar. Because of those offerings, God will forgive you and the people for the sins that you have committed. Do these things that Yahweh has commanded you to do."
\s5
\p
\v 8 So Aaron came up to the altar and slaughtered the calf as an offering for his sins.
\v 9 His sons brought its blood to him in a bowl. He dipped his finger into the blood and put some of it on the projections at the corners of the altar. He poured out the rest of the blood at the base of the altar.
\s5
\v 10 He burned the fat, including that which covered the kidneys and the liver, as Yahweh had commanded him.
\v 11 Then Aaron went outside the camp and there burned the rest of the meat and the hide.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Aaron slaughtered the animal that he was going to burn whole on the altar. His sons handed him the bowl containing its blood, and he sprinkled the blood on all sides of the altar.
\v 13 Then they handed him the head and the pieces of the animal that would be burned, and he burned them on the altar.
\v 14 He washed the inner parts and the legs of the animal, and he burned them on the altar, on top of the other pieces of the animal.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Aaron brought the animals that would be sacrifices for the Israelite people. He took a goat and slaughtered it for the people's sins, as he had done with the goat for his own offering.
\p
\v 16 Then he brought the animal for the offering in order to burn it whole. He slaughtered it and offered it in the way that Yahweh had commanded him to do.
\v 17 He also brought the offering made from flour. He took a handful of it and burned it on the altar, as he had done with the animal that he had sacrificed earlier that morning.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then he slaughtered the ox and the ram to be an offering for the Israelite people to promise friendship with Yahweh. His sons handed him the bowl containing the blood, and he sprinkled the blood against all sides of the altar.
\v 19 But he took the fat from the ox and the ram, including their fat tails that were cut close to the backbone, and all the fat that covered the livers and the kidneys.
\s5
\v 20 He put these parts on top of the breasts of those animals and carried them to the altar to burn them.
\v 21 Then, doing what Moses had commanded, he lifted up in front of Yahweh the breast and the right thigh of those animals to show that those two animals completely belonged to Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Then Aaron lifted his arms toward the people and asked Yahweh to bless them. Then having finished making all those offerings, he stepped down from the place where the altar was.
\p
\v 23 Then Aaron and Moses entered the sacred tent. When they came out later, they asked Yahweh to bless the people. And suddenly the glory of Yahweh appeared to all the people.
\v 24 A fire from Yahweh appeared and burned up the entire offering, together with the fat that was on the altar. When all the people saw this happen, they shouted joyfully and prostrated themselves on the ground to worship Yahweh.
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 Two of Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu, took the pans in which they burned incense. They put some burning coals in them and put incense on top of the coals, but this fire was not acceptable to Yahweh because it was not the kind that he had commanded them to burn.
\v 2 So suddenly a fire from Yahweh appeared and burned them up in his own presence.
\s5
\v 3 Then Moses said to Aaron, "This is what Yahweh was talking about when he said,
\q1 'Those priests who come near to me—
\q2 I will show them that they must honor me;
\q1 in the presence of all the people
\q2 I am the one whom they must honor.'"
\m But Aaron said nothing.
\p
\v 4 Then Moses summoned Mishael and Elzaphan, who were the sons of Aaron's uncle Uzziel, and said to them, "Take the corpses of your cousins outside the camp, away from being in front of the sacred tent."
\s5
\v 5 So they carried the corpses, on which were still the special tunics, outside the camp, and buried them.
\p
\v 6 Then Moses said to Aaron and his other two sons Eleazar and Ithamar, "You are sad because Nadab and Abihu died, but you must act like you always do. Do not allow the hair on your heads to remain uncombed, and do not tear your clothes. If you do, Yahweh will be angry with all the people. But you must let your relatives and all your fellow Israelites engage in mourning ceremonies for those whom Yahweh has destroyed by fire.
\v 7 But you must not leave the entrance of the sacred tent to join those who are mourning, because if you do that, you also will die. Do not forget that Yahweh has set you apart to work for him here, and he does not want you to become defiled by touching a corpse." So they obeyed Moses; they did not join the rest of the people in mourning for their cousins' death.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Yahweh said to Aaron,
\v 9 "You and your two sons who are still alive must not drink wine or other fermented drinks before you enter the sacred tent. If you do that, you will die. That is a command that you and your descendants must obey forever.
\v 10 You must do that in order to learn what things are holy and what things are not holy; you must also learn what things I will accept what I will not accept.
\v 11 And you must teach the Israelite people all the laws that I gave to them by telling them to Moses."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Moses said to Aaron and his two sons who were still alive, Eleazar and Ithamar, "Take the offering made from flour that is left after a portion of it has been offered to Yahweh to be burned, and eat it alongside the altar. It should not be eaten elsewhere because it is very holy.
\v 13 Eat it in a holy place. It is the share for you and your sons from the meat that you have burned as offerings. Yahweh has commanded me to tell you this.
\s5
\v 14 But you and your sons and daughters are permitted to eat the breast and the thigh that were lifted up in front of Yahweh. Eat them in any place that is holy. They have been given to you and your descendants as your share of the offerings when the Israelites promise friendship with Yahweh.
\v 15 The thigh and the breast that were lifted up in front of Yahweh must be brought with the portions of fat to be burned, to be lifted up and offered in his presence. They will be the regular share for you and your descendants, as Yahweh has commanded."
\s5
\p
\v 16 When Moses inquired about the goat that the priests had sacrificed for the people's sins, he found out that the priests had burned it all. So he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar and asked them,
\v 17 "Why did you not eat near the sacred tent the meat of the sin offering? It was very special for Yahweh; he gave it to you so he could forgive the sins of the people.
\v 18 Since its blood was not taken into the holy place inside the sacred tent, you should have eaten the meat of the goat outside the sacred tent, as I commanded."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Aaron replied to Moses, "Today the people brought to Yahweh their offering for him to forgive their sins, and also the offering we burned completely to please Yahweh. But think about the terrible thing that happened to my other two sons! Would Yahweh have been pleased if I had eaten some of the people's sin offering today?"
\v 20 When Moses heard that, he was satisfied and said nothing more.
\s5

View File

@ -985,142 +985,142 @@
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 One day the people complained to Yahweh about their troubles. When Yahweh heard what they were saying, he became angry. So he sent a fire which burned among the people at the edge of their camp.
\v 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to Yahweh. Then the fire stopped burning.
\v 3 So they called that place Taberah, which means 'Burning,' because the fire from Yahweh had burned among them.
\s5
\p
\v 4 Then some troublemakers from other people groups who were traveling with the Israelites began to want better food. And when they started complaining the Israelite people also started to complain. They said, "We wish we had some meat to eat!
\v 5 We remember the fish that we ate while we were in Egypt, fish that was given to us without cost. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we could eat.
\v 6 But now we have lost our appetite, because all we have to eat is this manna!"
\s5
\p
\v 7 The manna resembled small white seeds.
\v 8 Each morning the people would go out and gather some from the surface of the ground. Then they made flour by grinding it or pounding it with stones. Then they added water and boiled it in a pot, or they made flat cakes with it and baked them. The cakes tasted like bread that was baked with olive oil.
\s5
\v 9 Each night the manna came down on the ground where their tents were, like dew from the sky.
\p
\v 10 Moses heard all the Israelite people complaining as they were standing in the entrances of their tents. Yahweh became very angry, and Moses was also very perturbed.
\s5
\v 11 He went into the sacred tent and asked Yahweh, "Why have you brought this trouble on me, your servant? Act mercifully to me! What wrong have I done, with the result that you have appointed me to take care of all of these people?
\v 12 I am not their father. Why have you told me to take care of them like a woman carries around her baby and nurses it? How can I take them to the land that you promised to give to our ancestors?
\s5
\v 13 Where can I get meat to feed to all these people? They keep complaining to me, saying, 'Give us some meat to eat!'
\v 14 I cannot carry all these people's burdens by myself! They are like a heavy load to me, and I cannot carry this very heavy load anymore.
\v 15 If you intend to act like this toward me, kill me now. If you are really concerned about me, be kind to me and kill me to end my misery of trying to take care of them!"
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Summon seventy men whom you know are leaders among the Israelite people. Tell them to stand with you in front of the sacred tent.
\v 17 I will come down and talk with you there. Then I will take some of the power of my Spirit that you have, and I will put that power on them also. They will help you to take care of some of the things that the people are concerned about, in order that you will not need to do it alone.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Furthermore, say to the people, 'Make yourselves acceptable to me, and tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were complaining, and Yahweh heard you when you were saying, "We want some meat to eat. We had better food in Egypt!" Now Yahweh will give you some meat, and you will eat it.
\v 19 You will eat meat not only for one or two days, or only for five or ten or twenty days.
\v 20 You will eat meat every day for one month, and then you will loathe it, and it will cause you to want to vomit. This will happen because you have rejected Yahweh who is here among you, and you have wailed in his presence, saying "We would have had better food to eat if we had not left Egypt."'"
\s5
\p
\v 21 But Moses replied to Yahweh, "There are six hundred thousand men plus women and children here with me, so why do you say 'I will give them plenty of meat every day for a month!'?
\v 22 Even if we killed all the sheep and cattle, that would not be enough to provide meat for all of them! Even if we caught all the fish in the sea and gave it to them, that would not be enough!"
\v 23 But Yahweh said to Moses, "Do you think that I have no power? You will now see if I can do what I say I will do."
\s5
\p
\v 24 So Moses went out from the sacred tent and told the people what Yahweh had said. Then he gathered together the seventy leaders and told them to stand around the sacred tent.
\p
\v 25 Then Yahweh came down in the cloud that was above the tent and spoke to Moses. He took some of the power of the Spirit that he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. By means of the power of the Spirit within them, they prophesied, but they did that only once.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Two of the leaders whom Moses appointed, Eldad and Medad, were not there when the rest of them gathered together. They had not left their tents to go and stand around the sacred tent. But Yahweh's Spirit came on them also, and they started to prophesy.
\v 27 So a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying where all their tents are!"
\s5
\p
\v 28 Joshua, who had helped Moses since he was a young man, said, "Sir, tell them to stop doing that!"
\p
\v 29 But Moses replied, "Are you worried that they might injure my reputation? I wish that all Yahweh's people could prophesy. I wish that Yahweh would give the power of his Spirit to all of them!"
\v 30 Then Moses and all the leaders went back to their tents.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Then Yahweh sent a strong wind from the sea. It blew quail into the area all around the camp, and caused the quail to fall onto the ground. They were piled up on the ground a meter high!
\v 32 So the people went out and gathered up the quail all that day, and all that night, and all of the following day. It seemed as though each person gathered two cubic meters! They spread the quail out on the ground all around the camp, so that the quail would lose their moisture.
\s5
\v 33 Then they cooked them and started to eat them. But while they were still eating the meat, Yahweh showed that he was very angry with them. He sent a severe plague on them, and many people died.
\v 34 The people who died and were buried were the ones who had said they wanted to eat meat like they had formerly eaten in Egypt. So they called that place Kibroth Hattaavah, which means 'graves of those who craved.'
\p
\v 35 From there, the Israelites continued walking east until they arrived at Hazeroth, where they stopped and stayed for a long time.
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1-2 Moses' older sister Miriam and his older brother Aaron were jealous of Moses and said, "Is Moses the only one to whom Yahweh has spoken messages to tell to us? Does Yahweh not speak messages through us two also?" They also criticized Moses because he had married a woman who was a descendant of the Cush people group. And Yahweh heard Miriam and Aaron complaining about Moses.
\p
\v 3 The truth was that Moses was a very humble person. He was more humble than anyone else on the earth.
\s5
\p
\v 4 So immediately Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam. He said, "All three of you must go and stand at the sacred tent." So they did that.
\v 5 Then Yahweh descended to the entrance of the tent in a cloud that resembled a huge white pillar. He told Aaron and Miriam to step forward, so they did.
\s5
\v 6 Then he said to them,
\q1 "Listen to me!
\q1 When a prophet is among you,
\q1 I usually reveal myself to him by allowing him to see visions,
\q1 and I speak to him in dreams.
\q1
\v 7 But that is not the way I speak to my servant Moses.
\q2 I trust that he will lead my people well.
\q1
\v 8 So I talk to him face to face.
\q2 I speak to him clearly, not using parables.
\q2 He has even seen what I look like.
\q2 So you should be afraid to criticize my servant Moses!"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Yahweh was very angry with Miriam and Aaron, and he left.
\p
\v 10 When the cloud rose up from the sacred tent, Aaron looked at Miriam, and he saw that her skin was as white as snow, because she now had leprosy.
\s5
\v 11 Aaron said to Moses, "My master, please do not punish us for this sin that we have foolishly committed.
\v 12 Do not allow Miriam to be like a baby that is already dead when it is born, whose flesh is already half decayed!"
\s5
\p
\v 13 So Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, "God, I plead with you to heal her!"
\p
\v 14 But Yahweh replied, "If her father had rebuked her for doing something wrong by spitting in her face, she would have been ashamed for seven days. She should be ashamed because of what she has done. So send her outside the camp for seven days. Then she will not have leprosy anymore, and she may return to the camp."
\v 15 So they sent her outside the camp for seven days. The people did not move to another location until she returned.
\s5
\p
\v 16 But after she returned, they left Hazeroth and moved north in the Paran Desert and set up their tents there.
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 One day the people complained to Yahweh about their troubles. When Yahweh heard what they were saying, he became angry. So he sent a fire which burned among the people at the edge of their camp.
\v 2 Then the people cried out to Moses, and he prayed to Yahweh. Then the fire stopped burning.
\v 3 So they called that place Taberah, which means 'Burning,' because the fire from Yahweh had burned among them.
\s5
\p
\v 4 Then some troublemakers from other people groups who were traveling with the Israelites began to want better food. And when they started complaining the Israelite people also started to complain. They said, "We wish we had some meat to eat!
\v 5 We remember the fish that we ate while we were in Egypt, fish that was given to us without cost. And we had all the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions, and garlic we could eat.
\v 6 But now we have lost our appetite, because all we have to eat is this manna!"
\s5
\p
\v 7 The manna resembled small white seeds.
\v 8 Each morning the people would go out and gather some from the surface of the ground. Then they made flour by grinding it or pounding it with stones. Then they added water and boiled it in a pot, or they made flat cakes with it and baked them. The cakes tasted like bread that was baked with olive oil.
\s5
\v 9 Each night the manna came down on the ground where their tents were, like dew from the sky.
\p
\v 10 Moses heard all the Israelite people complaining as they were standing in the entrances of their tents. Yahweh became very angry, and Moses was also very perturbed.
\s5
\v 11 He went into the sacred tent and asked Yahweh, "Why have you brought this trouble on me, your servant? Act mercifully to me! What wrong have I done, with the result that you have appointed me to take care of all of these people?
\v 12 I am not their father. Why have you told me to take care of them like a woman carries around her baby and nurses it? How can I take them to the land that you promised to give to our ancestors?
\s5
\v 13 Where can I get meat to feed to all these people? They keep complaining to me, saying, 'Give us some meat to eat!'
\v 14 I cannot carry all these people's burdens by myself! They are like a heavy load to me, and I cannot carry this very heavy load anymore.
\v 15 If you intend to act like this toward me, kill me now. If you are really concerned about me, be kind to me and kill me to end my misery of trying to take care of them!"
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Summon seventy men whom you know are leaders among the Israelite people. Tell them to stand with you in front of the sacred tent.
\v 17 I will come down and talk with you there. Then I will take some of the power of my Spirit that you have, and I will put that power on them also. They will help you to take care of some of the things that the people are concerned about, in order that you will not need to do it alone.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Furthermore, say to the people, 'Make yourselves acceptable to me, and tomorrow you will have meat to eat. You were complaining, and Yahweh heard you when you were saying, "We want some meat to eat. We had better food in Egypt!" Now Yahweh will give you some meat, and you will eat it.
\v 19 You will eat meat not only for one or two days, or only for five or ten or twenty days.
\v 20 You will eat meat every day for one month, and then you will loathe it, and it will cause you to want to vomit. This will happen because you have rejected Yahweh who is here among you, and you have wailed in his presence, saying "We would have had better food to eat if we had not left Egypt."'"
\s5
\p
\v 21 But Moses replied to Yahweh, "There are six hundred thousand men plus women and children here with me, so why do you say 'I will give them plenty of meat every day for a month!'?
\v 22 Even if we killed all the sheep and cattle, that would not be enough to provide meat for all of them! Even if we caught all the fish in the sea and gave it to them, that would not be enough!"
\v 23 But Yahweh said to Moses, "Do you think that I have no power? You will now see if I can do what I say I will do."
\s5
\p
\v 24 So Moses went out from the sacred tent and told the people what Yahweh had said. Then he gathered together the seventy leaders and told them to stand around the sacred tent.
\p
\v 25 Then Yahweh came down in the cloud that was above the tent and spoke to Moses. He took some of the power of the Spirit that he had given to Moses and gave it to the seventy leaders. By means of the power of the Spirit within them, they prophesied, but they did that only once.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Two of the leaders whom Moses appointed, Eldad and Medad, were not there when the rest of them gathered together. They had not left their tents to go and stand around the sacred tent. But Yahweh's Spirit came on them also, and they started to prophesy.
\v 27 So a young man ran and told Moses, "Eldad and Medad are prophesying where all their tents are!"
\s5
\p
\v 28 Joshua, who had helped Moses since he was a young man, said, "Sir, tell them to stop doing that!"
\p
\v 29 But Moses replied, "Are you worried that they might injure my reputation? I wish that all Yahweh's people could prophesy. I wish that Yahweh would give the power of his Spirit to all of them!"
\v 30 Then Moses and all the leaders went back to their tents.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Then Yahweh sent a strong wind from the sea. It blew quail into the area all around the camp, and caused the quail to fall onto the ground. They were piled up on the ground a meter high!
\v 32 So the people went out and gathered up the quail all that day, and all that night, and all of the following day. It seemed as though each person gathered two cubic meters! They spread the quail out on the ground all around the camp, so that the quail would lose their moisture.
\s5
\v 33 Then they cooked them and started to eat them. But while they were still eating the meat, Yahweh showed that he was very angry with them. He sent a severe plague on them, and many people died.
\v 34 The people who died and were buried were the ones who had said they wanted to eat meat like they had formerly eaten in Egypt. So they called that place Kibroth Hattaavah, which means 'graves of those who craved.'
\p
\v 35 From there, the Israelites continued walking east until they arrived at Hazeroth, where they stopped and stayed for a long time.
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1-2 Moses' older sister Miriam and his older brother Aaron were jealous of Moses and said, "Is Moses the only one to whom Yahweh has spoken messages to tell to us? Does Yahweh not speak messages through us two also?" They also criticized Moses because he had married a woman who was a descendant of the Cush people group. And Yahweh heard Miriam and Aaron complaining about Moses.
\p
\v 3 The truth was that Moses was a very humble person. He was more humble than anyone else on the earth.
\s5
\p
\v 4 So immediately Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron and Miriam. He said, "All three of you must go and stand at the sacred tent." So they did that.
\v 5 Then Yahweh descended to the entrance of the tent in a cloud that resembled a huge white pillar. He told Aaron and Miriam to step forward, so they did.
\s5
\v 6 Then he said to them,
\q1 "Listen to me!
\q1 When a prophet is among you,
\q1 I usually reveal myself to him by allowing him to see visions,
\q1 and I speak to him in dreams.
\q1
\v 7 But that is not the way I speak to my servant Moses.
\q2 I trust that he will lead my people well.
\q1
\v 8 So I talk to him face to face.
\q2 I speak to him clearly, not using parables.
\q2 He has even seen what I look like.
\q2 So you should be afraid to criticize my servant Moses!"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Yahweh was very angry with Miriam and Aaron, and he left.
\p
\v 10 When the cloud rose up from the sacred tent, Aaron looked at Miriam, and he saw that her skin was as white as snow, because she now had leprosy.
\s5
\v 11 Aaron said to Moses, "My master, please do not punish us for this sin that we have foolishly committed.
\v 12 Do not allow Miriam to be like a baby that is already dead when it is born, whose flesh is already half decayed!"
\s5
\p
\v 13 So Moses cried out to Yahweh, saying, "God, I plead with you to heal her!"
\p
\v 14 But Yahweh replied, "If her father had rebuked her for doing something wrong by spitting in her face, she would have been ashamed for seven days. She should be ashamed because of what she has done. So send her outside the camp for seven days. Then she will not have leprosy anymore, and she may return to the camp."
\v 15 So they sent her outside the camp for seven days. The people did not move to another location until she returned.
\s5
\p
\v 16 But after she returned, they left Hazeroth and moved north in the Paran Desert and set up their tents there.
\s5
@ -1205,98 +1205,98 @@
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 That night, all the Israelite people cried loudly.
\v 2 The next day they all complained against Aaron and Moses. All the men said, "We wish that we had died in Egypt, or in this wilderness!
\v 3 Why is Yahweh bringing us to this land, where we men will be killed with swords? And they will take away our wives and children to be their slaves. Instead of going to Canaan, it would be better for us to return to Egypt!"
\s5
\v 4 Then some of them said to each other, "We should choose a leader who will take us back to Egypt!"
\p
\v 5 Then Aaron and Moses bowed down to pray in front of all the Israelite people who had gathered there.
\s5
\v 6 Joshua and Caleb, two of the men who had explored the land, tore their clothes because they were very dismayed.
\v 7 They said to the Israelite people, "The land that we explored is very good.
\v 8 If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will lead us into that very fertile land, and he will give it to us.
\s5
\v 9 So do not rebel against Yahweh! And do not be afraid of the people in that land! We will gobble them up! They do not have anyone who will protect them, but Yahweh will be with us and help us. So do not be afraid of them!"
\p
\v 10 Then all the Israelite people talked about killing Caleb and Joshua by throwing stones at them. But suddenly Yahweh's glory appeared to them at the sacred tent.
\s5
\v 11 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will these people reject me? I am tired of them not believing in what I can do, in spite of all the miracles I have performed among them.
\v 12 So I will send a plague among them and get rid of them. But I will cause your descendants to become a great nation. They will be a nation that is much greater and stronger than these people are."
\s5
\p
\v 13 But Moses replied to Yahweh, "Please do not do that, because the people of Egypt will hear about it! You brought these Israelite people from Egypt by your great power,
\v 14 and the people of Egypt will tell that to the descendants of Canaan who live in this land. Yahweh, they have already heard about you. They know that you have been with these people and that they have seen you face to face. They have heard that your cloud is like a huge pillar that stays over them, and by that cloud you lead them during the day, and that the cloud becomes like a fire at night to give them light.
\s5
\v 15 If you kill these people all at one time, the people groups who have heard about your power will say,
\v 16 'Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land that he promised to give to them, so he killed them in the wilderness.'
\s5
\p
\v 17 So Yahweh, now show that you are very powerful. You said,
\v 18 'I do not quickly become angry. Instead, I love people greatly, and I forgive people for having sinned and having disobeyed my laws. But I will always punish people who are guilty of doing what is wrong. When parents sin, I will punish them, but I will also punish their children and their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren and their great-great-grandchildren.'
\v 19 So, because you love your people with a great covenant loyalty, forgive these people for the sins that they have committed, just like you have continued to forgive them ever since they left Egypt."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then Yahweh replied, "I have forgiven them, as you requested me to.
\v 21 But, just as certainly as I live and that people all over the world can see my glory, I solemnly declare that
\v 22 all these people saw my glory and all the miracles that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, but they disobeyed me, and many times they tested whether they could continue to do evil things without my punishing them.
\s5
\v 23 Because of that, not one of them will see the land that I promised their ancestors that I would give to them. No one who rejected me will see that land.
\v 24 But Caleb, who serves me well, is different from the others. He obeys me completely. So I will bring him into that land that he has already seen, and his descendants will inherit some of it.
\v 25 So, since the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who are living in the valleys in Canaan are very strong, when you leave here tomorrow, instead of traveling toward Canaan, go back along the road through the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds."
\s5
\p
\v 26 Then Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses,
\v 27 "How long will the wicked people of this nation keep complaining about me? I have heard everything that they have grumbled against me.
\s5
\v 28 So now tell them this: 'Just as certainly as I, Yahweh, live, I will do exactly what you said would happen.
\v 29 I will cause all of you to die here in this wilderness! Because you grumbled against me, none of you who are more than twenty years old and who were counted when Moses counted everyone
\v 30 will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give to you. Only Caleb and Joshua will enter that land.
\s5
\v 31 You said that your children would be taken from you to become slaves, but I will take them into the land, and they will enjoy living in the land that you rejected.
\v 32 But as for you adults, you will die here in this wilderness.
\v 33 Your children will wander around in this wilderness as shepherds for forty years. Because you adults were not loyal to me, your children will suffer until you all die in the wilderness.
\s5
\v 34 You will suffer for your sins for forty years. That will be one year for each of the forty days that the twelve men explored Canaan land. And I will be like an enemy to you.
\v 35 This will certainly happen because I, Yahweh, have said it! I will do these things to every one in this group that has plotted against me. They will all die right here in this wilderness!'"
\s5
\p
\v 36-37 Then Yahweh attacked the ten men who had discouraged the people, so that they died. These were the men who had explored Canaan and then told the people that they would not be able to take over the land. It was because of the men that the people spoke against Moses.
\v 38 Of the twelve men who had explored Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
\s5
\p
\v 39 When Moses reported to the Israelite people what Yahweh had said, many of them were very sad.
\v 40 So the people got up early the next morning and started to go toward the hill country in Canaan. They said, "We know that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land that Yahweh promised to give to us."
\s5
\p
\v 41 But Moses said, "Yahweh commanded you to return to the desert, so why are you now disobeying him? It will not succeed.
\v 42 Do not try to enter the land now! If you try, your enemies will defeat you, because Yahweh will not be with you.
\v 43 When you begin to fight the descendants of Amalek and Canaan, they will slaughter you! Yahweh will abandon you, because you have abandoned him."
\s5
\p
\v 44 But even though Moses did not leave the camp, and the sacred chest that contained the Ten Commandments was not taken from the camp, the people began to go toward the hill country in Canaan.
\v 45 Then the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who lived in those hills came down and attacked them; they chased them as far south as Hormah.
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 That night, all the Israelite people cried loudly.
\v 2 The next day they all complained against Aaron and Moses. All the men said, "We wish that we had died in Egypt, or in this wilderness!
\v 3 Why is Yahweh bringing us to this land, where we men will be killed with swords? And they will take away our wives and children to be their slaves. Instead of going to Canaan, it would be better for us to return to Egypt!"
\s5
\v 4 Then some of them said to each other, "We should choose a leader who will take us back to Egypt!"
\p
\v 5 Then Aaron and Moses bowed down to pray in front of all the Israelite people who had gathered there.
\s5
\v 6 Joshua and Caleb, two of the men who had explored the land, tore their clothes because they were very dismayed.
\v 7 They said to the Israelite people, "The land that we explored is very good.
\v 8 If Yahweh is pleased with us, he will lead us into that very fertile land, and he will give it to us.
\s5
\v 9 So do not rebel against Yahweh! And do not be afraid of the people in that land! We will gobble them up! They do not have anyone who will protect them, but Yahweh will be with us and help us. So do not be afraid of them!"
\p
\v 10 Then all the Israelite people talked about killing Caleb and Joshua by throwing stones at them. But suddenly Yahweh's glory appeared to them at the sacred tent.
\s5
\v 11 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "How long will these people reject me? I am tired of them not believing in what I can do, in spite of all the miracles I have performed among them.
\v 12 So I will send a plague among them and get rid of them. But I will cause your descendants to become a great nation. They will be a nation that is much greater and stronger than these people are."
\s5
\p
\v 13 But Moses replied to Yahweh, "Please do not do that, because the people of Egypt will hear about it! You brought these Israelite people from Egypt by your great power,
\v 14 and the people of Egypt will tell that to the descendants of Canaan who live in this land. Yahweh, they have already heard about you. They know that you have been with these people and that they have seen you face to face. They have heard that your cloud is like a huge pillar that stays over them, and by that cloud you lead them during the day, and that the cloud becomes like a fire at night to give them light.
\s5
\v 15 If you kill these people all at one time, the people groups who have heard about your power will say,
\v 16 'Yahweh was not able to bring them into the land that he promised to give to them, so he killed them in the wilderness.'
\s5
\p
\v 17 So Yahweh, now show that you are very powerful. You said,
\v 18 'I do not quickly become angry. Instead, I love people greatly, and I forgive people for having sinned and having disobeyed my laws. But I will always punish people who are guilty of doing what is wrong. When parents sin, I will punish them, but I will also punish their children and their grandchildren and their great-grandchildren and their great-great-grandchildren.'
\v 19 So, because you love your people with a great covenant loyalty, forgive these people for the sins that they have committed, just like you have continued to forgive them ever since they left Egypt."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then Yahweh replied, "I have forgiven them, as you requested me to.
\v 21 But, just as certainly as I live and that people all over the world can see my glory, I solemnly declare that
\v 22 all these people saw my glory and all the miracles that I performed in Egypt and in the wilderness, but they disobeyed me, and many times they tested whether they could continue to do evil things without my punishing them.
\s5
\v 23 Because of that, not one of them will see the land that I promised their ancestors that I would give to them. No one who rejected me will see that land.
\v 24 But Caleb, who serves me well, is different from the others. He obeys me completely. So I will bring him into that land that he has already seen, and his descendants will inherit some of it.
\v 25 So, since the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who are living in the valleys in Canaan are very strong, when you leave here tomorrow, instead of traveling toward Canaan, go back along the road through the wilderness toward the Sea of Reeds."
\s5
\p
\v 26 Then Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses,
\v 27 "How long will the wicked people of this nation keep complaining about me? I have heard everything that they have grumbled against me.
\s5
\v 28 So now tell them this: 'Just as certainly as I, Yahweh, live, I will do exactly what you said would happen.
\v 29 I will cause all of you to die here in this wilderness! Because you grumbled against me, none of you who are more than twenty years old and who were counted when Moses counted everyone
\v 30 will enter the land that I solemnly promised to give to you. Only Caleb and Joshua will enter that land.
\s5
\v 31 You said that your children would be taken from you to become slaves, but I will take them into the land, and they will enjoy living in the land that you rejected.
\v 32 But as for you adults, you will die here in this wilderness.
\v 33 Your children will wander around in this wilderness as shepherds for forty years. Because you adults were not loyal to me, your children will suffer until you all die in the wilderness.
\s5
\v 34 You will suffer for your sins for forty years. That will be one year for each of the forty days that the twelve men explored Canaan land. And I will be like an enemy to you.
\v 35 This will certainly happen because I, Yahweh, have said it! I will do these things to every one in this group that has plotted against me. They will all die right here in this wilderness!'"
\s5
\p
\v 36-37 Then Yahweh attacked the ten men who had discouraged the people, so that they died. These were the men who had explored Canaan and then told the people that they would not be able to take over the land. It was because of the men that the people spoke against Moses.
\v 38 Of the twelve men who had explored Canaan, only Joshua and Caleb remained alive.
\s5
\p
\v 39 When Moses reported to the Israelite people what Yahweh had said, many of them were very sad.
\v 40 So the people got up early the next morning and started to go toward the hill country in Canaan. They said, "We know that we have sinned, but now we are ready to enter the land that Yahweh promised to give to us."
\s5
\p
\v 41 But Moses said, "Yahweh commanded you to return to the desert, so why are you now disobeying him? It will not succeed.
\v 42 Do not try to enter the land now! If you try, your enemies will defeat you, because Yahweh will not be with you.
\v 43 When you begin to fight the descendants of Amalek and Canaan, they will slaughter you! Yahweh will abandon you, because you have abandoned him."
\s5
\p
\v 44 But even though Moses did not leave the camp, and the sacred chest that contained the Ten Commandments was not taken from the camp, the people began to go toward the hill country in Canaan.
\v 45 Then the descendants of Amalek and Canaan who lived in those hills came down and attacked them; they chased them as far south as Hormah.
\s5
@ -1389,117 +1389,117 @@
\s5
\c 16
\p
\v 1 One day Korah son of Izhar and a descendant of Levi's son Kohath, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, who were the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth. They were all from the tribe of Reuben.
\v 2 Those four men incited 250 other people who were leaders among the Israelite people to join them in rebelling against Moses.
\v 3 They came together to criticize Aaron and Moses. They said to them, "You two are using more authority than you should! Yahweh has set apart all of us Israelite people, and he is with all of us. So why do you act as though you were more important than the rest of us people who belong to Yahweh?"
\s5
\p
\v 4 When Moses heard what they were saying, he prostrated himself on the ground.
\v 5 Then he said to Korah and those who were with Korah, "Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show to us whom he has chosen to be his priest, and who is holy and allowed to come near to him. Yahweh will permit only those whom he chooses to come into his presence.
\s5
\v 6 So Korah, tomorrow you and those who are with you must prepare your pans to burn incense.
\v 7 Then you must light a fire in them and burn the incense in the presence of Yahweh. Then we will see which one of us Yahweh has chosen to be his holy servant. It is you men who are descendants of Levi who are trying to use more authority than you should!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Moses spoke again to Korah. He said, "You men who are descendants of Levi, listen to me!
\v 9 You know that Yahweh, the God of Israel has chosen you Levites from the community of Israel so you can work for him at his sacred tent and serve the people. Does that seem to you like a small thing for you to do?
\v 10 Yahweh has brought you, Korah, and your fellow descendants of Levi, near to himself. Now are you demanding to become priests also?
\v 11 It is really Yahweh against whom you and your fellow descendants of Levi are rebelling. Aaron is not the one about whom you are really complaining."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, but they refused to come. They sent a message saying, "We will not come to you!
\v 13 You brought us out of Egypt, which was a very fertile land, in order to cause us to die here in this desert. That was bad. But now you are also trying to boss us, and that is worse.
\v 14 You have not given us a new land to live in, a land that has good fields and vineyards. You are only trying to blind these people. So we will not come to you."
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Moses became very angry. He said to Yahweh, "Do not accept the grain offerings that they have brought. I have not taken anything from them, not even one donkey, and I have never done anything wrong to them, so they have no reason to complain against me."
\p
\v 16 Then Moses said to Korah, "You and all those who are with you must come here tomorrow and stand in front of Yahweh. Aaron will also be here.
\v 17 You and all the 250 men who are with you must each take a pan in which to burn incense, and put incense in it, to burn it to be an offering to Yahweh. Aaron will do the same thing."
\s5
\p
\v 18 So each of those men got a pan to burn incense. They put in it incense and hot coals to light it, and then they all stood at the entrance of the sacred tent with Aaron and Moses.
\v 19 Then Korah summoned all the people who supported him and who were against Moses, and they also gathered at the entrance of the tent. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared to all of them.
\s5
\v 20 Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses,
\v 21 "Get away from all these people, in order that I can get rid of them immediately!"
\p
\v 22 But Aaron and Moses prostrated themselves on the ground. They pleaded with Yahweh, saying, "God, you are the one who caused all these people to live. Only one of these men has sinned. So, is it right for you to be angry with all the people?"
\s5
\p
\v 23 Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 24 "Okay, but tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."
\s5
\p
\v 25 So Moses stood up and went to the tents of Dathan and Abiram. The Israelite leaders followed him.
\v 26 He told the people, "Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them! If you touch anything, you will die because of their sins!"
\v 27 So all the people moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out of their tents with their wives and children and babies, and stood at the entrance of their tents.
\s5
\p
\v 28 Then Moses said, "I was not the one who decided to do all these things that I have done. It was Yahweh who chose me and sent me to do them. And now he will prove that to you.
\v 29 If these men die in a normal way, then it will be clear that Yahweh did not choose me.
\v 30 But if Yahweh does something that has never happened before, if he causes the ground that is under their feet to open up and swallow these men and their families and all their possessions, and they fall into the opening and are buried while they are still alive, then you will know that these men have insulted Yahweh."
\s5
\p
\v 31 As soon as Moses said this, the ground split open beneath those men.
\v 32 It swallowed those men and their families and all those who were standing there with Korah and all of their possessions.
\s5
\v 33 They fell into the opening in the ground while they were still alive, and all their possessions fell into the opening also. They disappeared, and the ground closed back up again.
\v 34 They screamed as they fell, and all the people who were standing nearby heard them scream. The people were terrified and cried out as they ran away, saying, "We do not want the ground to swallow us, also!"
\p
\v 35 And then a fire from Yahweh came down from the sky and burned up the 250 men who were burning the incense!
\s5
\p
\v 36 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 37 "Tell Aaron's son Eleazar to take the pans that had incense in them away from the fire and to scatter the burning coals. The pans that those men were carrying are holy because they burned incense to me in them.
\v 38 Those men have now died because of their sin. So Eleazar must take their pans and hammer the metal to make it become very thin. He must make a covering for the altar with that metal. Those pans were used to offer incense to me, so they are holy. What happened to those pans will now warn the Israelite people."
\s5
\p
\v 39-40 So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 pans for burning incense that had been used by the men who died in the fire. He hammered the pans very thin to make a covering for the altar, as Yahweh told Moses should be done. That warned the Israelites that only those who were descendants of Aaron were permitted to burn incense as an offering to Yahweh. If anyone else did that, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and those with him.
\s5
\p
\v 41 But the following morning, all the Israelite people started to complain against Aaron and Moses saying "You have killed many people who belonged to Yahweh!"
\p
\v 42 When all the people gathered together to protest about what Aaron and Moses had done, they looked at the sacred tent and saw that the sacred cloud had covered it, and the glory of Yahweh had appeared.
\v 43 Aaron and Moses went and stood in front of the sacred tent.
\s5
\v 44 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 45 "Get away from these people, in order that I can get rid of them immediately without injuring you two!" But Aaron and Moses prostrated themselves on the ground and prayed.
\p
\v 46 Moses said to Aaron, "Quickly take another pan and put in it some burning coals from the altar. Put incense in the pan, and carry it out among the people to atone for the sins of the people. Yahweh is very angry with them, and I know that a severe plague has already started among them."
\s5
\v 47 So Aaron did what Moses told him. He took the burning incense out among the people. The plague had already started to strike the people, but Aaron continued to burn the incense to make atonement for the sins of the people.
\v 48 He stood between the people who had already died and those who were still alive, and then the plague stopped.
\s5
\v 49 But 14,700 people had already died from that plague, in addition to the people who died with Korah.
\v 50 Then after the plague had ended, Aaron and Moses returned to the entrance of the sacred tent.
\s5
\c 16
\p
\v 1 One day Korah son of Izhar and a descendant of Levi's son Kohath, conspired with Dathan and Abiram, who were the sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth. They were all from the tribe of Reuben.
\v 2 Those four men incited 250 other people who were leaders among the Israelite people to join them in rebelling against Moses.
\v 3 They came together to criticize Aaron and Moses. They said to them, "You two are using more authority than you should! Yahweh has set apart all of us Israelite people, and he is with all of us. So why do you act as though you were more important than the rest of us people who belong to Yahweh?"
\s5
\p
\v 4 When Moses heard what they were saying, he prostrated himself on the ground.
\v 5 Then he said to Korah and those who were with Korah, "Tomorrow morning Yahweh will show to us whom he has chosen to be his priest, and who is holy and allowed to come near to him. Yahweh will permit only those whom he chooses to come into his presence.
\s5
\v 6 So Korah, tomorrow you and those who are with you must prepare your pans to burn incense.
\v 7 Then you must light a fire in them and burn the incense in the presence of Yahweh. Then we will see which one of us Yahweh has chosen to be his holy servant. It is you men who are descendants of Levi who are trying to use more authority than you should!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Moses spoke again to Korah. He said, "You men who are descendants of Levi, listen to me!
\v 9 You know that Yahweh, the God of Israel has chosen you Levites from the community of Israel so you can work for him at his sacred tent and serve the people. Does that seem to you like a small thing for you to do?
\v 10 Yahweh has brought you, Korah, and your fellow descendants of Levi, near to himself. Now are you demanding to become priests also?
\v 11 It is really Yahweh against whom you and your fellow descendants of Levi are rebelling. Aaron is not the one about whom you are really complaining."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Moses summoned Dathan and Abiram, but they refused to come. They sent a message saying, "We will not come to you!
\v 13 You brought us out of Egypt, which was a very fertile land, in order to cause us to die here in this desert. That was bad. But now you are also trying to boss us, and that is worse.
\v 14 You have not given us a new land to live in, a land that has good fields and vineyards. You are only trying to blind these people. So we will not come to you."
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Moses became very angry. He said to Yahweh, "Do not accept the grain offerings that they have brought. I have not taken anything from them, not even one donkey, and I have never done anything wrong to them, so they have no reason to complain against me."
\p
\v 16 Then Moses said to Korah, "You and all those who are with you must come here tomorrow and stand in front of Yahweh. Aaron will also be here.
\v 17 You and all the 250 men who are with you must each take a pan in which to burn incense, and put incense in it, to burn it to be an offering to Yahweh. Aaron will do the same thing."
\s5
\p
\v 18 So each of those men got a pan to burn incense. They put in it incense and hot coals to light it, and then they all stood at the entrance of the sacred tent with Aaron and Moses.
\v 19 Then Korah summoned all the people who supported him and who were against Moses, and they also gathered at the entrance of the tent. Then the glory of Yahweh appeared to all of them.
\s5
\v 20 Yahweh said to Aaron and Moses,
\v 21 "Get away from all these people, in order that I can get rid of them immediately!"
\p
\v 22 But Aaron and Moses prostrated themselves on the ground. They pleaded with Yahweh, saying, "God, you are the one who caused all these people to live. Only one of these men has sinned. So, is it right for you to be angry with all the people?"
\s5
\p
\v 23 Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 24 "Okay, but tell all the people to get away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram."
\s5
\p
\v 25 So Moses stood up and went to the tents of Dathan and Abiram. The Israelite leaders followed him.
\v 26 He told the people, "Get away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that belongs to them! If you touch anything, you will die because of their sins!"
\v 27 So all the people moved away from the tents of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram. Dathan and Abiram came out of their tents with their wives and children and babies, and stood at the entrance of their tents.
\s5
\p
\v 28 Then Moses said, "I was not the one who decided to do all these things that I have done. It was Yahweh who chose me and sent me to do them. And now he will prove that to you.
\v 29 If these men die in a normal way, then it will be clear that Yahweh did not choose me.
\v 30 But if Yahweh does something that has never happened before, if he causes the ground that is under their feet to open up and swallow these men and their families and all their possessions, and they fall into the opening and are buried while they are still alive, then you will know that these men have insulted Yahweh."
\s5
\p
\v 31 As soon as Moses said this, the ground split open beneath those men.
\v 32 It swallowed those men and their families and all those who were standing there with Korah and all of their possessions.
\s5
\v 33 They fell into the opening in the ground while they were still alive, and all their possessions fell into the opening also. They disappeared, and the ground closed back up again.
\v 34 They screamed as they fell, and all the people who were standing nearby heard them scream. The people were terrified and cried out as they ran away, saying, "We do not want the ground to swallow us, also!"
\p
\v 35 And then a fire from Yahweh came down from the sky and burned up the 250 men who were burning the incense!
\s5
\p
\v 36 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 37 "Tell Aaron's son Eleazar to take the pans that had incense in them away from the fire and to scatter the burning coals. The pans that those men were carrying are holy because they burned incense to me in them.
\v 38 Those men have now died because of their sin. So Eleazar must take their pans and hammer the metal to make it become very thin. He must make a covering for the altar with that metal. Those pans were used to offer incense to me, so they are holy. What happened to those pans will now warn the Israelite people."
\s5
\p
\v 39-40 So Eleazar the priest collected the 250 pans for burning incense that had been used by the men who died in the fire. He hammered the pans very thin to make a covering for the altar, as Yahweh told Moses should be done. That warned the Israelites that only those who were descendants of Aaron were permitted to burn incense as an offering to Yahweh. If anyone else did that, the same thing would happen to him as happened to Korah and those with him.
\s5
\p
\v 41 But the following morning, all the Israelite people started to complain against Aaron and Moses saying "You have killed many people who belonged to Yahweh!"
\p
\v 42 When all the people gathered together to protest about what Aaron and Moses had done, they looked at the sacred tent and saw that the sacred cloud had covered it, and the glory of Yahweh had appeared.
\v 43 Aaron and Moses went and stood in front of the sacred tent.
\s5
\v 44 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 45 "Get away from these people, in order that I can get rid of them immediately without injuring you two!" But Aaron and Moses prostrated themselves on the ground and prayed.
\p
\v 46 Moses said to Aaron, "Quickly take another pan and put in it some burning coals from the altar. Put incense in the pan, and carry it out among the people to atone for the sins of the people. Yahweh is very angry with them, and I know that a severe plague has already started among them."
\s5
\v 47 So Aaron did what Moses told him. He took the burning incense out among the people. The plague had already started to strike the people, but Aaron continued to burn the incense to make atonement for the sins of the people.
\v 48 He stood between the people who had already died and those who were still alive, and then the plague stopped.
\s5
\v 49 But 14,700 people had already died from that plague, in addition to the people who died with Korah.
\v 50 Then after the plague had ended, Aaron and Moses returned to the entrance of the sacred tent.
\s5
@ -1745,110 +1745,110 @@
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 The king of the city of Arad lived in the area where the Canaanites lived, in the southern Judean wilderness. He heard a report that the Israelites were approaching on the road to Atharim village. So his army attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.
\v 2 Then the Israelites declared this solemnly, "Yahweh, if you will help us to defeat these people, we will completely destroy all their towns."
\v 3 Yahweh heard what they requested, and he enabled them to defeat the army of this Canaan people group. The Israelite soldiers killed all the people and destroyed their towns. Ever since that time, that place has been called Hormah which means "destruction."
\s5
\p
\v 4 Then the Israelites left Mount Hor and traveled on the road toward the Sea of Reeds, in order to go around the land of Edom. But the people became impatient along the way,
\v 5 and they began to grumble against God and against Moses. They said, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in this desert? There is nothing to eat here, and nothing to drink. And we detest this lousy manna food!"
\s5
\p
\v 6 So Yahweh sent poisonous snakes among them. Many of the people were bitten by the snakes and died.
\v 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, saying, "We now know that we have sinned against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh, asking that he will take away the snakes!" So Moses prayed for the people.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Yahweh told him, "Make a model of a poisonous snake, and attach it to the top of a pole. If those who are bitten by the snakes look at that model, they will recover."
\v 9 So Moses made a snake from bronze and attached it to the top of a pole. Then, when those who had been bitten by a snake looked at the bronze snake, they recovered!
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then the Israelites traveled to Oboth and camped there.
\v 11 Then they left Oboth and went to Iye Abarim in the wilderness on the eastern border of Moab.
\s5
\v 12 From there they traveled to the valley where the Zered riverbed is, and camped there.
\v 13 Then they traveled to the north side of the Arnon River. That area is in the wilderness next to the land where the Amorites live. The Arnon River is the boundary between Moab and where the Amorites live.
\s5
\v 14 That is why it is written down in the book of the book of the wars of Yahweh,
\q1 "Waheb in Suphah, and the ravines there,
\q2 and the Arnon River
\q1
\v 15 and the ravines there,
\q2 which extend as far as Ar village on the border of Moab."
\m
\s5
\v 16 From there the Israelites traveled to Beer. There was a well there where Yahweh previously had said to Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water."
\s5
\v 17 There the Israelites sang this song:
\q1 "O well, give us water!
\q1 Sing about this well!
\q1
\v 18 Sing about this well
\q2 which our leaders dug;
\q2 they dug out the dirt with their royal scepters and their walking sticks."
\m Then the Israelites left that wilderness and went through Mattanah.
\s5
\v 19 The Israelites also went throught Nahaliel, and Bamoth village.
\v 20 Then they went to the valley in Moab where Mount Pisgah rises above the wilderness.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amor people group. This was the message that they gave him,
\pi
\v 22 "Allow us to travel through your country. We will stay on the king's highway, the main road that goes from the south to the north, until we have finished traveling through your land. We will not walk through any field or vineyard, or drink water from your wells."
\p
\v 23 But King Sihon refused. He would not allow them to walk through his land. Instead, he sent his whole army to attack the Israelites in the desert. They attacked the Israelites at Jahaz village.
\s5
\v 24 But the Israelites completely defeated them and occupied their land, from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north. They stopped at the border of the land where the Ammon people group lived, because the Ammon army was defending the border strongly.
\v 25 So the Israelites occupied all the cities and towns where the Amorites lived, and some of the Israelites began to live in them. They occupied the city of Heshbon and the nearby villages.
\v 26 Heshbon was the capital of the country. It was the city where King Sihon ruled. His army had previously defeated the army of the king of Moab, and then his people had begun to live in all of the land of Moab as far as the Arnon River in the south.
\s5
\p
\v 27 For that reason, one of the poets wrote long ago,
\q1 "Come to Heshbon, the city where King Sihon ruled.
\q2 We want the city to be restored.
\q1
\v 28 A fire blazed from Heshbon.
\q2 It burned down the city of Ar in Moab.
\q1 It destroyed everything on the hills along the Arnon River.
\q1
\s5
\v 29 You people of Moab, terrible things have happened to you!
\q2 You people who worship your god Chemosh have been annihilated!
\q1 The men who worshiped Chemosh have run away and are now refugees,
\q2 and the women who worshiped him have been captured by the army of Sihon, the king of the Amor people group.
\q1
\v 30 But we have defeated those descendants of Amor,
\q2 all the way from Heshbon in the north to the city of Dibon in the south.
\q1 We have completely obliterated them as far as the cities of Nophah and Medeba."
\s5
\p
\v 31 So the Israelite people began to live in the land where the Amorites lived.
\p
\v 32 After Moses sent some men to explore the area near the city of Jazer, Israelite people began to live in all the towns in that region and expelled the Amor people group who lived there.
\s5
\v 33 Then they turned north toward the region of Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his army attacked them at the city of Edrei.
\p
\v 34 Yahweh said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of Og, because I am going to enable your men to defeat him and his army, and to take possession of all his land. You will do to him what you did to Sihon, the king of the Amor people group, who ruled in Heshbon."
\p
\v 35 And that is what happened. The Israelites defeated Og's army, and killed King Og and his sons and all his people. Not a person survived! And then the Israelites began to live in their land.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 The king of the city of Arad lived in the area where the Canaanites lived, in the southern Judean wilderness. He heard a report that the Israelites were approaching on the road to Atharim village. So his army attacked the Israelites and captured some of them.
\v 2 Then the Israelites declared this solemnly, "Yahweh, if you will help us to defeat these people, we will completely destroy all their towns."
\v 3 Yahweh heard what they requested, and he enabled them to defeat the army of this Canaan people group. The Israelite soldiers killed all the people and destroyed their towns. Ever since that time, that place has been called Hormah which means "destruction."
\s5
\p
\v 4 Then the Israelites left Mount Hor and traveled on the road toward the Sea of Reeds, in order to go around the land of Edom. But the people became impatient along the way,
\v 5 and they began to grumble against God and against Moses. They said, "Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in this desert? There is nothing to eat here, and nothing to drink. And we detest this lousy manna food!"
\s5
\p
\v 6 So Yahweh sent poisonous snakes among them. Many of the people were bitten by the snakes and died.
\v 7 Then the people came to Moses and cried out, saying, "We now know that we have sinned against Yahweh and against you. Pray to Yahweh, asking that he will take away the snakes!" So Moses prayed for the people.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Yahweh told him, "Make a model of a poisonous snake, and attach it to the top of a pole. If those who are bitten by the snakes look at that model, they will recover."
\v 9 So Moses made a snake from bronze and attached it to the top of a pole. Then, when those who had been bitten by a snake looked at the bronze snake, they recovered!
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then the Israelites traveled to Oboth and camped there.
\v 11 Then they left Oboth and went to Iye Abarim in the wilderness on the eastern border of Moab.
\s5
\v 12 From there they traveled to the valley where the Zered riverbed is, and camped there.
\v 13 Then they traveled to the north side of the Arnon River. That area is in the wilderness next to the land where the Amorites live. The Arnon River is the boundary between Moab and where the Amorites live.
\s5
\v 14 That is why it is written down in the book of the book of the wars of Yahweh,
\q1 "Waheb in Suphah, and the ravines there,
\q2 and the Arnon River
\q1
\v 15 and the ravines there,
\q2 which extend as far as Ar village on the border of Moab."
\m
\s5
\v 16 From there the Israelites traveled to Beer. There was a well there where Yahweh previously had said to Moses, "Gather the people together, and I will give them water."
\s5
\v 17 There the Israelites sang this song:
\q1 "O well, give us water!
\q1 Sing about this well!
\q1
\v 18 Sing about this well
\q2 which our leaders dug;
\q2 they dug out the dirt with their royal scepters and their walking sticks."
\m Then the Israelites left that wilderness and went through Mattanah.
\s5
\v 19 The Israelites also went throught Nahaliel, and Bamoth village.
\v 20 Then they went to the valley in Moab where Mount Pisgah rises above the wilderness.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then the Israelites sent messengers to Sihon, the king of the Amor people group. This was the message that they gave him,
\pi
\v 22 "Allow us to travel through your country. We will stay on the king's highway, the main road that goes from the south to the north, until we have finished traveling through your land. We will not walk through any field or vineyard, or drink water from your wells."
\p
\v 23 But King Sihon refused. He would not allow them to walk through his land. Instead, he sent his whole army to attack the Israelites in the desert. They attacked the Israelites at Jahaz village.
\s5
\v 24 But the Israelites completely defeated them and occupied their land, from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north. They stopped at the border of the land where the Ammon people group lived, because the Ammon army was defending the border strongly.
\v 25 So the Israelites occupied all the cities and towns where the Amorites lived, and some of the Israelites began to live in them. They occupied the city of Heshbon and the nearby villages.
\v 26 Heshbon was the capital of the country. It was the city where King Sihon ruled. His army had previously defeated the army of the king of Moab, and then his people had begun to live in all of the land of Moab as far as the Arnon River in the south.
\s5
\p
\v 27 For that reason, one of the poets wrote long ago,
\q1 "Come to Heshbon, the city where King Sihon ruled.
\q2 We want the city to be restored.
\q1
\v 28 A fire blazed from Heshbon.
\q2 It burned down the city of Ar in Moab.
\q1 It destroyed everything on the hills along the Arnon River.
\q1
\s5
\v 29 You people of Moab, terrible things have happened to you!
\q2 You people who worship your god Chemosh have been annihilated!
\q1 The men who worshiped Chemosh have run away and are now refugees,
\q2 and the women who worshiped him have been captured by the army of Sihon, the king of the Amor people group.
\q1
\v 30 But we have defeated those descendants of Amor,
\q2 all the way from Heshbon in the north to the city of Dibon in the south.
\q1 We have completely obliterated them as far as the cities of Nophah and Medeba."
\s5
\p
\v 31 So the Israelite people began to live in the land where the Amorites lived.
\p
\v 32 After Moses sent some men to explore the area near the city of Jazer, Israelite people began to live in all the towns in that region and expelled the Amor people group who lived there.
\s5
\v 33 Then they turned north toward the region of Bashan, but King Og of Bashan and all his army attacked them at the city of Edrei.
\p
\v 34 Yahweh said to Moses, "Do not be afraid of Og, because I am going to enable your men to defeat him and his army, and to take possession of all his land. You will do to him what you did to Sihon, the king of the Amor people group, who ruled in Heshbon."
\p
\v 35 And that is what happened. The Israelites defeated Og's army, and killed King Og and his sons and all his people. Not a person survived! And then the Israelites began to live in their land.
\s5
@ -2699,206 +2699,206 @@
\s5
\c 31
\p
\v 1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
\v 2 "Tell the Israelite people that they should pay back the Midian people group for what they did to you. After that happens, you will die."
\s5
\p
\v 3 So Moses said to the people, "Get some men prepared for battle. Yahweh will enable them to pay back the Midian people group for what they did to us.
\v 4 Select a thousand men from each tribe to fight."
\v 5 So twelve thousand men prepared for fighting in the battle, one thousand from each tribe.
\s5
\v 6 When Moses sent them to the battle, Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, went with them. He took with him some of the things from the sacred tent and the trumpets that would be blown to give the signal to start the battle.
\p
\v 7 The Israelite men fought the soldiers from the Midian people group, as Yahweh had told Moses to tell them to do, and they killed every man from the Midian people group.
\v 8 Among those whom they killed were the five kings of the Midian people group—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam with a sword son of Beor.
\s5
\v 9 They captured all the women and children of the Midian people group and took away their cattle, their flocks of sheep, and herds of goats, and all their other possessions.
\v 10 Then they burned down all the houses in the towns and villages where the people of the Midian people group lived.
\s5
\v 11 But they took home with them all the women and children and animals and possessions.
\v 12 They brought all these to Eleazer and Moses, and to the rest of the Israelite people who were at their camp on the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
\s5
\v 13 Eleazar and all the leaders of the people and Moses went outside the camp to greet them.
\p
\v 14 But Moses was angry with some of the men who had returned from the battle. He was angry with the army officers, those men who were commanders over thousands of men and those who were commanders over hundreds of men.
\v 15 He asked them, "Why did you allow the women to live?
\s5
\v 16 They are the ones who did what Balaam suggested and urged our people to worship Baal instead of Yahweh. As a result, Yahweh caused a plague to strike his people while they were at Peor.
\v 17 So, now you must kill all the boys of the Midian people group, and also kill all the women who have slept with any man.
\s5
\v 18 Spare only the girls who are virgins. You can keep them to be your wives or your slaves.
\p
\v 19 All of you who have killed someone or touched the corpse of someone who was killed in the battle must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and on the seventh day, you must perform the ritual to enable you to become acceptable to God again.
\v 20 You must also wash your clothes and anything that you took to the battle that is made of leather or goat's hair or wood."
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then Eleazar said to the soldiers who had returned from the battle, "This is what Yahweh has instructed Moses.
\v 22 You must put into a fire any gold or silver or bronze or iron or tin or lead things that you brought back from the battle.
\v 23 Put everything that will not burn into the fire, and then they will be acceptable for you to use. But also sprinkle those things with the water that causes things and people to become acceptable to God. The things that would burn if you put them in a fire, sprinkle them with that water.
\v 24 On the seventh day, wash your clothes, and then you will become acceptable to God again. After you do that, you may return to the camp."
\s5
\p
\v 25 Yahweh also said to Moses,
\v 26 "Write down a list of all the goods, the women, and the animals that were captured in the battle.
\v 27 Then tell Eleazar and the leaders of the family groups that they must they must divide all those things between the men who fought in the battle and the rest of the people.
\s5
\v 28 From the men who fought in the battle, take one from every five hundred people and from every five hundred cattle and donkeys and sheep, to be a tax for me.
\v 29 Take these things to Eleazar to be my share as the offering presented to me.
\s5
\v 30 And from the other things, take one item from every fifty. That includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give those things to the descendants of Levi who take care of my sacred tent."
\v 31 So Eleazar and Moses did what Yahweh commanded.
\s5
\p
\v 32-35 There were 675,000 sheep, seventy-two thousand cattle, sixty-one thousand donkeys, and thirty- virgins that they had captured from the Midian people group.
\s5
\p
\v 36 The men who fought in the battle took 337,000 sheep from the battle,
\v 37 and they gave 675 of them to Yahweh.
\v 38 They took thirty-six thousand cattle and gave 72 of them to Yahweh.
\s5
\v 39 They took 30,500 donkeys, and they gave 61 of them to Yahweh.
\v 40 They took sixteen thousand virgins, and they gave 32 of them to Yahweh.
\p
\v 41 Moses gave to Eleazar all the animals that had been presented to Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded.
\s5
\p
\v 42-46 Moses separated what those who had fought in the battle received from what the other people received. The people received 337,500 sheep, thirty-six thousand cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and sixteen thousand virgins.
\s5
\v 47 From what the people received, Moses took one from every fifty items and gave them to Yahweh. That included animals and people. As Yahweh commanded, Moses gave them all to the descendants of Levi who took care of the sacred tent.
\s5
\p
\v 48 Then the army officers, those who were commanders over thousands of men and those who were commanders over hundreds of men, they came to Moses.
\v 49 They said, "We, who are your servants, have counted the soldiers whom we command, and we found that none of them is missing.
\s5
\v 50 So to thank Yahweh for that, we have brought to him a gift of the gold items that we found after the battle, gold arm bands and bracelets and rings, earrings and necklaces. We hope that this will atone for our sins."
\p
\v 51 So Eleazar and Moses accepted the gold items that they brought.
\s5
\v 52 The total of the offering they presented weighed about one hundred and ninety one kilograms.
\v 53 Each soldier had taken these things for himself.
\v 54 Eleazar and Moses accepted these gold items from these commanders and put them in the sacred tent to remind the Israelite people about how Yahweh had helped them defeat the Midian people group.
\s5
\c 32
\p
\v 1 The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad had a lot of livestock. They saw that the land near the city of Jazer and the region of Gilead east of the Jordan River had good grass for the animals to graze on.
\v 2 So their leaders came to Eleazar and the leaders of the people and Moses. They said,
\v 3 "We have a great amount of livestock.
\s5
\v 4 Yahweh has enabled us Israelites to capture some land that is very good for animals to graze on—the land near the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon.
\v 5 If it pleases you, we would like this land to be ours, instead of land on the other side of the Jordan River."
\s5
\p
\v 6 Moses replied to the leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben, "It is not right for your fellow Israelites to go to fight in wars and you stay here!
\v 7 If you do that, you will cause the other Israelites to be discouraged, with the result that they will not cross the Jordan River to the land that Yahweh is giving to them.
\s5
\v 8 Our ancestors did the same kind of thing. I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see what the land of Canaan was like.
\v 9 They went as far as Eshcol Valley, but when they saw the huge people in the land, they returned and caused the Israelite people to be discouraged saying, 'We should not try to enter the land that Yahweh said that he is giving to us.'
\s5
\v 10 So Yahweh became very angry with them, and he solemnly declared this,
\v 11-12 'From all the people who came out of Egypt, the only ones who are at least twenty years old who will see the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua, because they trusted me completely. None of the other people who came out of Egypt will even see that land, because they have not completely believed in my power.'
\s5
\v 13 So Yahweh was angry with the Israelite people, and as a result he has caused us to wander in this desert for forty years. Finally, all the people who had sinned against Yahweh by refusing to trust him died, one by one.
\v 14 And you are acting like your ancestors did! You sinful Israelite people are going to cause Yahweh to be more angry with you than he was with our ancestors!
\v 15 If you stop trusting him, he will cause you and all your fellow Israelites to stay longer in the desert, and he will get rid of all of you!"
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then the leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad said to Moses, "First we will build pens for our animals and build cities for our families here.
\v 17 Then our families will live in strong cities with walls around them, and they will be safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will get ready to fight battles. We will help the other Israelites to get land on the other side of the river.
\s5
\v 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received some land.
\v 19 We will not take any land on the west side of the Jordan River, because our land will be here on the east side."
\s5
\p
\v 20 So Moses told them, "I will tell you what you must do. You must get ready to fight battles for Yahweh.
\v 21 You must cross the Jordan River carrying your weapons.
\v 22 After Yahweh helps us to take that land from the people who live there, you will be permitted to return to your homes. You will have done what you have promised Yahweh and the Israelite people that you would do, and you may keep this land to be your own, given to you by Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 23 But if you do not do these things, you will be sinning against Yahweh, and he will punish you for that sin.
\v 24 Now you can build cities for your families and pens for your animals, but after doing that, you must do what you have promised."
\p
\v 25 The leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, "We will do what you have asked us to do, because you are our leader.
\s5
\v 26 Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep and goats will stay here in the cities of the Gilead area,
\v 27 but we will prepare to go to battle. We will take our weapons and go across the Jordan River and fight for Yahweh, just as you, our leader, have said."
\s5
\p
\v 28 So Moses gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the Israelite tribes.
\v 29 Moses said to them, "If the men from the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you, in order to do what Yahweh desires and help you to take that land, give them the Gilead area to belong to them.
\v 30 But if they do not take their weapons and go with you prepared to fight, they will not receive this land. They will need to accept some land in Canaan, like the rest of you will do."
\s5
\p
\v 31 The leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, "We will do what you have said and what Yahweh has said.
\v 32 We will cross the river into Canaan land, and we will do what Yahweh desires and be prepared for battle. But our land will be here on the east side of the Jordan River."
\s5
\p
\v 33 So Moses agreed to give that land to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half of the tribe of Joseph's son Manasseh. That land was previously the land where Sihon, the king of the Amor people group, ruled, and the land where Og, the king of Bashan region, ruled, including its cities and surrounding land.
\s5
\p
\v 34 The people of the tribe of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
\v 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
\v 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran cities. Those were cities with strong walls around them. And they also built pens for their sheep.
\s5
\p
\v 37 The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
\v 38 Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah cities. When they rebuilt Nebo and Baal Meon, they gave new names to those cities.
\p
\v 39 The descendants of Manasseh's son Makir went to the region of Gilead and took it away from the Amor people group.
\s5
\v 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Makir, and they started to live there.
\v 41 Jair, who was also a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured the small towns in that region, and he named them the Towns of Jair.
\v 42 A man named Nobah went and captured the city of Kenath and the nearby towns, and then he used his own name to be the new name of that area.
\s5
\c 31
\p
\v 1 Yahweh spoke to Moses and said,
\v 2 "Tell the Israelite people that they should pay back the Midian people group for what they did to you. After that happens, you will die."
\s5
\p
\v 3 So Moses said to the people, "Get some men prepared for battle. Yahweh will enable them to pay back the Midian people group for what they did to us.
\v 4 Select a thousand men from each tribe to fight."
\v 5 So twelve thousand men prepared for fighting in the battle, one thousand from each tribe.
\s5
\v 6 When Moses sent them to the battle, Phinehas son of Eleazar the priest, went with them. He took with him some of the things from the sacred tent and the trumpets that would be blown to give the signal to start the battle.
\p
\v 7 The Israelite men fought the soldiers from the Midian people group, as Yahweh had told Moses to tell them to do, and they killed every man from the Midian people group.
\v 8 Among those whom they killed were the five kings of the Midian people group—Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba. They also killed Balaam with a sword son of Beor.
\s5
\v 9 They captured all the women and children of the Midian people group and took away their cattle, their flocks of sheep, and herds of goats, and all their other possessions.
\v 10 Then they burned down all the houses in the towns and villages where the people of the Midian people group lived.
\s5
\v 11 But they took home with them all the women and children and animals and possessions.
\v 12 They brought all these to Eleazer and Moses, and to the rest of the Israelite people who were at their camp on the plains of Moab, near the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
\s5
\v 13 Eleazar and all the leaders of the people and Moses went outside the camp to greet them.
\p
\v 14 But Moses was angry with some of the men who had returned from the battle. He was angry with the army officers, those men who were commanders over thousands of men and those who were commanders over hundreds of men.
\v 15 He asked them, "Why did you allow the women to live?
\s5
\v 16 They are the ones who did what Balaam suggested and urged our people to worship Baal instead of Yahweh. As a result, Yahweh caused a plague to strike his people while they were at Peor.
\v 17 So, now you must kill all the boys of the Midian people group, and also kill all the women who have slept with any man.
\s5
\v 18 Spare only the girls who are virgins. You can keep them to be your wives or your slaves.
\p
\v 19 All of you who have killed someone or touched the corpse of someone who was killed in the battle must stay outside the camp for seven days. On the third day and on the seventh day, you must perform the ritual to enable you to become acceptable to God again.
\v 20 You must also wash your clothes and anything that you took to the battle that is made of leather or goat's hair or wood."
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then Eleazar said to the soldiers who had returned from the battle, "This is what Yahweh has instructed Moses.
\v 22 You must put into a fire any gold or silver or bronze or iron or tin or lead things that you brought back from the battle.
\v 23 Put everything that will not burn into the fire, and then they will be acceptable for you to use. But also sprinkle those things with the water that causes things and people to become acceptable to God. The things that would burn if you put them in a fire, sprinkle them with that water.
\v 24 On the seventh day, wash your clothes, and then you will become acceptable to God again. After you do that, you may return to the camp."
\s5
\p
\v 25 Yahweh also said to Moses,
\v 26 "Write down a list of all the goods, the women, and the animals that were captured in the battle.
\v 27 Then tell Eleazar and the leaders of the family groups that they must they must divide all those things between the men who fought in the battle and the rest of the people.
\s5
\v 28 From the men who fought in the battle, take one from every five hundred people and from every five hundred cattle and donkeys and sheep, to be a tax for me.
\v 29 Take these things to Eleazar to be my share as the offering presented to me.
\s5
\v 30 And from the other things, take one item from every fifty. That includes people, cattle, donkeys, sheep, goats, and other animals. Give those things to the descendants of Levi who take care of my sacred tent."
\v 31 So Eleazar and Moses did what Yahweh commanded.
\s5
\p
\v 32-35 There were 675,000 sheep, seventy-two thousand cattle, sixty-one thousand donkeys, and thirty- virgins that they had captured from the Midian people group.
\s5
\p
\v 36 The men who fought in the battle took 337,000 sheep from the battle,
\v 37 and they gave 675 of them to Yahweh.
\v 38 They took thirty-six thousand cattle and gave 72 of them to Yahweh.
\s5
\v 39 They took 30,500 donkeys, and they gave 61 of them to Yahweh.
\v 40 They took sixteen thousand virgins, and they gave 32 of them to Yahweh.
\p
\v 41 Moses gave to Eleazar all the animals that had been presented to Yahweh, as Yahweh had commanded.
\s5
\p
\v 42-46 Moses separated what those who had fought in the battle received from what the other people received. The people received 337,500 sheep, thirty-six thousand cattle, 30,500 donkeys, and sixteen thousand virgins.
\s5
\v 47 From what the people received, Moses took one from every fifty items and gave them to Yahweh. That included animals and people. As Yahweh commanded, Moses gave them all to the descendants of Levi who took care of the sacred tent.
\s5
\p
\v 48 Then the army officers, those who were commanders over thousands of men and those who were commanders over hundreds of men, they came to Moses.
\v 49 They said, "We, who are your servants, have counted the soldiers whom we command, and we found that none of them is missing.
\s5
\v 50 So to thank Yahweh for that, we have brought to him a gift of the gold items that we found after the battle, gold arm bands and bracelets and rings, earrings and necklaces. We hope that this will atone for our sins."
\p
\v 51 So Eleazar and Moses accepted the gold items that they brought.
\s5
\v 52 The total of the offering they presented weighed about one hundred and ninety one kilograms.
\v 53 Each soldier had taken these things for himself.
\v 54 Eleazar and Moses accepted these gold items from these commanders and put them in the sacred tent to remind the Israelite people about how Yahweh had helped them defeat the Midian people group.
\s5
\c 32
\p
\v 1 The people of the tribes of Reuben and Gad had a lot of livestock. They saw that the land near the city of Jazer and the region of Gilead east of the Jordan River had good grass for the animals to graze on.
\v 2 So their leaders came to Eleazar and the leaders of the people and Moses. They said,
\v 3 "We have a great amount of livestock.
\s5
\v 4 Yahweh has enabled us Israelites to capture some land that is very good for animals to graze on—the land near the towns of Ataroth, Dibon, Jazer, Nimrah, Heshbon, Elealeh, Sebam, Nebo, and Beon.
\v 5 If it pleases you, we would like this land to be ours, instead of land on the other side of the Jordan River."
\s5
\p
\v 6 Moses replied to the leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben, "It is not right for your fellow Israelites to go to fight in wars and you stay here!
\v 7 If you do that, you will cause the other Israelites to be discouraged, with the result that they will not cross the Jordan River to the land that Yahweh is giving to them.
\s5
\v 8 Our ancestors did the same kind of thing. I sent them from Kadesh Barnea to see what the land of Canaan was like.
\v 9 They went as far as Eshcol Valley, but when they saw the huge people in the land, they returned and caused the Israelite people to be discouraged saying, 'We should not try to enter the land that Yahweh said that he is giving to us.'
\s5
\v 10 So Yahweh became very angry with them, and he solemnly declared this,
\v 11-12 'From all the people who came out of Egypt, the only ones who are at least twenty years old who will see the land that I promised to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are Jephunneh's son Caleb and Nun's son Joshua, because they trusted me completely. None of the other people who came out of Egypt will even see that land, because they have not completely believed in my power.'
\s5
\v 13 So Yahweh was angry with the Israelite people, and as a result he has caused us to wander in this desert for forty years. Finally, all the people who had sinned against Yahweh by refusing to trust him died, one by one.
\v 14 And you are acting like your ancestors did! You sinful Israelite people are going to cause Yahweh to be more angry with you than he was with our ancestors!
\v 15 If you stop trusting him, he will cause you and all your fellow Israelites to stay longer in the desert, and he will get rid of all of you!"
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then the leaders of the tribes of Reuben and Gad said to Moses, "First we will build pens for our animals and build cities for our families here.
\v 17 Then our families will live in strong cities with walls around them, and they will be safe from the people who live in this land. Then we will get ready to fight battles. We will help the other Israelites to get land on the other side of the river.
\s5
\v 18 We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received some land.
\v 19 We will not take any land on the west side of the Jordan River, because our land will be here on the east side."
\s5
\p
\v 20 So Moses told them, "I will tell you what you must do. You must get ready to fight battles for Yahweh.
\v 21 You must cross the Jordan River carrying your weapons.
\v 22 After Yahweh helps us to take that land from the people who live there, you will be permitted to return to your homes. You will have done what you have promised Yahweh and the Israelite people that you would do, and you may keep this land to be your own, given to you by Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 23 But if you do not do these things, you will be sinning against Yahweh, and he will punish you for that sin.
\v 24 Now you can build cities for your families and pens for your animals, but after doing that, you must do what you have promised."
\p
\v 25 The leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, "We will do what you have asked us to do, because you are our leader.
\s5
\v 26 Our wives and children and our cattle and sheep and goats will stay here in the cities of the Gilead area,
\v 27 but we will prepare to go to battle. We will take our weapons and go across the Jordan River and fight for Yahweh, just as you, our leader, have said."
\s5
\p
\v 28 So Moses gave instructions about them to Eleazar, Joshua, and the leaders of the Israelite tribes.
\v 29 Moses said to them, "If the men from the tribes of Gad and Reuben prepare for battle and cross the Jordan River with you, in order to do what Yahweh desires and help you to take that land, give them the Gilead area to belong to them.
\v 30 But if they do not take their weapons and go with you prepared to fight, they will not receive this land. They will need to accept some land in Canaan, like the rest of you will do."
\s5
\p
\v 31 The leaders of the tribes of Gad and Reuben replied, "We will do what you have said and what Yahweh has said.
\v 32 We will cross the river into Canaan land, and we will do what Yahweh desires and be prepared for battle. But our land will be here on the east side of the Jordan River."
\s5
\p
\v 33 So Moses agreed to give that land to the tribes of Gad and Reuben and to half of the tribe of Joseph's son Manasseh. That land was previously the land where Sihon, the king of the Amor people group, ruled, and the land where Og, the king of Bashan region, ruled, including its cities and surrounding land.
\s5
\p
\v 34 The people of the tribe of Gad rebuilt Dibon, Ataroth, Aroer,
\v 35 Atroth Shophan, Jazer, Jogbehah,
\v 36 Beth Nimrah, and Beth Haran cities. Those were cities with strong walls around them. And they also built pens for their sheep.
\s5
\p
\v 37 The people of the tribe of Reuben rebuilt Heshbon, Elealeh, Kiriathaim,
\v 38 Nebo, Baal Meon, and Sibmah cities. When they rebuilt Nebo and Baal Meon, they gave new names to those cities.
\p
\v 39 The descendants of Manasseh's son Makir went to the region of Gilead and took it away from the Amor people group.
\s5
\v 40 So Moses gave Gilead to the family of Makir, and they started to live there.
\v 41 Jair, who was also a descendant of Manasseh, went and captured the small towns in that region, and he named them the Towns of Jair.
\v 42 A man named Nobah went and captured the city of Kenath and the nearby towns, and then he used his own name to be the new name of that area.
\s5
@ -3044,83 +3044,83 @@
\s5
\c 34
\p
\v 1 Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 2 "Tell this to the Israelite people, 'You will soon enter Canaan land, and it will become yours. The following will be the borders of the land.
\v 3 On the south you will receive part of the wilderness of Zin, near the border of the region of Edom. On the east side, the border will start at the south end of the Dead Sea.
\s5
\p
\v 4 It will extend to a little south of the Scorpion Pass, and extend west through the wilderness of Sin and south of Kadesh Barnea. From there it will extend to Hazar Addar and from there to Azmon.
\v 5 From Azmon it will extend west to the dry riverbed at the border of Egypt and then to the Mediterranean Sea.
\s5
\p
\v 6 The border on the west will be the Mediterranean Sea.
\s5
\p
\v 7 The border on the north will start from the Mediterranean Sea and extend west to Mount Hor.
\v 8 From there it will extend to Lebo Hamath and then to Zedad.
\v 9 From there the border will extend to Ziphron, and it will end at Hazar Enan.
\s5
\p
\v 10 The border on the east will start at Hazar Enan and extend south to Shepham.
\v 11 From there it will extend east of Ain to Riblah and then along the hills that are east of Galilee Lake.
\v 12 Then the border will extend south along the Jordan River and end at the Dead Sea.
\p Those will be the borders around your country.'"
\s5
\p
\v 13 So Moses told all that to the Israelite people. Then he said to them, "That is the land that you will receive. You must cast lots to decide which area will go to each of the nine and a half tribes, because Yahweh has commanded that it should be divided among them.
\v 14 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have already received the land in which they will live.
\v 15 They have received land on the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho."
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
\q1
\v 17 "These are the men who will divide the land. First, Eleazar and Joshua,
\v 18 but other leaders from each of the twelve tribes will help them divide the land.
\s5
\li
\v 19 From the tribe of Judah, appoint Jephunneh's son Caleb.
\li1
\v 20 From the tribe of Simeon appoint Ammihud's son Shemuel.
\s5
\li1
\v 21 From the tribe of Benjamin appoint Kislon's son Elidad.
\li1
\v 22 From the tribe of Dan appoint Jogli's son Bukki.
\li1
\v 23 From the tribe of Manasseh appoint Ephod's son Hanniel.
\s5
\li1
\v 24 From the tribe of Ephraim appoint Shiphtan's son Kemuel.
\li1
\v 25 From the tribe of Zebulun appoint Parnak's son Elizaphan.
\li1
\v 26 From the tribe of Issachar appoint Azzan's son Paltiel.
\s5
\li1
\v 27 From the tribe of Asher appoint Shelomi's son Ahihud.
\li1
\v 28 From the tribe of Naphtali appoint Ammihud's son Pedahel."
\p
\v 29 Yahweh commanded that all those were the men who should divide the region of Canaan among the Israelite people.
\s5
\c 34
\p
\v 1 Yahweh said to Moses,
\v 2 "Tell this to the Israelite people, 'You will soon enter Canaan land, and it will become yours. The following will be the borders of the land.
\v 3 On the south you will receive part of the wilderness of Zin, near the border of the region of Edom. On the east side, the border will start at the south end of the Dead Sea.
\s5
\p
\v 4 It will extend to a little south of the Scorpion Pass, and extend west through the wilderness of Sin and south of Kadesh Barnea. From there it will extend to Hazar Addar and from there to Azmon.
\v 5 From Azmon it will extend west to the dry riverbed at the border of Egypt and then to the Mediterranean Sea.
\s5
\p
\v 6 The border on the west will be the Mediterranean Sea.
\s5
\p
\v 7 The border on the north will start from the Mediterranean Sea and extend west to Mount Hor.
\v 8 From there it will extend to Lebo Hamath and then to Zedad.
\v 9 From there the border will extend to Ziphron, and it will end at Hazar Enan.
\s5
\p
\v 10 The border on the east will start at Hazar Enan and extend south to Shepham.
\v 11 From there it will extend east of Ain to Riblah and then along the hills that are east of Galilee Lake.
\v 12 Then the border will extend south along the Jordan River and end at the Dead Sea.
\p Those will be the borders around your country.'"
\s5
\p
\v 13 So Moses told all that to the Israelite people. Then he said to them, "That is the land that you will receive. You must cast lots to decide which area will go to each of the nine and a half tribes, because Yahweh has commanded that it should be divided among them.
\v 14 The tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh have already received the land in which they will live.
\v 15 They have received land on the east side of the Jordan River, across from Jericho."
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Yahweh said to Moses,
\q1
\v 17 "These are the men who will divide the land. First, Eleazar and Joshua,
\v 18 but other leaders from each of the twelve tribes will help them divide the land.
\s5
\li
\v 19 From the tribe of Judah, appoint Jephunneh's son Caleb.
\li1
\v 20 From the tribe of Simeon appoint Ammihud's son Shemuel.
\s5
\li1
\v 21 From the tribe of Benjamin appoint Kislon's son Elidad.
\li1
\v 22 From the tribe of Dan appoint Jogli's son Bukki.
\li1
\v 23 From the tribe of Manasseh appoint Ephod's son Hanniel.
\s5
\li1
\v 24 From the tribe of Ephraim appoint Shiphtan's son Kemuel.
\li1
\v 25 From the tribe of Zebulun appoint Parnak's son Elizaphan.
\li1
\v 26 From the tribe of Issachar appoint Azzan's son Paltiel.
\s5
\li1
\v 27 From the tribe of Asher appoint Shelomi's son Ahihud.
\li1
\v 28 From the tribe of Naphtali appoint Ammihud's son Pedahel."
\p
\v 29 Yahweh commanded that all those were the men who should divide the region of Canaan among the Israelite people.
\s5
@ -3203,37 +3203,37 @@
\s5
\c 36
\p
\v 1 The family leaders of the clan of Gilead of the tribe of Manasseh went to Moses and the other family leaders of the Israelite people.
\v 2 They said to Moses, "Yahweh commanded you, our leader, to apportion the land to the Israelite tribes by casting lots to decide which group would get which area. Yahweh also commanded you to give the land that belonged to our fellow Israelite Zelophehad to his daughters.
\s5
\v 3 But if his daughters marry men from the other Israelite tribes, that land will no longer belong to our tribe. People of other tribes will get it. So some of our land will no longer belong to us.
\v 4 When the year of the celebration of Jubilee comes, when all the land that has been bought by someone is returned to its original owners, the land that belonged to Zelophehad will belong to the tribes of the men that his daughters marry. So some of our land, the land that we received from our fathers, will be taken from us, and we will never own it again."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Yahweh told Moses what to reply to them, so Moses said this to them, "These men from the tribe of Manasseh are right.
\v 6 This is what Yahweh is saying to the daughters of Zelophehad, 'Each of you may marry anyone you want to, but you must marry only someone from your own tribe.'
\s5
\v 7 In that way, the land that belongs to Israelites will not be passed from one tribe to another tribe. Each Israelite will keep the land in the tribe that belonged to his ancestors.
\s5
\v 8 A woman who inherits her father's land may get married, but she must marry someone from her own tribe. In that way, every Israelite will keep the land that belonged to his ancestors.
\v 9 The land must not be passed from one tribe to another tribe. Each Israelite tribe must keep the land that it received from its ancestors."
\s5
\p
\v 10 Zelophehad's daughters obeyed what Yahweh told Moses.
\v 11 The five daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah—married their cousins, their father's relatives.
\v 12 The men whom they married were from the tribe of Manasseh, so their land continued to belong to their father's family and tribe.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Those were the commands and decrees that Yahweh gave to Moses to tell to the Israelites, while they were on the plains of Moab, close to the Jordan River, across from Jericho.
\s5
\c 36
\p
\v 1 The family leaders of the clan of Gilead of the tribe of Manasseh went to Moses and the other family leaders of the Israelite people.
\v 2 They said to Moses, "Yahweh commanded you, our leader, to apportion the land to the Israelite tribes by casting lots to decide which group would get which area. Yahweh also commanded you to give the land that belonged to our fellow Israelite Zelophehad to his daughters.
\s5
\v 3 But if his daughters marry men from the other Israelite tribes, that land will no longer belong to our tribe. People of other tribes will get it. So some of our land will no longer belong to us.
\v 4 When the year of the celebration of Jubilee comes, when all the land that has been bought by someone is returned to its original owners, the land that belonged to Zelophehad will belong to the tribes of the men that his daughters marry. So some of our land, the land that we received from our fathers, will be taken from us, and we will never own it again."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Yahweh told Moses what to reply to them, so Moses said this to them, "These men from the tribe of Manasseh are right.
\v 6 This is what Yahweh is saying to the daughters of Zelophehad, 'Each of you may marry anyone you want to, but you must marry only someone from your own tribe.'
\s5
\v 7 In that way, the land that belongs to Israelites will not be passed from one tribe to another tribe. Each Israelite will keep the land in the tribe that belonged to his ancestors.
\s5
\v 8 A woman who inherits her father's land may get married, but she must marry someone from her own tribe. In that way, every Israelite will keep the land that belonged to his ancestors.
\v 9 The land must not be passed from one tribe to another tribe. Each Israelite tribe must keep the land that it received from its ancestors."
\s5
\p
\v 10 Zelophehad's daughters obeyed what Yahweh told Moses.
\v 11 The five daughters—Mahlah, Tirzah, Hoglah, Milkah and Noah—married their cousins, their father's relatives.
\v 12 The men whom they married were from the tribe of Manasseh, so their land continued to belong to their father's family and tribe.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Those were the commands and decrees that Yahweh gave to Moses to tell to the Israelites, while they were on the plains of Moab, close to the Jordan River, across from Jericho.

View File

@ -4,115 +4,115 @@
\toc1 The Book of Deuteronomy
\toc2 Deuteronomy
\toc3 Deu
\mt1 Moses' second speech
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 In this book is written what Moses had said to all the Israelites, after they had set up their tents east of the Jordan—in the desert plain along the Jordan—near a place named Suph, between Paran on one side of the Jordan River and the towns of Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab on the other side of the river.
\v 2 To walk from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, people usually travel for only eleven days, going by way of the hill country called Edom.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Forty years after the Israelites had left Egypt, Moses told the Israelite people everything that Yahweh had commanded him.
\v 4 This was after they had defeated Sihon, the king of the Amor people group, who lived in the city of Heshbon, and Og, the king of the region of Bashan, who lived in towns of Ashtaroth and Edrei.
\s5
\p
\v 5 Moses told them these things while the people were in Moab, on the east side of the Jordan River. He explained to them God's instructions. This is what he said to them:
\p
\v 6 "Yahweh our God said to us when we were at Mount Sinai, 'You have stayed for a very long time at the foot of this mountain.
\s5
\v 7 So now continue traveling. Go to the hill country where the Amorites live and to the nearby areas—to the plain along the Jordan, to the hill country, to the western foothills, to the southern Judean wilderness, to the Mediterranean seacoast, to all the land of Canaan, to the Lebanon mountains, and northeast to the great Euphrates River.
\v 8 I will give that land to you. I, Yahweh, promised to your ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that I would give it to them and to their descendants. So now go and occupy it.'"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Moses also said to the people, "When we were still at Mount Sinai, I said to your ancestors, 'It is a very big task for me to govern all of you. I cannot do it by myself.
\v 10 Yahweh our God has caused us Israelites to become as numerous as the stars in the sky.
\v 11 And I hope that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors worshiped, will cause us to become a thousand times as numerous as we are now and that he will bless us just like he promised to do.
\s5
\v 12 But I certainly cannot deal with all of your complaints and disputes.
\v 13 So choose some men from your tribes who are wise and who have good sense and who are respected. Then I will appoint them to be your leaders.'
\p
\v 14 Your ancestors replied, 'What you have suggested is good for us to do.'
\s5
\p
\v 15 So I took the wise and respected men that your ancestors chose from your tribes, and I appointed them to be your leaders. I appointed some to rule over one thousand people, some to have authority over one hundred people, some to have authority over fifty people, and some to have authority over ten people. I also appointed other officers from throughout your tribes.
\v 16 I instructed your leaders, 'Listen to the disputes that occur among your people. Judge each dispute, including disputes between close relatives and quarrels between your people and people from other countries who live among you.
\s5
\v 17 You must not play favorites. You must treat poor people and important people equally. You must not worry about what anyone will think, because you will decide matters as God wants you to. If any dispute is very difficult and you are unable to decide it, bring it to me, and I will decide.'
\v 18 At that time I also told to you many other things."
\s5
\p
\v 19 "Then, just like Yahweh our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and went through that huge desert that is very dangerous, on the road to the hill country where the Amor people group live. We arrived at Kadesh Barnea.
\s5
\v 20 I said to your ancestors, 'We have now come to the hill country where the Amor people group live. This is part of the area that Yahweh our God, the one whom our ancestors worshiped, is giving to us.
\v 21 Note that Yahweh our God is giving this land to us. So go and occupy it as he commanded. Do not be at all afraid.'
\s5
\p
\v 22 But your ancestors all came to me and said, 'Before we go, we should first send some men there to explore the land, in order that they can return and tell us which will be the best road to go there and what kind of towns are there.'
\p
\v 23 I thought that it would be good to do that, so I chose twelve men, one man from each tribe.
\v 24 They went up into the hill country as far as Eshcol Valley, and they explored all that area.
\s5
\v 25 They picked some of the fruit that they found there and brought it to us. They reported that the land that Yahweh our God was giving to us is very good."
\s5
\p
\v 26 "But your ancestors refused to go and conquer that land. They rebelled against what Yahweh our God had commanded them to do, and they would not go into that land.
\v 27 Your ancestors stayed in their tents and complained. They said, 'Yahweh hates us. So he has brought us here from Egypt just to allow the Amor people group to destroy us.
\v 28 We do not want to go there. The men whom we sent there have made us very discouraged. They have told us that the people there are much stronger and taller than we are, and that there are very high walls around their towns. Also they reported that they had seen giants there that are descendants of Anak.'
\s5
\p
\v 29 Then I said to your ancestors, 'Do not be afraid at all of those people!
\v 30 Yahweh our God will go ahead of you, and he will fight for you, just like you saw him do for you in Egypt
\v 31 and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely here, like a man would carry his son. '
\s5
\p
\v 32-33 I reminded them that he always went ahead of them while they traveled in the desert. He directed them by a pillar of fire during the night and a pillar of cloud during the day. He showed them places to set up their tents. But in spite of what I said, your ancestors would not trust Yahweh our God.
\s5
\p
\v 34 Yahweh heard what they said, and he became angry. He solemnly declared,
\v 35-36 'Caleb son of Jephunneh, will enter the land. He has obeyed me completely. So I will give to him and to his descendants some of the land that he explored. He is the only one of all you people who will enter that land. None of these evil people will ever see that good land which I solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.'
\s5
\p
\v 37 But because of what your ancestors did, Yahweh was also angry with me. He said to me, 'You also will not go enter that land.
\v 38 Joshua son of Nun, who is your helper, will enter it. Encourage him, because he is the one who will enable you Israelite people to occupy that land.'
\s5
\p
\v 39 Then Yahweh said to all of us, 'You said that your children would be captured by your enemies. Because they are very young, they do not yet know what is good and what is evil. But they are the ones to whom I will give that land, and they will enter it and occupy it.
\v 40 But as for you, turn around and go back into the desert, toward the Sea of Reeds.'
\s5
\p
\v 41 Then your ancestors replied, 'We have sinned; we have disobeyed Yahweh. So we will go and attack the people who live in that land, just as Yahweh our God has commanded us to do.' And each of their men put on his weapons, and they thought that it would be easy to invade the hill country.
\p
\v 42 But Yahweh said to me, 'Tell them, "Do not go there and attack those people, because I will not go with you, and if you go, you can be sure that your enemy will defeat you."'
\s5
\p
\v 43 So I said that to your ancestors, but they did not want to listen to what I said. They again rebelled against what Yahweh commanded them to do. Their soldiers proudly marched up into that hill country.
\v 44 Then the men of the Amor people group who lived in that region came out of their towns and attacked those soldiers. They chased your ancestors' soldiers like a swarm of bees would chase a person, and they pursued their men south from Edom and defeated them at the city of Hormah.
\s5
\v 45 So your ancestors went back to Kadesh Barnea and cried out to request Yahweh to help them, but he did not listen to them. He did not pay any attention to them.
\v 46 So we stayed there at Kadesh Barnea for a long time."
\mt1 Moses' second speech
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 In this book is written what Moses had said to all the Israelites, after they had set up their tents east of the Jordan—in the desert plain along the Jordan—near a place named Suph, between Paran on one side of the Jordan River and the towns of Tophel, Laban, Hazeroth, and Dizahab on the other side of the river.
\v 2 To walk from Mount Sinai to Kadesh Barnea, people usually travel for only eleven days, going by way of the hill country called Edom.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Forty years after the Israelites had left Egypt, Moses told the Israelite people everything that Yahweh had commanded him.
\v 4 This was after they had defeated Sihon, the king of the Amor people group, who lived in the city of Heshbon, and Og, the king of the region of Bashan, who lived in towns of Ashtaroth and Edrei.
\s5
\p
\v 5 Moses told them these things while the people were in Moab, on the east side of the Jordan River. He explained to them God's instructions. This is what he said to them:
\p
\v 6 "Yahweh our God said to us when we were at Mount Sinai, 'You have stayed for a very long time at the foot of this mountain.
\s5
\v 7 So now continue traveling. Go to the hill country where the Amorites live and to the nearby areas—to the plain along the Jordan, to the hill country, to the western foothills, to the southern Judean wilderness, to the Mediterranean seacoast, to all the land of Canaan, to the Lebanon mountains, and northeast to the great Euphrates River.
\v 8 I will give that land to you. I, Yahweh, promised to your ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob that I would give it to them and to their descendants. So now go and occupy it.'"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Moses also said to the people, "When we were still at Mount Sinai, I said to your ancestors, 'It is a very big task for me to govern all of you. I cannot do it by myself.
\v 10 Yahweh our God has caused us Israelites to become as numerous as the stars in the sky.
\v 11 And I hope that Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors worshiped, will cause us to become a thousand times as numerous as we are now and that he will bless us just like he promised to do.
\s5
\v 12 But I certainly cannot deal with all of your complaints and disputes.
\v 13 So choose some men from your tribes who are wise and who have good sense and who are respected. Then I will appoint them to be your leaders.'
\p
\v 14 Your ancestors replied, 'What you have suggested is good for us to do.'
\s5
\p
\v 15 So I took the wise and respected men that your ancestors chose from your tribes, and I appointed them to be your leaders. I appointed some to rule over one thousand people, some to have authority over one hundred people, some to have authority over fifty people, and some to have authority over ten people. I also appointed other officers from throughout your tribes.
\v 16 I instructed your leaders, 'Listen to the disputes that occur among your people. Judge each dispute, including disputes between close relatives and quarrels between your people and people from other countries who live among you.
\s5
\v 17 You must not play favorites. You must treat poor people and important people equally. You must not worry about what anyone will think, because you will decide matters as God wants you to. If any dispute is very difficult and you are unable to decide it, bring it to me, and I will decide.'
\v 18 At that time I also told to you many other things."
\s5
\p
\v 19 "Then, just like Yahweh our God commanded us, we left Mount Sinai and went through that huge desert that is very dangerous, on the road to the hill country where the Amor people group live. We arrived at Kadesh Barnea.
\s5
\v 20 I said to your ancestors, 'We have now come to the hill country where the Amor people group live. This is part of the area that Yahweh our God, the one whom our ancestors worshiped, is giving to us.
\v 21 Note that Yahweh our God is giving this land to us. So go and occupy it as he commanded. Do not be at all afraid.'
\s5
\p
\v 22 But your ancestors all came to me and said, 'Before we go, we should first send some men there to explore the land, in order that they can return and tell us which will be the best road to go there and what kind of towns are there.'
\p
\v 23 I thought that it would be good to do that, so I chose twelve men, one man from each tribe.
\v 24 They went up into the hill country as far as Eshcol Valley, and they explored all that area.
\s5
\v 25 They picked some of the fruit that they found there and brought it to us. They reported that the land that Yahweh our God was giving to us is very good."
\s5
\p
\v 26 "But your ancestors refused to go and conquer that land. They rebelled against what Yahweh our God had commanded them to do, and they would not go into that land.
\v 27 Your ancestors stayed in their tents and complained. They said, 'Yahweh hates us. So he has brought us here from Egypt just to allow the Amor people group to destroy us.
\v 28 We do not want to go there. The men whom we sent there have made us very discouraged. They have told us that the people there are much stronger and taller than we are, and that there are very high walls around their towns. Also they reported that they had seen giants there that are descendants of Anak.'
\s5
\p
\v 29 Then I said to your ancestors, 'Do not be afraid at all of those people!
\v 30 Yahweh our God will go ahead of you, and he will fight for you, just like you saw him do for you in Egypt
\v 31 and in the desert. You saw how he brought you safely here, like a man would carry his son. '
\s5
\p
\v 32-33 I reminded them that he always went ahead of them while they traveled in the desert. He directed them by a pillar of fire during the night and a pillar of cloud during the day. He showed them places to set up their tents. But in spite of what I said, your ancestors would not trust Yahweh our God.
\s5
\p
\v 34 Yahweh heard what they said, and he became angry. He solemnly declared,
\v 35-36 'Caleb son of Jephunneh, will enter the land. He has obeyed me completely. So I will give to him and to his descendants some of the land that he explored. He is the only one of all you people who will enter that land. None of these evil people will ever see that good land which I solemnly promised to give to your ancestors.'
\s5
\p
\v 37 But because of what your ancestors did, Yahweh was also angry with me. He said to me, 'You also will not go enter that land.
\v 38 Joshua son of Nun, who is your helper, will enter it. Encourage him, because he is the one who will enable you Israelite people to occupy that land.'
\s5
\p
\v 39 Then Yahweh said to all of us, 'You said that your children would be captured by your enemies. Because they are very young, they do not yet know what is good and what is evil. But they are the ones to whom I will give that land, and they will enter it and occupy it.
\v 40 But as for you, turn around and go back into the desert, toward the Sea of Reeds.'
\s5
\p
\v 41 Then your ancestors replied, 'We have sinned; we have disobeyed Yahweh. So we will go and attack the people who live in that land, just as Yahweh our God has commanded us to do.' And each of their men put on his weapons, and they thought that it would be easy to invade the hill country.
\p
\v 42 But Yahweh said to me, 'Tell them, "Do not go there and attack those people, because I will not go with you, and if you go, you can be sure that your enemy will defeat you."'
\s5
\p
\v 43 So I said that to your ancestors, but they did not want to listen to what I said. They again rebelled against what Yahweh commanded them to do. Their soldiers proudly marched up into that hill country.
\v 44 Then the men of the Amor people group who lived in that region came out of their towns and attacked those soldiers. They chased your ancestors' soldiers like a swarm of bees would chase a person, and they pursued their men south from Edom and defeated them at the city of Hormah.
\s5
\v 45 So your ancestors went back to Kadesh Barnea and cried out to request Yahweh to help them, but he did not listen to them. He did not pay any attention to them.
\v 46 So we stayed there at Kadesh Barnea for a long time."
\s5
@ -1172,60 +1172,60 @@
\s5
\c 17
\p
\v 1 Do not sacrifice to Yahweh our God any cattle or sheep or goats that have any defects, because Yahweh detests that kind of gift.
\s5
\p
\v 2 When you are living in any of the towns in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, suppose some man or woman sins by disobeying the covenant that Yahweh has made with you.
\v 3 Suppose that person has worshiped and bowed down to other gods, or the sun, or the moon, or the stars.
\v 4 If someone tells you that some person has been doing that, you must investigate it thoroughly to see whether this detestable thing has happened in Israel.
\s5
\v 5 If it has happened, then you must take outside the town the man or woman who has done it. Then you must kill that person by throwing stones at him or her.
\v 6 But you are allowed to execute such people only if at least two witnesses testify that they saw them doing that. They must not be executed if there is only one witness.
\v 7 The witnesses should throw stones at the guilty person. Then the other people should throw stones until person dies. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil practice from among you.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Sometimes it will be very difficult for a judge to decide what really happened. He might be trying to decide whether, when someone injured or killed another person, that person did it accidentally or deliberately. Or he might be trying to decide if some person is taking another person to court unfairly. If in any town it is very difficult to know what really happened, and if the judge cannot decide it, you should go to the place that Yahweh our God has chosen for you to worship him.
\v 9 There you should present the case to the descendants of Levi who are priests, and to the judge who is serving at that time, and they should decide what should be done.
\s5
\v 10 After they make their decision, you must do what they tell you to do.
\v 11 Accept what they have decided, and do what they say that you should do. Do not try to change in any way what they have decided.
\s5
\v 12 You must execute anyone who proudly disobeys the judge or the priest who stands there in the presence of Yahweh and decides what should be done. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil practice from among you.
\v 13 Then after that person is executed, all the people will hear about it, and they will be afraid, and none of them will act that way anymore.
\s5
\p
\v 14 I know that after you have occupied the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, and you are living there, you will say, 'We should have a king to rule over us, like the kings that other nations around us have.'
\v 15 Yahweh our God will permit you to have a king, but be sure that you appoint someone whom he has chosen. That man must be an Israelite; you must not appoint someone who is a foreigner to be your king.
\s5
\v 16 After he becomes the king, he should not acquire a large number of horses for himself. He should not send people to Egypt to buy horses for him, because Yahweh said to you, 'Never return to Egypt for anything!'
\v 17 And he must not have a lot of wives, because if he did that, they would turn him away from worshiping only Yahweh. And he must not acquire a lot of silver and gold.
\s5
\p
\v 18 When he becomes your king, he must appoint someone to copy these laws. He must copy them from the scroll that is kept by the priests descended from Levi.
\v 19 He must keep this new scroll near him and read from it every day of his life, in order that he may learn to have an awesome respect for Yahweh, and to faithfully obey all the rules and regulations that are written in these laws.
\s5
\v 20 If he does that, he will not think that he is more important than his fellow Israelites, and he will completely obey Yahweh's commands. As a result, he and his descendants will rule as kings in Israel for many years."
\s5
\c 17
\p
\v 1 Do not sacrifice to Yahweh our God any cattle or sheep or goats that have any defects, because Yahweh detests that kind of gift.
\s5
\p
\v 2 When you are living in any of the towns in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, suppose some man or woman sins by disobeying the covenant that Yahweh has made with you.
\v 3 Suppose that person has worshiped and bowed down to other gods, or the sun, or the moon, or the stars.
\v 4 If someone tells you that some person has been doing that, you must investigate it thoroughly to see whether this detestable thing has happened in Israel.
\s5
\v 5 If it has happened, then you must take outside the town the man or woman who has done it. Then you must kill that person by throwing stones at him or her.
\v 6 But you are allowed to execute such people only if at least two witnesses testify that they saw them doing that. They must not be executed if there is only one witness.
\v 7 The witnesses should throw stones at the guilty person. Then the other people should throw stones until person dies. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil practice from among you.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Sometimes it will be very difficult for a judge to decide what really happened. He might be trying to decide whether, when someone injured or killed another person, that person did it accidentally or deliberately. Or he might be trying to decide if some person is taking another person to court unfairly. If in any town it is very difficult to know what really happened, and if the judge cannot decide it, you should go to the place that Yahweh our God has chosen for you to worship him.
\v 9 There you should present the case to the descendants of Levi who are priests, and to the judge who is serving at that time, and they should decide what should be done.
\s5
\v 10 After they make their decision, you must do what they tell you to do.
\v 11 Accept what they have decided, and do what they say that you should do. Do not try to change in any way what they have decided.
\s5
\v 12 You must execute anyone who proudly disobeys the judge or the priest who stands there in the presence of Yahweh and decides what should be done. By doing that, you will get rid of this evil practice from among you.
\v 13 Then after that person is executed, all the people will hear about it, and they will be afraid, and none of them will act that way anymore.
\s5
\p
\v 14 I know that after you have occupied the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, and you are living there, you will say, 'We should have a king to rule over us, like the kings that other nations around us have.'
\v 15 Yahweh our God will permit you to have a king, but be sure that you appoint someone whom he has chosen. That man must be an Israelite; you must not appoint someone who is a foreigner to be your king.
\s5
\v 16 After he becomes the king, he should not acquire a large number of horses for himself. He should not send people to Egypt to buy horses for him, because Yahweh said to you, 'Never return to Egypt for anything!'
\v 17 And he must not have a lot of wives, because if he did that, they would turn him away from worshiping only Yahweh. And he must not acquire a lot of silver and gold.
\s5
\p
\v 18 When he becomes your king, he must appoint someone to copy these laws. He must copy them from the scroll that is kept by the priests descended from Levi.
\v 19 He must keep this new scroll near him and read from it every day of his life, in order that he may learn to have an awesome respect for Yahweh, and to faithfully obey all the rules and regulations that are written in these laws.
\s5
\v 20 If he does that, he will not think that he is more important than his fellow Israelites, and he will completely obey Yahweh's commands. As a result, he and his descendants will rule as kings in Israel for many years."
\s5
@ -1281,57 +1281,57 @@
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 After Yahweh our God has destroyed the people groups from the land that he is giving to you, and after you have driven them out from their cities and you start to live in their houses,
\v 2-3 you must divide into three parts the land that he is giving to you. Then select a city in each part. You must make good roads in order that people can get to those cities easily. Someone who kills another person can escape to one of those cities to be safe.
\s5
\p
\v 4 This is the rule about someone who has killed another person. If someone accidentally kills another person who was not his enemy, he may escape to one of those cities and be safe.
\v 5 For example, if two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the ax head strikes and kills the other man, the man who was using the ax will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, because the people of that city will protect him.
\s5
\v 6 Because he accidentally killed someone, and because the man was not his enemy, he can try to run to one of those cities. If there were only one city, it may be a long distance to that city. Then if the relative of the man who was killed to get revenge, is very angry, he may be able to catch the other person before he arrives at that city.
\v 7 Therefore, I give you this command, that you select three cities for this purpose.
\s5
\p
\v 8-9 If you do everything that I am today commanding you to do, and if you love Yahweh our God, and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, Yahweh our God will give you much more land than you will have when you first occupy it, which is what he promised to do. He will give you all the land which he promised your ancestors that he would give to you. When he gives you that land, you must select three more cities to which people may escape.
\v 10 Do this in order that people who are innocent will not die, and you will not be guilty for allowing them to be executed, in the land that Yahweh is giving to you.
\s5
\p
\v 11 But suppose someone hates his enemy and hides and waits for that person to come along the road. Then when he passes by, suddenly he attacks him and murders him. If the attacker flees to one of those cities to be protected there,
\v 12 the elders of the city where the murdered man lived must not protect the attacker. They must send someone to the city to which the other man escaped, and bring him to to get revenge, so that he may execute that man.
\v 13 You must not pity those who murder other people! Instead, you must execute them, in order that the people in the land of Israel will not be punished for murdering innocent people, and in order that things will go well for you.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When you are living in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, do not move the markers of your neighbors' property boundaries that were placed there long ago.
\s5
\p
\v 15 If someone is accused of committing a crime, one person who says, 'I saw him do it' is not enough to find him guilty. There must be at least two people who say, 'We saw him do it.' If there is only one witness, the judge must not believe that what he says is true.
\p
\v 16 Or suppose that someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him.
\s5
\v 17 Then both of them must go to the place where the people worship, to talk to the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
\v 18 The judges must investigate the case carefully. If the judges determine that one of them has accused the other falsely,
\v 19 that person must be punished in the same way that the other one would have been punished if the judges had decided that he was guilty. By punishing such people, you will get rid of this evil practice from among you.
\s5
\v 20 And when that person is punished, everyone will hear what has happened, and they will be afraid, and no one will dare to act that way anymore.
\v 21 You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person's eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else's eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 After Yahweh our God has destroyed the people groups from the land that he is giving to you, and after you have driven them out from their cities and you start to live in their houses,
\v 2-3 you must divide into three parts the land that he is giving to you. Then select a city in each part. You must make good roads in order that people can get to those cities easily. Someone who kills another person can escape to one of those cities to be safe.
\s5
\p
\v 4 This is the rule about someone who has killed another person. If someone accidentally kills another person who was not his enemy, he may escape to one of those cities and be safe.
\v 5 For example, if two men go into the forest to cut some wood, if the axe head comes off the handle while one of them is chopping down a tree and the ax head strikes and kills the other man, the man who was using the ax will be allowed to run to one of those cities and be safe there, because the people of that city will protect him.
\s5
\v 6 Because he accidentally killed someone, and because the man was not his enemy, he can try to run to one of those cities. If there were only one city, it may be a long distance to that city. Then if the relative of the man who was killed to get revenge, is very angry, he may be able to catch the other person before he arrives at that city.
\v 7 Therefore, I give you this command, that you select three cities for this purpose.
\s5
\p
\v 8-9 If you do everything that I am today commanding you to do, and if you love Yahweh our God, and if you conduct your lives as he wants you to do, Yahweh our God will give you much more land than you will have when you first occupy it, which is what he promised to do. He will give you all the land which he promised your ancestors that he would give to you. When he gives you that land, you must select three more cities to which people may escape.
\v 10 Do this in order that people who are innocent will not die, and you will not be guilty for allowing them to be executed, in the land that Yahweh is giving to you.
\s5
\p
\v 11 But suppose someone hates his enemy and hides and waits for that person to come along the road. Then when he passes by, suddenly he attacks him and murders him. If the attacker flees to one of those cities to be protected there,
\v 12 the elders of the city where the murdered man lived must not protect the attacker. They must send someone to the city to which the other man escaped, and bring him to to get revenge, so that he may execute that man.
\v 13 You must not pity those who murder other people! Instead, you must execute them, in order that the people in the land of Israel will not be punished for murdering innocent people, and in order that things will go well for you.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When you are living in the land that Yahweh our God is giving to you, do not move the markers of your neighbors' property boundaries that were placed there long ago.
\s5
\p
\v 15 If someone is accused of committing a crime, one person who says, 'I saw him do it' is not enough to find him guilty. There must be at least two people who say, 'We saw him do it.' If there is only one witness, the judge must not believe that what he says is true.
\p
\v 16 Or suppose that someone tries to do wrong to another person by falsely accusing him.
\s5
\v 17 Then both of them must go to the place where the people worship, to talk to the priests and judges who are serving at that time.
\v 18 The judges must investigate the case carefully. If the judges determine that one of them has accused the other falsely,
\v 19 that person must be punished in the same way that the other one would have been punished if the judges had decided that he was guilty. By punishing such people, you will get rid of this evil practice from among you.
\s5
\v 20 And when that person is punished, everyone will hear what has happened, and they will be afraid, and no one will dare to act that way anymore.
\v 21 You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person's eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else's eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.
\s5
@ -2069,75 +2069,75 @@
\s5
\c 29
\p
\v 1 These are the covenantal commands of Yahweh that the Israelites were required to obey. When they were in the region of Moab on the east side of the Jordan River, Moses commanded them to keep these regulations. These regulations became part of the covenant that Yahweh had made with them at Mount Sinai.
\s5
\p
\v 2 Moses summoned all the Israelite people and said to them, "You saw for yourselves what Yahweh did to the king of Egypt and to his officials and to his entire country.
\v 3 You saw all the plagues that Yahweh sent on them, and all the various miracles that he performed.
\v 4 But to this day, Yahweh has not enabled you to understand the meaning of all that you have seen and heard.
\s5
\v 5 For forty years Yahweh has led you while you traveled through the desert. During that time, your clothes and your sandals have not worn out.
\v 6 You did not have bread to eat or wine or other fermented drinks to drink, but Yahweh took care of you, in order that you would know that he is your God.
\s5
\p
\v 7 And when we came to this place, Sihon, the king who ruled in the city of Heshbon, and Og, the king who ruled the region of Bashan, came out with their armies to attack us, but we defeated them.
\v 8 We took their land and divided it among the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
\p
\v 9 So obey faithfully all of this covenant, in order that you will prosper in everything that you do.
\s5
\v 10 Today all of us are standing in the presence of Yahweh our God—I, the leaders of all your tribes, your elders, your officials, all you Israelite men,
\v 11 your wives, your children, and the foreigners who live among us and cut wood for us and carry water for us.
\s5
\v 12 You are all here today to agree to accept this covenant with Yahweh, and to bind yourselves to it.
\v 13 He is making this agreement with you in order to make sure that you are his people, and that he is your God. This is what he promised to do for you, and what he solemnly promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would do.
\s5
\v 14 This covenant is not only with you.
\v 15 God is making this agreement with us who are here today and also with our descendants who are not yet born.
\p
\v 16 You remember the things that our ancestors suffered in Egypt, and how they traveled through the land that belonged to other nations after they came out of Egypt.
\s5
\v 17 In those countries they saw those disgusting idols made of wood and stone and decorated with silver and gold.
\v 18 So be sure that no man or woman or family or tribe that is here today turns away from Yahweh our God, to worship any of the gods of those people groups. If you do that, you will bring disaster on yourselves.
\p
\v 19 Be sure that no one here today who hears the words of this covenant says to himself, 'Everything will go well with me, even if I stubbornly do what I want to.' If you do that, the result will be that Yahweh will eventually destroy all of you, both good people and evil people.
\s5
\v 20 Yahweh will not forgive anyone who is stubborn like that. Instead, he will be extremely angry with that person, and all the curses that I have told you about will happen to that person, until Yahweh destroys that person and his family forever.
\v 21 From all the tribes of Israel, Yahweh will choose that individual to suffer all the disasters that I have listed in the covenant—all the bad things that will happen to anyone whom Yahweh curses for disobeying the laws that I have written in this scroll.
\s5
\p
\v 22 In future years, your descendants and people from other countries will see the disasters and the illnesses that Yahweh has caused to happen to you.
\v 23 They will see that all your land has been ruined by burning sulfur and salt. Nothing will have been planted. Not even weeds will be there. Your land will resemble the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of Admah and Zeboyim, which Yahweh destroyed when he was very angry with those people.
\v 24 And the people from those other nations will ask, 'Why did Yahweh do this to this land? Why was he so angry with the people who lived here?'
\s5
\p
\v 25 Then other people will reply, 'It is because they refused to obey the covenant that they had made with Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, when he brought them out of Egypt.
\v 26 Instead, they wroshiped other gods that they had never worshiped before, gods that Yahweh had not told them to worship.
\s5
\v 27 So Yahweh became very angry with the people of this land, and he has caused to happen to them all the disasters that their leader warned them about.
\v 28 Yahweh became extremely angry with them and took them out of their land, and threw them into another land, and they are still there.'
\s5
\p
\v 29 There are some things that Yahweh our God has kept secret, but he has revealed his law to us, and he expects us and our descendants to obey it forever.
\s5
\c 29
\p
\v 1 These are the covenantal commands of Yahweh that the Israelites were required to obey. When they were in the region of Moab on the east side of the Jordan River, Moses commanded them to keep these regulations. These regulations became part of the covenant that Yahweh had made with them at Mount Sinai.
\s5
\p
\v 2 Moses summoned all the Israelite people and said to them, "You saw for yourselves what Yahweh did to the king of Egypt and to his officials and to his entire country.
\v 3 You saw all the plagues that Yahweh sent on them, and all the various miracles that he performed.
\v 4 But to this day, Yahweh has not enabled you to understand the meaning of all that you have seen and heard.
\s5
\v 5 For forty years Yahweh has led you while you traveled through the desert. During that time, your clothes and your sandals have not worn out.
\v 6 You did not have bread to eat or wine or other fermented drinks to drink, but Yahweh took care of you, in order that you would know that he is your God.
\s5
\p
\v 7 And when we came to this place, Sihon, the king who ruled in the city of Heshbon, and Og, the king who ruled the region of Bashan, came out with their armies to attack us, but we defeated them.
\v 8 We took their land and divided it among the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh.
\p
\v 9 So obey faithfully all of this covenant, in order that you will prosper in everything that you do.
\s5
\v 10 Today all of us are standing in the presence of Yahweh our God—I, the leaders of all your tribes, your elders, your officials, all you Israelite men,
\v 11 your wives, your children, and the foreigners who live among us and cut wood for us and carry water for us.
\s5
\v 12 You are all here today to agree to accept this covenant with Yahweh, and to bind yourselves to it.
\v 13 He is making this agreement with you in order to make sure that you are his people, and that he is your God. This is what he promised to do for you, and what he solemnly promised to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, that he would do.
\s5
\v 14 This covenant is not only with you.
\v 15 God is making this agreement with us who are here today and also with our descendants who are not yet born.
\p
\v 16 You remember the things that our ancestors suffered in Egypt, and how they traveled through the land that belonged to other nations after they came out of Egypt.
\s5
\v 17 In those countries they saw those disgusting idols made of wood and stone and decorated with silver and gold.
\v 18 So be sure that no man or woman or family or tribe that is here today turns away from Yahweh our God, to worship any of the gods of those people groups. If you do that, you will bring disaster on yourselves.
\p
\v 19 Be sure that no one here today who hears the words of this covenant says to himself, 'Everything will go well with me, even if I stubbornly do what I want to.' If you do that, the result will be that Yahweh will eventually destroy all of you, both good people and evil people.
\s5
\v 20 Yahweh will not forgive anyone who is stubborn like that. Instead, he will be extremely angry with that person, and all the curses that I have told you about will happen to that person, until Yahweh destroys that person and his family forever.
\v 21 From all the tribes of Israel, Yahweh will choose that individual to suffer all the disasters that I have listed in the covenant—all the bad things that will happen to anyone whom Yahweh curses for disobeying the laws that I have written in this scroll.
\s5
\p
\v 22 In future years, your descendants and people from other countries will see the disasters and the illnesses that Yahweh has caused to happen to you.
\v 23 They will see that all your land has been ruined by burning sulfur and salt. Nothing will have been planted. Not even weeds will be there. Your land will resemble the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities of Admah and Zeboyim, which Yahweh destroyed when he was very angry with those people.
\v 24 And the people from those other nations will ask, 'Why did Yahweh do this to this land? Why was he so angry with the people who lived here?'
\s5
\p
\v 25 Then other people will reply, 'It is because they refused to obey the covenant that they had made with Yahweh, the God whom their ancestors worshiped, when he brought them out of Egypt.
\v 26 Instead, they wroshiped other gods that they had never worshiped before, gods that Yahweh had not told them to worship.
\s5
\v 27 So Yahweh became very angry with the people of this land, and he has caused to happen to them all the disasters that their leader warned them about.
\v 28 Yahweh became extremely angry with them and took them out of their land, and threw them into another land, and they are still there.'
\s5
\p
\v 29 There are some things that Yahweh our God has kept secret, but he has revealed his law to us, and he expects us and our descendants to obey it forever.
\s5
@ -2188,83 +2188,83 @@
\s5
\c 31
\p
\v 1 When Moses finished saying all that to the Israelite people,
\v 2 "I am 120 years old. I am no longer able to go everywhere that you need to go, so I cannot be your leader any longer. Furthermore, Yahweh has told me that I will not cross the Jordan River.
\v 3 But Yahweh our God will go ahead of you. He will enable you to destroy the nations that are living there, in order that you can occupy their land. Joshua will be your leader, which is what Yahweh has already told me.
\s5
\v 4 Yahweh will do to those nations what he did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amor people group when he destroyed their armies and their people groups.
\v 5 Yahweh will enable you to conquer those people groups, but you must kill all of those people, which is what I have commanded you to do.
\v 6 Be brave and confident. Do not be afraid of those people. Do not forget that it is Yahweh our God who will go with you. He will always help you and never abandon you."
\s5
\p
\v 7 Then Moses called Joshua to his side and said to him, "Be brave and confident. You are the one who will lead these people into the land that Yahweh promised to our ancestors that he would give to them, and you will enable them to occupy it.
\v 8 It is Yahweh who will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will always help you. He will never abandon you. So do not be afraid or dismayed."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Moses wrote down all these laws and gave the scroll to the priests, who carried the sacred chest. He also gave the scroll to all the Israelite elders.
\v 10 Moses told them, "At the end of every seven years, at the time that all debts are canceled, read this to the people during the Festival of Shelters.
\v 11 Read it to all the Israelite people when they gather at the place that Yahweh chooses for them to worship him.
\s5
\v 12 Gather together everyone—men, women, children, even the foreigners who are living in your towns—in order that they may hear these laws and learn to have an awesome respect for Yahweh our God, and to faithfully obey everything that is written in these laws.
\v 13 If they do that, your descendants, who have never known these laws, will hear them and will also learn to have an awesome respect for Yahweh our God, during all the years that they live in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan River to occupy."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Listen carefully. You will soon die. Summon Joshua, and you will go to the sacred tent with him, in order that I may appoint him to be the new leader." So Joshua and Moses went to the sacred tent.
\p
\v 15 There Yahweh appeared to them in a pillar of cloud, and that cloud was over the entrance to the tent.
\s5
\v 16 Yahweh said to Moses, "You will soon die. Then these people will become unfaithful to me. They will stop obeying the covenant that I made with them. They will begin to worship the foreign gods that are worshiped by the people of the land that they will enter.
\s5
\v 17 When that happens, I will become very angry with them. I will abandon them and refuse to help them any longer. Many bad things will happen to them, and they will be destroyed. Then they will say among themselves, 'These things are happening to us because our God is no longer with us.'
\v 18 And because of all the evil things that they will have done, and especially because they will have started to worship other gods, I will refuse to help them.
\s5
\p
\v 19 So I am going to give you, Moses, a song. Write it on a scroll and teach it to the Israelite people and make them memorize it. It will be like a witness that accuses them.
\v 20 I am about to take them into a very fertile land, a land that I solemnly promised their ancestors that I would give to them. There they will have plenty to eat, with the result that their stomachs will always be full and they will become fat. But then they will turn to other gods and start to worship them, and they will despise me and break the covenant that I have made with them.
\s5
\v 21 And many terrible disasters will happen to them. After that happens, their descendants will remember this song, and it will be like a witness that says, 'Now you know why Yahweh punished your ancestors.' I will soon take them into the land that I solemnly promised that I would give to them; but even now, before I do that, I know what they are thinking that they will do when they are living there."
\s5
\v 22 So on the very day that Yahweh gave Moses that song, Moses also taught it to the Israelite people.
\p
\v 23 Then Yahweh appointed Joshua as leader and said to him, "Be brave and confident, because you will lead the Israelite people into the land that I solemnly promised that I would give to them. And I will be with you."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Moses finished writing all the law onto a scroll.
\v 25 Then he told the descendants of Levi, who were carrying the Sacred Chest that contained the Ten Commandments,
\v 26 "Take this scroll on which these laws are written, and place it beside the Sacred Chest that contains the covenant that Yahweh our God made with you, in order that it may remain there to testify about what Yahweh will do to the people if they disobey him.
\s5
\v 27 I say this because I know that these people are very stubborn. They have rebelled against Yahweh all during the time that I have been with them, and they will rebel much more after I die!
\v 28 So gather all the elders of the tribes and your officials, in order that I can teach them the words of this song, and so that I can request all those who are in heaven and on the earth to be witnesses to testify against these people.
\v 29 I say this, because I know that after I die, the people will become very wicked. They will stop doing everything that I have commanded them to do. And in the future, because of all the evil things that they will do, they will cause Yahweh to become angry with them. Then he will cause them to experience disasters."
\s5
\p
\v 30 Then, while all the Israelite people listened, Moses sang this entire song to them:
\s5
\c 31
\p
\v 1 When Moses finished saying all that to the Israelite people,
\v 2 "I am 120 years old. I am no longer able to go everywhere that you need to go, so I cannot be your leader any longer. Furthermore, Yahweh has told me that I will not cross the Jordan River.
\v 3 But Yahweh our God will go ahead of you. He will enable you to destroy the nations that are living there, in order that you can occupy their land. Joshua will be your leader, which is what Yahweh has already told me.
\s5
\v 4 Yahweh will do to those nations what he did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amor people group when he destroyed their armies and their people groups.
\v 5 Yahweh will enable you to conquer those people groups, but you must kill all of those people, which is what I have commanded you to do.
\v 6 Be brave and confident. Do not be afraid of those people. Do not forget that it is Yahweh our God who will go with you. He will always help you and never abandon you."
\s5
\p
\v 7 Then Moses called Joshua to his side and said to him, "Be brave and confident. You are the one who will lead these people into the land that Yahweh promised to our ancestors that he would give to them, and you will enable them to occupy it.
\v 8 It is Yahweh who will go ahead of you. He will be with you. He will always help you. He will never abandon you. So do not be afraid or dismayed."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Moses wrote down all these laws and gave the scroll to the priests, who carried the sacred chest. He also gave the scroll to all the Israelite elders.
\v 10 Moses told them, "At the end of every seven years, at the time that all debts are canceled, read this to the people during the Festival of Shelters.
\v 11 Read it to all the Israelite people when they gather at the place that Yahweh chooses for them to worship him.
\s5
\v 12 Gather together everyone—men, women, children, even the foreigners who are living in your towns—in order that they may hear these laws and learn to have an awesome respect for Yahweh our God, and to faithfully obey everything that is written in these laws.
\v 13 If they do that, your descendants, who have never known these laws, will hear them and will also learn to have an awesome respect for Yahweh our God, during all the years that they live in the land that you are about to cross the Jordan River to occupy."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Listen carefully. You will soon die. Summon Joshua, and you will go to the sacred tent with him, in order that I may appoint him to be the new leader." So Joshua and Moses went to the sacred tent.
\p
\v 15 There Yahweh appeared to them in a pillar of cloud, and that cloud was over the entrance to the tent.
\s5
\v 16 Yahweh said to Moses, "You will soon die. Then these people will become unfaithful to me. They will stop obeying the covenant that I made with them. They will begin to worship the foreign gods that are worshiped by the people of the land that they will enter.
\s5
\v 17 When that happens, I will become very angry with them. I will abandon them and refuse to help them any longer. Many bad things will happen to them, and they will be destroyed. Then they will say among themselves, 'These things are happening to us because our God is no longer with us.'
\v 18 And because of all the evil things that they will have done, and especially because they will have started to worship other gods, I will refuse to help them.
\s5
\p
\v 19 So I am going to give you, Moses, a song. Write it on a scroll and teach it to the Israelite people and make them memorize it. It will be like a witness that accuses them.
\v 20 I am about to take them into a very fertile land, a land that I solemnly promised their ancestors that I would give to them. There they will have plenty to eat, with the result that their stomachs will always be full and they will become fat. But then they will turn to other gods and start to worship them, and they will despise me and break the covenant that I have made with them.
\s5
\v 21 And many terrible disasters will happen to them. After that happens, their descendants will remember this song, and it will be like a witness that says, 'Now you know why Yahweh punished your ancestors.' I will soon take them into the land that I solemnly promised that I would give to them; but even now, before I do that, I know what they are thinking that they will do when they are living there."
\s5
\v 22 So on the very day that Yahweh gave Moses that song, Moses also taught it to the Israelite people.
\p
\v 23 Then Yahweh appointed Joshua as leader and said to him, "Be brave and confident, because you will lead the Israelite people into the land that I solemnly promised that I would give to them. And I will be with you."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Moses finished writing all the law onto a scroll.
\v 25 Then he told the descendants of Levi, who were carrying the Sacred Chest that contained the Ten Commandments,
\v 26 "Take this scroll on which these laws are written, and place it beside the Sacred Chest that contains the covenant that Yahweh our God made with you, in order that it may remain there to testify about what Yahweh will do to the people if they disobey him.
\s5
\v 27 I say this because I know that these people are very stubborn. They have rebelled against Yahweh all during the time that I have been with them, and they will rebel much more after I die!
\v 28 So gather all the elders of the tribes and your officials, in order that I can teach them the words of this song, and so that I can request all those who are in heaven and on the earth to be witnesses to testify against these people.
\v 29 I say this, because I know that after I die, the people will become very wicked. They will stop doing everything that I have commanded them to do. And in the future, because of all the evil things that they will do, they will cause Yahweh to become angry with them. Then he will cause them to experience disasters."
\s5
\p
\v 30 Then, while all the Israelite people listened, Moses sang this entire song to them:
\s5

View File

@ -1267,34 +1267,34 @@ But Joshua answered, "Who are you? Where do you actually come from?"
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 Then Yahweh said to Joshua,
\v 2 "Tell the Israelite people that they should choose some cities to which people can run in order to be safe, as I told Moses that you should do.
\v 3 If someone kills another person accidentally, without intending to kill that person, then he can run to one of these cities and be safe.
\s5
\p
\v 4 When that person arrives at the gate of one of those cities, he must stop there and tell the leaders of the city what happened. If they believe him, they must allow him to enter the city, and they must give him a place to live among them.
\s5
\v 5 If some relative of the dead person comes to that city to get revenge, the leaders of that city must not allow the relative to take the killer, because what happened was accidental. He did not hate that person; he did not deliberately kill him.
\v 6 The person who killed someone else must stay in that city until the city judges put him on trial. Only if the judges decide that the person who has run to their city did not deliberately kill the other person will they allow him to stay in that city, and he must stay there until the high priest who was serving at the time of the offense dies. Then the man may safely go back to his own home."
\s5
\p
\v 7 So the Israelites chose these cities to be cities to which people could run to be safe: Kedesh in the region of Galilee, in the hill country where the tribe of Naphtali lived; Shechem in the hill country where the tribe of Ephraim lived; and Kiriath Arba (which is now called Hebron) in the hill country where the tribe of Judah lived;
\v 8 Bezer, on the east side of the Jordan River near Jericho, in the wilderness, where the tribe of Reuben lived; Ramoth in the region of Gilead, in the land where the tribe of Gad lived; and Golan in the region of Bashan, where the tribe of Manasseh lived.
\s5
\v 9 Any Israelite or any foreigner who lived among them, anyone who had killed someone accidentally, was allowed to run to one of those cities. There he would be safe from some relative of the person who died coming there and killing him to get revenge. He could stay in that city until he was put on trial to decide whether he was telling the truth when he said that he did not kill that person on purpose.
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 Then Yahweh said to Joshua,
\v 2 "Tell the Israelite people that they should choose some cities to which people can run in order to be safe, as I told Moses that you should do.
\v 3 If someone kills another person accidentally, without intending to kill that person, then he can run to one of these cities and be safe.
\s5
\p
\v 4 When that person arrives at the gate of one of those cities, he must stop there and tell the leaders of the city what happened. If they believe him, they must allow him to enter the city, and they must give him a place to live among them.
\s5
\v 5 If some relative of the dead person comes to that city to get revenge, the leaders of that city must not allow the relative to take the killer, because what happened was accidental. He did not hate that person; he did not deliberately kill him.
\v 6 The person who killed someone else must stay in that city until the city judges put him on trial. Only if the judges decide that the person who has run to their city did not deliberately kill the other person will they allow him to stay in that city, and he must stay there until the high priest who was serving at the time of the offense dies. Then the man may safely go back to his own home."
\s5
\p
\v 7 So the Israelites chose these cities to be cities to which people could run to be safe: Kedesh in the region of Galilee, in the hill country where the tribe of Naphtali lived; Shechem in the hill country where the tribe of Ephraim lived; and Kiriath Arba (which is now called Hebron) in the hill country where the tribe of Judah lived;
\v 8 Bezer, on the east side of the Jordan River near Jericho, in the wilderness, where the tribe of Reuben lived; Ramoth in the region of Gilead, in the land where the tribe of Gad lived; and Golan in the region of Bashan, where the tribe of Manasseh lived.
\s5
\v 9 Any Israelite or any foreigner who lived among them, anyone who had killed someone accidentally, was allowed to run to one of those cities. There he would be safe from some relative of the person who died coming there and killing him to get revenge. He could stay in that city until he was put on trial to decide whether he was telling the truth when he said that he did not kill that person on purpose.
\s5

View File

@ -735,144 +735,144 @@
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Gideon's son Abimelech went to talk with his mother's brothers in the city of Shechem. Gideon was also called Jerub Baal. He said to them and to all his mother's relatives,
\v 2 "Ask all the leaders of Shechem: 'Do you think it would be good for all seventy of Gideon's sons to rule over you? Or would it be better to have only one man, Abimelech, to rule over you?' And do not forget that I am a part of your family! "
\s5
\p
\v 3 So Abimelech's mother's brothers spoke to all the leaders of Shechem about what Abimelech had said. They said to each other, "We should allow Abimelech to rule over us, because he is our relative."
\v 4 So the leaders of Shechem took from the temple of their god Baal-Berith one kilo of silver and gave it to Abimelech. With that silver he paid some worthless troublemakers to help him, and they went with Abimelech wherever he went.
\s5
\v 5 Abimelech went to Ophrah, his father's town, and he murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of his father Gideon. They killed all those men on one huge rock. But Gideon's youngest son Jotham hid from Abimelech and his men, and he escaped.
\v 6 Then all the leaders of the towns of Shechem and Bethmillo gathered under the big sacred tree at Shechem. There they appointed Abimelech to be their leader.
\s5
\p
\v 7 When Jotham heard about that, he climbed up Mount Gerizim. He stood at the top of the mountain and shouted to the people down below, "You leaders of Shechem, listen to me, in order that God will listen to you!
\v 8 One day the trees decided to appoint a king to rule over all of them. So they said to the olive tree, 'You be our king!'
\s5
\p
\v 9 But the olive tree said, 'No! I will not be your king! Men and gods enjoy the oil from my fruit. I will not stop producing olives from which we make that oil, in order to rule over you other trees!'
\p
\v 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and be our king!'
\p
\v 11 But the fig tree replied, 'No! I do not want to stop producing my good sweet fruit, and go and rule over you other trees!'
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then the trees said to the grapevine, 'Come and be our king!'
\p
\v 13 But the grapevine replied, 'No! I will not be your king! The new wine that is made from my grapes causes people and gods who drink it to become very happy. I do not want to stop producing grapes and go and rule over you other trees!'
\p
\v 14 Then all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king!'
\s5
\p
\v 15 The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you truly want to appoint me to be your king, come into the shade of my tiny branches. But if you do not want to do that, I hope that fire will come out from me and burn up all the cedar trees in Lebanon country!'"
\p
\v 16 After Jotham finished telling them this parable, he said, "So now I ask you, were you being completely honest and sincere when you appointed Abimelech to be your king? Have you rewarded Gideon (who is also called Jerub Baal) by honoring him as he deserved because of all the good things he did for you? No!
\s5
\v 17 Do not forget that my father fought a battle for you, and he was willing to die for you if that were necessary, to save you from the power of the Midian people group.
\v 18 But now you have rebelled against my father's family, and you have murdered seventy of his sons on one huge rock. And you have appointed Abimelech—who is the son of my father's slave girl, not the son of his wife—to be the king who will rule you people of Shechem. You have done that only because he is one of your relatives!
\s5
\v 19 So, if today you think that you have truly acted fairly and sincerely toward Gideon and his family, I hope that he will cause you to be happy and that you will cause him to be happy.
\v 20 But if what you did was not right, I wish that Abimelech will destroy Shechem and Beth Millo!" I wish that the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo will also destroy Abimelech!"
\p
\v 21 After Jotham finished saying that, he escaped from them and ran away to the town of Beer. He stayed there because he was afraid that his brother Abimelech would try to kill him.
\s5
\p
\v 22 For three years Abimelech was the leader over the people of Israel.
\v 23 Then God sent an evil spirit to cause trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, with the result that the leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech.
\v 24 The leaders of Shechem had helped Abimelech murder seventy of Gideon's sons, who were his brothers. So now God sent the evil spirit to punish all of them for what they had done.
\s5
\v 25 The leaders of Shechem set an ambush on the hilltops. Those men robbed everyone who passed by. But someone told Abimelech about it, so he did not go near them.
\s5
\p
\v 26 There was a man named Gaal son of Ebed who moved into Shechem, along with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem grew to trust him.
\v 27 They went out to their vineyards to pick some grapes. They pressed the grapes to make juice, and then they made wine. Then they had a feast in the house of their god, and they ate a lot of food and drank a lot of wine. Then they cursed Abimelech.
\s5
\v 28 Gaal son of Ebed said, "Why should we allow Abimelech to rule over us? Is he not the son of Jerub Baal? And is Zebul not his officer? You should serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech?
\v 29 If you would appoint me to be your leader, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, 'Get your army ready! Come and fight us!'"
\s5
\p
\v 30 Someone told Zebul what Gaal had said, and he became very angry.
\v 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech. They told him, "Gaal and his brothers have come here to Shechem, and they are stirring up the people so they will rebel against you.
\s5
\v 32 You and your men should get up during the night and go and hide in the fields outside the city.
\v 33 As soon as the sun rises in the morning, get up and attack the city. When Gaal and his men come out to fight against you, you can do to them whatever you want to."
\s5
\p
\v 34 So Abimelech and all the men who were with him got up during the night. They divided into four groups and hid in the fields near Shechem.
\v 35 The next morning, Gaal went out and stood at the entrance to the city gate. While he was standing there, Abimelech and his soldiers came out of their hiding places and started walking toward the city.
\s5
\p
\v 36 When Gaal saw the soldiers, he said to Zebul, "Look! There are people coming down from the hills!"
\p But Zebul said, "You are seeing only the shadows of trees on the hills. They are not people; they only look like people."
\v 37 But Gaal looked again, and said, "Look! There are people coming down in the middle of the land! There is a group of them coming down from by way of the oak tree where people claim to talk with the spirits of dead people!"
\s5
\p
\v 38 Zebul said to Gaal, "Now what good is your bragging? You who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Are these not the men you hated? Go out now and fight against them.
\p
\v 39 So Gaal led the men of Shechem outside the city to fight the army of Abimelech.
\v 40 Abimelech and his men pursued them, and they killed many of Gaal's men before they could return safely inside the city gate.
\s5
\v 41 Abimelech then stayed at Arumah, about five miles away from Shechem, and Zebul's men forced Gaal and his brothers to leave Shechem.
\p
\v 42 The next day, the people of Shechem got ready to leave the city and work in their fields. When someone told Abimelech about that,
\v 43 he divided his men into three groups, and told them to hide in the fields. So they did that. And when they saw the people coming out of the city, they jumped up and attacked them.
\s5
\v 44 Abimelech and the men who were with him ran to the city gate. The other two groups ran out to the people in the fields and attacked them.
\v 45 Abimelech and his men fought all day. They captured the city and killed all the people. They tore down all the buildings, and then they threw salt over the ruins to try to keep anything from growing there again.
\s5
\p
\v 46 When the leaders who lived in the tower outside of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid inside the fortress, which was also a temple of their god El-Berith.
\v 47 But someone told Abimelech that all the leaders had gathered there.
\s5
\v 48 So he and all the men who were with him went up Mount Zalmon, which is near Shechem. Abimelech cut some branches of trees with an axe, and put them on his shoulders. Then he said to all the men who were with him, "Quickly, do what I have just done!"
\v 49 So his men all cut branches carried them down the mountain, following Abimelech. They went to the fortress and piled the branches against its walls. Then they kindled a fire, and the fire burned down the fortress and killed all the people who were inside. So all the people who were inside the fortress—about a thousand men and women—died.
\s5
\p
\v 50 Then Abimelech and his men went to the city of Thebez. They surrounded it and captured it.
\v 51 But there was a strong tower inside the city. So all the men, women, and leaders of the city ran to the tower. When they were all inside, they locked the door. Then they climbed up to the roof of the tower.
\s5
\v 52 Abimelech and his men came to the tower and he came up to the door to light a fire to burn down the door.
\v 53 But when Abimelech came near the doorway, a woman who was on the roof dropped the upper half of a large grinding stone on his head, which cracked the bone of his skull.
\p
\v 54 Abimelech quickly called to the young man who carried Abimelech's weapons, and said, "Pull out your sword and kill me with it! I do not want people to say 'A woman killed Abimelech.'" So the young man thrust his sword into Abimelech, and Abimelech died.
\s5
\v 55 When the Israelite soldiers saw that Abimelech was dead, they all returned to their homes.
\p
\v 56 In that way God punished Abimelech for all the evil things that he had done to his father by murdering all seventy of his brothers.
\v 57 God also punished the men of Shechem for the evil things that they had done. And when these things happened, it made true the curse of Jotham son of Jerub Baal.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Gideon's son Abimelech went to talk with his mother's brothers in the city of Shechem. Gideon was also called Jerub Baal. He said to them and to all his mother's relatives,
\v 2 "Ask all the leaders of Shechem: 'Do you think it would be good for all seventy of Gideon's sons to rule over you? Or would it be better to have only one man, Abimelech, to rule over you?' And do not forget that I am a part of your family! "
\s5
\p
\v 3 So Abimelech's mother's brothers spoke to all the leaders of Shechem about what Abimelech had said. They said to each other, "We should allow Abimelech to rule over us, because he is our relative."
\v 4 So the leaders of Shechem took from the temple of their god Baal-Berith one kilo of silver and gave it to Abimelech. With that silver he paid some worthless troublemakers to help him, and they went with Abimelech wherever he went.
\s5
\v 5 Abimelech went to Ophrah, his father's town, and he murdered his seventy brothers, the sons of his father Gideon. They killed all those men on one huge rock. But Gideon's youngest son Jotham hid from Abimelech and his men, and he escaped.
\v 6 Then all the leaders of the towns of Shechem and Bethmillo gathered under the big sacred tree at Shechem. There they appointed Abimelech to be their leader.
\s5
\p
\v 7 When Jotham heard about that, he climbed up Mount Gerizim. He stood at the top of the mountain and shouted to the people down below, "You leaders of Shechem, listen to me, in order that God will listen to you!
\v 8 One day the trees decided to appoint a king to rule over all of them. So they said to the olive tree, 'You be our king!'
\s5
\p
\v 9 But the olive tree said, 'No! I will not be your king! Men and gods enjoy the oil from my fruit. I will not stop producing olives from which we make that oil, in order to rule over you other trees!'
\p
\v 10 Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and be our king!'
\p
\v 11 But the fig tree replied, 'No! I do not want to stop producing my good sweet fruit, and go and rule over you other trees!'
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then the trees said to the grapevine, 'Come and be our king!'
\p
\v 13 But the grapevine replied, 'No! I will not be your king! The new wine that is made from my grapes causes people and gods who drink it to become very happy. I do not want to stop producing grapes and go and rule over you other trees!'
\p
\v 14 Then all the trees said to the thornbush, 'Come and be our king!'
\s5
\p
\v 15 The thornbush said to the trees, 'If you truly want to appoint me to be your king, come into the shade of my tiny branches. But if you do not want to do that, I hope that fire will come out from me and burn up all the cedar trees in Lebanon country!'"
\p
\v 16 After Jotham finished telling them this parable, he said, "So now I ask you, were you being completely honest and sincere when you appointed Abimelech to be your king? Have you rewarded Gideon (who is also called Jerub Baal) by honoring him as he deserved because of all the good things he did for you? No!
\s5
\v 17 Do not forget that my father fought a battle for you, and he was willing to die for you if that were necessary, to save you from the power of the Midian people group.
\v 18 But now you have rebelled against my father's family, and you have murdered seventy of his sons on one huge rock. And you have appointed Abimelech—who is the son of my father's slave girl, not the son of his wife—to be the king who will rule you people of Shechem. You have done that only because he is one of your relatives!
\s5
\v 19 So, if today you think that you have truly acted fairly and sincerely toward Gideon and his family, I hope that he will cause you to be happy and that you will cause him to be happy.
\v 20 But if what you did was not right, I wish that Abimelech will destroy Shechem and Beth Millo!" I wish that the leaders of Shechem and Beth Millo will also destroy Abimelech!"
\p
\v 21 After Jotham finished saying that, he escaped from them and ran away to the town of Beer. He stayed there because he was afraid that his brother Abimelech would try to kill him.
\s5
\p
\v 22 For three years Abimelech was the leader over the people of Israel.
\v 23 Then God sent an evil spirit to cause trouble between Abimelech and the leaders of Shechem, with the result that the leaders of Shechem rebelled against Abimelech.
\v 24 The leaders of Shechem had helped Abimelech murder seventy of Gideon's sons, who were his brothers. So now God sent the evil spirit to punish all of them for what they had done.
\s5
\v 25 The leaders of Shechem set an ambush on the hilltops. Those men robbed everyone who passed by. But someone told Abimelech about it, so he did not go near them.
\s5
\p
\v 26 There was a man named Gaal son of Ebed who moved into Shechem, along with his brothers. The leaders of Shechem grew to trust him.
\v 27 They went out to their vineyards to pick some grapes. They pressed the grapes to make juice, and then they made wine. Then they had a feast in the house of their god, and they ate a lot of food and drank a lot of wine. Then they cursed Abimelech.
\s5
\v 28 Gaal son of Ebed said, "Why should we allow Abimelech to rule over us? Is he not the son of Jerub Baal? And is Zebul not his officer? You should serve the men of Hamor, Shechem's father! Why should we serve Abimelech?
\v 29 If you would appoint me to be your leader, I would get rid of Abimelech. I would say to him, 'Get your army ready! Come and fight us!'"
\s5
\p
\v 30 Someone told Zebul what Gaal had said, and he became very angry.
\v 31 He sent messengers to Abimelech. They told him, "Gaal and his brothers have come here to Shechem, and they are stirring up the people so they will rebel against you.
\s5
\v 32 You and your men should get up during the night and go and hide in the fields outside the city.
\v 33 As soon as the sun rises in the morning, get up and attack the city. When Gaal and his men come out to fight against you, you can do to them whatever you want to."
\s5
\p
\v 34 So Abimelech and all the men who were with him got up during the night. They divided into four groups and hid in the fields near Shechem.
\v 35 The next morning, Gaal went out and stood at the entrance to the city gate. While he was standing there, Abimelech and his soldiers came out of their hiding places and started walking toward the city.
\s5
\p
\v 36 When Gaal saw the soldiers, he said to Zebul, "Look! There are people coming down from the hills!"
\p But Zebul said, "You are seeing only the shadows of trees on the hills. They are not people; they only look like people."
\v 37 But Gaal looked again, and said, "Look! There are people coming down in the middle of the land! There is a group of them coming down from by way of the oak tree where people claim to talk with the spirits of dead people!"
\s5
\p
\v 38 Zebul said to Gaal, "Now what good is your bragging? You who said, 'Who is Abimelech that we should serve him?' Are these not the men you hated? Go out now and fight against them.
\p
\v 39 So Gaal led the men of Shechem outside the city to fight the army of Abimelech.
\v 40 Abimelech and his men pursued them, and they killed many of Gaal's men before they could return safely inside the city gate.
\s5
\v 41 Abimelech then stayed at Arumah, about five miles away from Shechem, and Zebul's men forced Gaal and his brothers to leave Shechem.
\p
\v 42 The next day, the people of Shechem got ready to leave the city and work in their fields. When someone told Abimelech about that,
\v 43 he divided his men into three groups, and told them to hide in the fields. So they did that. And when they saw the people coming out of the city, they jumped up and attacked them.
\s5
\v 44 Abimelech and the men who were with him ran to the city gate. The other two groups ran out to the people in the fields and attacked them.
\v 45 Abimelech and his men fought all day. They captured the city and killed all the people. They tore down all the buildings, and then they threw salt over the ruins to try to keep anything from growing there again.
\s5
\p
\v 46 When the leaders who lived in the tower outside of Shechem heard what had happened, they ran and hid inside the fortress, which was also a temple of their god El-Berith.
\v 47 But someone told Abimelech that all the leaders had gathered there.
\s5
\v 48 So he and all the men who were with him went up Mount Zalmon, which is near Shechem. Abimelech cut some branches of trees with an axe, and put them on his shoulders. Then he said to all the men who were with him, "Quickly, do what I have just done!"
\v 49 So his men all cut branches carried them down the mountain, following Abimelech. They went to the fortress and piled the branches against its walls. Then they kindled a fire, and the fire burned down the fortress and killed all the people who were inside. So all the people who were inside the fortress—about a thousand men and women—died.
\s5
\p
\v 50 Then Abimelech and his men went to the city of Thebez. They surrounded it and captured it.
\v 51 But there was a strong tower inside the city. So all the men, women, and leaders of the city ran to the tower. When they were all inside, they locked the door. Then they climbed up to the roof of the tower.
\s5
\v 52 Abimelech and his men came to the tower and he came up to the door to light a fire to burn down the door.
\v 53 But when Abimelech came near the doorway, a woman who was on the roof dropped the upper half of a large grinding stone on his head, which cracked the bone of his skull.
\p
\v 54 Abimelech quickly called to the young man who carried Abimelech's weapons, and said, "Pull out your sword and kill me with it! I do not want people to say 'A woman killed Abimelech.'" So the young man thrust his sword into Abimelech, and Abimelech died.
\s5
\v 55 When the Israelite soldiers saw that Abimelech was dead, they all returned to their homes.
\p
\v 56 In that way God punished Abimelech for all the evil things that he had done to his father by murdering all seventy of his brothers.
\v 57 God also punished the men of Shechem for the evil things that they had done. And when these things happened, it made true the curse of Jotham son of Jerub Baal.
\s5
@ -918,100 +918,100 @@
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 There was a man from the region of Gilead named Jephthah. He proved himself to be a great warrior. But his mother was a prostitute. His father was Gilead.
\v 2 Gilead's wife gave birth to several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home, saying to him, "You are the son of another woman, not the son of our mother. So when our father dies, you will not receive any of his property."
\v 3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers, and he lived in the land of Tob. While he was there, some lawless men joined together with Jepthah, and they came and went with each other.
\s5
\p
\v 4 Some time later, the soldiers of Ammon attacked the soldiers of Israel.
\v 5 And the leaders of the Gilead went out to find Jephthah so they could bring him back, and away from the land of Tob.
\v 6 They said to him, "Come with us and lead our army, and help us fight the army of Ammon!"
\s5
\p
\v 7 But Jephthah replied, "You hated me! You forced me to leave my father's house! So why have you come to me now and ask for my help, just when you have trouble?"
\p
\v 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That is why we are coming to you now. Come and fight with us and lead our soldiers against the soldiers of Ammon, and you will be the leader over everyone who lives in Gilead."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Jephthah answered them, "If I go back to Gilead with you to fight against the army of Ammon, and if Yahweh helps us to defeat them, then I will be your leader."
\p
\v 10 They replied, "Yahweh is a witness to everything we are saying to you. So he will punish us if we do not what we are promising you."
\v 11 So Jephthah went with them back to Gilead, and the people appointed him to be their leader and the commander of their army. And Jephthah repeated to Yahweh there at Mizpah the terms of the agreement he had made.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammon people group. They asked the king, "What have we done to make you angry, so your army is coming to fight against the people in our land?"
\p
\v 13 The king replied, "You took our land when you came here from Egypt. You took all our land east of the Jordan River, from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north. So now give it back to us without a fight."
\s5
\p
\v 14 So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
\v 15 They said to him, "This is what Jephthah says: 'Israel did not take the land of the Moabites and the Ammonites.
\v 16 When the Israelite people came out of Egypt, they walked through the desert to the Sea of Reeds, and then walked across it and traveled to the town of Kadesh at the border of the region of Edom.
\s5
\v 17 They sent messengers to the king of the Edomites to say to him, "Please allow us to walk across your land." But the king of the Edomites refused. Later they sent the same message to the king of the Moabites, but he also refused to allow them to go through his land. So the Israelites stayed at Kadesh for a long time.
\v 18 Then the Israelites went into the desert and walked outside the borders of the Edom and Moab. They walked east of Moab, and then north of the Arnon River, which is the northern border of Moab. They did not cross into the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Then the leaders of Israel sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. They asked him, "Please allow us Israelite people to cross through your land so we may go into the land that is ours."
\v 20 But Sihon did not trust the Israelites to pass through his land in peace. So he gathered all his soldiers and they set up their tents at the village of Jahaz, and there he fought against Israel.
\s5
\v 21 But Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave help to the Israelite army and they defeated Sihon and his army. Then they took possession of all the land where the Amorites had lived.
\v 22 The Israelites took all the land that belonged to the Amorites, from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and from the desert in the east to the Jordan River in the west.
\s5
\p
\v 23 It was Yahweh, the God of Israel, who forced the Amorites to leave the places where they lived, as the Israelites advanced. So do you now think that you can now take possession of their land?
\v 24 You have the right to the land when Chemosh gives it to you. And we will live in the land that Yahweh our God has given to us!
\v 25 Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, the king of the Moab? He never dared to fight against Israel!
\s5
\v 26 For three hundred years the Israelites lived in the cities of Heshbon and Aroer, in the surrounding towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon River. Why have you Ammonites not taken back those cities during all those years?
\v 27 We have not done wrong against you, but you are doing wrong against me by attacking me and my army. I trust that Yahweh, who is the judge, will decide whether the people of Israel or the people of Ammon are in the right.'"
\m
\v 28 But the king of the Ammon ignored the warning contained in this message from Jephthah.
\s5
\p
\v 29 Then the Spirit of Yahweh took control of Jephthah. Jephthah went through Gilead and through the area where the tribe of Manasseh lived, to enlist men for his army. He finally gathered them together in the city of Mizpah in Gilead to fight against the Ammonites.
\v 30 There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh, saying "If you will give me help to my army to defeat the Ammonites,
\v 31 when I return from the battle, I will sacrifice to you whatever comes out of my house to greet me. That will belong to you."
\s5
\p
\v 32 Then Jephthah and his men went from Mizpah to attack the Ammonites, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
\v 33 Jephthah and his men killed them, from the city of Aroer all the way to the area around the city of Minnith. They destroyed twenty cities, as far as the city of Abel Keramim. So the Israelites completely defeated the Ammonites.
\s5
\p
\v 34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was joyfully playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child and he had no other sons or daughters.
\v 35 When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes to show that he was very sad about what he was going to do. He said to her, "My daughter, seeing you now, you have crushed me with a terrible sorrow, because I made a solemn promise to Yahweh to sacrifice the first one who came out of my house, and I must do what I promised."
\s5
\p
\v 36 His daughter said, "My father, you made a solemn promise to Yahweh. So you must do to me what you promised, because you said that you would do that if Yahweh helped you to defeat our enemies, the Ammonites."
\v 37 Then she also said, "But allow me to do one thing. First, allow me to go into the hills and wander around for two months. Since I will never be married and have children, allow me and my friends to go and cry together."
\s5
\p
\v 38 Jephthah replied, "All right, you may go." So she left for two months. She and her friends stayed in the hills and they cried for her because she would never be married.
\v 39 After two months, she returned to her father Jephthah, and he did to her what he had solemnly promised. So his daughter never was married.
\p Because of that, the Israelites now have a custom.
\v 40 Every year the young Israelite women go into the hills for four days to remember and cry about what happened to the daughter of Jephthah.
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 There was a man from the region of Gilead named Jephthah. He proved himself to be a great warrior. But his mother was a prostitute. His father was Gilead.
\v 2 Gilead's wife gave birth to several sons. When they grew up, they forced Jephthah to leave home, saying to him, "You are the son of another woman, not the son of our mother. So when our father dies, you will not receive any of his property."
\v 3 So Jephthah ran away from his brothers, and he lived in the land of Tob. While he was there, some lawless men joined together with Jepthah, and they came and went with each other.
\s5
\p
\v 4 Some time later, the soldiers of Ammon attacked the soldiers of Israel.
\v 5 And the leaders of the Gilead went out to find Jephthah so they could bring him back, and away from the land of Tob.
\v 6 They said to him, "Come with us and lead our army, and help us fight the army of Ammon!"
\s5
\p
\v 7 But Jephthah replied, "You hated me! You forced me to leave my father's house! So why have you come to me now and ask for my help, just when you have trouble?"
\p
\v 8 The elders of Gilead said to Jephthah, "That is why we are coming to you now. Come and fight with us and lead our soldiers against the soldiers of Ammon, and you will be the leader over everyone who lives in Gilead."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Jephthah answered them, "If I go back to Gilead with you to fight against the army of Ammon, and if Yahweh helps us to defeat them, then I will be your leader."
\p
\v 10 They replied, "Yahweh is a witness to everything we are saying to you. So he will punish us if we do not what we are promising you."
\v 11 So Jephthah went with them back to Gilead, and the people appointed him to be their leader and the commander of their army. And Jephthah repeated to Yahweh there at Mizpah the terms of the agreement he had made.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the Ammon people group. They asked the king, "What have we done to make you angry, so your army is coming to fight against the people in our land?"
\p
\v 13 The king replied, "You took our land when you came here from Egypt. You took all our land east of the Jordan River, from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north. So now give it back to us without a fight."
\s5
\p
\v 14 So Jephthah sent the messengers to the king again.
\v 15 They said to him, "This is what Jephthah says: 'Israel did not take the land of the Moabites and the Ammonites.
\v 16 When the Israelite people came out of Egypt, they walked through the desert to the Sea of Reeds, and then walked across it and traveled to the town of Kadesh at the border of the region of Edom.
\s5
\v 17 They sent messengers to the king of the Edomites to say to him, "Please allow us to walk across your land." But the king of the Edomites refused. Later they sent the same message to the king of the Moabites, but he also refused to allow them to go through his land. So the Israelites stayed at Kadesh for a long time.
\v 18 Then the Israelites went into the desert and walked outside the borders of the Edom and Moab. They walked east of Moab, and then north of the Arnon River, which is the northern border of Moab. They did not cross into the territory of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Then the leaders of Israel sent a message to Sihon, the king of the Amorites, who ruled in Heshbon. They asked him, "Please allow us Israelite people to cross through your land so we may go into the land that is ours."
\v 20 But Sihon did not trust the Israelites to pass through his land in peace. So he gathered all his soldiers and they set up their tents at the village of Jahaz, and there he fought against Israel.
\s5
\v 21 But Yahweh, the God of Israel, gave help to the Israelite army and they defeated Sihon and his army. Then they took possession of all the land where the Amorites had lived.
\v 22 The Israelites took all the land that belonged to the Amorites, from the Arnon River in the south to the Jabbok River in the north, and from the desert in the east to the Jordan River in the west.
\s5
\p
\v 23 It was Yahweh, the God of Israel, who forced the Amorites to leave the places where they lived, as the Israelites advanced. So do you now think that you can now take possession of their land?
\v 24 You have the right to the land when Chemosh gives it to you. And we will live in the land that Yahweh our God has given to us!
\v 25 Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, the king of the Moab? He never dared to fight against Israel!
\s5
\v 26 For three hundred years the Israelites lived in the cities of Heshbon and Aroer, in the surrounding towns, and in all the cities along the Arnon River. Why have you Ammonites not taken back those cities during all those years?
\v 27 We have not done wrong against you, but you are doing wrong against me by attacking me and my army. I trust that Yahweh, who is the judge, will decide whether the people of Israel or the people of Ammon are in the right.'"
\m
\v 28 But the king of the Ammon ignored the warning contained in this message from Jephthah.
\s5
\p
\v 29 Then the Spirit of Yahweh took control of Jephthah. Jephthah went through Gilead and through the area where the tribe of Manasseh lived, to enlist men for his army. He finally gathered them together in the city of Mizpah in Gilead to fight against the Ammonites.
\v 30 There Jephthah made a solemn promise to Yahweh, saying "If you will give me help to my army to defeat the Ammonites,
\v 31 when I return from the battle, I will sacrifice to you whatever comes out of my house to greet me. That will belong to you."
\s5
\p
\v 32 Then Jephthah and his men went from Mizpah to attack the Ammonites, and Yahweh enabled his army to defeat them.
\v 33 Jephthah and his men killed them, from the city of Aroer all the way to the area around the city of Minnith. They destroyed twenty cities, as far as the city of Abel Keramim. So the Israelites completely defeated the Ammonites.
\s5
\p
\v 34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter was the first one to come out of the house to meet him. She was joyfully playing a tambourine and dancing. She was his only child and he had no other sons or daughters.
\v 35 When Jephthah saw his daughter, he tore his clothes to show that he was very sad about what he was going to do. He said to her, "My daughter, seeing you now, you have crushed me with a terrible sorrow, because I made a solemn promise to Yahweh to sacrifice the first one who came out of my house, and I must do what I promised."
\s5
\p
\v 36 His daughter said, "My father, you made a solemn promise to Yahweh. So you must do to me what you promised, because you said that you would do that if Yahweh helped you to defeat our enemies, the Ammonites."
\v 37 Then she also said, "But allow me to do one thing. First, allow me to go into the hills and wander around for two months. Since I will never be married and have children, allow me and my friends to go and cry together."
\s5
\p
\v 38 Jephthah replied, "All right, you may go." So she left for two months. She and her friends stayed in the hills and they cried for her because she would never be married.
\v 39 After two months, she returned to her father Jephthah, and he did to her what he had solemnly promised. So his daughter never was married.
\p Because of that, the Israelites now have a custom.
\v 40 Every year the young Israelite women go into the hills for four days to remember and cry about what happened to the daughter of Jephthah.
\s5
@ -1544,120 +1544,120 @@
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 All the soldiers of Israel came out united as one man, from the city of Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, and from the region of Gilead to the east of the Jordan River, all of them heard what had happened. So they gathered together before Yahweh at Mizpah.
\v 2 The leaders of eleven of the tribes of Israel stood in front of the people who gathered there. There were 400,000 men on foot, fighting men who were there.
\s5
\v 3 The people of the tribe of Benjamin heard that the other Israelites had gone up to Mizpah, but none of the men from the Benjamin tribe had gone to the meeting there.
\p The people of Israel asked about the evil thing that had happened.
\v 4 So the Levite who was the husband of the woman who had been killed replied, "My slave wife and I came to Gibeah, wanting to stay there that night.
\s5
\v 5 That evening, the men of Gibeah came to attack me. They surrounded the house where I was staying and wanted to have sex with me and then kill me. They abused my slave wife and raped her all night, and she died.
\v 6 I took her body home and cut it into pieces. Then I sent one piece to each area of Israel, because I wanted you all to know about this wicked and disgraceful thing that has been done here in Israel.
\v 7 So now, all you Israelite people, speak, and tell me what you think should be done!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 All the people stood up, and unitedly said, "None of us will go home! Not one of us will return to his house!
\v 9 This is what we must do to the people of Gibeah. First, we will cast lots to determine which group should attack them.
\s5
\v 10 We will choose one tenth of our number to get supplies we will need to punish Gibeah for the terrible thing that they have done here in Israel."
\v 11 And all the Israelite people agreed that the people of Gibeah should be punished.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then the Israelite men sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin. They demanded, "Do you realize that some of your men have done a very evil thing?
\v 13 Bring those wicked men to us, in order that we can execute them. By doing that, we will get rid of this evil thing that has happened in Israel."
\p But the people of the tribe of Benjamin paid no attention to their fellow Israelites.
\v 14 The men of the tribe of Benjamin left their cities and gathered at Gibeah to fight the other Israelites.
\s5
\v 15 In that one day the men of the tribe of Benjamin recruited twenty-six thousand fighting men. They also chose seven hundred men from Gibeah.
\v 16 From all those soldiers there were seven hundred men who were left-handed, and each of them could sling a stone without missing a target that was very small and as narrow as a hair.
\s5
\p
\v 17 The soldiers of Israel, not including the soldiers from Benjamin, numbered 400,000 men. All of these were trained to fight with the sword, men experienced at fighting in war.
\p
\v 18 Those other Israelites went up to Bethel and asked advice from God, "Which tribe should be the first to attack the men from the tribe of Benjamin?"
\p Yahweh answered, "The men from the tribe of Judah should go first."
\s5
\p
\v 19 The next morning, the Israelite men went and set up their tents near Gibeah.
\v 20 Then they went to fight against the men from the tribe of Benjamin, and stood in their positions for fighting a battle, facing Gibeah.
\v 21 The men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and fought against them, and they killed twenty-two thousand soldiers from Israel on that day.
\s5
\v 22 But the soldiers of Israel encouraged themselves. Then they got ready to fight the next day in the same battle lines as on the first day.
\v 23 Then they came together and begged Yahweh for help; they prayed until evening. They asked advice from Yahweh about what they should do: "Should we go again to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" Yahweh answered, "Attack them!"
\s5
\v 24 The next day they again stood in their positions for fighting, just as they had done on the previous day.
\v 25 The men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and attacked the Israelites, and killed eighteen thousand more of their men.
\s5
\p
\v 26 In the afternoon, all the people of Israel who had not been killed again went to Bethel. There they sat down and cried to Yahweh, and they fasted until it was evening. They brought some offerings which they burned completely on the altar, and they also brought some offerings to restore fellowship with Yahweh.
\s5
\v 27 The people of Israel asked Yahweh,—for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
\v 28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, was the grandson of Aaron; he was serving before the ark in those days—"Should we go out to battle once more against the people of Benjamin, who are out brothers, or should we stop?" Yahweh said, "Attack! For tomorrow I will help you defeat them."
\s5
\v 29 Israelite men set up an ambush in the fields around Gibeah.
\v 30 The other Israelite men went and stood in their positions for fighting a battle just as they had done on the previous days.
\s5
\v 31 When the men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of the city to fight against them, the Israelite men retreated away from the city, and the men of the tribe of Benjamin pursued them. The men of the tribe of Benjamin killed many Israelites, like they had done before. They killed about thirty Israelites, who died in the fields and on the roads—one of the roads went to Bethel and another road went to Gibeah.
\s5
\p
\v 32 The men of the tribe of Benjamin said, "We are defeating them like we did before!" But then Israelite men did what they had planned. The main group of Israelite men retreated a short distance from the city, to trick the men of Gibeah and cause them to pursue the Israelite men along the roads outside the city.
\p
\v 33 The main group of Israelite men left their positions and retreated, and then they stood in their battle positions again at a place named Baal Tamar. Then the soldiers of Israel who had been hiding in secret places ran out from their places in Maareh Gibeah.
\s5
\v 34 Then the other ten thousand Israelites came out from the places where they had been hiding, west of Gibeah, and attacked the city. They were men who had come from all parts of Israel. There was a very big battle. But the men of the tribe of Benjamin did not know that they were about to have a disastrous defeat.
\v 35 Yahweh enabled the Israelite men to defeat the men of the tribe of Benjamin. They killed 25,100 of them, all of them were fighting men.
\s5
\v 36 So the soldiers of Benjamin saw they were defeated. The men of Israel had given ground to Benjamin, because they were counting on the men they had placed in hidden positions outside Gibeah to go out and shift the battle in their favor.
\v 37 Then the men who were hiding got up and hurried and they rushed into Gibeah, and with their swords they killed everyone who lived in the city.
\v 38 Now the arranged signal between the soldiers of Israel and the men hiding in secret would be that a great cloud of smoke would rise up out of the city.
\s5
\p
\v 39 By that time, Israelite men had turned away from attacking, so the men of the tribe of Benjamin said, "We are winning the battle, as we did before!"
\s5
\v 40 But then smoke from the burning buildings began to rise up from the city. The men of the tribe of Benjamin turned around and saw that the whole city was burning.
\v 41 Then the main group of Israelite men also saw the smoke, and they knew that the smoke signaled that they should turn around and begin to attack. The men of the tribe of Benjamin were very afraid, because they realized that they were about to have a disastrous defeat.
\s5
\v 42 So the men of the tribe of Benjamin tried to run away toward the wilderness to escape from the Israelite men, but they were not able to escape, because the Israelite men who had burned the two cities came out of those cities and killed many of them.
\s5
\v 43 They surrounded some of the men of the tribe of Benjamin, and pursued the others to the area east of Gibeah.
\v 44 They killed eighteen thousand strong soldiers of the tribe of Benjamin.
\s5
\v 45 Then the rest of the men of the tribe of Benjamin realized that they had been defeated. They ran toward the rock of Rimmon, but the Israelite men killed five thousand more men of the tribe of Benjamin who fell behind along the roads. They pursued the rest of them to Gidom, and they killed two thousand more.
\p
\v 46 Altogether, there were twenty-five thousand—men of the tribe of Benjamin who were killed, all of them were experienced fighting men.
\s5
\v 47 But six hundred men of the tribe of Benjamin ran to the rock of Rimmon in the wilderness. They stayed there for four months.
\v 48 Then the Israelite men went back to the land belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, and killed the people in every city. They also killed all the animals, and destroyed everything else that they found there. And they burned all the cities that they came to.
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 All the soldiers of Israel came out united as one man, from the city of Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south, and from the region of Gilead to the east of the Jordan River, all of them heard what had happened. So they gathered together before Yahweh at Mizpah.
\v 2 The leaders of eleven of the tribes of Israel stood in front of the people who gathered there. There were 400,000 men on foot, fighting men who were there.
\s5
\v 3 The people of the tribe of Benjamin heard that the other Israelites had gone up to Mizpah, but none of the men from the Benjamin tribe had gone to the meeting there.
\p The people of Israel asked about the evil thing that had happened.
\v 4 So the Levite who was the husband of the woman who had been killed replied, "My slave wife and I came to Gibeah, wanting to stay there that night.
\s5
\v 5 That evening, the men of Gibeah came to attack me. They surrounded the house where I was staying and wanted to have sex with me and then kill me. They abused my slave wife and raped her all night, and she died.
\v 6 I took her body home and cut it into pieces. Then I sent one piece to each area of Israel, because I wanted you all to know about this wicked and disgraceful thing that has been done here in Israel.
\v 7 So now, all you Israelite people, speak, and tell me what you think should be done!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 All the people stood up, and unitedly said, "None of us will go home! Not one of us will return to his house!
\v 9 This is what we must do to the people of Gibeah. First, we will cast lots to determine which group should attack them.
\s5
\v 10 We will choose one tenth of our number to get supplies we will need to punish Gibeah for the terrible thing that they have done here in Israel."
\v 11 And all the Israelite people agreed that the people of Gibeah should be punished.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then the Israelite men sent messengers throughout the tribe of Benjamin. They demanded, "Do you realize that some of your men have done a very evil thing?
\v 13 Bring those wicked men to us, in order that we can execute them. By doing that, we will get rid of this evil thing that has happened in Israel."
\p But the people of the tribe of Benjamin paid no attention to their fellow Israelites.
\v 14 The men of the tribe of Benjamin left their cities and gathered at Gibeah to fight the other Israelites.
\s5
\v 15 In that one day the men of the tribe of Benjamin recruited twenty-six thousand fighting men. They also chose seven hundred men from Gibeah.
\v 16 From all those soldiers there were seven hundred men who were left-handed, and each of them could sling a stone without missing a target that was very small and as narrow as a hair.
\s5
\p
\v 17 The soldiers of Israel, not including the soldiers from Benjamin, numbered 400,000 men. All of these were trained to fight with the sword, men experienced at fighting in war.
\p
\v 18 Those other Israelites went up to Bethel and asked advice from God, "Which tribe should be the first to attack the men from the tribe of Benjamin?"
\p Yahweh answered, "The men from the tribe of Judah should go first."
\s5
\p
\v 19 The next morning, the Israelite men went and set up their tents near Gibeah.
\v 20 Then they went to fight against the men from the tribe of Benjamin, and stood in their positions for fighting a battle, facing Gibeah.
\v 21 The men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and fought against them, and they killed twenty-two thousand soldiers from Israel on that day.
\s5
\v 22 But the soldiers of Israel encouraged themselves. Then they got ready to fight the next day in the same battle lines as on the first day.
\v 23 Then they came together and begged Yahweh for help; they prayed until evening. They asked advice from Yahweh about what they should do: "Should we go again to fight against our brothers, the people of Benjamin?" Yahweh answered, "Attack them!"
\s5
\v 24 The next day they again stood in their positions for fighting, just as they had done on the previous day.
\v 25 The men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of Gibeah and attacked the Israelites, and killed eighteen thousand more of their men.
\s5
\p
\v 26 In the afternoon, all the people of Israel who had not been killed again went to Bethel. There they sat down and cried to Yahweh, and they fasted until it was evening. They brought some offerings which they burned completely on the altar, and they also brought some offerings to restore fellowship with Yahweh.
\s5
\v 27 The people of Israel asked Yahweh,—for the ark of the covenant of God was there in those days,
\v 28 and Phinehas son of Eleazar, was the grandson of Aaron; he was serving before the ark in those days—"Should we go out to battle once more against the people of Benjamin, who are out brothers, or should we stop?" Yahweh said, "Attack! For tomorrow I will help you defeat them."
\s5
\v 29 Israelite men set up an ambush in the fields around Gibeah.
\v 30 The other Israelite men went and stood in their positions for fighting a battle just as they had done on the previous days.
\s5
\v 31 When the men of the tribe of Benjamin came out of the city to fight against them, the Israelite men retreated away from the city, and the men of the tribe of Benjamin pursued them. The men of the tribe of Benjamin killed many Israelites, like they had done before. They killed about thirty Israelites, who died in the fields and on the roads—one of the roads went to Bethel and another road went to Gibeah.
\s5
\p
\v 32 The men of the tribe of Benjamin said, "We are defeating them like we did before!" But then Israelite men did what they had planned. The main group of Israelite men retreated a short distance from the city, to trick the men of Gibeah and cause them to pursue the Israelite men along the roads outside the city.
\p
\v 33 The main group of Israelite men left their positions and retreated, and then they stood in their battle positions again at a place named Baal Tamar. Then the soldiers of Israel who had been hiding in secret places ran out from their places in Maareh Gibeah.
\s5
\v 34 Then the other ten thousand Israelites came out from the places where they had been hiding, west of Gibeah, and attacked the city. They were men who had come from all parts of Israel. There was a very big battle. But the men of the tribe of Benjamin did not know that they were about to have a disastrous defeat.
\v 35 Yahweh enabled the Israelite men to defeat the men of the tribe of Benjamin. They killed 25,100 of them, all of them were fighting men.
\s5
\v 36 So the soldiers of Benjamin saw they were defeated. The men of Israel had given ground to Benjamin, because they were counting on the men they had placed in hidden positions outside Gibeah to go out and shift the battle in their favor.
\v 37 Then the men who were hiding got up and hurried and they rushed into Gibeah, and with their swords they killed everyone who lived in the city.
\v 38 Now the arranged signal between the soldiers of Israel and the men hiding in secret would be that a great cloud of smoke would rise up out of the city.
\s5
\p
\v 39 By that time, Israelite men had turned away from attacking, so the men of the tribe of Benjamin said, "We are winning the battle, as we did before!"
\s5
\v 40 But then smoke from the burning buildings began to rise up from the city. The men of the tribe of Benjamin turned around and saw that the whole city was burning.
\v 41 Then the main group of Israelite men also saw the smoke, and they knew that the smoke signaled that they should turn around and begin to attack. The men of the tribe of Benjamin were very afraid, because they realized that they were about to have a disastrous defeat.
\s5
\v 42 So the men of the tribe of Benjamin tried to run away toward the wilderness to escape from the Israelite men, but they were not able to escape, because the Israelite men who had burned the two cities came out of those cities and killed many of them.
\s5
\v 43 They surrounded some of the men of the tribe of Benjamin, and pursued the others to the area east of Gibeah.
\v 44 They killed eighteen thousand strong soldiers of the tribe of Benjamin.
\s5
\v 45 Then the rest of the men of the tribe of Benjamin realized that they had been defeated. They ran toward the rock of Rimmon, but the Israelite men killed five thousand more men of the tribe of Benjamin who fell behind along the roads. They pursued the rest of them to Gidom, and they killed two thousand more.
\p
\v 46 Altogether, there were twenty-five thousand—men of the tribe of Benjamin who were killed, all of them were experienced fighting men.
\s5
\v 47 But six hundred men of the tribe of Benjamin ran to the rock of Rimmon in the wilderness. They stayed there for four months.
\v 48 Then the Israelite men went back to the land belonging to the tribe of Benjamin, and killed the people in every city. They also killed all the animals, and destroyed everything else that they found there. And they burned all the cities that they came to.
\s5

View File

@ -184,115 +184,115 @@
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 After that, a long war developed between those who wanted Saul's son to be their king and those who wanted David to be their king. But more and more people began to want David, while fewer and fewer wanted Saul's son.
\s5
\li1
\v 2 David's wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from the city of Jezreel.
\li2
\v 3 The next son was Kileab, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal, from the city of Carmel.
\li2 The next son was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of the region of Geshur.
\s5
\li2
\v 4 The next son was Adionijah, whose mother was Haggith.
\li2 The next son was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
\li2
\v 5 The youngest son was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, another one of David's wives.
\li2 These sons of David were all born in Hebron.
\s5
\p
\v 6 During the conflict between those who wanted Saul's son to rule over them and those who wanted David to rule over them, Abner was becoming more influential among those who wanted Saul's son to be the king.
\v 7 Saul had as one of his wives a slave woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. But one day Abner slept with her. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you slept with my father's slave wife?"
\s5
\p
\v 8 Abner became very angry about what Ishbosheth said to him. He said to Ishbosheth, "Do you think that I am a worthless dog from Judah? From the beginning I have been loyal to Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends. And I have kept David's army from defeating you. So now why are you criticizing me about what I have done with some woman?
\s5
\v 9-10 Yahweh solemnly promised that he would not allow Saul and his descendants to continue to rule. He promised that he would cause David to rule over all the tribes of Israel and Judah, from the city of Dan far in the north to the city of Beersheba far in the south. So I hope that God will kill me if I do not enable that to happen!"
\v 11 Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything to reply to Abner.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Abner sent messengers to David when he was at Hebron to say to him, "Either you or I should be the ruler of this entire nation, but not Isbosheth. However, if you make an agreement with me, I will help you by encouraging all the people of Israel to ask for you to be their king."
\v 13 David sent back this reply, "Good! I am willing to make an agreement with you. But before that happens, there is one thing that you must do. When you come to see me, you must bring my wife Michal, Saul's daughter."
\s5
\v 14 Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth to say to him, "I killed one hundred men from Philistia and cut off their foreskins to give to Saul to pay for Michal to be my wife. So now give her back to me!"
\p
\v 15 So Ishbosheth sent some men to take Michal from her husband Paltiel. But when they took her, her husband followed them all the way to the city of Bahurim, crying as he went.
\v 16 Then Abner turned and said to him, "Go back home!" so he did.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Abner went to the Israelite leaders and talked with them. He said, "You have wanted David to be your king for a long time.
\v 18 So now you have an opportunity for this to happen. Keep in mind that Yahweh promised this, 'With the help of David, who serves me well, I will rescue my people from the power of all their other enemies'."
\s5
\v 19 Abner also spoke to the people of the tribe of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron to tell David what all the people of Israel and the people of the tribe of Benjamin had agreed to do.
\p
\v 20 When Abner came with twenty of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.
\s5
\v 21 Afterwards, Abner said to David, "Sir, I will now go and encourage all the people of Israel to accept you to be their king, as you have desired." Then Abner left, peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Soon after that, Joab and some of David's other soldiers returned to Hebron after raiding one of their enemy's villages, bringing with them a lot of things that they had captured. But Abner was not there at Hebron, because David had already sent him safely away.
\v 23 When Joab and the soldiers who were with him arrived, someone told him that Abner had come there and talked with the king, and that the king allowed Abner to go away safely.
\s5
\p
\v 24 So Joab went to the king and said, "Why have you done that? Listen to me! Abner is your enemy, but when he came to you, you allowed him to leave!
\v 25 Do you not know that he came to you to deceive you and to find out everything that you are doing, and all the places that you go to?"
\p
\v 26 After Joab left David, he sent some messengers to get Abner. They found him at the well of Sirah and brought him back to Hebron, but David did not know that they had done this.
\s5
\v 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city gate, and took him into a side room as though he wanted to speak with him privately. Then he stabbed Abner in the stomach with his knife. In that way he murdered Abner because Abner had killed Joab's brother Asahel.
\s5
\p
\v 28 Later, after David heard what had happened, he said, "Yahweh knows that I and the people of my kingdom are not at all responsible for Abner.
\v 29 I hope that there will always be someone in his family who has sores, or someone who is a leper, or some man who is forced to do women's work, or someone who is killed in a battle, or someone who does not have enough food to eat!"
\p
\v 30 That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Then David said to Joab and to all Joab's soldiers, "Tear your clothes and put on coarse cloth to show that you are sad, and mourn for Abner!" And at the funeral, King David walked behind the men who were carrying the coffin.
\v 32 They buried Abner's body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.
\s5
\p
\v 33 David sang this sad song to lament for Abner:
\q1 "It is not right that Abner should have died in disgrace!
\q2
\v 34 No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, as they do to criminals.
\q1 No, he was murdered by wicked men!"
\s5
\p
\v 35 Then many people came to David to tell him to eat some food before sunset, but David refused. He said, "I hope that God will kill me if I eat any food before the sun goes down!"
\v 36 All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
\s5
\p
\v 37 So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
\v 38 The king said to his officials, "Do you not realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel?
\v 39 Even though Yahweh appointed me to be the king, today I feel weak. These two sons of Zeruiah, Joab and Abishai, are very violent. I cannot control them. So I hope that Yahweh will punish them severely in return for this wicked deed that they have done!"
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 After that, a long war developed between those who wanted Saul's son to be their king and those who wanted David to be their king. But more and more people began to want David, while fewer and fewer wanted Saul's son.
\s5
\li1
\v 2 David's wives gave birth to six sons at Hebron. The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from the city of Jezreel.
\li2
\v 3 The next son was Kileab, whose mother was Abigail, the widow of Nabal, from the city of Carmel.
\li2 The next son was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, the king of the region of Geshur.
\s5
\li2
\v 4 The next son was Adionijah, whose mother was Haggith.
\li2 The next son was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
\li2
\v 5 The youngest son was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, another one of David's wives.
\li2 These sons of David were all born in Hebron.
\s5
\p
\v 6 During the conflict between those who wanted Saul's son to rule over them and those who wanted David to rule over them, Abner was becoming more influential among those who wanted Saul's son to be the king.
\v 7 Saul had as one of his wives a slave woman named Rizpah, the daughter of Aiah. But one day Abner slept with her. So Ishbosheth said to Abner, "Why have you slept with my father's slave wife?"
\s5
\p
\v 8 Abner became very angry about what Ishbosheth said to him. He said to Ishbosheth, "Do you think that I am a worthless dog from Judah? From the beginning I have been loyal to Saul your father, to his brothers, and to his friends. And I have kept David's army from defeating you. So now why are you criticizing me about what I have done with some woman?
\s5
\v 9-10 Yahweh solemnly promised that he would not allow Saul and his descendants to continue to rule. He promised that he would cause David to rule over all the tribes of Israel and Judah, from the city of Dan far in the north to the city of Beersheba far in the south. So I hope that God will kill me if I do not enable that to happen!"
\v 11 Ishbosheth was very afraid of Abner, so he did not say anything to reply to Abner.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Abner sent messengers to David when he was at Hebron to say to him, "Either you or I should be the ruler of this entire nation, but not Isbosheth. However, if you make an agreement with me, I will help you by encouraging all the people of Israel to ask for you to be their king."
\v 13 David sent back this reply, "Good! I am willing to make an agreement with you. But before that happens, there is one thing that you must do. When you come to see me, you must bring my wife Michal, Saul's daughter."
\s5
\v 14 Then David sent messengers to Ishbosheth to say to him, "I killed one hundred men from Philistia and cut off their foreskins to give to Saul to pay for Michal to be my wife. So now give her back to me!"
\p
\v 15 So Ishbosheth sent some men to take Michal from her husband Paltiel. But when they took her, her husband followed them all the way to the city of Bahurim, crying as he went.
\v 16 Then Abner turned and said to him, "Go back home!" so he did.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Abner went to the Israelite leaders and talked with them. He said, "You have wanted David to be your king for a long time.
\v 18 So now you have an opportunity for this to happen. Keep in mind that Yahweh promised this, 'With the help of David, who serves me well, I will rescue my people from the power of all their other enemies'."
\s5
\v 19 Abner also spoke to the people of the tribe of Benjamin. Then he went to Hebron to tell David what all the people of Israel and the people of the tribe of Benjamin had agreed to do.
\p
\v 20 When Abner came with twenty of his soldiers to see David at Hebron, David made a feast for all of them.
\s5
\v 21 Afterwards, Abner said to David, "Sir, I will now go and encourage all the people of Israel to accept you to be their king, as you have desired." Then Abner left, peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Soon after that, Joab and some of David's other soldiers returned to Hebron after raiding one of their enemy's villages, bringing with them a lot of things that they had captured. But Abner was not there at Hebron, because David had already sent him safely away.
\v 23 When Joab and the soldiers who were with him arrived, someone told him that Abner had come there and talked with the king, and that the king allowed Abner to go away safely.
\s5
\p
\v 24 So Joab went to the king and said, "Why have you done that? Listen to me! Abner is your enemy, but when he came to you, you allowed him to leave!
\v 25 Do you not know that he came to you to deceive you and to find out everything that you are doing, and all the places that you go to?"
\p
\v 26 After Joab left David, he sent some messengers to get Abner. They found him at the well of Sirah and brought him back to Hebron, but David did not know that they had done this.
\s5
\v 27 So when Abner returned to Hebron, Joab met him at the city gate, and took him into a side room as though he wanted to speak with him privately. Then he stabbed Abner in the stomach with his knife. In that way he murdered Abner because Abner had killed Joab's brother Asahel.
\s5
\p
\v 28 Later, after David heard what had happened, he said, "Yahweh knows that I and the people of my kingdom are not at all responsible for Abner.
\v 29 I hope that there will always be someone in his family who has sores, or someone who is a leper, or some man who is forced to do women's work, or someone who is killed in a battle, or someone who does not have enough food to eat!"
\p
\v 30 That is how Joab and his brother Abishai murdered Abner, because he had killed their brother Asahel in the battle at Gibeon.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Then David said to Joab and to all Joab's soldiers, "Tear your clothes and put on coarse cloth to show that you are sad, and mourn for Abner!" And at the funeral, King David walked behind the men who were carrying the coffin.
\v 32 They buried Abner's body at Hebron. And at the grave, the king cried loudly, and all the other people also cried.
\s5
\p
\v 33 David sang this sad song to lament for Abner:
\q1 "It is not right that Abner should have died in disgrace!
\q2
\v 34 No one tied his hands or put chains on his feet, as they do to criminals.
\q1 No, he was murdered by wicked men!"
\s5
\p
\v 35 Then many people came to David to tell him to eat some food before sunset, but David refused. He said, "I hope that God will kill me if I eat any food before the sun goes down!"
\v 36 All the people saw what David did, and they were pleased. Truly, everything that the king did pleased the people.
\s5
\p
\v 37 So all the people realized that the king had not wanted Abner to be killed.
\v 38 The king said to his officials, "Do you not realize that a leader and a great man has died today in Israel?
\v 39 Even though Yahweh appointed me to be the king, today I feel weak. These two sons of Zeruiah, Joab and Abishai, are very violent. I cannot control them. So I hope that Yahweh will punish them severely in return for this wicked deed that they have done!"
\s5
@ -813,195 +813,195 @@
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Another of David's sons, Amnon, was attracted to Tamar, with whom he was a half-brother.
\v 2 He wanted to sleep with Tamar very much, so much that he felt sick with desire. But it seemed impossible for Amnon to get her, because she was a virgin, so they kept men away from her.
\s5
\p
\v 3 But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was a nephew to David, son of David's brother Shimeah. Jehonadab was a very crafty man.
\p
\v 4 One day Jehonadab said to Amnon, "You are the king's son, but every day I see that you seem very depressed. What is your problem?" Amnon replied, "I am in love with Tamar, my half-brother Absalom's sister."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Jehonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend that you are sick. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let your half-sister Tamar come and give you some food to eat. Ask for her to cook the food while you are watching her. Then she can serve it to you herself."
\p
\v 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended that he was sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I am sick. Please allow Tamar to come and make a couple breadcakes for me while I am watching, and then she can serve them to me."
\s5
\p
\v 7 So David sent a message to Tamar in the palace saying, "Amnon is sick; he wants you to go to his house and prepare some food for him."
\v 8 So Tamar went to Amnon's house, where he was lying in bed. She took some dough and kneaded it, and formed them into some breadcakes while he was watching her. Then she baked them.
\v 9 She took them out of the pan and put them on a plate in front of him, but he refused to eat them. Then he said to his servants in the room, "All the rest of you, leave me!" So they all left.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food to my bed and serve it to me." So Tamar took into his room the breadcakes that she had made.
\v 11 But when she brought them close for him to eat them, he grabbed her and said to her, "Come to bed with me!"
\p
\v 12 She replied, "No, do not force me to do such a disgraceful thing! We never do things like that in Israel! That would be shameful!
\s5
\v 13 I would not be able to endure being disgraced by having done that. And as for you, everyone in Israel would condemn you for having done such a disgraceful deed. So I plead with you, talk to the king. I am sure that he will allow me to marry you."
\v 14 But he paid no attention to her. He was stronger than she was, so he forced her to sleep with him.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Amnon hated her very much. He hated her much more than he had desired her. He said to her, "Get up and get out of here!"
\p
\v 16 But she said to him, "No! It would be very wrong for you to send me away. It would be worse than what you just did to me!" But again he paid no attention to her.
\p
\v 17 He summoned his personal servant and said to him, "Take this woman outside, away from me, and lock the door so that she cannot come in again!"
\s5
\v 18 So the servant put her outside and locked the door.
\p Now Tamar was wearing a decorated long robe, which was the clothing that was usually worn by the unmarried daughters of the king at that time.
\v 19 But Tamar tore the long robe that she was wearing, and put ashes on her head to show that she was very sad. Then she put her hands on her head to show that she was grieving, and she went away crying.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Her brother Absalom saw her and said to her, "Has your half-brother Amnon forced you to sleep with him? Please, my sister, do not tell anyone, and do not become depressed." So Tamar went to live in Absalom's house, and she was very sad and lonely.
\p
\v 21 When King David heard about all this, he became very angry.
\v 22 And Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister to sleep with him, so he would not speak to Amnon about anything.
\s5
\p
\v 23 However, two years later, Absalom hired men to shear his sheep at Baal Hazor, which is near the tribal land of Ephraim. They were going to celebrate when they finished shearing the sheep, so Absalom invited all the king's sons to come and celebrate with him.
\v 24 Absalom went to the king and said to him, "Sir, my workers have been shearing my sheep. Please come with your officials to celebrate with us!"
\s5
\p
\v 25 But the king replied, "No, my son, it would not be good for all of us to go, because we are so many people; we would cost you too much." Absalom continued urging him, but the king would not go. Instead, he said that he hoped that God would bless them while they celebrated.
\p
\v 26 Then Absalom said, "If you will not go, please allow my half-brother Amnon to go with us." But the king replied, "Why do you want him to go with you?"
\s5
\p
\v 27 But Absalom continued to insist, so finally the king permitted Amnon and all David's other sons to go with Absalom.
\p
\v 28 So they all went. At the celebration, Absalom commanded his servants, "Notice when Amnon has become a bit drunk from the wine. Then when I signal to you, kill him. Do not be afraid. You will be doing this only because I told you to do it. So be courageous and do it!"
\v 29 So Absalom's servants did what Absalom told them to do. They killed Amnon. All the rest of David's sons saw what happened and fled, riding on their mules.
\s5
\p
\v 30 While they were on their way home, someone quickly went and reported to David, "Absalom has killed all of your other sons. None of them is alive!"
\v 31 The king stood up, tore his clothes because he was extremely sad, and then he threw himself down on the ground. All the servants who were there also tore their clothes.
\s5
\p
\v 32 But Jehonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "Your Majesty, I am sure that they have not killed all your sons. I am sure that only Amnon is dead, because Absalom has been determined to do this ever since the day that Amnon raped Tamar.
\v 33 So, your Majesty, do not believe the report that all your sons are dead. I am sure that only Amnon is dead."
\s5
\p
\v 34 In the meantime, Absalom ran away.
\p Just then, a soldier keeping guard on the city wall saw a large crowd of people coming down the hill along the road to the west. He ran and told the king what he had seen.
\v 35 Jonadab said to the king, "Look there! What I told you is true. Your other sons are alive and have come!"
\p
\v 36 And as soon as he said that, David's sons came in. They all started crying, and David and all his officials also cried very much.
\s5
\p
\v 37-38 But Absalom had fled. He went to stay with the king of the region of Geshur. His name was Talmai son of Ammihud. Absalom stayed there for three years.
\p David mourned for his son Amnon for a long time,
\v 39 but after that, he desired very much to see Absalom, because he was no longer grieving about Amnon being dead.
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 Joab realized that the king was longing to see Absalom.
\v 2 So Joab sent someone to the city of Tekoa to bring to him a woman who was very clever. When she arrived, Joab said to her, "Pretend that you are grieving because someone has died. Put on clothes that show that you are mourning. Do not put any lotion on your body. Act as if you were a woman who has been mourning for a long time.
\v 3 And go to the king, and tell him what I tell you to say." Then Joab told her what to say to the king.
\s5
\p
\v 4 So the woman from Tekoa went to the king. She prostrated herself in front of him to show honor and then said, "Your Majesty, help me!"
\p
\v 5 The king replied, "What is your problem?" She replied, "Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died some time ago.
\v 6 I had two sons. But one day they quarreled with each other out in the fields. There was no one to separate them, and one of them struck the other one and killed him.
\s5
\v 7 Now, all my family oppose me. They are insisting that I allow them to kill my son who is still alive, in order that they may get revenge for his killing his brother. But if they do that, I will not have any son to inherit my possessions. I will be without any son at all, and my husband will have no son to preserve our family's name."
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then the king said to the woman, "Go back home. I will take care of this matter for you."
\p
\v 9 The woman from Tekoa replied to the king, "Your Majesty, if any criticizes you for helping me, my family and I will accept the blame. You and the royal family will be innocent."
\s5
\p
\v 10 The king said to her, "If anyone says anything to threaten you, bring that person to me, and I will make sure that he will never cause you trouble again."
\p
\v 11 Then the woman said, "Your Majesty, please pray that Yahweh your God will not allow my relative, who wants to get revenge on my son for killing his brother, to be able to do that."
\p David replied, "As surely as Yahweh lives, your son will not be harmed at all."
\s5
\v 12 Then the woman said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you." He replied, "Speak!"
\p
\v 13 The woman said, "Why have you done this bad thing to God's people? You have not allowed your son Absalom to return home. By saying what you have just said, you have certainly declared that what you have done is wrong.
\v 14 All of us will die. We are like water that cannot be picked up after it is spilled on the ground. God does not take life away, but instead, God creates ways for those who have been exiled to return and be restored to their people and to their homes.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Now, Your Majesty, I have come to you because others have threatened me. So I said to myself, 'I will go and talk to the king, and perhaps he will do what I request him to do.
\v 16 Perhaps he will listen to me, and save me from the man who is trying to kill my son. If my son is killed, it would result in us disappearing from the land that God gave to us.'
\p
\v 17 And I thought, 'What the king says will comfort me, because the king is like an angel of God. He knows what is good and what is evil.' I pray that Yahweh our God will be with you."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then the king said to the woman, "I will now ask you a question. Answer it; tell me the truth." The woman replied, "Your Majesty, ask your question."
\p
\v 19 The king said, "Was Joab the one who told you to do this?" She replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I cannot say anything to avoid telling you what is true. Yes, indeed, it was Joab who told me to come here, and who told me what to say.
\v 20 He did it in order to cause you to think differently about this matter. Your Majesty, you are as wise as God's angels, and it seems that you know everything that happens on the earth, so you know why Joab sent me here."
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then the king summoned Joab and said to him, "Listen! I have decided to do what you want. So go and get that young man Absalom and bring him back to Jerusalem."
\p
\v 22 Joab prostrated himself on the ground, and then he bowed down before the king, and asked God to bless him. Then Joab said, "Your Majesty, today I know that you are pleased with me, because you have agreed to do what I requested."
\s5
\p
\v 23 Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem.
\v 24 But the king said that he would not allow Absalom to come to him. He said, "I do not want him to come to see me." So Absalom lived in his own house, and did not go to talk to the king.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Now Absalom was very handsome. There were no imperfections on his body, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. In all of Israel there was no one whom people admired more that Absalom.
\v 26 His hair was very thick, and he cut it only once each year, when it became very heavy on him. Using the standard weights, he would weigh the hair that he cut off, and it always weighed about two and one-half kilograms.
\v 27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.
\s5
\p
\v 28 After Absalom returned to Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never was allowed to see the king.
\v 29 So he sent a messenger to go to Joab to request him to come and talk to him, but Joab refused to come. So Absalom sent a messenger to him a second time, but he still would not come.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Then Absalom said to his servants, "You know that Joab's field is next to mine, and that he has barley growing there. Go and light a fire there to burn the barley." So Absalom's servants went there and lit a fire, and all the barley burned.
\p
\v 31 Joab knew who had done it, so he went to Absalom's house and said to him, "Why have your servants burned the barley in my field?"
\s5
\v 32 Absalom replied, "Because you did not come to me when I sent messengers to you requesting that you come. I wanted to request that you go to the king to say to him, 'Absalom wants to know what good it did for him to leave Geshur and come here. He thinks that it would have been better for him to stay there. He wants you to allow him to talk to you. And if you think that he has done something that is wrong, you can command that he be executed.'"
\v 33 So Joab went to the king and told him what Absalom had said. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king and knelt down in front of him with his face touching the ground. Then the king kissed Absalom to show that he was pleased to see him.
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 David's son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar. Another of David's sons, Amnon, was attracted to Tamar, with whom he was a half-brother.
\v 2 He wanted to sleep with Tamar very much, so much that he felt sick with desire. But it seemed impossible for Amnon to get her, because she was a virgin, so they kept men away from her.
\s5
\p
\v 3 But Amnon had a friend named Jonadab, who was a nephew to David, son of David's brother Shimeah. Jehonadab was a very crafty man.
\p
\v 4 One day Jehonadab said to Amnon, "You are the king's son, but every day I see that you seem very depressed. What is your problem?" Amnon replied, "I am in love with Tamar, my half-brother Absalom's sister."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Jehonadab said to him, "Lie down on your bed and pretend that you are sick. When your father comes to see you, ask him to let your half-sister Tamar come and give you some food to eat. Ask for her to cook the food while you are watching her. Then she can serve it to you herself."
\p
\v 6 So Amnon lay down and pretended that he was sick. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, "I am sick. Please allow Tamar to come and make a couple breadcakes for me while I am watching, and then she can serve them to me."
\s5
\p
\v 7 So David sent a message to Tamar in the palace saying, "Amnon is sick; he wants you to go to his house and prepare some food for him."
\v 8 So Tamar went to Amnon's house, where he was lying in bed. She took some dough and kneaded it, and formed them into some breadcakes while he was watching her. Then she baked them.
\v 9 She took them out of the pan and put them on a plate in front of him, but he refused to eat them. Then he said to his servants in the room, "All the rest of you, leave me!" So they all left.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then Amnon said to Tamar, "Bring the food to my bed and serve it to me." So Tamar took into his room the breadcakes that she had made.
\v 11 But when she brought them close for him to eat them, he grabbed her and said to her, "Come to bed with me!"
\p
\v 12 She replied, "No, do not force me to do such a disgraceful thing! We never do things like that in Israel! That would be shameful!
\s5
\v 13 I would not be able to endure being disgraced by having done that. And as for you, everyone in Israel would condemn you for having done such a disgraceful deed. So I plead with you, talk to the king. I am sure that he will allow me to marry you."
\v 14 But he paid no attention to her. He was stronger than she was, so he forced her to sleep with him.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Amnon hated her very much. He hated her much more than he had desired her. He said to her, "Get up and get out of here!"
\p
\v 16 But she said to him, "No! It would be very wrong for you to send me away. It would be worse than what you just did to me!" But again he paid no attention to her.
\p
\v 17 He summoned his personal servant and said to him, "Take this woman outside, away from me, and lock the door so that she cannot come in again!"
\s5
\v 18 So the servant put her outside and locked the door.
\p Now Tamar was wearing a decorated long robe, which was the clothing that was usually worn by the unmarried daughters of the king at that time.
\v 19 But Tamar tore the long robe that she was wearing, and put ashes on her head to show that she was very sad. Then she put her hands on her head to show that she was grieving, and she went away crying.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Her brother Absalom saw her and said to her, "Has your half-brother Amnon forced you to sleep with him? Please, my sister, do not tell anyone, and do not become depressed." So Tamar went to live in Absalom's house, and she was very sad and lonely.
\p
\v 21 When King David heard about all this, he became very angry.
\v 22 And Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister to sleep with him, so he would not speak to Amnon about anything.
\s5
\p
\v 23 However, two years later, Absalom hired men to shear his sheep at Baal Hazor, which is near the tribal land of Ephraim. They were going to celebrate when they finished shearing the sheep, so Absalom invited all the king's sons to come and celebrate with him.
\v 24 Absalom went to the king and said to him, "Sir, my workers have been shearing my sheep. Please come with your officials to celebrate with us!"
\s5
\p
\v 25 But the king replied, "No, my son, it would not be good for all of us to go, because we are so many people; we would cost you too much." Absalom continued urging him, but the king would not go. Instead, he said that he hoped that God would bless them while they celebrated.
\p
\v 26 Then Absalom said, "If you will not go, please allow my half-brother Amnon to go with us." But the king replied, "Why do you want him to go with you?"
\s5
\p
\v 27 But Absalom continued to insist, so finally the king permitted Amnon and all David's other sons to go with Absalom.
\p
\v 28 So they all went. At the celebration, Absalom commanded his servants, "Notice when Amnon has become a bit drunk from the wine. Then when I signal to you, kill him. Do not be afraid. You will be doing this only because I told you to do it. So be courageous and do it!"
\v 29 So Absalom's servants did what Absalom told them to do. They killed Amnon. All the rest of David's sons saw what happened and fled, riding on their mules.
\s5
\p
\v 30 While they were on their way home, someone quickly went and reported to David, "Absalom has killed all of your other sons. None of them is alive!"
\v 31 The king stood up, tore his clothes because he was extremely sad, and then he threw himself down on the ground. All the servants who were there also tore their clothes.
\s5
\p
\v 32 But Jehonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, "Your Majesty, I am sure that they have not killed all your sons. I am sure that only Amnon is dead, because Absalom has been determined to do this ever since the day that Amnon raped Tamar.
\v 33 So, your Majesty, do not believe the report that all your sons are dead. I am sure that only Amnon is dead."
\s5
\p
\v 34 In the meantime, Absalom ran away.
\p Just then, a soldier keeping guard on the city wall saw a large crowd of people coming down the hill along the road to the west. He ran and told the king what he had seen.
\v 35 Jonadab said to the king, "Look there! What I told you is true. Your other sons are alive and have come!"
\p
\v 36 And as soon as he said that, David's sons came in. They all started crying, and David and all his officials also cried very much.
\s5
\p
\v 37-38 But Absalom had fled. He went to stay with the king of the region of Geshur. His name was Talmai son of Ammihud. Absalom stayed there for three years.
\p David mourned for his son Amnon for a long time,
\v 39 but after that, he desired very much to see Absalom, because he was no longer grieving about Amnon being dead.
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 Joab realized that the king was longing to see Absalom.
\v 2 So Joab sent someone to the city of Tekoa to bring to him a woman who was very clever. When she arrived, Joab said to her, "Pretend that you are grieving because someone has died. Put on clothes that show that you are mourning. Do not put any lotion on your body. Act as if you were a woman who has been mourning for a long time.
\v 3 And go to the king, and tell him what I tell you to say." Then Joab told her what to say to the king.
\s5
\p
\v 4 So the woman from Tekoa went to the king. She prostrated herself in front of him to show honor and then said, "Your Majesty, help me!"
\p
\v 5 The king replied, "What is your problem?" She replied, "Please, sir, I am a widow. My husband died some time ago.
\v 6 I had two sons. But one day they quarreled with each other out in the fields. There was no one to separate them, and one of them struck the other one and killed him.
\s5
\v 7 Now, all my family oppose me. They are insisting that I allow them to kill my son who is still alive, in order that they may get revenge for his killing his brother. But if they do that, I will not have any son to inherit my possessions. I will be without any son at all, and my husband will have no son to preserve our family's name."
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then the king said to the woman, "Go back home. I will take care of this matter for you."
\p
\v 9 The woman from Tekoa replied to the king, "Your Majesty, if any criticizes you for helping me, my family and I will accept the blame. You and the royal family will be innocent."
\s5
\p
\v 10 The king said to her, "If anyone says anything to threaten you, bring that person to me, and I will make sure that he will never cause you trouble again."
\p
\v 11 Then the woman said, "Your Majesty, please pray that Yahweh your God will not allow my relative, who wants to get revenge on my son for killing his brother, to be able to do that."
\p David replied, "As surely as Yahweh lives, your son will not be harmed at all."
\s5
\v 12 Then the woman said, "Your Majesty, please allow me to say one more thing to you." He replied, "Speak!"
\p
\v 13 The woman said, "Why have you done this bad thing to God's people? You have not allowed your son Absalom to return home. By saying what you have just said, you have certainly declared that what you have done is wrong.
\v 14 All of us will die. We are like water that cannot be picked up after it is spilled on the ground. God does not take life away, but instead, God creates ways for those who have been exiled to return and be restored to their people and to their homes.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Now, Your Majesty, I have come to you because others have threatened me. So I said to myself, 'I will go and talk to the king, and perhaps he will do what I request him to do.
\v 16 Perhaps he will listen to me, and save me from the man who is trying to kill my son. If my son is killed, it would result in us disappearing from the land that God gave to us.'
\p
\v 17 And I thought, 'What the king says will comfort me, because the king is like an angel of God. He knows what is good and what is evil.' I pray that Yahweh our God will be with you."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then the king said to the woman, "I will now ask you a question. Answer it; tell me the truth." The woman replied, "Your Majesty, ask your question."
\p
\v 19 The king said, "Was Joab the one who told you to do this?" She replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, as surely as you live, I cannot say anything to avoid telling you what is true. Yes, indeed, it was Joab who told me to come here, and who told me what to say.
\v 20 He did it in order to cause you to think differently about this matter. Your Majesty, you are as wise as God's angels, and it seems that you know everything that happens on the earth, so you know why Joab sent me here."
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then the king summoned Joab and said to him, "Listen! I have decided to do what you want. So go and get that young man Absalom and bring him back to Jerusalem."
\p
\v 22 Joab prostrated himself on the ground, and then he bowed down before the king, and asked God to bless him. Then Joab said, "Your Majesty, today I know that you are pleased with me, because you have agreed to do what I requested."
\s5
\p
\v 23 Then Joab got up and went to Geshur, and got Absalom and brought him back to Jerusalem.
\v 24 But the king said that he would not allow Absalom to come to him. He said, "I do not want him to come to see me." So Absalom lived in his own house, and did not go to talk to the king.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Now Absalom was very handsome. There were no imperfections on his body, from the bottom of his feet to the top of his head. In all of Israel there was no one whom people admired more that Absalom.
\v 26 His hair was very thick, and he cut it only once each year, when it became very heavy on him. Using the standard weights, he would weigh the hair that he cut off, and it always weighed about two and one-half kilograms.
\v 27 Absalom had three sons and one daughter named Tamar. She was a very beautiful woman.
\s5
\p
\v 28 After Absalom returned to Jerusalem, he lived there two years, and during that time he never was allowed to see the king.
\v 29 So he sent a messenger to go to Joab to request him to come and talk to him, but Joab refused to come. So Absalom sent a messenger to him a second time, but he still would not come.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Then Absalom said to his servants, "You know that Joab's field is next to mine, and that he has barley growing there. Go and light a fire there to burn the barley." So Absalom's servants went there and lit a fire, and all the barley burned.
\p
\v 31 Joab knew who had done it, so he went to Absalom's house and said to him, "Why have your servants burned the barley in my field?"
\s5
\v 32 Absalom replied, "Because you did not come to me when I sent messengers to you requesting that you come. I wanted to request that you go to the king to say to him, 'Absalom wants to know what good it did for him to leave Geshur and come here. He thinks that it would have been better for him to stay there. He wants you to allow him to talk to you. And if you think that he has done something that is wrong, you can command that he be executed.'"
\v 33 So Joab went to the king and told him what Absalom had said. Then the king summoned Absalom, and he came to the king and knelt down in front of him with his face touching the ground. Then the king kissed Absalom to show that he was pleased to see him.
\s5
@ -1095,74 +1095,74 @@
\s5
\c 16
\p
\v 1 When David and the others had gone a little way past the top of the hill, Mephibosheth's servant Ziba met him. He had with him two donkeys that were carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred bunches of fresh figs, and a leather bag full of wine.
\p
\v 2 The king said to Ziba, "What are these for?" Ziba replied, "The donkeys are for your family to ride on, the bread and the fruit are for your soldiers to eat, and the wine is for them to drink when they become exhausted in the wilderness."
\s5
\p
\v 3 The king said, "Where is Mephibosheth, the grandson of your former master Saul?" Ziba answered, "He stayed in Jerusalem, because he thinks that now the people will allow him to rule the kingdom that his grandfather Saul ruled."
\p
\v 4 The king said to Ziba, "Very well, everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." Ziba replied, "Your Majesty, I will humbly serve you, and I desire that you will always be pleased with me."
\s5
\p
\v 5 When King David and those with him arrived at the city of Bahurim, a man named Shimei met him. Shimei, whose father was Gera, was a member of the same clan that Saul's family belong to. Shimei was cursing David as he approached.
\v 6 Then he threw stones at David and his officials, even though the officials and David's bodyguards surrounded David.
\s5
\v 7 Shimei cursed David and said to him, "Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!
\v 8 Yahweh is getting revenge on you all for murdering many people in Saul's family. And now he is giving Saul's kingdom to your son Absalom. You murderer, you are being paid back for the many people that you have killed!"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then Abishai said to the king, "Your Majesty, this man is as worthless as a dead dog! Why should he be allowed to curse you? Allow me to go over there and cut off his head!"
\p
\v 10 But the king replied, "You two sons of Zeruiah, I want nothing to do with you. If he is cursing me because Yahweh told him to do so, then no one should ask him, 'Why are you cursing the king?'"
\s5
\p
\v 11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his officials, "You know that my own son is trying to kill me. So it is not surprising that this man from the tribe of Benjamin is also trying to kill me. Just ignore him, and allow him to curse me. Yahweh has told him to do that.
\v 12 Perhaps Yahweh will see that I am having all this trouble, and some day he will repay me by blessing me in return for this man cursing me today."
\s5
\v 13 Then David and those who were with him walked along the road, and Shimei continued walking along the hillside near him. While he walked along, he cursed David and threw stones and dirt at him.
\v 14 When David and those stopped traveling that evening, they were very tired. So they rested.
\s5
\p
\v 15 While that was happening, Absalom and all the Israelites who were with him had arrived in Jerusalem. Ahithophel had also arrived there.
\v 16 When David's friend Hushai came to Absalom, he said to Absalom, "I desire that the king will live a long time! May you live for many years!"
\s5
\p
\v 17 Absalom said to Hushai, "You have been loyal to your friend David for a long time. So why did you not go with him instead of coming to me?"
\p
\v 18 Hushai replied, "It is right for me to serve the one whom Yahweh and these people and all the other people of Israel have chosen to be their king. So I will stay with you.
\s5
\v 19 You are my master King David's son. If I do not serve you, what other man should I serve? I will serve you as I served your father."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "What do you advise that we should do?"
\p
\v 21 Ahithophel replied, "Your father left some of his slave wives in the palace to take care of it. You should sleep with them. When everyone in Israel hears that you have done that, they will realize that you hold your father in contempt. Then all those who are with you will be very encouraged."
\s5
\v 22 So they set up a tent for Absalom on the roof of the palace. And Absalom went into the tent and slept with his father's slave wives, one by one, and everyone could see them going into the tent.
\p
\v 23 In those days, people accepted what Ahithophel recommended as though he was speaking the words of God. So just as David had always accepted what Ahithophel said, now Absalom did also.
\s5
\c 16
\p
\v 1 When David and the others had gone a little way past the top of the hill, Mephibosheth's servant Ziba met him. He had with him two donkeys that were carrying two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred bunches of raisins, one hundred bunches of fresh figs, and a leather bag full of wine.
\p
\v 2 The king said to Ziba, "What are these for?" Ziba replied, "The donkeys are for your family to ride on, the bread and the fruit are for your soldiers to eat, and the wine is for them to drink when they become exhausted in the wilderness."
\s5
\p
\v 3 The king said, "Where is Mephibosheth, the grandson of your former master Saul?" Ziba answered, "He stayed in Jerusalem, because he thinks that now the people will allow him to rule the kingdom that his grandfather Saul ruled."
\p
\v 4 The king said to Ziba, "Very well, everything that belonged to Mephibosheth is now yours." Ziba replied, "Your Majesty, I will humbly serve you, and I desire that you will always be pleased with me."
\s5
\p
\v 5 When King David and those with him arrived at the city of Bahurim, a man named Shimei met him. Shimei, whose father was Gera, was a member of the same clan that Saul's family belong to. Shimei was cursing David as he approached.
\v 6 Then he threw stones at David and his officials, even though the officials and David's bodyguards surrounded David.
\s5
\v 7 Shimei cursed David and said to him, "Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!
\v 8 Yahweh is getting revenge on you all for murdering many people in Saul's family. And now he is giving Saul's kingdom to your son Absalom. You murderer, you are being paid back for the many people that you have killed!"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then Abishai said to the king, "Your Majesty, this man is as worthless as a dead dog! Why should he be allowed to curse you? Allow me to go over there and cut off his head!"
\p
\v 10 But the king replied, "You two sons of Zeruiah, I want nothing to do with you. If he is cursing me because Yahweh told him to do so, then no one should ask him, 'Why are you cursing the king?'"
\s5
\p
\v 11 Then David said to Abishai and to all his officials, "You know that my own son is trying to kill me. So it is not surprising that this man from the tribe of Benjamin is also trying to kill me. Just ignore him, and allow him to curse me. Yahweh has told him to do that.
\v 12 Perhaps Yahweh will see that I am having all this trouble, and some day he will repay me by blessing me in return for this man cursing me today."
\s5
\v 13 Then David and those who were with him walked along the road, and Shimei continued walking along the hillside near him. While he walked along, he cursed David and threw stones and dirt at him.
\v 14 When David and those stopped traveling that evening, they were very tired. So they rested.
\s5
\p
\v 15 While that was happening, Absalom and all the Israelites who were with him had arrived in Jerusalem. Ahithophel had also arrived there.
\v 16 When David's friend Hushai came to Absalom, he said to Absalom, "I desire that the king will live a long time! May you live for many years!"
\s5
\p
\v 17 Absalom said to Hushai, "You have been loyal to your friend David for a long time. So why did you not go with him instead of coming to me?"
\p
\v 18 Hushai replied, "It is right for me to serve the one whom Yahweh and these people and all the other people of Israel have chosen to be their king. So I will stay with you.
\s5
\v 19 You are my master King David's son. If I do not serve you, what other man should I serve? I will serve you as I served your father."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then Absalom said to Ahithophel, "What do you advise that we should do?"
\p
\v 21 Ahithophel replied, "Your father left some of his slave wives in the palace to take care of it. You should sleep with them. When everyone in Israel hears that you have done that, they will realize that you hold your father in contempt. Then all those who are with you will be very encouraged."
\s5
\v 22 So they set up a tent for Absalom on the roof of the palace. And Absalom went into the tent and slept with his father's slave wives, one by one, and everyone could see them going into the tent.
\p
\v 23 In those days, people accepted what Ahithophel recommended as though he was speaking the words of God. So just as David had always accepted what Ahithophel said, now Absalom did also.
\s5
@ -1235,213 +1235,213 @@
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 David arranged his soldiers for the battle. He divided them into groups, and he appointed a commander for each one hundred soldiers and a commander for each one thousand soldiers.
\v 2 He sent them out in three groups. Joab commanded one group, Joab's brother Abishai commanded a second group, and Ittai from Gath commanded the third group. David said to them, "I myself will go with you to battle."
\s5
\p
\v 3 But his soldiers said, "No, we will not allow you to go with us. If they force us to all run away, they will not be concerned about us. Or if they kill half of us, they will not care about that, either. To them, capturing you is more important than capturing ten thousand of us. So it would be better that you stay here in the city and send help to us."
\p
\v 4 The king replied to them, "Very well, I will do whatever seems best to you." So he stood at the city gate and watched while his soldiers marched out, group by group.
\s5
\p
\v 5 While they were leaving, the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!" And all the troops heard about this, that David had given this order to the three commanders.
\s5
\p
\v 6 So the army went out to fight against the Israelite soldiers who were with Absalom. They fought the battle in the forest where people from the tribe of Ephraim lived.
\v 7 David's soldiers defeated Absalom's soldiers. They killed twenty thousand of them.
\v 8 The battle was fought all over that area, and the number of men who died because of dangerous things in the forest was greater than the number of men who were killed in the battle.
\s5
\p
\v 9 During the battle, Absalom suddenly came near some of David's soldiers. Absalom was riding on his mule, and when the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, Absalom's head was caught in the branches. The mule kept going, but Absalom was left dangling in the air.
\p
\v 10 One of David's soldiers saw what happened, and went and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"
\p
\v 11 Joab said to the man, "What? You say that you saw him hanging there, so why did you not kill him immediately? If you had killed him, I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a soldier's belt!"
\s5
\p
\v 12 The man replied to Joab, "Even if you gave me a thousand pieces of silver, I would not have done anything to harm the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai: 'For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!'
\v 13 If I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it, because the king hears about everything, and even you would not have defended me!"
\s5
\p
\v 14 Joab said, "I am not going to waste time talking to you!" Then he took three spears, went to where Absalom was, and thrust them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive, dangling from the oak tree.
\v 15 Then ten young men who carried weapons for Joab surrounded Absalom and finished killing him.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Joab blew his trumpet to signal that they should not fight anymore, and his soldiers returned from pursuing Absalom's men.
\v 17 They took Absalom's body and threw it into a huge pit in the forest, and covered it with a huge pile of stones. Then all the remaining Israelite soldiers who had been with Absalom fled to their own homes.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Absalom had no sons to preserve his family name because his sons had died while they were still young. So while Absalom was alive, he had built a monument to himself in the Valley of Kings near Jerusalem, in order that people would remember him. He put his name on the monument, and people still call it Absalom's Monument.
\s5
\p
\v 19 After Absalom had been killed, Zadok's son Ahimaaz said to Joab, "Allow me to run to the king to tell him the good news that Yahweh has rescued him from the power of his enemies!"
\p
\v 20 But Joab said to him, "No, I will not allow you to take news to the king today. Some other day I will allow you to take some news, but not today. If you took news today it would not be good news for the king, because his son is dead."
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then Joab said to David's servant who was from Ethiopia, "You go and tell the king what you have seen." So the man from Ethiopia bowed in respect to Joab, and started to run.
\p
\v 22 Then Ahimaaz said again to Joab, "Even though that man from Ethiopia is running, allow me to run behind him." Joab replied, "My boy, why do you want to do that? You will not receive any reward for your news!"
\p
\v 23 But Ahimaaz replied, "That does not matter, I want to go." So Joab said, "Very well, then, go." So Ahimaaz ran along another road through the Valley of the Jordan and arrived where David was, before the man from Ethiopia arrived.
\s5
\p
\v 24 David was sitting between the outer gate and the inner gate of the city. The watchman went up on top of the city wall and stood on the roof over the gates. He looked out and saw one man running alone.
\v 25 The watchman called down and reported it to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, that indicates that he is bringing news." The man who was running continued to come closer.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Then the watchman saw another man running. So he called down to the gatekeeper, "Look! There is another man running!" And the king said, "He also is bringing some good news."
\p
\v 27 The watchman said, "I think the first man must be Ahimaaz, because he is running as Ahimaaz runs." The king said, "Ahimaaz is a good man, and I am sure he is coming with good news."
\s5
\p
\v 28 When Ahimaaz reached the king, he called out, "I hope that things will go well with you!" Then he prostrated himself on the ground in front of the king and said, "Your Majesty, praise Yahweh our God, who has rescued you from the men who were rebelling against you!"
\p
\v 29 The king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz did not want to answer that question, so he replied, "When Joab sent me, I saw that there was a lot of confusion, but I do not know what it was about."
\p
\v 30 Then the king said, "Stand aside." So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Suddenly the man from Ethiopia arrived, and said, "Your Majesty, I have good news for you! Yahweh has enabled your soldiers to defeat all those who rebelled against you!"
\p
\v 32 The king said to him, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The man from Ethiopia replied, "Sir, I wish that what happened to him would happen to all of your enemies and to all those who rebel against you!"
\p
\v 33 The king realized that he meant that Absalom was dead, so he became extremely distressed, and he went up to the room above the gateway and cried. While he was going up, he kept crying out, "O, my son Absalom! My son! O, my son Absalom, I desire that I had died instead of you!"
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 Someone told Joab that the king was crying and mourning because Absalom had died.
\v 2 All of David's soldiers heard that the king was mourning because Absalom was dead. So they became sad that they had defeated Absalom's men.
\s5
\v 3 The soldiers returned to the city quietly and ashamed, as if they had lost the battle instead of winning it.
\v 4 The king covered his face with his hands and kept crying loudly, "O, my son Absalom! O, Absalom, my son! My son!"
\s5
\p
\v 5 Joab entered the room where the king was, and said to the king, "Today you have caused your soldiers to be ashamed! You have humiliated the men who saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and your ordinary wives and your slave wives!
\v 6 It seems that you love those who hate you and that you hate those who love you. Everyone realizes now that your commanders and your officers are not at all important to you. If Absalom were still alive and we were all dead today, you would actually be happy.
\s5
\v 7 So now go and thank your soldiers for what they did. Because I solemnly declare that if you do not do that, none of them will still be with you by tomorrow morning. That would be worse for you than all the disasters that you have experienced since you were a boy."
\p
\v 8 So the king got up and went and sat at the city gate. And all the people were told, "The king is sitting at the gate!" So they all came and gathered around him.
\p Meanwhile, all of Absalom's men had gone home.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then all the people throughout the tribes of Israel started to quarrel among themselves. They said to each other, "King David rescued us from the people of Philistia and from our other enemies. But now he has fled from Absalom and left Israel!
\v 10 We appointed Absalom to be our king, but he died in the battle against David's soldiers. So why does someone not try to bring King David back?"
\s5
\p
\v 11 King David found out what the people were saying. So he sent the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to say to the leaders of Judah, "The king says that he has heard that all the Israelite people want him to be king again. And he says, 'Why should you be the last ones to bring me back to my palace?
\v 12 You are my relatives. We have the same ancestor. So why should you be the last ones to bring me back?'"
\s5
\v 13 And say to Amasa, "You are one of my relatives. I hope that God will kill me if I do not appoint you to be, from now on, the commander of my army instead of Joab."
\p
\v 14 By sending that message to them, David convinced all the people of Judah that they should be loyal to him. So they sent a message to the king, saying, "We want you and all your officials to return here."
\v 15 So the king and his officials started back toward Jerusalem. When they reached the Jordan River, the people of Judah came there to Gilgal to meet the king, and to escort him across the river.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Shimei, the man from the tribe of Benjamin, also came down quickly to the river with the people of Judah to meet King David.
\v 17 There were a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin who came with him. Ziba, who had been the servant of Saul, also hurried down to the Jordan River, bringing twenty of his servants with him. They all came to the king.
\v 18 They all prepared to take the king and all his family across the river, at the place where they could walk across it. They wanted to do whatever the king wanted. As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei came to him and prostrated himself in front of the king.
\s5
\p
\v 19 He said to the king, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Please do not keep thinking about the terrible thing that I did on the day that you left Jerusalem. Do not think about it anymore.
\v 20 I know that I have sinned. Look, I have come today, the first one from the northern tribes to come here to greet you today, Your Majesty."
\s5
\p
\v 21 But Abishai son of Zeruiah, said to David, "He cursed the one whom Yahweh appointed to be the king! So should he not be executed for doing that?"
\p
\v 22 But David said, "You sons of Zeruiah, what am I going to do with you? It is as though you had become my enemies today. I know that I am still king of Israel, so I say that certainly no one in Israel should be executed today."
\v 23 Then the king said to Shimei, "I solemnly promise that I will not execute you."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Then Miphibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down to the river to greet the king. He had not washed his feet or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the time that the king left Jerusalem until the day that he returned.
\v 25 When he arrived from Jerusalem to greet the king, the king said to him, "Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?"
\s5
\p
\v 26 He replied, "Your Majesty, you know that I am crippled. When I heard that you were leaving Jerusalem, I said to my servant Ziba, 'Put a saddle on my donkey in order that I can ride on it and go with the king.' But he deceived me and left without me.
\v 27 He lied to you about me. But your Majesty, you are as wise as God's angel. So do whatever seems right to you.
\v 28 All of my grandfather's family expected that we would be executed. But you did not execute me. You allowed me to eat food with you at your table! So I certainly do not have the right to request from you anything more."
\s5
\p
\v 29 The king replied, "You certainly do not need to say any more. I have decided that you and Ziba will divide equally the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul."
\p
\v 30 Mephibosheth replied to the king, "Your Majesty, I am content that you have returned safely. So allow him to take all the land."
\s5
\p
\v 31 Barzillai, the man from the region of Gilead, had come down to the Jordan River from his town of Rogelim to escort the king across the river.
\v 32 Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He was a very wealthy man, and he had provided food for the king and his soldiers while they were at Mahanaim.
\v 33 The king said to Barzillai, "Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you."
\s5
\p
\v 34 But Barzillai replied, "I certainly do not have many more years to live. So why should I go with you to Jerusalem?
\v 35 I am eighty years old. I do not know what is enjoyable and what is not enjoyable. I cannot enjoy what I eat and what I drink. I cannot hear the voices of men and women as they sing. So why should I be another burden to you?
\v 36 I will cross the Jordan River with you and go a little further, and that will be all the reward that I need for helping you.
\s5
\v 37 Then please allow me to return to my home, because that is where I want to die, near my parents' grave. But here is my son Kimham. Your Majesty, allow him to go with you and serve you, and do for him whatever seems good to you!"
\s5
\p
\v 38 The king replied, "Very well, he will cross the river with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. And I will do for you whatever you want me to do."
\p
\v 39 Then King David and all the others crossed the Jordan River. He kissed Barzillai and asked God to bless him. Then Barzillai returned to his home.
\s5
\p
\v 40 After they crossed the river, Kimham went with the king, and all the army of Judah and half the army of the other Israelite tribes escorted the king to Gilgal.
\p
\v 41 Then all the Israelite soldiers from the other Israelite tribes came to the king and said, "Why is it that our relatives, the men from Judah, took you away from us and wanted to be the only ones to escort you and your family across the river, along with all your men? Why did you not request us to do that?"
\s5
\p
\v 42 The soldiers from Judah replied, "We did it because the king is from Judah. Why are you angry about this? The king has never paid for our food, and he has never given us any gifts."
\p
\v 43 The men of the other Israelite tribes replied, "There are ten tribes in Israel, and only one in Judah. So it is ten times more right for us to say that David is our king than it is for you to say that. So why are you despising us? We were certainly the first ones to talk about bringing David back to Jerusalem to be our king again."
\p But the men of Judah spoke more harshly than the men from the other tribes of Israel did.
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 David arranged his soldiers for the battle. He divided them into groups, and he appointed a commander for each one hundred soldiers and a commander for each one thousand soldiers.
\v 2 He sent them out in three groups. Joab commanded one group, Joab's brother Abishai commanded a second group, and Ittai from Gath commanded the third group. David said to them, "I myself will go with you to battle."
\s5
\p
\v 3 But his soldiers said, "No, we will not allow you to go with us. If they force us to all run away, they will not be concerned about us. Or if they kill half of us, they will not care about that, either. To them, capturing you is more important than capturing ten thousand of us. So it would be better that you stay here in the city and send help to us."
\p
\v 4 The king replied to them, "Very well, I will do whatever seems best to you." So he stood at the city gate and watched while his soldiers marched out, group by group.
\s5
\p
\v 5 While they were leaving, the king commanded Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, "For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!" And all the troops heard about this, that David had given this order to the three commanders.
\s5
\p
\v 6 So the army went out to fight against the Israelite soldiers who were with Absalom. They fought the battle in the forest where people from the tribe of Ephraim lived.
\v 7 David's soldiers defeated Absalom's soldiers. They killed twenty thousand of them.
\v 8 The battle was fought all over that area, and the number of men who died because of dangerous things in the forest was greater than the number of men who were killed in the battle.
\s5
\p
\v 9 During the battle, Absalom suddenly came near some of David's soldiers. Absalom was riding on his mule, and when the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak tree, Absalom's head was caught in the branches. The mule kept going, but Absalom was left dangling in the air.
\p
\v 10 One of David's soldiers saw what happened, and went and told Joab, "I saw Absalom hanging in an oak tree!"
\p
\v 11 Joab said to the man, "What? You say that you saw him hanging there, so why did you not kill him immediately? If you had killed him, I would have given you ten pieces of silver and a soldier's belt!"
\s5
\p
\v 12 The man replied to Joab, "Even if you gave me a thousand pieces of silver, I would not have done anything to harm the king's son. We all heard the king command you and Abishai and Ittai: 'For my sake, do not harm my son Absalom!'
\v 13 If I had disobeyed the king and killed Absalom, the king would have heard about it, because the king hears about everything, and even you would not have defended me!"
\s5
\p
\v 14 Joab said, "I am not going to waste time talking to you!" Then he took three spears, went to where Absalom was, and thrust them into Absalom's chest while he was still alive, dangling from the oak tree.
\v 15 Then ten young men who carried weapons for Joab surrounded Absalom and finished killing him.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Joab blew his trumpet to signal that they should not fight anymore, and his soldiers returned from pursuing Absalom's men.
\v 17 They took Absalom's body and threw it into a huge pit in the forest, and covered it with a huge pile of stones. Then all the remaining Israelite soldiers who had been with Absalom fled to their own homes.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Absalom had no sons to preserve his family name because his sons had died while they were still young. So while Absalom was alive, he had built a monument to himself in the Valley of Kings near Jerusalem, in order that people would remember him. He put his name on the monument, and people still call it Absalom's Monument.
\s5
\p
\v 19 After Absalom had been killed, Zadok's son Ahimaaz said to Joab, "Allow me to run to the king to tell him the good news that Yahweh has rescued him from the power of his enemies!"
\p
\v 20 But Joab said to him, "No, I will not allow you to take news to the king today. Some other day I will allow you to take some news, but not today. If you took news today it would not be good news for the king, because his son is dead."
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then Joab said to David's servant who was from Ethiopia, "You go and tell the king what you have seen." So the man from Ethiopia bowed in respect to Joab, and started to run.
\p
\v 22 Then Ahimaaz said again to Joab, "Even though that man from Ethiopia is running, allow me to run behind him." Joab replied, "My boy, why do you want to do that? You will not receive any reward for your news!"
\p
\v 23 But Ahimaaz replied, "That does not matter, I want to go." So Joab said, "Very well, then, go." So Ahimaaz ran along another road through the Valley of the Jordan and arrived where David was, before the man from Ethiopia arrived.
\s5
\p
\v 24 David was sitting between the outer gate and the inner gate of the city. The watchman went up on top of the city wall and stood on the roof over the gates. He looked out and saw one man running alone.
\v 25 The watchman called down and reported it to the king. The king said, "If he is alone, that indicates that he is bringing news." The man who was running continued to come closer.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Then the watchman saw another man running. So he called down to the gatekeeper, "Look! There is another man running!" And the king said, "He also is bringing some good news."
\p
\v 27 The watchman said, "I think the first man must be Ahimaaz, because he is running as Ahimaaz runs." The king said, "Ahimaaz is a good man, and I am sure he is coming with good news."
\s5
\p
\v 28 When Ahimaaz reached the king, he called out, "I hope that things will go well with you!" Then he prostrated himself on the ground in front of the king and said, "Your Majesty, praise Yahweh our God, who has rescued you from the men who were rebelling against you!"
\p
\v 29 The king said, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" Ahimaaz did not want to answer that question, so he replied, "When Joab sent me, I saw that there was a lot of confusion, but I do not know what it was about."
\p
\v 30 Then the king said, "Stand aside." So Ahimaaz stepped aside and stood there.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Suddenly the man from Ethiopia arrived, and said, "Your Majesty, I have good news for you! Yahweh has enabled your soldiers to defeat all those who rebelled against you!"
\p
\v 32 The king said to him, "Is the young man Absalom safe?" The man from Ethiopia replied, "Sir, I wish that what happened to him would happen to all of your enemies and to all those who rebel against you!"
\p
\v 33 The king realized that he meant that Absalom was dead, so he became extremely distressed, and he went up to the room above the gateway and cried. While he was going up, he kept crying out, "O, my son Absalom! My son! O, my son Absalom, I desire that I had died instead of you!"
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 Someone told Joab that the king was crying and mourning because Absalom had died.
\v 2 All of David's soldiers heard that the king was mourning because Absalom was dead. So they became sad that they had defeated Absalom's men.
\s5
\v 3 The soldiers returned to the city quietly and ashamed, as if they had lost the battle instead of winning it.
\v 4 The king covered his face with his hands and kept crying loudly, "O, my son Absalom! O, Absalom, my son! My son!"
\s5
\p
\v 5 Joab entered the room where the king was, and said to the king, "Today you have caused your soldiers to be ashamed! You have humiliated the men who saved your life and the lives of your sons and daughters and your ordinary wives and your slave wives!
\v 6 It seems that you love those who hate you and that you hate those who love you. Everyone realizes now that your commanders and your officers are not at all important to you. If Absalom were still alive and we were all dead today, you would actually be happy.
\s5
\v 7 So now go and thank your soldiers for what they did. Because I solemnly declare that if you do not do that, none of them will still be with you by tomorrow morning. That would be worse for you than all the disasters that you have experienced since you were a boy."
\p
\v 8 So the king got up and went and sat at the city gate. And all the people were told, "The king is sitting at the gate!" So they all came and gathered around him.
\p Meanwhile, all of Absalom's men had gone home.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then all the people throughout the tribes of Israel started to quarrel among themselves. They said to each other, "King David rescued us from the people of Philistia and from our other enemies. But now he has fled from Absalom and left Israel!
\v 10 We appointed Absalom to be our king, but he died in the battle against David's soldiers. So why does someone not try to bring King David back?"
\s5
\p
\v 11 King David found out what the people were saying. So he sent the two priests, Zadok and Abiathar, to say to the leaders of Judah, "The king says that he has heard that all the Israelite people want him to be king again. And he says, 'Why should you be the last ones to bring me back to my palace?
\v 12 You are my relatives. We have the same ancestor. So why should you be the last ones to bring me back?'"
\s5
\v 13 And say to Amasa, "You are one of my relatives. I hope that God will kill me if I do not appoint you to be, from now on, the commander of my army instead of Joab."
\p
\v 14 By sending that message to them, David convinced all the people of Judah that they should be loyal to him. So they sent a message to the king, saying, "We want you and all your officials to return here."
\v 15 So the king and his officials started back toward Jerusalem. When they reached the Jordan River, the people of Judah came there to Gilgal to meet the king, and to escort him across the river.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Shimei, the man from the tribe of Benjamin, also came down quickly to the river with the people of Judah to meet King David.
\v 17 There were a thousand men from the tribe of Benjamin who came with him. Ziba, who had been the servant of Saul, also hurried down to the Jordan River, bringing twenty of his servants with him. They all came to the king.
\v 18 They all prepared to take the king and all his family across the river, at the place where they could walk across it. They wanted to do whatever the king wanted. As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei came to him and prostrated himself in front of the king.
\s5
\p
\v 19 He said to the king, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. Please do not keep thinking about the terrible thing that I did on the day that you left Jerusalem. Do not think about it anymore.
\v 20 I know that I have sinned. Look, I have come today, the first one from the northern tribes to come here to greet you today, Your Majesty."
\s5
\p
\v 21 But Abishai son of Zeruiah, said to David, "He cursed the one whom Yahweh appointed to be the king! So should he not be executed for doing that?"
\p
\v 22 But David said, "You sons of Zeruiah, what am I going to do with you? It is as though you had become my enemies today. I know that I am still king of Israel, so I say that certainly no one in Israel should be executed today."
\v 23 Then the king said to Shimei, "I solemnly promise that I will not execute you."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Then Miphibosheth, Saul's grandson, came down to the river to greet the king. He had not washed his feet or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the time that the king left Jerusalem until the day that he returned.
\v 25 When he arrived from Jerusalem to greet the king, the king said to him, "Mephibosheth, why did you not go with me?"
\s5
\p
\v 26 He replied, "Your Majesty, you know that I am crippled. When I heard that you were leaving Jerusalem, I said to my servant Ziba, 'Put a saddle on my donkey in order that I can ride on it and go with the king.' But he deceived me and left without me.
\v 27 He lied to you about me. But your Majesty, you are as wise as God's angel. So do whatever seems right to you.
\v 28 All of my grandfather's family expected that we would be executed. But you did not execute me. You allowed me to eat food with you at your table! So I certainly do not have the right to request from you anything more."
\s5
\p
\v 29 The king replied, "You certainly do not need to say any more. I have decided that you and Ziba will divide equally the land that belonged to your grandfather Saul."
\p
\v 30 Mephibosheth replied to the king, "Your Majesty, I am content that you have returned safely. So allow him to take all the land."
\s5
\p
\v 31 Barzillai, the man from the region of Gilead, had come down to the Jordan River from his town of Rogelim to escort the king across the river.
\v 32 Barzillai was a very old man, eighty years old. He was a very wealthy man, and he had provided food for the king and his soldiers while they were at Mahanaim.
\v 33 The king said to Barzillai, "Come with me to Jerusalem, and I will take care of you."
\s5
\p
\v 34 But Barzillai replied, "I certainly do not have many more years to live. So why should I go with you to Jerusalem?
\v 35 I am eighty years old. I do not know what is enjoyable and what is not enjoyable. I cannot enjoy what I eat and what I drink. I cannot hear the voices of men and women as they sing. So why should I be another burden to you?
\v 36 I will cross the Jordan River with you and go a little further, and that will be all the reward that I need for helping you.
\s5
\v 37 Then please allow me to return to my home, because that is where I want to die, near my parents' grave. But here is my son Kimham. Your Majesty, allow him to go with you and serve you, and do for him whatever seems good to you!"
\s5
\p
\v 38 The king replied, "Very well, he will cross the river with me, and I will do for him whatever seems good to you. And I will do for you whatever you want me to do."
\p
\v 39 Then King David and all the others crossed the Jordan River. He kissed Barzillai and asked God to bless him. Then Barzillai returned to his home.
\s5
\p
\v 40 After they crossed the river, Kimham went with the king, and all the army of Judah and half the army of the other Israelite tribes escorted the king to Gilgal.
\p
\v 41 Then all the Israelite soldiers from the other Israelite tribes came to the king and said, "Why is it that our relatives, the men from Judah, took you away from us and wanted to be the only ones to escort you and your family across the river, along with all your men? Why did you not request us to do that?"
\s5
\p
\v 42 The soldiers from Judah replied, "We did it because the king is from Judah. Why are you angry about this? The king has never paid for our food, and he has never given us any gifts."
\p
\v 43 The men of the other Israelite tribes replied, "There are ten tribes in Israel, and only one in Judah. So it is ten times more right for us to say that David is our king than it is for you to say that. So why are you despising us? We were certainly the first ones to talk about bringing David back to Jerusalem to be our king again."
\p But the men of Judah spoke more harshly than the men from the other tribes of Israel did.
\s5

View File

@ -127,127 +127,127 @@
\s5
\c 2
\p
\v 1 When David knew that he was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:
\p
\v 2 "I am about to die, as everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as man should.
\v 3 Do what Yahweh our God tells you to do. Conduct yourself as he wants you to do. Obey all of his laws and commands and decrees and instructions that are written in the laws that Moses gave us. Do this in order that you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go.
\v 4 If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me. He said, 'If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be the ones who will rule Israel.'
\s5
\p
\v 5 There is something else that I want you to do. You know what Joab did to me. He killed my two army commanders, Abner and Amasa. He murdered them violently. He is guilty of murder.
\v 6 Because you are wise, do to him what you think is best for you to do, but do not allow him to become old and die peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 7 But act kindly toward the sons of Barzillai, the man from the region of Gilead, and be sure that they always have enough food to eat. Do that because Barzillai helped me when I was running away from your older brother Absalom.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Also, you remember Gera's son Shimei from the town of Bahurim in the area where the descendants of Benjamin live. You know what he did to me. He cursed me terribly on the day I left Jerusalem and went to the town of Mahanaim. But when he later came down to see me when I was crossing the Jordan River, I solemnly promised, while Yahweh listened, that I would not cause him to be executed.
\v 9 But now you must surely punish him. You are a wise man, so you will know what you should do to him. He is an old man, but be sure that his blood flows when he dies ."
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then David died and was buried in that part of Jerusalem which was called the city of David.
\v 11 David had been king of Israel for forty years. He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
\v 12 Solomon became the ruler to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.
\s5
\p
\v 13 One day Adonijah came to Solomon's mother Bathsheba. She said to him, "Have you come because you want things to go well?" He replied, "Yes."
\p
\v 14 But then he said, "I have something to request you to do." She said, "Tell me what you want me to do."
\p
\v 15 He said, "You know that all the Israelite people expected me to be their king because I am David's oldest son. But that did not happen. Instead, my younger brother became king, because that is what Yahweh wanted.
\s5
\v 16 Now I have one thing that I request you to do. Please do not refuse to do it." She replied, "Tell me what you want me to do."
\p
\v 17 He said, "Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from the town of Shunem, to be my wife. I am sure that he will not refuse."
\p
\v 18 Bathsheba replied, "Very well, I will speak to the king for you."
\s5
\p
\v 19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon. The king got up from his throne and went to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne again and asked someone to bring a chair for her. So she sat down at the king's right side.
\p
\v 20 Then she said, "I have one small thing that I want you do. Please do not say that you will not do it." The king replied, "Mother, what do you want? I will not refuse you."
\p
\v 21 She said, "Allow Abishag to be given to your older brother Adonijah to be his wife."
\s5
\p
\v 22 The king replied angrily, "What? Are you requesting me to give Abishag to Adonijah? Does he want me to allow him to rule the kingdom, too? Because he is my older brother, does he think that he should be the king? Does he think that Abiathar should be the priest instead of Zadok, and that Joab should be the army commander instead of Benaiah because they supported him when he tried to become the king?"
\p
\v 23 Then Solomon solemnly promised, requesting Yahweh to listen, "I wish God to strike me and kill me if I do not cause Adonijah to be executed for requesting this!
\s5
\v 24 Yahweh has appointed me to be the king and placed me here to rule as my father David did. He has promised that my descendants will be the kings of Israel. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly promise that Adonijah will be executed today!"
\v 25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to go and kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Then Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, "Go to the town of Anathoth, to your land there. You deserve to be killed, but I will not execute you now, because you were the one who supervised the men who carried Yahweh's sacred chest for David my father, and you endured all the troubles that my father endured."
\v 27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being the priest of Yahweh. By doing that he caused to happen what Yahweh had said many years previously at Shiloh, that some day he would get rid of the descendants of Eli.
\s5
\p
\v 28 Joab had not supported Absalom when he tried to become the king, but he had supported Adonijah. So when Joab heard what had happened, he ran to the sacred tent, and he took hold of the altar because he thought that no one would kill him there.
\v 29 When someone told Solomon that Joab had run to the sacred tent and was alongside the altar, Solomon told Benaiah, "Go and execute Joab."
\s5
\p
\v 30 So Benaiah went to the sacred tent and said to Joab, "The king commands that you come out." But Joab replied, "No, I will die here." So Benaiah went back to the king and reported what he had said to Joab, and what Joab had replied.
\p
\v 31 The king replied to him, "Do what he has requested. Kill him and bury his body. If you do that, I and my descendants will no longer be punished for what Joab did when he killed two men who were innocent.
\s5
\v 32 But I hope that Yahweh will punish Joab for attacking and killing Abner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the commander of the army of Judah, who were both much better men than he is. My father David did not even know that Joab was planning to murder them.
\v 33 I hope that Yahweh will punish Joab and his descendants forever for his murdering Abner and Amasa. But I hope that things will go well forever for David's descendants who rule as he did."
\s5
\p
\v 34 So Benaiah went into the sacred tent and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the wilderness of Judah.
\v 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to be the commander of the army instead of Joab, and he appointed Zadok to be the priest instead of Abiathar.
\s5
\p
\v 36 Then the king sent a messenger to summon Shimei, and the king said to him, "Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Remain there and do not leave the city to go anywhere.
\v 37 Be sure that the day that you leave Jerusalem and go across the Kidron Brook, you will be executed, and it will be your own fault."
\p
\v 38 Shimei replied, "Your Majesty, what you say is good. I will do what you have said." So Shimei remained in Jerusalem for several years.
\s5
\p
\v 39 But three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran away. They went to stay with Maacah's son Achish, the king of the city of Gath. When someone told Shimei that they were in Gath,
\v 40 he put a saddle on his donkey and got on the donkey and went to Gath. He found his slaves staying with King Achish and brought them back home.
\s5
\p
\v 41 But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.
\v 42 So the king sent a soldier to summon Shimei and said to him, "I told you to solemnly promise, knowing that Yahweh was listening, that you must not leave Jerusalem. I told you, 'Be sure that if you ever leave Jerusalem, you will be executed.' And you replied to me, 'What you have said is good; I will do what you have said.'
\s5
\v 43 So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?"
\p
\v 44 The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your inner being all the evil things that you did to my father David. So Yahweh will now punish you for the evil things that you did.
\s5
\v 45 But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David's descendants to rule forever."
\p
\v 46 Then the king gave a command to Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He went out and put Shimei to death.
\p So Solomon obtained complete control of the kingdom.
\s5
\c 2
\p
\v 1 When David knew that he was about to die, he gave these final instructions to his son Solomon:
\p
\v 2 "I am about to die, as everyone else on earth does. Be courageous and conduct yourself as man should.
\v 3 Do what Yahweh our God tells you to do. Conduct yourself as he wants you to do. Obey all of his laws and commands and decrees and instructions that are written in the laws that Moses gave us. Do this in order that you will prosper in all that you do and wherever you go.
\v 4 If you continually do that, Yahweh will do what he promised me. He said, 'If your descendants do what I tell them to do, and faithfully obey my commands with all their inner beings, they will always be the ones who will rule Israel.'
\s5
\p
\v 5 There is something else that I want you to do. You know what Joab did to me. He killed my two army commanders, Abner and Amasa. He murdered them violently. He is guilty of murder.
\v 6 Because you are wise, do to him what you think is best for you to do, but do not allow him to become old and die peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 7 But act kindly toward the sons of Barzillai, the man from the region of Gilead, and be sure that they always have enough food to eat. Do that because Barzillai helped me when I was running away from your older brother Absalom.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Also, you remember Gera's son Shimei from the town of Bahurim in the area where the descendants of Benjamin live. You know what he did to me. He cursed me terribly on the day I left Jerusalem and went to the town of Mahanaim. But when he later came down to see me when I was crossing the Jordan River, I solemnly promised, while Yahweh listened, that I would not cause him to be executed.
\v 9 But now you must surely punish him. You are a wise man, so you will know what you should do to him. He is an old man, but be sure that his blood flows when he dies ."
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then David died and was buried in that part of Jerusalem which was called the city of David.
\v 11 David had been king of Israel for forty years. He ruled for seven years in Hebron and for thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
\v 12 Solomon became the ruler to take the place of his father David and took control of all of the kingdom.
\s5
\p
\v 13 One day Adonijah came to Solomon's mother Bathsheba. She said to him, "Have you come because you want things to go well?" He replied, "Yes."
\p
\v 14 But then he said, "I have something to request you to do." She said, "Tell me what you want me to do."
\p
\v 15 He said, "You know that all the Israelite people expected me to be their king because I am David's oldest son. But that did not happen. Instead, my younger brother became king, because that is what Yahweh wanted.
\s5
\v 16 Now I have one thing that I request you to do. Please do not refuse to do it." She replied, "Tell me what you want me to do."
\p
\v 17 He said, "Please ask King Solomon to give to me Abishag, the woman from the town of Shunem, to be my wife. I am sure that he will not refuse."
\p
\v 18 Bathsheba replied, "Very well, I will speak to the king for you."
\s5
\p
\v 19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon. The king got up from his throne and went to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne again and asked someone to bring a chair for her. So she sat down at the king's right side.
\p
\v 20 Then she said, "I have one small thing that I want you do. Please do not say that you will not do it." The king replied, "Mother, what do you want? I will not refuse you."
\p
\v 21 She said, "Allow Abishag to be given to your older brother Adonijah to be his wife."
\s5
\p
\v 22 The king replied angrily, "What? Are you requesting me to give Abishag to Adonijah? Does he want me to allow him to rule the kingdom, too? Because he is my older brother, does he think that he should be the king? Does he think that Abiathar should be the priest instead of Zadok, and that Joab should be the army commander instead of Benaiah because they supported him when he tried to become the king?"
\p
\v 23 Then Solomon solemnly promised, requesting Yahweh to listen, "I wish God to strike me and kill me if I do not cause Adonijah to be executed for requesting this!
\s5
\v 24 Yahweh has appointed me to be the king and placed me here to rule as my father David did. He has promised that my descendants will be the kings of Israel. So just as surely as Yahweh lives, I solemnly promise that Adonijah will be executed today!"
\v 25 So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to go and kill Adonijah, and Benaiah did that.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Then Solomon said to Abiathar the priest, "Go to the town of Anathoth, to your land there. You deserve to be killed, but I will not execute you now, because you were the one who supervised the men who carried Yahweh's sacred chest for David my father, and you endured all the troubles that my father endured."
\v 27 So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being the priest of Yahweh. By doing that he caused to happen what Yahweh had said many years previously at Shiloh, that some day he would get rid of the descendants of Eli.
\s5
\p
\v 28 Joab had not supported Absalom when he tried to become the king, but he had supported Adonijah. So when Joab heard what had happened, he ran to the sacred tent, and he took hold of the altar because he thought that no one would kill him there.
\v 29 When someone told Solomon that Joab had run to the sacred tent and was alongside the altar, Solomon told Benaiah, "Go and execute Joab."
\s5
\p
\v 30 So Benaiah went to the sacred tent and said to Joab, "The king commands that you come out." But Joab replied, "No, I will die here." So Benaiah went back to the king and reported what he had said to Joab, and what Joab had replied.
\p
\v 31 The king replied to him, "Do what he has requested. Kill him and bury his body. If you do that, I and my descendants will no longer be punished for what Joab did when he killed two men who were innocent.
\s5
\v 32 But I hope that Yahweh will punish Joab for attacking and killing Abner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa, the commander of the army of Judah, who were both much better men than he is. My father David did not even know that Joab was planning to murder them.
\v 33 I hope that Yahweh will punish Joab and his descendants forever for his murdering Abner and Amasa. But I hope that things will go well forever for David's descendants who rule as he did."
\s5
\p
\v 34 So Benaiah went into the sacred tent and killed Joab. Joab was buried on his property in the wilderness of Judah.
\v 35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to be the commander of the army instead of Joab, and he appointed Zadok to be the priest instead of Abiathar.
\s5
\p
\v 36 Then the king sent a messenger to summon Shimei, and the king said to him, "Build a house for yourself here in Jerusalem. Remain there and do not leave the city to go anywhere.
\v 37 Be sure that the day that you leave Jerusalem and go across the Kidron Brook, you will be executed, and it will be your own fault."
\p
\v 38 Shimei replied, "Your Majesty, what you say is good. I will do what you have said." So Shimei remained in Jerusalem for several years.
\s5
\p
\v 39 But three years later, two of Shimei's slaves ran away. They went to stay with Maacah's son Achish, the king of the city of Gath. When someone told Shimei that they were in Gath,
\v 40 he put a saddle on his donkey and got on the donkey and went to Gath. He found his slaves staying with King Achish and brought them back home.
\s5
\p
\v 41 But someone told King Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned.
\v 42 So the king sent a soldier to summon Shimei and said to him, "I told you to solemnly promise, knowing that Yahweh was listening, that you must not leave Jerusalem. I told you, 'Be sure that if you ever leave Jerusalem, you will be executed.' And you replied to me, 'What you have said is good; I will do what you have said.'
\s5
\v 43 So why did you not do what you solemnly promised to Yahweh? Why did you disobey what I commanded you?"
\p
\v 44 The king also said to Shimei, "You know in your inner being all the evil things that you did to my father David. So Yahweh will now punish you for the evil things that you did.
\s5
\v 45 But Yahweh will bless me, and he will enable David's descendants to rule forever."
\p
\v 46 Then the king gave a command to Benaiah son of Jehoiada. He went out and put Shimei to death.
\p So Solomon obtained complete control of the kingdom.
\s5
@ -1189,87 +1189,87 @@
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 One day a prophet, obeying what Yahweh commanded him to do, went from Judah north to Bethel. He arrived there right at the time that Jeroboam was standing at the altar, ready to burn incense.
\v 2 Saying what Yahweh told him to say, the prophet shouted, "This is what Yahweh says about this altar, 'I want you to know that some day a descendant of King David will be born. His name will be Josiah, and he will come here. He will slaughter at this altar the priests who are burning incense for sacrifices on the hills in this area, and he will burn the bones of dead people on this altar.'"
\v 3 Then the prophet also said, "This is what will prove to you that Yahweh has said this: This altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be scattered."
\s5
\p
\v 4 When King Jeroboam heard the prophet say that, he pointed his finger at him and said to his servants, "Seize that man!" But immediately the king's arm became paralyzed, with the result that he could not move it.
\v 5 (The altar split apart, and the ashes spilled out on the ground, which is what the prophet said that Yahweh had predicted would happen.)
\s5
\p
\v 6 Then the king said to the prophet, "Please pray that Yahweh will be merciful to me and heal my arm!" So the prophet prayed, and Yahweh completely healed the king's arm.
\p
\v 7 Then the king said to the prophet, "Come home with me and eat some food. And I will also give you a reward for what you have done!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 But the prophet replied, "Even if you would promise to give me half of everything that you own, I will not go with you, and I will not eat or drink anything with you here,
\v 9 because Yahweh commanded me not to eat or drink anything here. He also commanded me not to return home on the road on which I came here."
\v 10 So he started to return home, but he did not go on the road on which he came to Bethel. He went on a different road.
\s5
\p
\v 11 At that time there was an old man living in Bethel who was also a prophet. His sons came and told him what the prophet from Judah had done there on that day, and they also told him what the prophet had said to the king.
\v 12 Their father said, "On which road did he go?" So his sons showed him the road on which the prophet from Judah had gone when he left Bethel.
\v 13 Then he said to his sons, "Put a saddle on my donkey." So they did that, and he got on the donkey.
\s5
\v 14 He went along the road to find the prophet from Judah. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He said to him, "Are you the prophet who came from Judah?" He replied, "Yes, I am."
\p
\v 15 The old prophet said to him, "Come home with me and eat some food."
\p
\v 16 He replied, "No, I am not allowed to go with you into your house, or to eat or drink anything with you,
\v 17 because Yahweh told me, 'Do not eat or drink anything here, and do not return home on the road on which you came.'"
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then the old prophet said to him, "I also am a prophet, like you are. Yahweh sent an angel to tell me that I should take you home with me and give you some food and drink." But the old man was lying when he said that.
\v 19 But because of what the old prophet said, the prophet from Judah returned with him to his home and ate some food and drank some water with him.
\s5
\p
\v 20 While they were sitting at the table, Yahweh spoke to the old man.
\v 21 Then he cried out to the prophet from Judah, "This is what Yahweh says: 'You have disobeyed him, and you have not done what he commanded you to do.
\v 22 Instead, you have come back here and had things to eat and drink in a place where he commanded you not to do that. As a result, you will be killed, and your body will not be buried in the grave where your ancestors are buried.'"
\s5
\p
\v 23 When they had finished eating, the old man put a saddle on the donkey for the prophet from Judah, and the prophet from Judah left.
\v 24 But as he was going, a lion met him and killed him. The prophet's corpse was lying on the road; the donkey was standing beside it, and the lion was also standing beside the corpse.
\v 25 Some men passed by and were surprised to see the corpse on the road and the lion standing next to the corpse. So they went into Bethel and reported what they had seen.
\s5
\p
\v 26 When the old man who had brought the prophet from Judah to his home heard about it, he said, "That is the prophet who disobeyed what Yahweh told him to do! That is why Yahweh allowed the lion to attack him and kill him. That is what Yahweh said would happen!"
\p
\v 27 Then he said to his sons, "Put a saddle on my donkey." So they did that.
\v 28 Then he rode on the donkey and found the prophet's corpse on the road, and his donkey and the lion were still standing there alongside the corpse. But the lion had not eaten any of the flesh of the prophet and had not attacked the donkey.
\s5
\v 29 The old man picked up the corpse of the prophet and put it on his donkey and brought it back to Bethel, in order to mourn for him and to bury his corpse.
\v 30 He buried the prophet's corpse in the grave where other people in his family had been buried. Then he and his sons mourned about him, saying, "We are very sorry, my brother!"
\s5
\p
\v 31 After they had buried him, the old man said to his sons, "When I die, bury my corpse in the grave where we buried the prophet from Judah. Lay my corpse next to his corpse.
\v 32 And do not forget what he said, things that Yahweh told him to say about the altar in Bethel, and what Yahweh told him to say about the places where they worshiped idols on the hills around the towns in Samaria. Those things will surely happen."
\s5
\p
\v 33 But King Jeroboam still did not stop continuing to do the evil things that he was doing. Instead, he appointed more priests from men who were not descended from Levi. He appointed as priest anyone who agreed to become one, in order that he could offer sacrifices on the hilltops.
\v 34 Because he committed that sin, a few years later God got rid of most of Jeroboam's descendants and did not allow them to become kings of Israel.
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 One day a prophet, obeying what Yahweh commanded him to do, went from Judah north to Bethel. He arrived there right at the time that Jeroboam was standing at the altar, ready to burn incense.
\v 2 Saying what Yahweh told him to say, the prophet shouted, "This is what Yahweh says about this altar, 'I want you to know that some day a descendant of King David will be born. His name will be Josiah, and he will come here. He will slaughter at this altar the priests who are burning incense for sacrifices on the hills in this area, and he will burn the bones of dead people on this altar.'"
\v 3 Then the prophet also said, "This is what will prove to you that Yahweh has said this: This altar will be split apart, and the ashes that are on it will be scattered."
\s5
\p
\v 4 When King Jeroboam heard the prophet say that, he pointed his finger at him and said to his servants, "Seize that man!" But immediately the king's arm became paralyzed, with the result that he could not move it.
\v 5 (The altar split apart, and the ashes spilled out on the ground, which is what the prophet said that Yahweh had predicted would happen.)
\s5
\p
\v 6 Then the king said to the prophet, "Please pray that Yahweh will be merciful to me and heal my arm!" So the prophet prayed, and Yahweh completely healed the king's arm.
\p
\v 7 Then the king said to the prophet, "Come home with me and eat some food. And I will also give you a reward for what you have done!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 But the prophet replied, "Even if you would promise to give me half of everything that you own, I will not go with you, and I will not eat or drink anything with you here,
\v 9 because Yahweh commanded me not to eat or drink anything here. He also commanded me not to return home on the road on which I came here."
\v 10 So he started to return home, but he did not go on the road on which he came to Bethel. He went on a different road.
\s5
\p
\v 11 At that time there was an old man living in Bethel who was also a prophet. His sons came and told him what the prophet from Judah had done there on that day, and they also told him what the prophet had said to the king.
\v 12 Their father said, "On which road did he go?" So his sons showed him the road on which the prophet from Judah had gone when he left Bethel.
\v 13 Then he said to his sons, "Put a saddle on my donkey." So they did that, and he got on the donkey.
\s5
\v 14 He went along the road to find the prophet from Judah. He found him sitting under an oak tree. He said to him, "Are you the prophet who came from Judah?" He replied, "Yes, I am."
\p
\v 15 The old prophet said to him, "Come home with me and eat some food."
\p
\v 16 He replied, "No, I am not allowed to go with you into your house, or to eat or drink anything with you,
\v 17 because Yahweh told me, 'Do not eat or drink anything here, and do not return home on the road on which you came.'"
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then the old prophet said to him, "I also am a prophet, like you are. Yahweh sent an angel to tell me that I should take you home with me and give you some food and drink." But the old man was lying when he said that.
\v 19 But because of what the old prophet said, the prophet from Judah returned with him to his home and ate some food and drank some water with him.
\s5
\p
\v 20 While they were sitting at the table, Yahweh spoke to the old man.
\v 21 Then he cried out to the prophet from Judah, "This is what Yahweh says: 'You have disobeyed him, and you have not done what he commanded you to do.
\v 22 Instead, you have come back here and had things to eat and drink in a place where he commanded you not to do that. As a result, you will be killed, and your body will not be buried in the grave where your ancestors are buried.'"
\s5
\p
\v 23 When they had finished eating, the old man put a saddle on the donkey for the prophet from Judah, and the prophet from Judah left.
\v 24 But as he was going, a lion met him and killed him. The prophet's corpse was lying on the road; the donkey was standing beside it, and the lion was also standing beside the corpse.
\v 25 Some men passed by and were surprised to see the corpse on the road and the lion standing next to the corpse. So they went into Bethel and reported what they had seen.
\s5
\p
\v 26 When the old man who had brought the prophet from Judah to his home heard about it, he said, "That is the prophet who disobeyed what Yahweh told him to do! That is why Yahweh allowed the lion to attack him and kill him. That is what Yahweh said would happen!"
\p
\v 27 Then he said to his sons, "Put a saddle on my donkey." So they did that.
\v 28 Then he rode on the donkey and found the prophet's corpse on the road, and his donkey and the lion were still standing there alongside the corpse. But the lion had not eaten any of the flesh of the prophet and had not attacked the donkey.
\s5
\v 29 The old man picked up the corpse of the prophet and put it on his donkey and brought it back to Bethel, in order to mourn for him and to bury his corpse.
\v 30 He buried the prophet's corpse in the grave where other people in his family had been buried. Then he and his sons mourned about him, saying, "We are very sorry, my brother!"
\s5
\p
\v 31 After they had buried him, the old man said to his sons, "When I die, bury my corpse in the grave where we buried the prophet from Judah. Lay my corpse next to his corpse.
\v 32 And do not forget what he said, things that Yahweh told him to say about the altar in Bethel, and what Yahweh told him to say about the places where they worshiped idols on the hills around the towns in Samaria. Those things will surely happen."
\s5
\p
\v 33 But King Jeroboam still did not stop continuing to do the evil things that he was doing. Instead, he appointed more priests from men who were not descended from Levi. He appointed as priest anyone who agreed to become one, in order that he could offer sacrifices on the hilltops.
\v 34 Because he committed that sin, a few years later God got rid of most of Jeroboam's descendants and did not allow them to become kings of Israel.
\s5
@ -1584,125 +1584,125 @@
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 For almost three years there was no rain in Samaria. Then Yahweh said this to Elijah: "Go and meet with King Ahab and tell him that I will soon send rain."
\v 2 So Elijah went to talk to Ahab.
\p In Samaria there was almost no food for anyone to eat.
\s5
\v 3 There was a man there named Obadiah. He was in charge of the king's palace. He greatly revered Yahweh.
\v 4 One time when Queen Jezebel had tried to kill all Yahweh's prophets, Obadiah hid a hundred of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave, and he brought food and water to them.
\s5
\p
\v 5 By this time, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. So Ahab summoned Obadiah and said to him, "We must look near every spring and in every valley to see if we can find enough grass to give to some of my horses and mules, so that they will not all die."
\v 6 So they both started walking through the land. Obadiah went by himself in one direction, and Ahab went in another direction by himself.
\s5
\p
\v 7 While Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized Elijah and bowed down in front of him and said, "Is it really you, Elijah, my master?"
\p
\v 8 Elijah replied, "Yes. Now go and tell Ahab your master that I am here."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Obadiah objected. He said, "Sir, I have not harmed you at all. So why are you sending me back to Ahab? He will kill me!
\v 10 Yahweh your God knows that I am telling the truth when I solemnly declare that King Ahab has searched in every kingdom to find you. Each time that some king said to him, 'Elijah is not here,' Ahab demanded that the king of that country solemnly swear that the king was telling the truth.
\v 11 Now you say to me, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here!'
\s5
\v 12 But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you away, and I will not know where he will take you. So when I tell Ahab that you are here and he comes to me and he does not find you here, he will kill me! But I do not deserve to die because I have revered Yahweh since I was a boy.
\v 13 My master, have you not heard about what I did when Jezebel wanted to kill all of Yahweh's prophets? I hid a hundred of them in two caves and took food and water to them.
\s5
\v 14 Now, sir, you say, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here.' But if I do that, and he comes and you are not here, he will kill me!"
\p
\v 15 But Elijah replied, "Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the one whom I serve, knows that I am telling the truth as I solemnly declare that I will go to meet with Ahab today."
\s5
\p
\v 16 So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come. Ahab went to meet with him.
\v 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, the one who causes trouble for the people of Israel?"
\s5
\p
\v 18 Elijah replied, "It is not I who have caused trouble for the people of Israel! You and your family are the ones who have caused trouble! You have refused to obey Yahweh's commands, and you have worshiped the idols of Baal instead.
\v 19 So now, command all the Israelite people to come to Mount Carmel, and be sure to bring all the 450 prophets who worship Baal and the four hundred prophets who worship the goddess Asherah, the ones to whom your wife Jezebel always invites to eat with her."
\s5
\p
\v 20 So Ahab summoned all his prophets and all the other Israelite people to the top of Mount Carmel, and Elijah went up there too.
\v 21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How long are you going to be undecided about who is truly God? If Yahweh is God, then worship him. If Baal is truly God, then worship him!" But the people said nothing in reply, because they were afraid of what Jezebel would do to them if they admitted that they worshiped Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only true prophet of Yahweh who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.
\v 23 Bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose the one that they want. They must kill it and cut it into pieces and lay the pieces on the wood that is on the altar that they made. But they must not light a fire under the wood. I will kill the other bull and cut it in pieces and lay the pieces on the altar that I make.
\v 24 Then they must call to their god, and I will call to Yahweh. The god who answers by lighting a fire to the wood that is on that altar is the true God!"
\p Then all the people thought that Elijah's suggestion was good.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You call to Baal first, because there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it, and then call to your god. But do not light a fire under the wood!"
\v 26 So they killed one of the bulls and cut it up and placed the pieces on the altar. Then they called out to Baal all morning. They shouted, "Baal, answer us!" But no one answered. There was no reply at all .
\p Then they danced wildly around the altar that they had made.
\s5
\p
\v 27 About noontime, Elijah started to make fun of them. He said, "Surely Baal is a god, so it seems that you must shout louder! Perhaps he is thinking about something, or perhaps he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he is traveling somewhere, or perhaps he is asleep and you need to wake him up!"
\v 28 So they shouted louder. Then, doing one of the things that they frequently did when they worshiped Baal, they slashed themselves with knives and swords until a lot of blood flowed.
\v 29 They continued calling out to Baal all afternoon. But there was no voice that gave a reply, no answer, no god who paid attention.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Then Elijah called to the people saying, "Come closer!" So they all crowded around him. Then Elijah repaired the altar of Yahweh that had been ruined by the prophets of Baal.
\v 31 Then he took twelve large stones, each one to represent one of the Israelite tribes, whose ancestors were the twelve sons of Jacob.
\v 32 With these stones he rebuilt Yahweh's altar. Then around the altar he dug a little ditch that was large enough to hold about fifteen liters of water.
\s5
\v 33 He piled wood on top of the stones. He killed the bull and cut it in pieces. Then he laid the pieces on top of the wood. Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water on top of the pieces of meat and the wood." So they did that.
\p
\v 34 Then he said, "Do the same thing again!" So they did it again. Then he said, "Do it a third time!" So they did it again.
\p
\v 35 As a result, the water flowed down below the altar and filled the ditches.
\s5
\p
\v 36 When it was time to offer the evening sacrifices, Elijah walked close to the altar and prayed. He said, "Yahweh, you who are the God that our ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob worshiped, prove today that you are the God whom the Israelite people should worship, and prove that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all these things because you told me to do them.
\v 37 Yahweh, answer me! Answer me in order that these people will know that you, Yahweh, are God and that you have caused them to trust in you again!"
\s5
\p
\v 38 Immediately a fire from Yahweh flashed down from the sky. The fire burned up the pieces of meat, the wood, the stones, and the dirt that was around the altar. It even dried up all the water in the ditch!
\p
\v 39 When the people saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted, "Yahweh is God! Yahweh is God!"
\p
\v 40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize all the prophets of Baal! Do not allow any of them to escape!" So the people seized all the prophets of Baal, and took them down the mountain to the brook of Kishon, and Elijah killed them all there.
\s5
\p
\v 41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go and get something to eat and drink. But do it quickly, because it is soon going to rain very hard!"
\v 42 So Ahab and his men left to prepare a big meal. But Elijah went back up to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed.
\s5
\p
\v 43 Then he said to his servant, "Go and look out toward the sea, to see if there are any rain clouds." So his servant went and looked, and came back and said, "I do not see anything." This happened six times.
\v 44 But when the servant went the seventh time, he came back and said, "I saw a very small cloud above the sea. As I extend my arm, the cloud is about the size of my hand."
\p Then Elijah shouted to him, "Go and tell King Ahab to get his chariot ready and go home immediately! If he does not do that, the rain will stop him!"
\s5
\v 45 Very soon the sky was full of black clouds. There was a strong wind, and then it began to rain very hard. Ahab got into his chariot and started to return to the city of Jezreel.
\v 46 Yahweh gave extra strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt in order to run fast, and he ran ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to Jezreel.
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 For almost three years there was no rain in Samaria. Then Yahweh said this to Elijah: "Go and meet with King Ahab and tell him that I will soon send rain."
\v 2 So Elijah went to talk to Ahab.
\p In Samaria there was almost no food for anyone to eat.
\s5
\v 3 There was a man there named Obadiah. He was in charge of the king's palace. He greatly revered Yahweh.
\v 4 One time when Queen Jezebel had tried to kill all Yahweh's prophets, Obadiah hid a hundred of them in two caves. He put fifty prophets in each cave, and he brought food and water to them.
\s5
\p
\v 5 By this time, the famine had become very severe in Samaria. So Ahab summoned Obadiah and said to him, "We must look near every spring and in every valley to see if we can find enough grass to give to some of my horses and mules, so that they will not all die."
\v 6 So they both started walking through the land. Obadiah went by himself in one direction, and Ahab went in another direction by himself.
\s5
\p
\v 7 While Obadiah was walking along, he saw Elijah coming toward him. Obadiah recognized Elijah and bowed down in front of him and said, "Is it really you, Elijah, my master?"
\p
\v 8 Elijah replied, "Yes. Now go and tell Ahab your master that I am here."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Obadiah objected. He said, "Sir, I have not harmed you at all. So why are you sending me back to Ahab? He will kill me!
\v 10 Yahweh your God knows that I am telling the truth when I solemnly declare that King Ahab has searched in every kingdom to find you. Each time that some king said to him, 'Elijah is not here,' Ahab demanded that the king of that country solemnly swear that the king was telling the truth.
\v 11 Now you say to me, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here!'
\s5
\v 12 But as soon as I leave you, the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you away, and I will not know where he will take you. So when I tell Ahab that you are here and he comes to me and he does not find you here, he will kill me! But I do not deserve to die because I have revered Yahweh since I was a boy.
\v 13 My master, have you not heard about what I did when Jezebel wanted to kill all of Yahweh's prophets? I hid a hundred of them in two caves and took food and water to them.
\s5
\v 14 Now, sir, you say, 'Go and tell your master that Elijah is here.' But if I do that, and he comes and you are not here, he will kill me!"
\p
\v 15 But Elijah replied, "Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the one whom I serve, knows that I am telling the truth as I solemnly declare that I will go to meet with Ahab today."
\s5
\p
\v 16 So Obadiah went to tell Ahab that Elijah had come. Ahab went to meet with him.
\v 17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, "Is that you, the one who causes trouble for the people of Israel?"
\s5
\p
\v 18 Elijah replied, "It is not I who have caused trouble for the people of Israel! You and your family are the ones who have caused trouble! You have refused to obey Yahweh's commands, and you have worshiped the idols of Baal instead.
\v 19 So now, command all the Israelite people to come to Mount Carmel, and be sure to bring all the 450 prophets who worship Baal and the four hundred prophets who worship the goddess Asherah, the ones to whom your wife Jezebel always invites to eat with her."
\s5
\p
\v 20 So Ahab summoned all his prophets and all the other Israelite people to the top of Mount Carmel, and Elijah went up there too.
\v 21 Then Elijah stood in front of them and said, "How long are you going to be undecided about who is truly God? If Yahweh is God, then worship him. If Baal is truly God, then worship him!" But the people said nothing in reply, because they were afraid of what Jezebel would do to them if they admitted that they worshiped Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only true prophet of Yahweh who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.
\v 23 Bring two bulls. The prophets of Baal may choose the one that they want. They must kill it and cut it into pieces and lay the pieces on the wood that is on the altar that they made. But they must not light a fire under the wood. I will kill the other bull and cut it in pieces and lay the pieces on the altar that I make.
\v 24 Then they must call to their god, and I will call to Yahweh. The god who answers by lighting a fire to the wood that is on that altar is the true God!"
\p Then all the people thought that Elijah's suggestion was good.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, "You call to Baal first, because there are many of you. Choose one of the bulls and prepare it, and then call to your god. But do not light a fire under the wood!"
\v 26 So they killed one of the bulls and cut it up and placed the pieces on the altar. Then they called out to Baal all morning. They shouted, "Baal, answer us!" But no one answered. There was no reply at all .
\p Then they danced wildly around the altar that they had made.
\s5
\p
\v 27 About noontime, Elijah started to make fun of them. He said, "Surely Baal is a god, so it seems that you must shout louder! Perhaps he is thinking about something, or perhaps he has gone to the toilet. Or perhaps he is traveling somewhere, or perhaps he is asleep and you need to wake him up!"
\v 28 So they shouted louder. Then, doing one of the things that they frequently did when they worshiped Baal, they slashed themselves with knives and swords until a lot of blood flowed.
\v 29 They continued calling out to Baal all afternoon. But there was no voice that gave a reply, no answer, no god who paid attention.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Then Elijah called to the people saying, "Come closer!" So they all crowded around him. Then Elijah repaired the altar of Yahweh that had been ruined by the prophets of Baal.
\v 31 Then he took twelve large stones, each one to represent one of the Israelite tribes, whose ancestors were the twelve sons of Jacob.
\v 32 With these stones he rebuilt Yahweh's altar. Then around the altar he dug a little ditch that was large enough to hold about fifteen liters of water.
\s5
\v 33 He piled wood on top of the stones. He killed the bull and cut it in pieces. Then he laid the pieces on top of the wood. Then he said, "Fill four large jars with water, and pour the water on top of the pieces of meat and the wood." So they did that.
\p
\v 34 Then he said, "Do the same thing again!" So they did it again. Then he said, "Do it a third time!" So they did it again.
\p
\v 35 As a result, the water flowed down below the altar and filled the ditches.
\s5
\p
\v 36 When it was time to offer the evening sacrifices, Elijah walked close to the altar and prayed. He said, "Yahweh, you who are the God that our ancestors Abraham and Isaac and Jacob worshiped, prove today that you are the God whom the Israelite people should worship, and prove that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all these things because you told me to do them.
\v 37 Yahweh, answer me! Answer me in order that these people will know that you, Yahweh, are God and that you have caused them to trust in you again!"
\s5
\p
\v 38 Immediately a fire from Yahweh flashed down from the sky. The fire burned up the pieces of meat, the wood, the stones, and the dirt that was around the altar. It even dried up all the water in the ditch!
\p
\v 39 When the people saw that, they prostrated themselves on the ground and shouted, "Yahweh is God! Yahweh is God!"
\p
\v 40 Then Elijah commanded them, "Seize all the prophets of Baal! Do not allow any of them to escape!" So the people seized all the prophets of Baal, and took them down the mountain to the brook of Kishon, and Elijah killed them all there.
\s5
\p
\v 41 Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go and get something to eat and drink. But do it quickly, because it is soon going to rain very hard!"
\v 42 So Ahab and his men left to prepare a big meal. But Elijah went back up to the top of Mount Carmel and prayed.
\s5
\p
\v 43 Then he said to his servant, "Go and look out toward the sea, to see if there are any rain clouds." So his servant went and looked, and came back and said, "I do not see anything." This happened six times.
\v 44 But when the servant went the seventh time, he came back and said, "I saw a very small cloud above the sea. As I extend my arm, the cloud is about the size of my hand."
\p Then Elijah shouted to him, "Go and tell King Ahab to get his chariot ready and go home immediately! If he does not do that, the rain will stop him!"
\s5
\v 45 Very soon the sky was full of black clouds. There was a strong wind, and then it began to rain very hard. Ahab got into his chariot and started to return to the city of Jezreel.
\v 46 Yahweh gave extra strength to Elijah. He tucked his cloak into his belt in order to run fast, and he ran ahead of Ahab's chariot all the way to Jezreel.
\s5
@ -1881,215 +1881,215 @@
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 King Ahab had a palace in the city of Jezreel. Near the palace was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth.
\v 2 One day, Ahab went to Naboth and said to him, "Your vineyard is close to my palace. I would like to buy it, so that I can plant some vegetables there. I will give you in exchange a better vineyard somewhere else, or if you prefer, I will pay you for your vineyard."
\s5
\p
\v 3 But Naboth replied, "That land belonged to my ancestors, so I want to keep it. I hope that Yahweh will never allow me to give that land to you!"
\p
\v 4 So Ahab became very sullen and angry because of what Naboth had said. He went home and lay down on his bed. He turned his face toward the wall, and he refused to eat anything.
\s5
\p
\v 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so depressed? Why are you refusing to eat anything?"
\p
\v 6 Ahab replied, "I talked to Naboth, that man from Jezreel. I told him that I wanted his vineyard. I said, 'I will buy it from you, or I will give you another vineyard for it.' But he refused to let me have it."
\p
\v 7 His wife replied, "You are the king of Israel, so you can get whatever you want! Get up, and eat some food and do not worry about what Naboth said. I will get Naboth's vineyard for you."
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Jezebel wrote some letters, and she signed Ahab's name on them. She used his official seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and other important men who lived near Naboth and who decided public matters with him.
\v 9 This is what she wrote in the letters: "Proclaim a day when all the people will gather together and fast. Give to Naboth an important place to sit among them.
\v 10 Then find two men who always cause trouble. Give them places to sit opposite him. Tell these men to testify that they heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him by throwing stones at him."
\s5
\p
\v 11 The leaders received the letters and did what Jezebel had written in the letters for them to do.
\v 12 They declared a day on which the people would all go without food. And they gave Naboth a seat in a place where honored people sat, in front of the people.
\v 13 Two men who always caused trouble sat opposite Naboth. While everyone was listening, they stated that they had heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. So the people seized Naboth. They took him outside the city and killed him by throwing stones at him.
\v 14 Then those leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying, "We have executed Naboth."
\s5
\p
\v 15 When Jezebel found out that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab, "Naboth is dead. Now you can go and take possession of the vineyard that he refused to sell to you."
\v 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to claim that he now owned it.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Then Yahweh spoke to Elijah the prophet. He said,
\v 18 "Go to Samaria and talk to Ahab, the king of Israel. He is in the vineyard of a man named Naboth. He has gone there to claim that he now owns it.
\s5
\v 19 Tell Ahab that this is what I, Yahweh, say to him, 'You have murdered Naboth and taken his land. So I am telling you this. In the same place where Naboth died and dogs came and licked up Naboth's blood, you will die and the dogs will lick up your blood, too!'"
\p
\v 20 So when Elijah met with Ahab, Ahab said to him, "You, my enemy, have found me!" Elijah answered, "Yes, I have found you. You have never stopped doing the things that Yahweh says are wrong.
\s5
\p
\v 21 So this is what Yahweh says to you, 'I will soon get rid of you. I will kill you, and I will also kill every male in your household, including those who are slaves and those who are not slaves.
\v 22 Your family will all be killed, just like the family of King Jeroboam and like the family of King Baasha were killed. I will get rid of you because you have caused me to become very angry, and you have also induced the Israelite people to sin.'
\s5
\p
\v 23 Yahweh has also told me that your wife Jezebel will be killed, and dogs in Jezreel will eat her body.
\v 24 The dead bodies of the members of your family who die in this city will not be buried. They will be eaten by dogs, and the bodies of those who die in the fields will be eaten by vultures."
\s5
\p
\v 25 There was no man who gave himself as completely to do things that Yahweh said were evil like Ahab did. But his wife Jezebel urged him to do many of those things.
\v 26 The most disgusting thing that Ahab did was to worship idols, just like the Amor people group had done. And that is why Yahweh took their land from them and gave it to the Israelites.
\s5
\p
\v 27 After Elijah finished talking to Ahab, Ahab tore his clothes to show that he was sorry for all the sins that he had committed. He put on rough clothes that were made from sacks, and he refused to eat anything. He even wore those rough clothes made from sacks when he slept, to show that he was sorry.
\p
\v 28 Then Yahweh said this to Elijah,
\v 29 "I have seen that Ahab is now very sorry for all the evil things that he has done. So the things that I promised to do to his family will not happen while he is still alive. I will cause them to happen after his son becomes king. Then those things will happen to his family."
\s5
\c 22
\p
\v 1 For almost three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.
\v 2 Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to visit King Ahab, who ruled Israel.
\s5
\v 3 While they were talking, Ahab said to his officials, "Do you realize that the Arameans are still occupying our city of Ramoth in the region of Gilead? And we are doing nothing to retake that city!"
\v 4 Then he turned toward Jehoshaphat and asked, "Will your army join my army to fight against the people of Ramoth and retake that city?"
\p Jehoshaphat replied, "Certainly! I will do whatever you want, and you may command my troops. You may take my horses into battle, also."
\s5
\v 5 Then he added, "But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do."
\v 6 So Ahab summoned about four hundred of his prophets together, and he asked them, "Should my army go to fight the people in Ramoth and retake that city, or not?"
\p They answered, "Yes, go and attack them, because God will enable your army to defeat them."
\s5
\p
\v 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?"
\p
\v 8 The king of Israel replied, "There is one other man we can ask. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him, because when he prophesies he never says that anything good will happen to me. He always predicts that bad things will happen to me."
\p Jehoshaphat replied, "King Ahab, you should not say that!"
\p
\v 9 So the king of Israel told one of his officers to summon Micaiah immediately.
\s5
\p
\v 10 The king of Israel and the king of Judah were both wearing their royal robes and sitting on thrones at a gate in the city wall of Samaria. Many prophets were speaking messages to them.
\v 11 One of them, whose name was Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled horns of a bull. Then he proclaimed to Ahab, "This is what Yahweh says, 'With horns like these your army will keep attacking the Arameans as a bull attacks another animal, until you completely destroy them!'"
\p
\v 12 All the other prophets of Ahab agreed. They said, "Yes! If you go up to attack Ramoth in Gilead, you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them!"
\s5
\p
\v 13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that the king's army will defeat the Arameans. So be sure that you agree with them and say what will be favorable."
\p
\v 14 But Micaiah replied, "As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell Ahab only what Yahweh tells me to say."
\p
\v 15 When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to fight against the people of Ramoth, or not?"
\p Micaiah replied, "Of course you should go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!"
\s5
\v 16 But King Ahab realized that Micaiah was being sarcastic, so he said to Micaiah, "I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh has revealed to you!"
\p
\v 17 So Micaiah said to him, "The truth is that in a vision I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, 'Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.'"
\s5
\p
\v 18 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He always predicts that bad things will happen to me."
\p
\v 19 But Micaiah continued, saying, "Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! In a vision I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven surrounding him, on his right side and on his left side.
\v 20 And Yahweh said, 'Who can persuade Ahab to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?'
\p Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
\s5
\v 21 Finally one spirit came to Yahweh and said, 'I will deceive him!'
\p
\v 22 Yahweh asked him, 'How will you do it?' The spirit replied, 'I will go and inspire all of Ahab's prophets to tell lies.' Yahweh said, 'You will be successful; go and do it!'
\v 23 So now I tell you that Yahweh has let all of your prophets lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, "Do you think that Yahweh's Spirit left me in order to speak to you?"
\p
\v 25 Micaiah replied, "You will find out for yourself to which of us Yahweh's Spirit has truly spoken on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide from the Aramean troops!"
\s5
\p
\v 26 King Ahab commanded his soldiers, "Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
\v 27 Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely from the battle!"
\p
\v 28 Micaiah replied, "If you return safely, it will be clear that it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!" Then he said to all those who were standing there, "Do not forget what I have said to King Ahab!"
\s5
\p
\v 29 So the king of Israel and the king of Judah led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead.
\v 30 King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I will put on different clothes, in order that no one will recognize that I am the king. But you should wear your royal robe." So Ahab disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
\s5
\p
\v 31 The King of Aram had said to his thirty-two men who were driving the chariots, "Attack only the king of Israel!"
\v 32 So when the men who were driving the Aramean chariots saw Jehoshaphat wearing the royal robes, they pursued him. They shouted, "There is the king of Israel!" But when Jehoshaphat cried out,
\v 33 they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing him.
\s5
\p
\v 34 But one Aramean soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, "Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been severely wounded!"
\s5
\v 35 The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Aramean troops. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of the chariot. And late in the afternoon he died.
\v 36 Just as the sun was going down, someone among the Israelite troops shouted, "The battle is ended! Everyone should return home!"
\s5
\p
\v 37 So King Ahab died, and they took his body in the chariot to Samaria and buried his body there.
\v 38 They washed his chariot alongside the pool in Samaria, a pool where the prostitutes bathed. And dogs came and licked the king's blood, just like Yahweh had predicted would happen.
\s5
\p
\v 39 The account of the other things that happened while Ahab was ruling, and about the palace decorated with much ivory that they built for him, and the cities that were built for him, was written in Book of the Events of the Kings of Israel.
\v 40 When Ahab died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried. Then his son Ahaziah became king.
\s5
\p
\v 41 Before King Ahab died, when he had been ruling in Israel for four years, Asa's son Jehoshaphat started to rule in Judah.
\v 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
\s5
\v 43 Jehoshaphat was a good king, just like his father Asa had been. He did things that pleased Yahweh. But while he was king, he did not remove all the pagan altars that had been built upon the hills. So the people continued to offer sacrifices to idols on those altars and burned incense there.
\v 44 Jehoshaphat also made a peace treaty with the king of Israel.
\s5
\p
\v 45 All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his troops won, are written in Book of the Events of the Kings of Judah.
\v 46 Jehoshaphat removed from the land the male prostitutes that still lived in that region. These were same the male prostitutes who had lived there in the time of his father Asa.
\p
\v 47 At that time, there was no king in Edom. A ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
\s5
\p
\v 48 Jehoshaphat ordered some Israelite men to build a fleet of ships to sail south to the region of Ophir to get gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion Geber, so the ships never sailed.
\v 49 Before the ships were wrecked, Ahab's son Ahaziah suggested to Jehoshaphat, "Allow my sailors to go with your sailors," but Jehoshaphat refused.
\p
\v 50 When Jehoshaphat died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried in Jerusalem, the city where King David had ruled. Then Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram became king.
\s5
\p
\v 51 Before King Jehoshaphat died, when he had been ruling in Judah for seventeen years, Ahab's son Ahaziah began to rule in Israel. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
\v 52 He did many things that Yahweh said were evil, doing the evil things that his father and mother had done and the evil things that Jeroboam had done—the king who had induced all the Israelite people to sin by worshiping idols.
\v 53 Ahaziah bowed in front of Baal's idol and worshiped it. That caused Yahweh, the God who is the true God of the Israelite people as well as all the world, to become very angry, just as Ahaziah's father had caused Yahweh to become angry.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 King Ahab had a palace in the city of Jezreel. Near the palace was a vineyard owned by a man named Naboth.
\v 2 One day, Ahab went to Naboth and said to him, "Your vineyard is close to my palace. I would like to buy it, so that I can plant some vegetables there. I will give you in exchange a better vineyard somewhere else, or if you prefer, I will pay you for your vineyard."
\s5
\p
\v 3 But Naboth replied, "That land belonged to my ancestors, so I want to keep it. I hope that Yahweh will never allow me to give that land to you!"
\p
\v 4 So Ahab became very sullen and angry because of what Naboth had said. He went home and lay down on his bed. He turned his face toward the wall, and he refused to eat anything.
\s5
\p
\v 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so depressed? Why are you refusing to eat anything?"
\p
\v 6 Ahab replied, "I talked to Naboth, that man from Jezreel. I told him that I wanted his vineyard. I said, 'I will buy it from you, or I will give you another vineyard for it.' But he refused to let me have it."
\p
\v 7 His wife replied, "You are the king of Israel, so you can get whatever you want! Get up, and eat some food and do not worry about what Naboth said. I will get Naboth's vineyard for you."
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Jezebel wrote some letters, and she signed Ahab's name on them. She used his official seal to seal them. Then she sent them to the older leaders and other important men who lived near Naboth and who decided public matters with him.
\v 9 This is what she wrote in the letters: "Proclaim a day when all the people will gather together and fast. Give to Naboth an important place to sit among them.
\v 10 Then find two men who always cause trouble. Give them places to sit opposite him. Tell these men to testify that they heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. Then take Naboth out of the city and kill him by throwing stones at him."
\s5
\p
\v 11 The leaders received the letters and did what Jezebel had written in the letters for them to do.
\v 12 They declared a day on which the people would all go without food. And they gave Naboth a seat in a place where honored people sat, in front of the people.
\v 13 Two men who always caused trouble sat opposite Naboth. While everyone was listening, they stated that they had heard Naboth say things that criticized God and the king. So the people seized Naboth. They took him outside the city and killed him by throwing stones at him.
\v 14 Then those leaders sent a message to Jezebel, saying, "We have executed Naboth."
\s5
\p
\v 15 When Jezebel found out that Naboth had been killed, she told Ahab, "Naboth is dead. Now you can go and take possession of the vineyard that he refused to sell to you."
\v 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went to the vineyard to claim that he now owned it.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Then Yahweh spoke to Elijah the prophet. He said,
\v 18 "Go to Samaria and talk to Ahab, the king of Israel. He is in the vineyard of a man named Naboth. He has gone there to claim that he now owns it.
\s5
\v 19 Tell Ahab that this is what I, Yahweh, say to him, 'You have murdered Naboth and taken his land. So I am telling you this. In the same place where Naboth died and dogs came and licked up Naboth's blood, you will die and the dogs will lick up your blood, too!'"
\p
\v 20 So when Elijah met with Ahab, Ahab said to him, "You, my enemy, have found me!" Elijah answered, "Yes, I have found you. You have never stopped doing the things that Yahweh says are wrong.
\s5
\p
\v 21 So this is what Yahweh says to you, 'I will soon get rid of you. I will kill you, and I will also kill every male in your household, including those who are slaves and those who are not slaves.
\v 22 Your family will all be killed, just like the family of King Jeroboam and like the family of King Baasha were killed. I will get rid of you because you have caused me to become very angry, and you have also induced the Israelite people to sin.'
\s5
\p
\v 23 Yahweh has also told me that your wife Jezebel will be killed, and dogs in Jezreel will eat her body.
\v 24 The dead bodies of the members of your family who die in this city will not be buried. They will be eaten by dogs, and the bodies of those who die in the fields will be eaten by vultures."
\s5
\p
\v 25 There was no man who gave himself as completely to do things that Yahweh said were evil like Ahab did. But his wife Jezebel urged him to do many of those things.
\v 26 The most disgusting thing that Ahab did was to worship idols, just like the Amor people group had done. And that is why Yahweh took their land from them and gave it to the Israelites.
\s5
\p
\v 27 After Elijah finished talking to Ahab, Ahab tore his clothes to show that he was sorry for all the sins that he had committed. He put on rough clothes that were made from sacks, and he refused to eat anything. He even wore those rough clothes made from sacks when he slept, to show that he was sorry.
\p
\v 28 Then Yahweh said this to Elijah,
\v 29 "I have seen that Ahab is now very sorry for all the evil things that he has done. So the things that I promised to do to his family will not happen while he is still alive. I will cause them to happen after his son becomes king. Then those things will happen to his family."
\s5
\c 22
\p
\v 1 For almost three years there was no war between Aram and Israel.
\v 2 Then King Jehoshaphat, who ruled Judah, went to visit King Ahab, who ruled Israel.
\s5
\v 3 While they were talking, Ahab said to his officials, "Do you realize that the Arameans are still occupying our city of Ramoth in the region of Gilead? And we are doing nothing to retake that city!"
\v 4 Then he turned toward Jehoshaphat and asked, "Will your army join my army to fight against the people of Ramoth and retake that city?"
\p Jehoshaphat replied, "Certainly! I will do whatever you want, and you may command my troops. You may take my horses into battle, also."
\s5
\v 5 Then he added, "But we should ask Yahweh first, to find out what he wants us to do."
\v 6 So Ahab summoned about four hundred of his prophets together, and he asked them, "Should my army go to fight the people in Ramoth and retake that city, or not?"
\p They answered, "Yes, go and attack them, because God will enable your army to defeat them."
\s5
\p
\v 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no other prophet of Yahweh here whom we can ask?"
\p
\v 8 The king of Israel replied, "There is one other man we can ask. His name is Micaiah son of Imlah. But I hate him, because when he prophesies he never says that anything good will happen to me. He always predicts that bad things will happen to me."
\p Jehoshaphat replied, "King Ahab, you should not say that!"
\p
\v 9 So the king of Israel told one of his officers to summon Micaiah immediately.
\s5
\p
\v 10 The king of Israel and the king of Judah were both wearing their royal robes and sitting on thrones at a gate in the city wall of Samaria. Many prophets were speaking messages to them.
\v 11 One of them, whose name was Zedekiah son of Kenaanah, had made from iron something that resembled horns of a bull. Then he proclaimed to Ahab, "This is what Yahweh says, 'With horns like these your army will keep attacking the Arameans as a bull attacks another animal, until you completely destroy them!'"
\p
\v 12 All the other prophets of Ahab agreed. They said, "Yes! If you go up to attack Ramoth in Gilead, you will be successful, because Yahweh will enable you to defeat them!"
\s5
\p
\v 13 Meanwhile, the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him, "Listen to me! All the other prophets are predicting that the king's army will defeat the Arameans. So be sure that you agree with them and say what will be favorable."
\p
\v 14 But Micaiah replied, "As surely as Yahweh lives, I will tell Ahab only what Yahweh tells me to say."
\p
\v 15 When Micaiah came to Ahab, Ahab asked him, "Micaiah, should we go to fight against the people of Ramoth, or not?"
\p Micaiah replied, "Of course you should go! Yahweh will enable your army to defeat them!"
\s5
\v 16 But King Ahab realized that Micaiah was being sarcastic, so he said to Micaiah, "I have told you many times that you must always tell only the truth when you say what Yahweh has revealed to you!"
\p
\v 17 So Micaiah said to him, "The truth is that in a vision I saw all the troops of Israel scattered on the mountains. They seemed to be like sheep that did not have a shepherd. And Yahweh said, 'Their master has been killed. So tell them all to go home peacefully.'"
\s5
\p
\v 18 Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I told you that he never predicts that anything good will happen to me! He always predicts that bad things will happen to me."
\p
\v 19 But Micaiah continued, saying, "Listen to what Yahweh showed to me! In a vision I saw Yahweh sitting on his throne, with all the armies of heaven surrounding him, on his right side and on his left side.
\v 20 And Yahweh said, 'Who can persuade Ahab to go to fight against the people of Ramoth, in order that he may be killed there?'
\p Some suggested one thing, and others suggested something else.
\s5
\v 21 Finally one spirit came to Yahweh and said, 'I will deceive him!'
\p
\v 22 Yahweh asked him, 'How will you do it?' The spirit replied, 'I will go and inspire all of Ahab's prophets to tell lies.' Yahweh said, 'You will be successful; go and do it!'
\v 23 So now I tell you that Yahweh has let all of your prophets lie to you. Yahweh has decided that something terrible will happen to you."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Then Zedekiah walked over to Micaiah and slapped him on his face. He said, "Do you think that Yahweh's Spirit left me in order to speak to you?"
\p
\v 25 Micaiah replied, "You will find out for yourself to which of us Yahweh's Spirit has truly spoken on the day when you go into a room of some house to hide from the Aramean troops!"
\s5
\p
\v 26 King Ahab commanded his soldiers, "Seize Micaiah and take him to Amon, the governor of this city, and to my son Joash.
\v 27 Tell them that I have commanded that they should put this man in prison and give him only bread and water. Do not give him anything else to eat until I return safely from the battle!"
\p
\v 28 Micaiah replied, "If you return safely, it will be clear that it was not Yahweh who told me what to say to you!" Then he said to all those who were standing there, "Do not forget what I have said to King Ahab!"
\s5
\p
\v 29 So the king of Israel and the king of Judah led their armies to Ramoth in Gilead.
\v 30 King Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "I will put on different clothes, in order that no one will recognize that I am the king. But you should wear your royal robe." So Ahab disguised himself, and they both went into the battle.
\s5
\p
\v 31 The King of Aram had said to his thirty-two men who were driving the chariots, "Attack only the king of Israel!"
\v 32 So when the men who were driving the Aramean chariots saw Jehoshaphat wearing the royal robes, they pursued him. They shouted, "There is the king of Israel!" But when Jehoshaphat cried out,
\v 33 they realized that he was not the king of Israel. So they stopped pursuing him.
\s5
\p
\v 34 But one Aramean soldier shot an arrow at Ahab, without knowing that it was Ahab. The arrow struck Ahab between the places where the parts of his armor joined together. Ahab told the driver of his chariot, "Turn the chariot around and take me out of here! I have been severely wounded!"
\s5
\v 35 The battle continued all the day. Ahab was sitting propped up in his chariot, facing the Aramean troops. The blood from his wound ran down to the floor of the chariot. And late in the afternoon he died.
\v 36 Just as the sun was going down, someone among the Israelite troops shouted, "The battle is ended! Everyone should return home!"
\s5
\p
\v 37 So King Ahab died, and they took his body in the chariot to Samaria and buried his body there.
\v 38 They washed his chariot alongside the pool in Samaria, a pool where the prostitutes bathed. And dogs came and licked the king's blood, just like Yahweh had predicted would happen.
\s5
\p
\v 39 The account of the other things that happened while Ahab was ruling, and about the palace decorated with much ivory that they built for him, and the cities that were built for him, was written in Book of the Events of the Kings of Israel.
\v 40 When Ahab died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried. Then his son Ahaziah became king.
\s5
\p
\v 41 Before King Ahab died, when he had been ruling in Israel for four years, Asa's son Jehoshaphat started to rule in Judah.
\v 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he started to rule, and he ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-five years. His mother was Azubah, the daughter of Shilhi.
\s5
\v 43 Jehoshaphat was a good king, just like his father Asa had been. He did things that pleased Yahweh. But while he was king, he did not remove all the pagan altars that had been built upon the hills. So the people continued to offer sacrifices to idols on those altars and burned incense there.
\v 44 Jehoshaphat also made a peace treaty with the king of Israel.
\s5
\p
\v 45 All the other things that happened while Jehoshaphat was ruling, and the great things that he did and the victories his troops won, are written in Book of the Events of the Kings of Judah.
\v 46 Jehoshaphat removed from the land the male prostitutes that still lived in that region. These were same the male prostitutes who had lived there in the time of his father Asa.
\p
\v 47 At that time, there was no king in Edom. A ruler who had been appointed by Jehoshaphat ruled there.
\s5
\p
\v 48 Jehoshaphat ordered some Israelite men to build a fleet of ships to sail south to the region of Ophir to get gold. But they were wrecked at Ezion Geber, so the ships never sailed.
\v 49 Before the ships were wrecked, Ahab's son Ahaziah suggested to Jehoshaphat, "Allow my sailors to go with your sailors," but Jehoshaphat refused.
\p
\v 50 When Jehoshaphat died, his body was buried where his ancestors were buried in Jerusalem, the city where King David had ruled. Then Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram became king.
\s5
\p
\v 51 Before King Jehoshaphat died, when he had been ruling in Judah for seventeen years, Ahab's son Ahaziah began to rule in Israel. Ahaziah ruled in Samaria for two years.
\v 52 He did many things that Yahweh said were evil, doing the evil things that his father and mother had done and the evil things that Jeroboam had done—the king who had induced all the Israelite people to sin by worshiping idols.
\v 53 Ahaziah bowed in front of Baal's idol and worshiped it. That caused Yahweh, the God who is the true God of the Israelite people as well as all the world, to become very angry, just as Ahaziah's father had caused Yahweh to become angry.

View File

@ -336,79 +336,79 @@
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 A man named Naaman was the commander of the army of Aram. Yahweh had enabled him to win many victories, and the king of Aram admired and honored him. Naaman was also a strong and brave soldier, but he had leprosy.
\p
\v 2 Some time previously, groups of soldiers had invaded the land of Israel, and they had captured a young girl and taken her to Aram. She became a servant for Naaman's wife.
\s5
\v 3 One day, that girl said to her, "I wish that my master would go to see the prophet in the city of Samaria. That prophet would heal your husband from his leprosy."
\p
\v 4 Naaman's wife told her husband what the girl from Israel had said, and Naaman told that to the king.
\s5
\v 5-6 The king said to him, "Very well, go and see the prophet. I will write a letter for you to take to the king of Israel, saying that I sent you." The king wrote in the letter, "I am sending this letter with my army commander Naaman, who serves me faithfully. I want you to heal him of his disease." So Naaman, assuming that the king of Israel was the prophet, took the letter and 330 kilograms of silver, 66 kilograms of gold, and ten sets of clothing, to give to the king of Israel, and he went to Samaria, taking along several servants.
\s5
\p
\v 7 When he arrived in Samaria, he gave the letter to the king of Israel. The king read the letter. Then, being very dismayed, the king tore his clothes and said, "I am not God! I am not able to cause people to live or to die! Why does the one who wrote this letter request me to cure this man of his leprosy? I do not have power to cure leprosy. The king of Aram is merely looking for an excuse to attack us!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 The prophet Elisha heard why the king of Israel had torn his robe, so he sent a message to the king, saying, "Why are you upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will find out that I am a true prophet in Israel."
\v 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha's house and waited outside the door.
\v 10 But Elisha did not come to the door. Instead, he sent a messenger to Naaman to tell him, "Go to the Jordan River and go down seven times into the water. Then your skin will be well, and you will no longer have leprosy."
\s5
\p
\v 11 But Naaman became very angry. He said, "I thought that surely he would wave his hand over the leprosy, and pray to Yahweh, and heal me!
\v 12 Surely the Abana River and the Pharpar River in Damascus in my own country of Aram have better water than any in Israel! Can I not go into my rivers at home and be healed and cleansed?" So he turned and walked away in great disgust.
\s5
\p
\v 13 But his servants came to him, and one of them said, "Sir, if that prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would certainly have done it. So why do you refuse to do such a simple thing he asks, when he says, "Go down seven times in the water and be clean?'"
\v 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and went into the water seven times, as the prophet had instructed, and his skin became healthy, like the smooth skin of a young child.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Naaman and those who were with him went back to talk to Elisha. They stood in front of him, and Naaman said, "Now I know that there are no real gods anywhere else in the world, but there is the true God here in Israel! So now please accept these gifts that I have brought to you!"
\p
\v 16 But Elisha replied, "Just as certainly as Yahweh, the one whom I serve, lives, I will not accept any gifts." Naaman kept urging him to accept the gifts, but Elisha kept refusing.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Then Naaman said, "Very well, but I have one request. This soil here in Israel is Yahweh's soil, so please allow me to take some soil from this place and put it in sacks on two mules. Then I will take it back home with me and make an altar on this soil. From now on, I will offer sacrifices to Yahweh on that altar. I will not offer sacrifices to any other god.
\v 18 However, when my master, the king, goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship him, I ask that Yahweh will forgive me because I will have to bow down, too."
\p
\v 19 Elisha replied, "Go home, and do not worry about that." So Naaman and his servants started to travel home.
\s5
\p
\v 20 But then Elisha's servant Gehazi said to himself, "It is not good that my master has allowed this Aramean man to leave like this. He should have accepted his gifts. So just as certainly as Yahweh lives, I will go and catch up with Naaman and get something from him."
\p
\v 21 So Gehazi hurried to catch up with Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running toward him, he stopped the chariot in which he was riding, jumped out, and went to see what Gehazi wanted. He asked him, "Is everything all right?"
\p
\v 22 Gehazi replied, "Yes, but two young prophets from the hill country where the descendants of Ephraim live have just arrived. Elisha has sent me to tell you that he would like thirty-three kilograms of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them."
\s5
\p
\v 23 Naaman replied, "Certainly! You can have sixty-six kilograms of silver!" He urged Gehazi to take it. He also gave him two sets of clothing. He tied up the silver in two bags and gave them to two of his servants to carry back to Elisha.
\v 24 But when they arrived at the hill where Elisha lived, Gehazi took the silver and the clothes from Naaman's servants and sent the servants back to Naaman. Then he took those things into his house and hid them.
\v 25 When he went to Elisha, Elisha asked him, "Where did you go, Gehazi?" Gehazi replied, "I did not go anywhere."
\s5
\p
\v 26 Elisha asked him, "Do you not realize that my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? This is certainly not the time to accept gifts of money and clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and servants!
\v 27 Because you have done this, you and your children and all your descendants, forever, will have leprosy just like Naaman had!" When Gehazi left the room, he was a leper. His skin was as white as snow.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 A man named Naaman was the commander of the army of Aram. Yahweh had enabled him to win many victories, and the king of Aram admired and honored him. Naaman was also a strong and brave soldier, but he had leprosy.
\p
\v 2 Some time previously, groups of soldiers had invaded the land of Israel, and they had captured a young girl and taken her to Aram. She became a servant for Naaman's wife.
\s5
\v 3 One day, that girl said to her, "I wish that my master would go to see the prophet in the city of Samaria. That prophet would heal your husband from his leprosy."
\p
\v 4 Naaman's wife told her husband what the girl from Israel had said, and Naaman told that to the king.
\s5
\v 5-6 The king said to him, "Very well, go and see the prophet. I will write a letter for you to take to the king of Israel, saying that I sent you." The king wrote in the letter, "I am sending this letter with my army commander Naaman, who serves me faithfully. I want you to heal him of his disease." So Naaman, assuming that the king of Israel was the prophet, took the letter and 330 kilograms of silver, 66 kilograms of gold, and ten sets of clothing, to give to the king of Israel, and he went to Samaria, taking along several servants.
\s5
\p
\v 7 When he arrived in Samaria, he gave the letter to the king of Israel. The king read the letter. Then, being very dismayed, the king tore his clothes and said, "I am not God! I am not able to cause people to live or to die! Why does the one who wrote this letter request me to cure this man of his leprosy? I do not have power to cure leprosy. The king of Aram is merely looking for an excuse to attack us!"
\s5
\p
\v 8 The prophet Elisha heard why the king of Israel had torn his robe, so he sent a message to the king, saying, "Why are you upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will find out that I am a true prophet in Israel."
\v 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots to Elisha's house and waited outside the door.
\v 10 But Elisha did not come to the door. Instead, he sent a messenger to Naaman to tell him, "Go to the Jordan River and go down seven times into the water. Then your skin will be well, and you will no longer have leprosy."
\s5
\p
\v 11 But Naaman became very angry. He said, "I thought that surely he would wave his hand over the leprosy, and pray to Yahweh, and heal me!
\v 12 Surely the Abana River and the Pharpar River in Damascus in my own country of Aram have better water than any in Israel! Can I not go into my rivers at home and be healed and cleansed?" So he turned and walked away in great disgust.
\s5
\p
\v 13 But his servants came to him, and one of them said, "Sir, if that prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would certainly have done it. So why do you refuse to do such a simple thing he asks, when he says, "Go down seven times in the water and be clean?'"
\v 14 So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and went into the water seven times, as the prophet had instructed, and his skin became healthy, like the smooth skin of a young child.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Then Naaman and those who were with him went back to talk to Elisha. They stood in front of him, and Naaman said, "Now I know that there are no real gods anywhere else in the world, but there is the true God here in Israel! So now please accept these gifts that I have brought to you!"
\p
\v 16 But Elisha replied, "Just as certainly as Yahweh, the one whom I serve, lives, I will not accept any gifts." Naaman kept urging him to accept the gifts, but Elisha kept refusing.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Then Naaman said, "Very well, but I have one request. This soil here in Israel is Yahweh's soil, so please allow me to take some soil from this place and put it in sacks on two mules. Then I will take it back home with me and make an altar on this soil. From now on, I will offer sacrifices to Yahweh on that altar. I will not offer sacrifices to any other god.
\v 18 However, when my master, the king, goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship him, I ask that Yahweh will forgive me because I will have to bow down, too."
\p
\v 19 Elisha replied, "Go home, and do not worry about that." So Naaman and his servants started to travel home.
\s5
\p
\v 20 But then Elisha's servant Gehazi said to himself, "It is not good that my master has allowed this Aramean man to leave like this. He should have accepted his gifts. So just as certainly as Yahweh lives, I will go and catch up with Naaman and get something from him."
\p
\v 21 So Gehazi hurried to catch up with Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running toward him, he stopped the chariot in which he was riding, jumped out, and went to see what Gehazi wanted. He asked him, "Is everything all right?"
\p
\v 22 Gehazi replied, "Yes, but two young prophets from the hill country where the descendants of Ephraim live have just arrived. Elisha has sent me to tell you that he would like thirty-three kilograms of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them."
\s5
\p
\v 23 Naaman replied, "Certainly! You can have sixty-six kilograms of silver!" He urged Gehazi to take it. He also gave him two sets of clothing. He tied up the silver in two bags and gave them to two of his servants to carry back to Elisha.
\v 24 But when they arrived at the hill where Elisha lived, Gehazi took the silver and the clothes from Naaman's servants and sent the servants back to Naaman. Then he took those things into his house and hid them.
\v 25 When he went to Elisha, Elisha asked him, "Where did you go, Gehazi?" Gehazi replied, "I did not go anywhere."
\s5
\p
\v 26 Elisha asked him, "Do you not realize that my spirit was there when Naaman got out of his chariot to talk with you? This is certainly not the time to accept gifts of money and clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and servants!
\v 27 Because you have done this, you and your children and all your descendants, forever, will have leprosy just like Naaman had!" When Gehazi left the room, he was a leper. His skin was as white as snow.
\s5

View File

@ -1579,49 +1579,49 @@ Iphdeiah, and Penuel.
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 One day Hiram, the king of the city of Tyre, sent some messengers to David to talk about making an agreement between their countries. Then Hiram sent cedar logs, bricklayers, and carpenters to build a palace for David.
\v 2 When that happened, David knew that Yahweh had truly caused him to be the king of Israel, and that he had caused his kingdom to be greatly respected. Yahweh did this because he loved his Israelite people.
\s5
\p
\v 3 David married more women in Jerusalem, and those women gave birth to more sons and daughters for him.
\v 4 The names of the children that were born to him there in Jerusalem are Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
\v 5 Ibhar, Elishama, Elpelet,
\v 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
\v 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
\s5
\p
\v 8 When the army of Philistia heard that David has been appointed to be king of all of Israel, they went to try to capture him. But David heard that they were coming, so he and his soldiers went out to fight against them.
\v 9 The army of Philistia had attacked the people in the Valley of Rephaim southwest of Jerusalem and had robbed them.
\s5
\v 10 David asked God, "Should my men and I go and attack the army of Philistia? If we go, will you enable us to defeat them?"
\p Yahweh replied, "Yes, go, and I will enable you to defeat them."
\p
\v 11 So David and his men went up to a town where the soldiers of Philistia were staying and defeated the soldiers of Philistia. Then David said, "God has completely defeated my enemies by using me and my army." So they named that place "Baal Perazim," which means "The Lord breaks through."
\v 12 As the soldiers of Philistia fled, they left their idols there. So David commanded his soldiers to burn those idols.
\s5
\p
\v 13 But soon the army of Philistia attacked the people in that valley again.
\v 14 So again David prayed to God to ask him what he should do, and God replied, saying "Do not attack the army of Philistia from the front. Instead, go around them, and attack them from the rear in front of the balsam trees.
\s5
\v 15 When you hear something in the tops of the balsam trees that sounds like soldiers marching, attack them. I, God, will have gone ahead of you to enable you to defeat the army of Philistia."
\v 16 So David did what God commanded him to do, and he and his army defeated the army of Philistia, all the way from the city of Gibeon west to the city of Gezer.
\p
\v 17 So David became famous in all the nearby countries, and Yahweh caused the leaders of all the nations to be afraid of him.
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 One day Hiram, the king of the city of Tyre, sent some messengers to David to talk about making an agreement between their countries. Then Hiram sent cedar logs, bricklayers, and carpenters to build a palace for David.
\v 2 When that happened, David knew that Yahweh had truly caused him to be the king of Israel, and that he had caused his kingdom to be greatly respected. Yahweh did this because he loved his Israelite people.
\s5
\p
\v 3 David married more women in Jerusalem, and those women gave birth to more sons and daughters for him.
\v 4 The names of the children that were born to him there in Jerusalem are Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, Solomon,
\v 5 Ibhar, Elishama, Elpelet,
\v 6 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia,
\v 7 Elishama, Beeliada, and Eliphelet.
\s5
\p
\v 8 When the army of Philistia heard that David has been appointed to be king of all of Israel, they went to try to capture him. But David heard that they were coming, so he and his soldiers went out to fight against them.
\v 9 The army of Philistia had attacked the people in the Valley of Rephaim southwest of Jerusalem and had robbed them.
\s5
\v 10 David asked God, "Should my men and I go and attack the army of Philistia? If we go, will you enable us to defeat them?"
\p Yahweh replied, "Yes, go, and I will enable you to defeat them."
\p
\v 11 So David and his men went up to a town where the soldiers of Philistia were staying and defeated the soldiers of Philistia. Then David said, "God has completely defeated my enemies by using me and my army." So they named that place "Baal Perazim," which means "The Lord breaks through."
\v 12 As the soldiers of Philistia fled, they left their idols there. So David commanded his soldiers to burn those idols.
\s5
\p
\v 13 But soon the army of Philistia attacked the people in that valley again.
\v 14 So again David prayed to God to ask him what he should do, and God replied, saying "Do not attack the army of Philistia from the front. Instead, go around them, and attack them from the rear in front of the balsam trees.
\s5
\v 15 When you hear something in the tops of the balsam trees that sounds like soldiers marching, attack them. I, God, will have gone ahead of you to enable you to defeat the army of Philistia."
\v 16 So David did what God commanded him to do, and he and his army defeated the army of Philistia, all the way from the city of Gibeon west to the city of Gezer.
\p
\v 17 So David became famous in all the nearby countries, and Yahweh caused the leaders of all the nations to be afraid of him.
\s5
@ -1844,73 +1844,73 @@ Iphdeiah, and Penuel.
\s5
\c 17
\p
\v 1 After David began to live in his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, "It does not seem right that I am here living in a palace made of cedar wood, but Yahweh's sacred chest is kept inside a tent!"
\p
\v 2 Nathan replied to David, "Whatever you are thinking about doing, do it, because God is with you."
\s5
\p
\v 3 But that night God spoke to Nathan. He said,
\pi
\v 4 "Go and tell my servant David that this is what I, Yahweh, am saying to him: 'You are not the one who should build a temple for me to live in.
\v 5 I have not lived in any building, from the day that I brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have lived in my sacred tent, moving from one place to another when the Israelites moved to other places.
\v 6 Wherever I went with all the Israelites as they traveled, I never said to any of their leaders whom I appointed to lead them, "Why have you not built me a temple made of cedar wood?"~'
\s5
\pi
\v 7 Therefore, this is what you should say to my servant David: 'I, Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, took you from a pasture where you were taking care of sheep, and I appointed you to be the ruler of my Israelite people.
\v 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have gotten rid of all your enemies who were in front of you. And now I will cause you to become very famous, as well known as the names of the greatest men who have ever lived on the earth.
\s5
\v 9-10 Formerly, during the time that I appointed leaders for my Israelite people, many violent groups oppressed them. But this will not happen anymore. I have chosen a place where my Israelite people can live peacefully and no one will disturb them anymore. I will give them rest from being attacked by their enemies. And I will defeat all your enemies.
\pi I declare to you that I, Yahweh, will enable your descendants to rule after you die.
\s5
\v 11 When your life ends and you die and go to be with your ancestors who have died, I will appoint one of your sons to become king, and I will enable his kingdom to be strong.
\v 12 He is the one who will arrange for a temple to be built for me. And I will make the rule of one of his descendants so strong that it will last forever.
\s5
\v 13 I will be like a father to him, and it will be as though he is a son to me. I stopped loving Saul, the one who was the king before you became king, but I will never stop loving your son.
\v 14 I will cause him to rule over my people and his kingdom will endure forever.'"
\p
\v 15 So Nathan reported to David everything that Yahweh had revealed to him.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then David went into the sacred tent and sat in the presence of Yahweh, and prayed this:
\pi "Yahweh my God, I am certainly not worthy for you to have done of all these things for me, and my family is not worthy, either.
\pi
\v 17 And O God, now, in addition to everything else, you have spoken about what will happen to my descendants in the future for many generations. Yahweh my God, you have acted toward me as though I was the most important man on the earth!
\pi
\v 18 What more can I, David, say to you for honoring me? Yahweh, you know what kind of person I am.
\s5
\v 19 You have done all this, Yahweh, and because it is what you wanted to do. You have done these great things for me and you have revealed to me these things that you have promised to do for me, because you love me.
\pi
\v 20 Yahweh, you are great. There is no one like you. Only you are God, which is what we have always heard.
\v 21 And there is no nation in the world like Israel. Israel is the only nation on the earth whose people you went out to rescue. You performed great and awesome miracles, rescuing our ancestors from being slaves in Egypt, expelling the people of other people groups who were in Canaan.
\s5
\v 22 You have caused us your Israelite people to belong to you forever, and you, Yahweh, have become our God!
\pi
\v 23 And now Yahweh, I pray that you will cause the things that you have promised about me and my descendants to be fulfilled forever, and do the things that you have said that you would do.
\v 24 When that happens, you will be famous forever. And people will exclaim, 'Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, is the God who rules Israel!' And you will cause that forever there will be descendants of mine who will rule.
\s5
\pi
\v 25 You, my God, have revealed to me that you will cause some of my descendants to become kings. So I am brave enough to pray like this to you.
\v 26 Yahweh, you are God! You have promised to do these good things for me.
\v 27 And now you, Yahweh, have promised to bless my descendants, in order that they will continue to rule forever. That will happen because you, Yahweh, are the one who has blessed them, and you will keep blessing them forever."
\s5
\c 17
\p
\v 1 After David began to live in his palace, he said to the prophet Nathan, "It does not seem right that I am here living in a palace made of cedar wood, but Yahweh's sacred chest is kept inside a tent!"
\p
\v 2 Nathan replied to David, "Whatever you are thinking about doing, do it, because God is with you."
\s5
\p
\v 3 But that night God spoke to Nathan. He said,
\pi
\v 4 "Go and tell my servant David that this is what I, Yahweh, am saying to him: 'You are not the one who should build a temple for me to live in.
\v 5 I have not lived in any building, from the day that I brought the people of Israel up out of Egypt until now. Instead, I have lived in my sacred tent, moving from one place to another when the Israelites moved to other places.
\v 6 Wherever I went with all the Israelites as they traveled, I never said to any of their leaders whom I appointed to lead them, "Why have you not built me a temple made of cedar wood?"~'
\s5
\pi
\v 7 Therefore, this is what you should say to my servant David: 'I, Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, took you from a pasture where you were taking care of sheep, and I appointed you to be the ruler of my Israelite people.
\v 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have gotten rid of all your enemies who were in front of you. And now I will cause you to become very famous, as well known as the names of the greatest men who have ever lived on the earth.
\s5
\v 9-10 Formerly, during the time that I appointed leaders for my Israelite people, many violent groups oppressed them. But this will not happen anymore. I have chosen a place where my Israelite people can live peacefully and no one will disturb them anymore. I will give them rest from being attacked by their enemies. And I will defeat all your enemies.
\pi I declare to you that I, Yahweh, will enable your descendants to rule after you die.
\s5
\v 11 When your life ends and you die and go to be with your ancestors who have died, I will appoint one of your sons to become king, and I will enable his kingdom to be strong.
\v 12 He is the one who will arrange for a temple to be built for me. And I will make the rule of one of his descendants so strong that it will last forever.
\s5
\v 13 I will be like a father to him, and it will be as though he is a son to me. I stopped loving Saul, the one who was the king before you became king, but I will never stop loving your son.
\v 14 I will cause him to rule over my people and his kingdom will endure forever.'"
\p
\v 15 So Nathan reported to David everything that Yahweh had revealed to him.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then David went into the sacred tent and sat in the presence of Yahweh, and prayed this:
\pi "Yahweh my God, I am certainly not worthy for you to have done of all these things for me, and my family is not worthy, either.
\pi
\v 17 And O God, now, in addition to everything else, you have spoken about what will happen to my descendants in the future for many generations. Yahweh my God, you have acted toward me as though I was the most important man on the earth!
\pi
\v 18 What more can I, David, say to you for honoring me? Yahweh, you know what kind of person I am.
\s5
\v 19 You have done all this, Yahweh, and because it is what you wanted to do. You have done these great things for me and you have revealed to me these things that you have promised to do for me, because you love me.
\pi
\v 20 Yahweh, you are great. There is no one like you. Only you are God, which is what we have always heard.
\v 21 And there is no nation in the world like Israel. Israel is the only nation on the earth whose people you went out to rescue. You performed great and awesome miracles, rescuing our ancestors from being slaves in Egypt, expelling the people of other people groups who were in Canaan.
\s5
\v 22 You have caused us your Israelite people to belong to you forever, and you, Yahweh, have become our God!
\pi
\v 23 And now Yahweh, I pray that you will cause the things that you have promised about me and my descendants to be fulfilled forever, and do the things that you have said that you would do.
\v 24 When that happens, you will be famous forever. And people will exclaim, 'Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, is the God who rules Israel!' And you will cause that forever there will be descendants of mine who will rule.
\s5
\pi
\v 25 You, my God, have revealed to me that you will cause some of my descendants to become kings. So I am brave enough to pray like this to you.
\v 26 Yahweh, you are God! You have promised to do these good things for me.
\v 27 And now you, Yahweh, have promised to bless my descendants, in order that they will continue to rule forever. That will happen because you, Yahweh, are the one who has blessed them, and you will keep blessing them forever."
\s5

View File

@ -768,225 +768,225 @@
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 The Israelite leaders and their families settled in Jerusalem. The remainder of the people cast lots to select one family out of ten who would live in Jerusalem, the city set apart for God. The remaining nine lived in the other towns.
\v 2 Those people asked God to bless those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 3 These are the provincial officials who came to live in Jerusalem. But in the cities of Judah everyone lived on his own family property in their towns. Some from Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants came to live in Jerusalem.
\v 4 But some of the people of Judah and the people of Benjamin stayed and lived in Jerusalem.
\p
These are from the relatives of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez.
\s5
\p
\v 5 And there was Maaseiah the son of Baruch, who was the son of Colhozeh, who was the son of Hazaiah, who was the son of Adaiah, who was the son of Joiarib, who was the son of Zechariah, who was a descendant of Judah's son Shelah.
\v 6 There were 468 men who were descendants of Perez who lived in the city of Jerusalem. These men were very brave and skilled in combat.
\s5
\m
\v 7 One of the men of the tribe of Benjamin who decided to live in Jerusalem was Sallu 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.
\v 8 Two of Sallu's relatives, Gabbai and Sallai, also settled in Jerusalem.
\p Altogether, 928 people from the tribe of Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.
\v 9 Their leader was Zichri. The official who was second in command in Jerusalem was Hassenuah.
\s5
\m
\v 10 The priests who settled in Jerusalem were Jedaiah son of Joiarib,
\p
\v 11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, who was previously the leader of all the priests.
\v 12 Altogether, 822 members of that clan worked in the temple.
\p Another priest who settled in Jerusalem was 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.
\s5
\v 13 Altogether, there were 242 members of that clan who were leaders of the clan who settled in Jerusalem.
\p Another priest who settled in Jerusalem was Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer.
\v 14 There were 128 members of that clan who were valiant soldiers who settled in Jerusalem. Their leader was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim.
\s5
\m
\v 15 Another descendant of Levi who settled in Jerusalem was Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni.
\p
\v 16 Two others were Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were prominent men, leaders of the Levites, who supervised the work outside the temple.
\s5
\v 17 Another one was Mattaniah, the son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph. Mattaniah directed the temple choir when they sang the prayers to thank God. His assistant was Bakbukiah. Another one was Abda, the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
\v 18 Altogether, there were 284 Levites in the city set apart for God.
\s5
\m
\v 19 The gatekeepers who settled in Jerusalem were Akkub and Talmon. Altogether, there were 172 of them and their relatives who settled in Jerusalem.
\p
\v 20 The other Israelite people including descendants of Levi and priests lived on their own property in other towns and cities in Judea.
\p
\v 21 But the temple workers lived in Ophel in Jerusalem. They were supervised by Ziha and Gishpa.
\s5
\p
\v 22 The man who supervised the descendants of Levi who lived in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mika. Uzzi belonged to the clan of Asaph, the clan that was in charge of the music in the temple.
\v 23 The king of Persia had commanded that the clans should decide what work each clan should do to lead the music in the temple each day.
\p
\v 24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, who was from the clan of Zerah and a descendant of Judah, was the ambassador of the Israelites to the king of Persia.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Some of the people who did not settle in Jerusalem lived in villages close to their farms. Some from the tribe of Judah lived in villages near Kiriath Arba, Dibon, and Jekabzeel.
\v 26 Some lived in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Bethpelet,
\v 27 in Hazarshual, and in Beersheba and the villages near it.
\s5
\v 28 Others lived in Ziklag, in Mekonah and the villages near it,
\v 29 in Enrimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,
\v 30 in Zanoah, in Adullam, and in the villages near those cities. Some lived in Lachish and in the nearby villages, and some lived in Azekah and the villages near it. All of those people lived in Judea, in the area between Beersheba in the south and Hinnom Valley in the north, at the edge of Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 31 The people of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Geba, Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its nearby villages,
\v 32 in Anathoth, in Nob, in Ananiah,
\v 33 in Hazor, in Ramah, in Gittaim,
\v 34 in Hadid, in Zeboim, in Neballat,
\v 35 in Lod, in Ono, and in Craftsmen's Valley.
\p
\v 36 Some of the Levites who had lived in Judea were sent to live with the people of Benjamin.
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 These are the names of the priests and descendants of Levi that returned from Babylonia with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. They included
\li1 Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
\li1
\v 2 Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,
\li1
\v 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
\s5
\li1
\v 4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
\li1
\v 5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
\li1
\v 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
\li1
\v 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.
\m All those men were leaders of the priests and their associates during the time that Jeshua was the leader of all the priests.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Here is a list of the descendants of Levi who returned: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his brothers led the people in singing songs to thank God.
\v 9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, formed a choir that stood across from the other group when they sang.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Jeshua many years previously was the high priest. He was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,
\v 11 who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.
\s5
\p
\v 12 When Joiakim was the leader of all the priests, these were the leaders of the families of priests:
\li1 Meraiah, of the family of Seraiah,
\li1 Hananiah, of the family of Jeremiah,
\li1
\v 13 Meshullam, of the family of Ezra,
\li1 Jehohanan, of the family of Amariah,
\li1
\v 14 Jonathan, of the family of Malluk,
\li1 Joseph, of the family of Shecaniah.
\s5
\li1
\v 15 More leaders were Adna, of the family of Harim,
\li1 Helkai, of the family of Meremoth,
\li1
\v 16 Zechariah, of the family of Iddo,
\li1 Meshullam, of the family of Ginnethon,
\li1
\v 17 Zicri, of the family of Abijah.
\li1 There was also a leader of the family of Miniamin.
\li1 Piltai, of the family of Moadiah.
\li1
\v 18 Shammua, of the family of Bilgah,
\li1 Jehonathan, of the family of Shemaiah,
\li1
\v 19 Mattenai, of the family of Joiarib,
\li1 Uzzi, of the family of Jedaiah,
\li1
\v 20 Kallai, of the family of Sallu,
\li1 Eber, of the family of Amok,
\li1
\v 21 Hashabiah, of the family of Hilkiah,
\li1 and Nethanel, of the family of Jedaiah.
\s5
\p
\v 22 During time when Eliashib led the Levites, this is a list of them all: Elisahib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were the leaders of all the priests. They wrote the names of the families who were descendants of Levi. When Darius was king of Persia, the priests were responsible for recording the names of those who were the heads of families.
\v 23 They wrote the names of the leaders of the families who were descendants of Levi in the book of the annals until the time that Eliashib's grandson Johanan was the leader of all the priests.
\s5
\p
\v 24 These were the leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brothers who stood across from them to praise and give thanks to God. They did that just as King David, the man who served God, had instructed them.
\p
\v 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers. They stood guard at the storerooms close to the gates of the temple.
\v 26 They did that work during the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua and the grandson of Jehozadak, during the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest. Ezra also knew the Jewish laws very well.
\s5
\p
\v 27 When we dedicated the wall around Jerusalem, we summoned the descendants of Levi from the places around Israel where they lived, so they could come to celebrate the dedication of the wall. They would sing songs to thank God and many of them made music by playing cymbals and harps and other stringed instruments.
\v 28 We summoned the descendants of Levi who constantly sang together. They came to Jerusalem from nearby areas where they had settled, and from places around Netophah, southeast of Jerusalem.
\s5
\v 29 They came also from three places northeast of Jerusalem, Beth Gilgal and the areas around Geba and Azmaveth. Near Jerusalem the singers built villages where they lived.
\p
\v 30 The priests and descendants of Levi performed rituals to make them clean in God's eyes, and they did the same for all the people, and even for the gates of the city and finally, for the wall.
\s5
\v 31 Then I gathered together the leaders of Judah on top of the wall, and I appointed them to lead two large groups to march around the city on top of the wall, thanking God. As they faced the city, one group walked to the right toward the Dung Gate.
\s5
\v 32 Behind their leaders marched Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah.
\v 33 Those who followed after them were Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
\v 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
\v 35 and some of the priests' sons who played their trumpets, including Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah,
the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.
\s5
\v 36 Behind them marched other members of Zechariah's family, including Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They all were playing the same kinds of musical instruments that King David had played many years previously. Ezra, the man who knew the Jewish laws very well, marched in front of this group.
\v 37 When they reached the Fountain Gate, they went up the steps to the city of David, past the location of David's palace, and then to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side of the city.
\s5
\p
\v 38 The other choir who were singing and thanking Yahweh marched to the left on top of the wall. I followed them with half of the people. We marched past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall.
\v 39 From there we marched past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred Soldiers, to the Sheep Gate. We finished marching near the gate into the temple.
\s5
\v 40 Both the groups reached the house of God as they were singing and thanking him. They stood in their places there. I and the leaders who were with me also stood in our places.
\p
\v 41 My group included the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets.
\v 42 There was another named Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang with Jezrahiah who was their leader.
\s5
\v 43 After we went outside the temple, we offered many sacrifices. We men all rejoiced because God had caused us to be very happy. The women and the children also rejoiced. People far away could hear the noise that we made there in Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 44 On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms where they kept the money that people gave for the temple. They also were in charge of the tithes and the first part of the grain and fruit that was harvested each year. They also brought into the storerooms a part of the harvest from the fields for the priests and the descendants of Levi. This was done because the people of Judah were so happy to have servants serving in the house of Yahweh.
\v 45 The priests and Levites were serving Yahweh in their rituals to purify things, and the musicians in the temple and the gatekeepers also did their work as King David and his son Solomon had declared that they should do.
\s5
\v 46 Ever since the time of David and Asaph, there have been directors of the singers, and they sang songs to praise and thank God.
\v 47 During the years of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, all Israel contributed the food that the singers and temple gatekeepers needed every day. They set aside what the Levites needed to live on, and the Levites set aside for the descendants of Aaron, the first leader of all the priests, what they needed.
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 The Israelite leaders and their families settled in Jerusalem. The remainder of the people cast lots to select one family out of ten who would live in Jerusalem, the city set apart for God. The remaining nine lived in the other towns.
\v 2 Those people asked God to bless those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 3 These are the provincial officials who came to live in Jerusalem. But in the cities of Judah everyone lived on his own family property in their towns. Some from Israel, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants, and the descendants of Solomon's servants came to live in Jerusalem.
\v 4 But some of the people of Judah and the people of Benjamin stayed and lived in Jerusalem.
\p
These are from the relatives of Judah: Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez.
\s5
\p
\v 5 And there was Maaseiah the son of Baruch, who was the son of Colhozeh, who was the son of Hazaiah, who was the son of Adaiah, who was the son of Joiarib, who was the son of Zechariah, who was a descendant of Judah's son Shelah.
\v 6 There were 468 men who were descendants of Perez who lived in the city of Jerusalem. These men were very brave and skilled in combat.
\s5
\m
\v 7 One of the men of the tribe of Benjamin who decided to live in Jerusalem was Sallu 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.
\v 8 Two of Sallu's relatives, Gabbai and Sallai, also settled in Jerusalem.
\p Altogether, 928 people from the tribe of Benjamin settled in Jerusalem.
\v 9 Their leader was Zichri. The official who was second in command in Jerusalem was Hassenuah.
\s5
\m
\v 10 The priests who settled in Jerusalem were Jedaiah son of Joiarib,
\p
\v 11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, who was previously the leader of all the priests.
\v 12 Altogether, 822 members of that clan worked in the temple.
\p Another priest who settled in Jerusalem was 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.
\s5
\v 13 Altogether, there were 242 members of that clan who were leaders of the clan who settled in Jerusalem.
\p Another priest who settled in Jerusalem was Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer.
\v 14 There were 128 members of that clan who were valiant soldiers who settled in Jerusalem. Their leader was Zabdiel the son of Haggedolim.
\s5
\m
\v 15 Another descendant of Levi who settled in Jerusalem was Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni.
\p
\v 16 Two others were Shabbethai and Jozabad, who were prominent men, leaders of the Levites, who supervised the work outside the temple.
\s5
\v 17 Another one was Mattaniah, the son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph. Mattaniah directed the temple choir when they sang the prayers to thank God. His assistant was Bakbukiah. Another one was Abda, the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.
\v 18 Altogether, there were 284 Levites in the city set apart for God.
\s5
\m
\v 19 The gatekeepers who settled in Jerusalem were Akkub and Talmon. Altogether, there were 172 of them and their relatives who settled in Jerusalem.
\p
\v 20 The other Israelite people including descendants of Levi and priests lived on their own property in other towns and cities in Judea.
\p
\v 21 But the temple workers lived in Ophel in Jerusalem. They were supervised by Ziha and Gishpa.
\s5
\p
\v 22 The man who supervised the descendants of Levi who lived in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mika. Uzzi belonged to the clan of Asaph, the clan that was in charge of the music in the temple.
\v 23 The king of Persia had commanded that the clans should decide what work each clan should do to lead the music in the temple each day.
\p
\v 24 Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, who was from the clan of Zerah and a descendant of Judah, was the ambassador of the Israelites to the king of Persia.
\s5
\p
\v 25 Some of the people who did not settle in Jerusalem lived in villages close to their farms. Some from the tribe of Judah lived in villages near Kiriath Arba, Dibon, and Jekabzeel.
\v 26 Some lived in Jeshua, in Moladah, in Bethpelet,
\v 27 in Hazarshual, and in Beersheba and the villages near it.
\s5
\v 28 Others lived in Ziklag, in Mekonah and the villages near it,
\v 29 in Enrimmon, in Zorah, in Jarmuth,
\v 30 in Zanoah, in Adullam, and in the villages near those cities. Some lived in Lachish and in the nearby villages, and some lived in Azekah and the villages near it. All of those people lived in Judea, in the area between Beersheba in the south and Hinnom Valley in the north, at the edge of Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 31 The people of the tribe of Benjamin lived in Geba, Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its nearby villages,
\v 32 in Anathoth, in Nob, in Ananiah,
\v 33 in Hazor, in Ramah, in Gittaim,
\v 34 in Hadid, in Zeboim, in Neballat,
\v 35 in Lod, in Ono, and in Craftsmen's Valley.
\p
\v 36 Some of the Levites who had lived in Judea were sent to live with the people of Benjamin.
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 These are the names of the priests and descendants of Levi that returned from Babylonia with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. They included
\li1 Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
\li1
\v 2 Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,
\li1
\v 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
\s5
\li1
\v 4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
\li1
\v 5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
\li1
\v 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
\li1
\v 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.
\m All those men were leaders of the priests and their associates during the time that Jeshua was the leader of all the priests.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Here is a list of the descendants of Levi who returned: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his brothers led the people in singing songs to thank God.
\v 9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, formed a choir that stood across from the other group when they sang.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Jeshua many years previously was the high priest. He was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,
\v 11 who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.
\s5
\p
\v 12 When Joiakim was the leader of all the priests, these were the leaders of the families of priests:
\li1 Meraiah, of the family of Seraiah,
\li1 Hananiah, of the family of Jeremiah,
\li1
\v 13 Meshullam, of the family of Ezra,
\li1 Jehohanan, of the family of Amariah,
\li1
\v 14 Jonathan, of the family of Malluk,
\li1 Joseph, of the family of Shecaniah.
\s5
\li1
\v 15 More leaders were Adna, of the family of Harim,
\li1 Helkai, of the family of Meremoth,
\li1
\v 16 Zechariah, of the family of Iddo,
\li1 Meshullam, of the family of Ginnethon,
\li1
\v 17 Zicri, of the family of Abijah.
\li1 There was also a leader of the family of Miniamin.
\li1 Piltai, of the family of Moadiah.
\li1
\v 18 Shammua, of the family of Bilgah,
\li1 Jehonathan, of the family of Shemaiah,
\li1
\v 19 Mattenai, of the family of Joiarib,
\li1 Uzzi, of the family of Jedaiah,
\li1
\v 20 Kallai, of the family of Sallu,
\li1 Eber, of the family of Amok,
\li1
\v 21 Hashabiah, of the family of Hilkiah,
\li1 and Nethanel, of the family of Jedaiah.
\s5
\p
\v 22 During time when Eliashib led the Levites, this is a list of them all: Elisahib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were the leaders of all the priests. They wrote the names of the families who were descendants of Levi. When Darius was king of Persia, the priests were responsible for recording the names of those who were the heads of families.
\v 23 They wrote the names of the leaders of the families who were descendants of Levi in the book of the annals until the time that Eliashib's grandson Johanan was the leader of all the priests.
\s5
\p
\v 24 These were the leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brothers who stood across from them to praise and give thanks to God. They did that just as King David, the man who served God, had instructed them.
\p
\v 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers. They stood guard at the storerooms close to the gates of the temple.
\v 26 They did that work during the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua and the grandson of Jehozadak, during the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest. Ezra also knew the Jewish laws very well.
\s5
\p
\v 27 When we dedicated the wall around Jerusalem, we summoned the descendants of Levi from the places around Israel where they lived, so they could come to celebrate the dedication of the wall. They would sing songs to thank God and many of them made music by playing cymbals and harps and other stringed instruments.
\v 28 We summoned the descendants of Levi who constantly sang together. They came to Jerusalem from nearby areas where they had settled, and from places around Netophah, southeast of Jerusalem.
\s5
\v 29 They came also from three places northeast of Jerusalem, Beth Gilgal and the areas around Geba and Azmaveth. Near Jerusalem the singers built villages where they lived.
\p
\v 30 The priests and descendants of Levi performed rituals to make them clean in God's eyes, and they did the same for all the people, and even for the gates of the city and finally, for the wall.
\s5
\v 31 Then I gathered together the leaders of Judah on top of the wall, and I appointed them to lead two large groups to march around the city on top of the wall, thanking God. As they faced the city, one group walked to the right toward the Dung Gate.
\s5
\v 32 Behind their leaders marched Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah.
\v 33 Those who followed after them were Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
\v 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
\v 35 and some of the priests' sons who played their trumpets, including Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah,
the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.
\s5
\v 36 Behind them marched other members of Zechariah's family, including Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They all were playing the same kinds of musical instruments that King David had played many years previously. Ezra, the man who knew the Jewish laws very well, marched in front of this group.
\v 37 When they reached the Fountain Gate, they went up the steps to the city of David, past the location of David's palace, and then to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side of the city.
\s5
\p
\v 38 The other choir who were singing and thanking Yahweh marched to the left on top of the wall. I followed them with half of the people. We marched past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall.
\v 39 From there we marched past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred Soldiers, to the Sheep Gate. We finished marching near the gate into the temple.
\s5
\v 40 Both the groups reached the house of God as they were singing and thanking him. They stood in their places there. I and the leaders who were with me also stood in our places.
\p
\v 41 My group included the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets.
\v 42 There was another named Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang with Jezrahiah who was their leader.
\s5
\v 43 After we went outside the temple, we offered many sacrifices. We men all rejoiced because God had caused us to be very happy. The women and the children also rejoiced. People far away could hear the noise that we made there in Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 44 On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms where they kept the money that people gave for the temple. They also were in charge of the tithes and the first part of the grain and fruit that was harvested each year. They also brought into the storerooms a part of the harvest from the fields for the priests and the descendants of Levi. This was done because the people of Judah were so happy to have servants serving in the house of Yahweh.
\v 45 The priests and Levites were serving Yahweh in their rituals to purify things, and the musicians in the temple and the gatekeepers also did their work as King David and his son Solomon had declared that they should do.
\s5
\v 46 Ever since the time of David and Asaph, there have been directors of the singers, and they sang songs to praise and thank God.
\v 47 During the years of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, all Israel contributed the food that the singers and temple gatekeepers needed every day. They set aside what the Levites needed to live on, and the Levites set aside for the descendants of Aaron, the first leader of all the priests, what they needed.
\s5

View File

@ -54,174 +54,174 @@
\s5
\c 2
\p
\v 1 After a while, when King Ahasuerus's anger had quieted down, he remembered Vashti. He also thought about the law he had made because of what she had done.
\v 2 So his personal servants said to him, "Your Majesty, you should send some men to search for beautiful young virgin girls for the king.
\s5
\v 3 After they find some, you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep your wives here in Susa. They are to be cared for by Hegai (the king's eunuch) who is who protects and cares for these women, he can arrange for their cosmetics.
\v 4 Then the young girl who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti." The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
\s5
\p
\v 5 At that time there was a Jew living in the city of Susa, whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair who was the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, and he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
\v 6 Many years before that, Nebuchadnezzar, who had been king of Babylonia, had taken Mordecai and brought him from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was at the same time that he took away King Jehoiachin from Judah, along with many others.
\s5
\v 7 Mordecai was caring for his cousin, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. She had a beautiful face and a lovely figure, and she was called Esther. After her father and mother died, Mordecai took care of Esther as though she were his own daughter.
\s5
\v 8 After the king commanded that they search for some beautiful women, servants brought Esther and many other young women to the king's palace in Susa, and put them under the care of Hegai.
\v 9 Hegai was pleased with Esther. He immediately arranged for her to have the cosmetics she wanted, and he arranged for special food to be given to her. He assigned servant girls from the king's palace and arranged for her to stay in the best rooms in the women's part of the palace.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, or anything about her relatives, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
\v 11 Every day Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He stood in the courtyard hoping to find out what was happening to Esther.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Before these women were taken to the king, for twelve months they received beauty treatments, and for six months they were treated with olive oil mixed with myrrh.
\v 13 When one of these women was summoned to go to the king, she was allowed to have whatever she wished to take with her from the house of the women, when she went to the king's palace.
\s5
\v 14 In the evening, she would go to the king, and the next morning she would return to the second house of the women, and to the protection of Shaashgaz, the king's official in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again, except when the king wanted her and called her by name.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Now when the time came for Esther (the daughter of Abihail, who was the uncle of Mordecai) to go in the king, she did not ask for anything from the house of the women to take with her, but only what Hegai, the king's official in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther pleased everyone who saw her.
\p
\v 16 Esther was taken up to King Ahasuerus into royal the residence on the tenth month (which is the month of Tebeth), in the seventh year of his reign.
\s5
\v 17 The king loved Esther more than any of the other women whom they brought to him. So he put a crown on her head and declared that Esther would be the queen instead of Vashti.
\v 18 To celebrate her becoming the queen, he gave a great feast in her honor, that he prepared for all his officials and servants. He granted relief from paying taxes to all the provinces and gave expensive gifts to all with generosity that only a king can give.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Later all those young women were gathered together again. By that time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, where the elders and leaders would hold court and settle disputes for others in the kingdom.
\v 20 But Esther still did not tell anyone about her family, or about her people, the Jews. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do; she continued to respect him and honor him by doing what he said.
\v 21 One day when Mordecai was at the king's gate, two of the king's officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who protected the king, standing just outside the king's own rooms. They became angry with the king, and they were planning how they could do him great harm.
\s5
\v 22 But Mordecai heard about what they were planning, he told Queen Esther. Then she told the king, and she told the king that the information came from Mordecai, calling him by name.
\v 23 The king investigated it and confirmed. So the king ordered those two men be hanged from a gallows. When that was done, an official wrote a report about it in the book called The History of the King.
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 After these things happened, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite son of Hammedatha above all the other officials and he made it clear that Haman was over all others who served under him.
\v 2 All the other officials bowed down in front of Haman to honor him, and they gave him great honor, as the king commanded they should. But Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman or to give him that kind of honor.
\s5
\p
\v 3 The other officials saw that, and they asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?"
\v 4 They spoke with him day after day and he would not do what they said, or answer them. So they reported to Haman to see if he would tolerate Mordecai's actions, for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
\s5
\p
\v 5 When Haman learned that Mordecai refused to kneel down or prostrate himself to him, he became extremely angry.
\v 6 He was too proud to want to punish only Mordecai. Because the king's servants had made it known that Mordecai was Jewish, Haman wanted all the Jews to be killed. So this matter became an opportunity to kill all the Jews everywhere in Ahasuerus' kingdom.
\s5
\p
\v 7 In the first month (the month of Nisan), in the twelfth year of Ahasuerus' reign, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) in Haman's presence. They wanted to select a month and a day in which to set this plan in motion). They cast lots for each month and day until they decided on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Haman went to the king and said to him, "Your Majesty, there is a certain group of people who live in many areas of your empire whose laws are different from ours. They even refuse to obey your laws. You should certainly not let them stay, but instead get rid of them.
\v 9 If it pleases you, command that they should all be killed. If you do that, I will give 330 metric tons of silver to be weighed out and given into the accounts of those who are in of your treasury."
\s5
\p
\v 10 The king liked what Haman said, so, and to confirm what he decided, he gave the ring that had his official seal from his signet ring, and gave it to Haman, the Agagite, the one who hated the Jews.
\v 11 The king told Haman, "I am giving the money back to you and your people. Do with it as you please."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then the king's scribes were called together on the thirteenth day of the first month. On that day, an order was written that had everything Haman commanded. The order was sent out to the king's provincial governors—those who were over all the provinces, to the governors of all the various people who were living in the kingdom, and to the officials of all the people. The order was written in every language and in the writing of those languages so they could be read and understood. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with the his own ring, which he had given to Haman to use.
\v 13 Couriers in every province in the kingdom spread the decree. The order was to kill every Jew, to kill them all, and to destroy the Jewish people, from young to old, children and women. This was to be done on one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of Adar). When the Jews were dead, the rest of the people would be allowed to take all their possessions.
\s5
\p
\v 14 A copy of the letter was made law, by order of the king, in every province. In every province all the people learned that they should get ready for that day.
\v 15 Then, according to what the king commanded, men riding horses took these letter quickly to every province in the kingdom. And one of the letters was read aloud to the people who lived and worked within the palace in Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink together, but the people in the city of Susa were very perplexed.
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 When Mordecai found out about those letters, he was so anguished that he tore his clothes and put on the clothes of mourning—rough sackcloth— and he sat in ashes, to show his distress. Then he went into the city, crying very loudly with bitterness and sorrow.
\v 2 He stood outside the king's gate, he was not allowed to enter the palace, because the law forbid anyone dressed in sackcloth to be admitted through the king's gate.
\v 3 In every province of the empire, when the letter from the king was read to the Jewish people, they cried and mourned. They fasted, and wailed loudly, and were filled with sorrow. Many of them lay, dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes.
\s5
\v 4 When Esther's servant women and the male servants came to her and told her about the king's decree and the coming danger, she was very distressed. So she sent to Mordecai some good clothes so he could take off his sackcloth, but he refused to accept them.
\v 5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king's officials, whom he had appointed serve and protect her. She told him to go out and talk to Mordecai to find out what the trouble was about.
\s5
\v 6 Hathak went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the gate to the king's palace.
\v 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened. He told him how much silver Haman had promised to deposit in the king's treasury in order to kill the Jews.
\v 8 Mordecai also gave Hathak a copy of the decree that had been issued in Susa, so that he might show it to Esther. Mordecai wanted to command Esther to take action about this order from the king and to beg favor from the king. He wanted her to go to the king and try to help the Jewish people.
\s5
\v 9 So Hathak went to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.
\v 10 Then Esther ordered Hathak to return to Mordecai, and to tell him this:
\v 11 "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that no one can come before the king unless the king invites him to come. There is only one result of breaking this law: The person is put to death. The only exception would be that the king would hold out his golden scepter to someone who came before him, and that would be the sign that the king would permit that person to live. About my own contact with the king, I have not been called to come to the king for thirty days."
\v 12 So Hathak went back to Mordecai and told him what Esther had said.
\s5
\v 13 Mordecai told Hathak to tell this to Esther: "Do not think that just because you live there in the palace, you will escape when all the other Jews are killed.
\v 14 If you remain silent at this time, someone else will rescue the Jews in some other way, but you and your father's family will die. Who knows, perhaps it was for just for a time like this that you were made queen."
\s5
\v 15 Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai,
\v 16 "Go and gather together all the Jews here in Susa, and tell them to fast for for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My young girls and I will fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though I know it is against the law. And if I die, I die."
\v 17 Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 After three days, Esther put on her royal clothing. Then she went and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, before the front of the king's house. At that time, the king was sitting on his royal throne in his house, facing the entrance to the house.
\v 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, the king was glad and welcomed her. He held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached the king and touched the tip of the scepter.
\s5
\v 3 Then the king said to her, "What is it that you want Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give you up to half my kingdom, if that is what you request."
\v 4 Esther replied, "Your Majesty, if it pleases you, will you and Haman come to a feast that I have prepared for you?"
\s5
\v 5 The king said to his servants, "Go and tell Haman to come quickly and do what Esther has said!" So the king and Haman went to the feast that Esther had prepared.
\v 6 The king said to Esther when the wine of the feast was being served, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? I will give you up to half of my kingdom, if that is what you request."
\s5
\v 7 Esther answered, "My petition and my request is this,
\v 8 if you are pleased with me, if you are willing to do this for me: will you and Haman come to another feast I am preparing for you tomorrow. At that time, I will answer your question."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Haman was feeling very happy when he left the feast. But he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the palace, and once again, Mordecai did not stand up or shake with fear in front of him. So Haman was filled with anger toward Mordecai.
\v 10 However, he did nothing to show that he was angry. He went to his house and gathered his friends. He also called for his wife, Zeresh.
\v 11 Haman told them all about the great riches he had accumulated. He talked about his many sons, and how he had achieved more than all the other officials and the servants of the king.
\s5
\v 12 Then Haman added, "Even Queen Esther invited just two of us, me and the king, to a banquet she prepared for us today. And she is inviting just the two of us to another banquet that she is will give us tomorrow!"
\v 13 Then Haman said, "But these things mean nothing to me as long as I can see Mordecai the Jew sitting there at the king's gate!"
\s5
\v 14 Then Zeresh his wife said to Haman and all his friends, "Why do you not quickly set up a gallows? Make it twenty-three meters high. Then in the morning speak to the king for them to hang Mordecai on it. After that, you can go to the banquet with the king and be happy." This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows set up.
\s5
\c 2
\p
\v 1 After a while, when King Ahasuerus's anger had quieted down, he remembered Vashti. He also thought about the law he had made because of what she had done.
\v 2 So his personal servants said to him, "Your Majesty, you should send some men to search for beautiful young virgin girls for the king.
\s5
\v 3 After they find some, you can appoint some officials in each province to bring them to the place where you keep your wives here in Susa. They are to be cared for by Hegai (the king's eunuch) who is who protects and cares for these women, he can arrange for their cosmetics.
\v 4 Then the young girl who pleases you most can become queen instead of Vashti." The king liked what they suggested, so he did it.
\s5
\p
\v 5 At that time there was a Jew living in the city of Susa, whose name was Mordecai. He was the son of Jair who was the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, and he was a member of the tribe of Benjamin.
\v 6 Many years before that, Nebuchadnezzar, who had been king of Babylonia, had taken Mordecai and brought him from Jerusalem to Babylon. This was at the same time that he took away King Jehoiachin from Judah, along with many others.
\s5
\v 7 Mordecai was caring for his cousin, whose Hebrew name was Hadassah. She had a beautiful face and a lovely figure, and she was called Esther. After her father and mother died, Mordecai took care of Esther as though she were his own daughter.
\s5
\v 8 After the king commanded that they search for some beautiful women, servants brought Esther and many other young women to the king's palace in Susa, and put them under the care of Hegai.
\v 9 Hegai was pleased with Esther. He immediately arranged for her to have the cosmetics she wanted, and he arranged for special food to be given to her. He assigned servant girls from the king's palace and arranged for her to stay in the best rooms in the women's part of the palace.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Esther did not tell anyone that she was a Jew, or anything about her relatives, because Mordecai had told her not to tell anyone.
\v 11 Every day Mordecai walked near the courtyard of the place where those women stayed. He stood in the courtyard hoping to find out what was happening to Esther.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Before these women were taken to the king, for twelve months they received beauty treatments, and for six months they were treated with olive oil mixed with myrrh.
\v 13 When one of these women was summoned to go to the king, she was allowed to have whatever she wished to take with her from the house of the women, when she went to the king's palace.
\s5
\v 14 In the evening, she would go to the king, and the next morning she would return to the second house of the women, and to the protection of Shaashgaz, the king's official in charge of the concubines. She would not return to the king again, except when the king wanted her and called her by name.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Now when the time came for Esther (the daughter of Abihail, who was the uncle of Mordecai) to go in the king, she did not ask for anything from the house of the women to take with her, but only what Hegai, the king's official in charge of the women, suggested. Now Esther pleased everyone who saw her.
\p
\v 16 Esther was taken up to King Ahasuerus into royal the residence on the tenth month (which is the month of Tebeth), in the seventh year of his reign.
\s5
\v 17 The king loved Esther more than any of the other women whom they brought to him. So he put a crown on her head and declared that Esther would be the queen instead of Vashti.
\v 18 To celebrate her becoming the queen, he gave a great feast in her honor, that he prepared for all his officials and servants. He granted relief from paying taxes to all the provinces and gave expensive gifts to all with generosity that only a king can give.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Later all those young women were gathered together again. By that time Mordecai was sitting at the king's gate, where the elders and leaders would hold court and settle disputes for others in the kingdom.
\v 20 But Esther still did not tell anyone about her family, or about her people, the Jews. She continued to do what Mordecai had told her to do; she continued to respect him and honor him by doing what he said.
\v 21 One day when Mordecai was at the king's gate, two of the king's officials were there. Their names were Bigthana and Teresh. They were the guards who protected the king, standing just outside the king's own rooms. They became angry with the king, and they were planning how they could do him great harm.
\s5
\v 22 But Mordecai heard about what they were planning, he told Queen Esther. Then she told the king, and she told the king that the information came from Mordecai, calling him by name.
\v 23 The king investigated it and confirmed. So the king ordered those two men be hanged from a gallows. When that was done, an official wrote a report about it in the book called The History of the King.
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 After these things happened, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman the Agagite son of Hammedatha above all the other officials and he made it clear that Haman was over all others who served under him.
\v 2 All the other officials bowed down in front of Haman to honor him, and they gave him great honor, as the king commanded they should. But Mordecai refused to bow down to Haman or to give him that kind of honor.
\s5
\p
\v 3 The other officials saw that, and they asked Mordecai, "Why do you disobey the king's command?"
\v 4 They spoke with him day after day and he would not do what they said, or answer them. So they reported to Haman to see if he would tolerate Mordecai's actions, for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.
\s5
\p
\v 5 When Haman learned that Mordecai refused to kneel down or prostrate himself to him, he became extremely angry.
\v 6 He was too proud to want to punish only Mordecai. Because the king's servants had made it known that Mordecai was Jewish, Haman wanted all the Jews to be killed. So this matter became an opportunity to kill all the Jews everywhere in Ahasuerus' kingdom.
\s5
\p
\v 7 In the first month (the month of Nisan), in the twelfth year of Ahasuerus' reign, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) in Haman's presence. They wanted to select a month and a day in which to set this plan in motion). They cast lots for each month and day until they decided on the twelfth month, the month of Adar.
\s5
\p
\v 8 Then Haman went to the king and said to him, "Your Majesty, there is a certain group of people who live in many areas of your empire whose laws are different from ours. They even refuse to obey your laws. You should certainly not let them stay, but instead get rid of them.
\v 9 If it pleases you, command that they should all be killed. If you do that, I will give 330 metric tons of silver to be weighed out and given into the accounts of those who are in of your treasury."
\s5
\p
\v 10 The king liked what Haman said, so, and to confirm what he decided, he gave the ring that had his official seal from his signet ring, and gave it to Haman, the Agagite, the one who hated the Jews.
\v 11 The king told Haman, "I am giving the money back to you and your people. Do with it as you please."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then the king's scribes were called together on the thirteenth day of the first month. On that day, an order was written that had everything Haman commanded. The order was sent out to the king's provincial governors—those who were over all the provinces, to the governors of all the various people who were living in the kingdom, and to the officials of all the people. The order was written in every language and in the writing of those languages so they could be read and understood. It was written in the name of King Ahasuerus and was sealed with the his own ring, which he had given to Haman to use.
\v 13 Couriers in every province in the kingdom spread the decree. The order was to kill every Jew, to kill them all, and to destroy the Jewish people, from young to old, children and women. This was to be done on one day—on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month (which is the month of Adar). When the Jews were dead, the rest of the people would be allowed to take all their possessions.
\s5
\p
\v 14 A copy of the letter was made law, by order of the king, in every province. In every province all the people learned that they should get ready for that day.
\v 15 Then, according to what the king commanded, men riding horses took these letter quickly to every province in the kingdom. And one of the letters was read aloud to the people who lived and worked within the palace in Susa. Then the king and Haman sat down to drink together, but the people in the city of Susa were very perplexed.
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 When Mordecai found out about those letters, he was so anguished that he tore his clothes and put on the clothes of mourning—rough sackcloth— and he sat in ashes, to show his distress. Then he went into the city, crying very loudly with bitterness and sorrow.
\v 2 He stood outside the king's gate, he was not allowed to enter the palace, because the law forbid anyone dressed in sackcloth to be admitted through the king's gate.
\v 3 In every province of the empire, when the letter from the king was read to the Jewish people, they cried and mourned. They fasted, and wailed loudly, and were filled with sorrow. Many of them lay, dressed in sackcloth and sat in ashes.
\s5
\v 4 When Esther's servant women and the male servants came to her and told her about the king's decree and the coming danger, she was very distressed. So she sent to Mordecai some good clothes so he could take off his sackcloth, but he refused to accept them.
\v 5 Then Esther summoned Hathak, one of the king's officials, whom he had appointed serve and protect her. She told him to go out and talk to Mordecai to find out what the trouble was about.
\s5
\v 6 Hathak went to Mordecai in the city square in front of the gate to the king's palace.
\v 7 Mordecai told him everything that had happened. He told him how much silver Haman had promised to deposit in the king's treasury in order to kill the Jews.
\v 8 Mordecai also gave Hathak a copy of the decree that had been issued in Susa, so that he might show it to Esther. Mordecai wanted to command Esther to take action about this order from the king and to beg favor from the king. He wanted her to go to the king and try to help the Jewish people.
\s5
\v 9 So Hathak went to Esther and told her what Mordecai said.
\v 10 Then Esther ordered Hathak to return to Mordecai, and to tell him this:
\v 11 "All the king's servants and the people of the king's provinces know that no one can come before the king unless the king invites him to come. There is only one result of breaking this law: The person is put to death. The only exception would be that the king would hold out his golden scepter to someone who came before him, and that would be the sign that the king would permit that person to live. About my own contact with the king, I have not been called to come to the king for thirty days."
\v 12 So Hathak went back to Mordecai and told him what Esther had said.
\s5
\v 13 Mordecai told Hathak to tell this to Esther: "Do not think that just because you live there in the palace, you will escape when all the other Jews are killed.
\v 14 If you remain silent at this time, someone else will rescue the Jews in some other way, but you and your father's family will die. Who knows, perhaps it was for just for a time like this that you were made queen."
\s5
\v 15 Then Esther sent this message to Mordecai,
\v 16 "Go and gather together all the Jews here in Susa, and tell them to fast for for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. My young girls and I will fast in the same way. Then I will go to the king, even though I know it is against the law. And if I die, I die."
\v 17 Mordecai went and did what Esther told him to do.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 After three days, Esther put on her royal clothing. Then she went and stood in the inner court of the king's palace, before the front of the king's house. At that time, the king was sitting on his royal throne in his house, facing the entrance to the house.
\v 2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, the king was glad and welcomed her. He held out to her the golden sceptre that was in his hand. So Esther approached the king and touched the tip of the scepter.
\s5
\v 3 Then the king said to her, "What is it that you want Queen Esther? What is your request? I will give you up to half my kingdom, if that is what you request."
\v 4 Esther replied, "Your Majesty, if it pleases you, will you and Haman come to a feast that I have prepared for you?"
\s5
\v 5 The king said to his servants, "Go and tell Haman to come quickly and do what Esther has said!" So the king and Haman went to the feast that Esther had prepared.
\v 6 The king said to Esther when the wine of the feast was being served, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. What is your request? I will give you up to half of my kingdom, if that is what you request."
\s5
\v 7 Esther answered, "My petition and my request is this,
\v 8 if you are pleased with me, if you are willing to do this for me: will you and Haman come to another feast I am preparing for you tomorrow. At that time, I will answer your question."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Haman was feeling very happy when he left the feast. But he saw Mordecai sitting at the gate of the palace, and once again, Mordecai did not stand up or shake with fear in front of him. So Haman was filled with anger toward Mordecai.
\v 10 However, he did nothing to show that he was angry. He went to his house and gathered his friends. He also called for his wife, Zeresh.
\v 11 Haman told them all about the great riches he had accumulated. He talked about his many sons, and how he had achieved more than all the other officials and the servants of the king.
\s5
\v 12 Then Haman added, "Even Queen Esther invited just two of us, me and the king, to a banquet she prepared for us today. And she is inviting just the two of us to another banquet that she is will give us tomorrow!"
\v 13 Then Haman said, "But these things mean nothing to me as long as I can see Mordecai the Jew sitting there at the king's gate!"
\s5
\v 14 Then Zeresh his wife said to Haman and all his friends, "Why do you not quickly set up a gallows? Make it twenty-three meters high. Then in the morning speak to the king for them to hang Mordecai on it. After that, you can go to the banquet with the king and be happy." This idea pleased Haman, and he had the gallows set up.
\s5
@ -279,46 +279,46 @@
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 Later on that same day, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther all the possessions of Haman, who had been the Jews' enemy. Mordecai served the king because Esther had by now told the king how she was related to him.
\v 2 When Mordecai came in, the king took off the ring that had his official seal on it, the ring that he had recovered from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman's property.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Esther again came to talk to the king. She prostrated herself at his feet and pleaded with him with tears. She asked that the king stop the evil plan that Haman had developed to kill the Jews.
\v 4 The king held out his gold scepter toward Esther, so Esther arose and stood before the king.
\s5
\v 5 She said, "Your Majesty, if it pleases you, and if I have found grace in your eyes, make a new law to cancel out what Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite decreed, that all the Jews in all the provinces in your empire should be killed.
\v 6 How can I bear to see disaster come on my people? How can I endure seeing the destruction of all my relatives?"
\s5
\v 7 King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Because Haman tried to get rid of all the Jews, I have given to Esther everything that belonged to Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows.
\v 8 So now I am also permitting you to write another letter with a new decree in it, so that you may save your people. You may put my name on the letters and use my ring to seal them. This is because no letter that has my name on it and that is sealed with my ring can ever be revoked."
\s5
\v 9 Then the king's scribes were called at that time (in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month). Mordecai dictated to them a new decree in order to protect the Jews. It was written to the provincial governors, the governors and officials of the provinces that are from India all the way to Ethiopia, in total, 127 provinces. The letter was written to every province in the way that every language was written. It was also written to the Jews in their writing and language.
\s5
\v 10 Mordecai wrote the decree in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. He sent the documents by couriers riding on the fast horses that were used in the king's service, bred in the king's stables.
\v 11 The king gave to the Jews living in every city permission to gather together and to fight together to protect their lives. He allowed them to kill any armed men in any province, belonging to any people group, who might attack them or their families, or who might try to take their possessions.
\v 12 This was to be in effect in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which was the month of Adar.
\s5
\v 13 The king ordered them to make copies of this decree and to show them to all the people groups. With this decree, he allowed the Jews to get ready to take revenge on their enemies.
\v 14 The king commanded the men who took these letters to all the provinces to ride quickly on the king's horses. And copies of the letter were also posted and read to the people who lived and worked in the palace in Susa.
\s5
\v 15 Mordecai left the palace, wearing the blue and white robe and a large gold crown that the king gave him. He also put on a robe of fine purple cloth. When the people in Susa heard the new law, they all shouted and cheered.
\v 16 The Jews in Susa were now happy, instead of being afraid. They rejoiced instead of fearing, and other people honored them.
\v 17 When the new decree arrived in every city and province, the Jews there celebrated and prepared feasts and were very joyful. And many people throughout the empire became Jews, because they had become very afraid of the Jews.
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 Later on that same day, King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther all the possessions of Haman, who had been the Jews' enemy. Mordecai served the king because Esther had by now told the king how she was related to him.
\v 2 When Mordecai came in, the king took off the ring that had his official seal on it, the ring that he had recovered from Haman, and he gave it to Mordecai. Esther appointed Mordecai to be in charge of Haman's property.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Esther again came to talk to the king. She prostrated herself at his feet and pleaded with him with tears. She asked that the king stop the evil plan that Haman had developed to kill the Jews.
\v 4 The king held out his gold scepter toward Esther, so Esther arose and stood before the king.
\s5
\v 5 She said, "Your Majesty, if it pleases you, and if I have found grace in your eyes, make a new law to cancel out what Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite decreed, that all the Jews in all the provinces in your empire should be killed.
\v 6 How can I bear to see disaster come on my people? How can I endure seeing the destruction of all my relatives?"
\s5
\v 7 King Ahasuerus replied to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, "Because Haman tried to get rid of all the Jews, I have given to Esther everything that belonged to Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows.
\v 8 So now I am also permitting you to write another letter with a new decree in it, so that you may save your people. You may put my name on the letters and use my ring to seal them. This is because no letter that has my name on it and that is sealed with my ring can ever be revoked."
\s5
\v 9 Then the king's scribes were called at that time (in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day of the month). Mordecai dictated to them a new decree in order to protect the Jews. It was written to the provincial governors, the governors and officials of the provinces that are from India all the way to Ethiopia, in total, 127 provinces. The letter was written to every province in the way that every language was written. It was also written to the Jews in their writing and language.
\s5
\v 10 Mordecai wrote the decree in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. He sent the documents by couriers riding on the fast horses that were used in the king's service, bred in the king's stables.
\v 11 The king gave to the Jews living in every city permission to gather together and to fight together to protect their lives. He allowed them to kill any armed men in any province, belonging to any people group, who might attack them or their families, or who might try to take their possessions.
\v 12 This was to be in effect in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which was the month of Adar.
\s5
\v 13 The king ordered them to make copies of this decree and to show them to all the people groups. With this decree, he allowed the Jews to get ready to take revenge on their enemies.
\v 14 The king commanded the men who took these letters to all the provinces to ride quickly on the king's horses. And copies of the letter were also posted and read to the people who lived and worked in the palace in Susa.
\s5
\v 15 Mordecai left the palace, wearing the blue and white robe and a large gold crown that the king gave him. He also put on a robe of fine purple cloth. When the people in Susa heard the new law, they all shouted and cheered.
\v 16 The Jews in Susa were now happy, instead of being afraid. They rejoiced instead of fearing, and other people honored them.
\v 17 When the new decree arrived in every city and province, the Jews there celebrated and prepared feasts and were very joyful. And many people throughout the empire became Jews, because they had become very afraid of the Jews.
\s5

View File

@ -2814,77 +2814,77 @@ I will enable their enemies to strike them with swords until I have destroyed th
\s5
\c 29
\p
\v 1-2 After King Jehoiachin, his mother, his palace officials, other officials in Judah and Jerusalem, and all the various kinds of craftsmen had been exiled to Babylon, Jeremiah wrote a letter to the elders, the priests, the prophets and all the other people who had been taken from Jerusalem to Babylon by soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar.
\v 3 He gave the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan, and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, when they were about to go to Babylon to be ambassadors from King Zedekiah to King Nebuchadnezzar. This is the letter that Jeremiah wrote, the message that Yahweh gave him.
\s5
\p
\v 4 This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships, says to all you people who were captured here in Jerusalem and taken there to Babylon:
\v 5 "Build houses there, and plan to stay there because you will be there for many years. Plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens.
\s5
\v 6 Get married and have children. Then when they grow up, choose wives for your sons, and husbands for your daughters, in order that they also may have children. In that way, the number of your people will increase, not decrease.
\v 7 Also, do things that will cause things to go well for the other people there in the city where I sent you. Pray that things will go well for the people in that city, because if things go well for them, things will go well for you, also."
\s5
\p
\v 8 This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships, says: "There are false prophets and fortune tellers among you. Do not allow them to deceive you. Do not pay attention to them when they tell you their dreams,
\v 9 because they are telling you lies, saying that I have given them the messages that they are telling you. But, I have not appointed them."
\s5
\p
\v 10 This is also what Yahweh says: "After you and your children have been in Babylon for seventy years, I will help you, and do for you the things that I promised, and I will enable you to return here to Jerusalem.
\v 11 I, Yahweh, know what I have planned for you. I am planning to cause things to go well for you, not to cause you to experience disasters. I am planning to give you many things that you can confidently expect to receive in the future that your people will survive to see.
\s5
\v 12 At that time, when you go to worship me and call out my name in prayer, I will listen to what you pray.
\v 13 If you earnestly desire for me to bless you, you will see that I will answer you.
\v 14 I will help you. I will cause you to no longer be slaves in Babylon. I will gather you from all the nations to which I have exiled you, and I will bring you back here to your own land, to the place from which you were taken."
\s5
\p
\v 15 Some of you say that Yahweh has appointed prophets for you there in Babylon.
\v 16 But this is what Yahweh says about the king who rules here in Jerusalem, and about all the other people who are still living here—your relatives who were not taken to Babylon with you.
\v 17 Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says this: "I will cause them to experience wars and famines and diseases. I will cause them to become like bad figs that are very rotten, with the result that no one can eat them.
\s5
\v 18 I will not stop causing them to experience wars and famines and diseases. And I will scatter them all around the world. In every country where I force them to be taken, I will cause them to be people whom others curse and be horrified about and mock.
\v 19 That will happen because they have refused to pay attention to my messages, messages that I gave to the prophets whom I sent to them. And you who have been exiled to Babylon have not paid attention to them, either." That is what Yahweh says.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Therefore, you people who have been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon, listen to this message from Yahweh.
\v 21 This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships,, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah, and about Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are telling lies to you, saying that they are giving messages from him: "They will be seized and taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who will cause them to be executed while you are watching.
\s5
\v 22 Because of what will happen to them, all you people who have been taken from Judah to Babylon will say this when they curse someone: 'I hope that Yahweh will do to you the same thing that he did to Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon caused to be killed by being burned in a fire.'
\v 23 They have done terrible things to my Israelite people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken lies, saying that they were messages from me. They have said things that I did not tell them to say, and I, Yahweh, have heard them say those things."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Yahweh told me to send this message to Shemaiah, a man from Nehelam who was living in Babylon:
\v 25 "This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships, says: "You wrote a letter that no one told you to write. You sent it to Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, and you sent copies to the other priests and all the other people here in Jerusalem. This is what you wrote to him:
\p
\v 26 'Zephaniah, Yahweh has appointed you to be the priest instead of Jehoiada, to supervise those who work in the temple. Anyone who acts like a crazy man and who claims that he is a prophet, you should put his arms and legs and head into stocks.
\s5
\v 27 So why have you not done anything to stop Jeremiah, the man from Anathoth, who pretends that he is a prophet among you?
\v 28 He sent a letter to us who are here in Babylon, saying that we will be here for a long time. He said that therefore we should build houses and plan to stay here, and plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens."
\p
\v 29 But when Zephaniah the priest received the letter from you, he brought it to me and read it to me.
\s5
\v 30 Then Yahweh gave me this message:
\v 31 "Send this message to all the people from Judah who are there in Babylon: Say that this is what Yahweh says about Shemaiah, the man from Nehelam: 'I did not appoint him, but he has deceived you and caused you to believe the lies that he prophesied.
\v 32 So, I will punish him and his family. He has incited you to rebel against me. Because of that, all of his descendants will soon die. I will do many good things for you, my people, but he and his descendants will not see those things, because they will be dead. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it!'"
\s5
\c 29
\p
\v 1-2 After King Jehoiachin, his mother, his palace officials, other officials in Judah and Jerusalem, and all the various kinds of craftsmen had been exiled to Babylon, Jeremiah wrote a letter to the elders, the priests, the prophets and all the other people who had been taken from Jerusalem to Babylon by soldiers of Nebuchadnezzar.
\v 3 He gave the letter to Elasah son of Shaphan, and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, when they were about to go to Babylon to be ambassadors from King Zedekiah to King Nebuchadnezzar. This is the letter that Jeremiah wrote, the message that Yahweh gave him.
\s5
\p
\v 4 This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships, says to all you people who were captured here in Jerusalem and taken there to Babylon:
\v 5 "Build houses there, and plan to stay there because you will be there for many years. Plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens.
\s5
\v 6 Get married and have children. Then when they grow up, choose wives for your sons, and husbands for your daughters, in order that they also may have children. In that way, the number of your people will increase, not decrease.
\v 7 Also, do things that will cause things to go well for the other people there in the city where I sent you. Pray that things will go well for the people in that city, because if things go well for them, things will go well for you, also."
\s5
\p
\v 8 This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships, says: "There are false prophets and fortune tellers among you. Do not allow them to deceive you. Do not pay attention to them when they tell you their dreams,
\v 9 because they are telling you lies, saying that I have given them the messages that they are telling you. But, I have not appointed them."
\s5
\p
\v 10 This is also what Yahweh says: "After you and your children have been in Babylon for seventy years, I will help you, and do for you the things that I promised, and I will enable you to return here to Jerusalem.
\v 11 I, Yahweh, know what I have planned for you. I am planning to cause things to go well for you, not to cause you to experience disasters. I am planning to give you many things that you can confidently expect to receive in the future that your people will survive to see.
\s5
\v 12 At that time, when you go to worship me and call out my name in prayer, I will listen to what you pray.
\v 13 If you earnestly desire for me to bless you, you will see that I will answer you.
\v 14 I will help you. I will cause you to no longer be slaves in Babylon. I will gather you from all the nations to which I have exiled you, and I will bring you back here to your own land, to the place from which you were taken."
\s5
\p
\v 15 Some of you say that Yahweh has appointed prophets for you there in Babylon.
\v 16 But this is what Yahweh says about the king who rules here in Jerusalem, and about all the other people who are still living here—your relatives who were not taken to Babylon with you.
\v 17 Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, says this: "I will cause them to experience wars and famines and diseases. I will cause them to become like bad figs that are very rotten, with the result that no one can eat them.
\s5
\v 18 I will not stop causing them to experience wars and famines and diseases. And I will scatter them all around the world. In every country where I force them to be taken, I will cause them to be people whom others curse and be horrified about and mock.
\v 19 That will happen because they have refused to pay attention to my messages, messages that I gave to the prophets whom I sent to them. And you who have been exiled to Babylon have not paid attention to them, either." That is what Yahweh says.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Therefore, you people who have been exiled from Jerusalem to Babylon, listen to this message from Yahweh.
\v 21 This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships,, says about Ahab son of Kolaiah, and about Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are telling lies to you, saying that they are giving messages from him: "They will be seized and taken to King Nebuchadnezzar, who will cause them to be executed while you are watching.
\s5
\v 22 Because of what will happen to them, all you people who have been taken from Judah to Babylon will say this when they curse someone: 'I hope that Yahweh will do to you the same thing that he did to Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon caused to be killed by being burned in a fire.'
\v 23 They have done terrible things to my Israelite people. They have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and they have spoken lies, saying that they were messages from me. They have said things that I did not tell them to say, and I, Yahweh, have heard them say those things."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Yahweh told me to send this message to Shemaiah, a man from Nehelam who was living in Babylon:
\v 25 "This is what Yahweh, commander of the angel armies, the God whom Israel worships, says: "You wrote a letter that no one told you to write. You sent it to Zephaniah the priest, son of Maaseiah, and you sent copies to the other priests and all the other people here in Jerusalem. This is what you wrote to him:
\p
\v 26 'Zephaniah, Yahweh has appointed you to be the priest instead of Jehoiada, to supervise those who work in the temple. Anyone who acts like a crazy man and who claims that he is a prophet, you should put his arms and legs and head into stocks.
\s5
\v 27 So why have you not done anything to stop Jeremiah, the man from Anathoth, who pretends that he is a prophet among you?
\v 28 He sent a letter to us who are here in Babylon, saying that we will be here for a long time. He said that therefore we should build houses and plan to stay here, and plant gardens, and eat the food that is produced in the gardens."
\p
\v 29 But when Zephaniah the priest received the letter from you, he brought it to me and read it to me.
\s5
\v 30 Then Yahweh gave me this message:
\v 31 "Send this message to all the people from Judah who are there in Babylon: Say that this is what Yahweh says about Shemaiah, the man from Nehelam: 'I did not appoint him, but he has deceived you and caused you to believe the lies that he prophesied.
\v 32 So, I will punish him and his family. He has incited you to rebel against me. Because of that, all of his descendants will soon die. I will do many good things for you, my people, but he and his descendants will not see those things, because they will be dead. That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it!'"
\s5

View File

@ -931,131 +931,131 @@
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
\v 2 "You people quote this proverb and say that it is about Israel:
\q1 'Parents eat sour grapes,
\q2 but it is their children who have a very sour taste in their mouths.'
\p This means that you think that you must suffer for the sins that your ancestors committed.
\s5
\p
\v 3 But I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that as surely as I am alive, you Israelite people will no longer say this proverb.
\v 4 Everyone who is alive belongs to me. That includes children and their parents; they all belong to me. And it is those who sin who will die because of their sins.
\s5
\q1
\v 5 So suppose that there is a righteous person,
\q2 one who always does what is fair and right.
\q1
\v 6 He does not eat meat sacrificed to idols on the hilltops;
\q2 he does not request help from idols as the rest of Israel has been doing.
\q1 He does not sleep with someone else's wife
\q2 or with a woman during her monthly menstrual period.
\s5
\q1
\v 7 He does not mistreat people;
\q2 if a person borrows money from him and gives him something to guarantee that he will pay the money back, this man always gives it back to that person before the sun goes down.
\q1 He does not rob people.
\q2 He gives food to hungry people.
\q2 He gives clothing to people who need clothes.
\s5
\q1
\v 8 When he lends money to people,
\q2 he does not do it to make him pay interest.
\q1 He does not do things that are evil.
\q2 He always decides things fairly.
\q1
\v 9 He faithfully obeys all my laws.
\q2 That man is truly righteous;
\q1 he will remain alive.
\q2 That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, promise.
\s5
\p
\v 10 But suppose that man has a son who acts violently, who murders people and does any of these other things, even though his father has not done any of them.
\q
\v 11 He eats meat sacrificed to idols on the hilltops.
\q1 He sleeps with other people's wives.
\s5
\q1
\v 12 He mistreats poor and needy people.
\q1 He robs people.
\q1 If someone gives him something to guarantee that he will pay back money that he has borrowed, the unrighteous man never gives it back to him before the sun goes down.
\q1 He seeks help from idols.
\q1 He does other disgusting things.
\q1
\v 13 When he lends money, he charges interest.
\m If you think that I will keep such a person alive, you are certainly wrong. Because he has done all those detestable things, I will certainly make him die, and it will be his own fault.
\s5
\p
\v 14 But suppose that man has a son who sees all the sins that his father commits, but he himself does not do those things.
\q1
\v 15 The son does not eat meat sacrificed to idols on the hilltops.
\q2 He does not request help from idols.
\q1 He does not sleep with other people's wives.
\s5
\q1
\v 16 He does not mistreat people.
\q2 If he lends money to someone, he does not require that person to give him something to guarantee that he will pay the money back.
\q1 He does not rob anyone.
\q2 He gives food to those who need it.
\q2 He gives clothes to those who need clothes.
\q1
\v 17 He does not commit sins, unlike his father,
\q2 and does not charge interest when he lends money.
\q1 He faithfully obeys all my laws.
\m I will make sure that that person does not die for his father's sins; he will certainly stay alive.
\s5
\v 18 But I will ensure that his father will die for the sins that he committed, because the father cheated and robbed people, and did other things that are evil.
\s5
\p
\v 19 If you ask, 'Why should the man's son not suffer for the evil things that his father did?', I will answer that the son has done what is fair and right and has obeyed all my laws, so he will surely remain alive.
\v 20 It is those who sin who will die because of their sins. I will not punish people because their parents have sinned, or because their children have sinned. I will reward people who live rightly, and I will punish the wicked people, those who live wrongly.
\s5
\p
\v 21 But if a wicked person stops doing all the evil things that he did previously, and if he starts to obey faithfully all my laws, and if he does what is fair and right, he will surely remain alive; I will not kill him.
\v 22 I will not punish him for the sins he committed previously. Because of the good things that he has done since that time, I will allow him to stay alive.
\s5
\v 23 I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that I certainly am not happy about wicked people dying. Instead, I am happy when they stop doing wicked things and remain alive as a result.
\s5
\p
\v 24 But if a righteous person stops doing right things and starts to commit sins and does the same disgusting things that wicked people do, I will certainly not allow him to remain alive. I will not think about the righteous things that he did previously. Because he did not faithfully do what pleases me, and because of all the sins that he has committed, he will certainly die.
\s5
\p
\v 25 But you say that I, Yahweh, do not act fairly. You Israelite people, listen to what I say: It is certainly not what I do that is unfair; it is what you continually do that is not fair.
\v 26 If a righteous person turns away from doing what is right and commits sins, he will die for committing those sins.
\s5
\v 27 But if a wicked person turns away from doing wicked things and does what is just and right, he will save himself from dying.
\v 28 Because he has thought about all the evil things that he did and has turned away from doing them, I will certainly allow him to live. I will not kill him.
\s5
\v 29 But you, the Israelites, say that I do not act fairly. You people of Israel, I always actly fairly. It is you who are acting wickedly.
\p
\v 30 Therefore, you Israelite people, I, Yahweh the Lord, will judge each of you according to what you have done. Repent! Turn away from all your wicked behavior! Then I will not destroy you because of the wrong things you have done.
\s5
\v 31 Stop doing wicked things; start thinking in a new way. You Israelite people, do you really want me to kill you because you have sinned?
\v 32 I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that I am not pleased if you die. So turn away from your sins and stay alive!"
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
\v 2 "You people quote this proverb and say that it is about Israel:
\q1 'Parents eat sour grapes,
\q2 but it is their children who have a very sour taste in their mouths.'
\p This means that you think that you must suffer for the sins that your ancestors committed.
\s5
\p
\v 3 But I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that as surely as I am alive, you Israelite people will no longer say this proverb.
\v 4 Everyone who is alive belongs to me. That includes children and their parents; they all belong to me. And it is those who sin who will die because of their sins.
\s5
\q1
\v 5 So suppose that there is a righteous person,
\q2 one who always does what is fair and right.
\q1
\v 6 He does not eat meat sacrificed to idols on the hilltops;
\q2 he does not request help from idols as the rest of Israel has been doing.
\q1 He does not sleep with someone else's wife
\q2 or with a woman during her monthly menstrual period.
\s5
\q1
\v 7 He does not mistreat people;
\q2 if a person borrows money from him and gives him something to guarantee that he will pay the money back, this man always gives it back to that person before the sun goes down.
\q1 He does not rob people.
\q2 He gives food to hungry people.
\q2 He gives clothing to people who need clothes.
\s5
\q1
\v 8 When he lends money to people,
\q2 he does not do it to make him pay interest.
\q1 He does not do things that are evil.
\q2 He always decides things fairly.
\q1
\v 9 He faithfully obeys all my laws.
\q2 That man is truly righteous;
\q1 he will remain alive.
\q2 That is what I, Yahweh the Lord, promise.
\s5
\p
\v 10 But suppose that man has a son who acts violently, who murders people and does any of these other things, even though his father has not done any of them.
\q
\v 11 He eats meat sacrificed to idols on the hilltops.
\q1 He sleeps with other people's wives.
\s5
\q1
\v 12 He mistreats poor and needy people.
\q1 He robs people.
\q1 If someone gives him something to guarantee that he will pay back money that he has borrowed, the unrighteous man never gives it back to him before the sun goes down.
\q1 He seeks help from idols.
\q1 He does other disgusting things.
\q1
\v 13 When he lends money, he charges interest.
\m If you think that I will keep such a person alive, you are certainly wrong. Because he has done all those detestable things, I will certainly make him die, and it will be his own fault.
\s5
\p
\v 14 But suppose that man has a son who sees all the sins that his father commits, but he himself does not do those things.
\q1
\v 15 The son does not eat meat sacrificed to idols on the hilltops.
\q2 He does not request help from idols.
\q1 He does not sleep with other people's wives.
\s5
\q1
\v 16 He does not mistreat people.
\q2 If he lends money to someone, he does not require that person to give him something to guarantee that he will pay the money back.
\q1 He does not rob anyone.
\q2 He gives food to those who need it.
\q2 He gives clothes to those who need clothes.
\q1
\v 17 He does not commit sins, unlike his father,
\q2 and does not charge interest when he lends money.
\q1 He faithfully obeys all my laws.
\m I will make sure that that person does not die for his father's sins; he will certainly stay alive.
\s5
\v 18 But I will ensure that his father will die for the sins that he committed, because the father cheated and robbed people, and did other things that are evil.
\s5
\p
\v 19 If you ask, 'Why should the man's son not suffer for the evil things that his father did?', I will answer that the son has done what is fair and right and has obeyed all my laws, so he will surely remain alive.
\v 20 It is those who sin who will die because of their sins. I will not punish people because their parents have sinned, or because their children have sinned. I will reward people who live rightly, and I will punish the wicked people, those who live wrongly.
\s5
\p
\v 21 But if a wicked person stops doing all the evil things that he did previously, and if he starts to obey faithfully all my laws, and if he does what is fair and right, he will surely remain alive; I will not kill him.
\v 22 I will not punish him for the sins he committed previously. Because of the good things that he has done since that time, I will allow him to stay alive.
\s5
\v 23 I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that I certainly am not happy about wicked people dying. Instead, I am happy when they stop doing wicked things and remain alive as a result.
\s5
\p
\v 24 But if a righteous person stops doing right things and starts to commit sins and does the same disgusting things that wicked people do, I will certainly not allow him to remain alive. I will not think about the righteous things that he did previously. Because he did not faithfully do what pleases me, and because of all the sins that he has committed, he will certainly die.
\s5
\p
\v 25 But you say that I, Yahweh, do not act fairly. You Israelite people, listen to what I say: It is certainly not what I do that is unfair; it is what you continually do that is not fair.
\v 26 If a righteous person turns away from doing what is right and commits sins, he will die for committing those sins.
\s5
\v 27 But if a wicked person turns away from doing wicked things and does what is just and right, he will save himself from dying.
\v 28 Because he has thought about all the evil things that he did and has turned away from doing them, I will certainly allow him to live. I will not kill him.
\s5
\v 29 But you, the Israelites, say that I do not act fairly. You people of Israel, I always actly fairly. It is you who are acting wickedly.
\p
\v 30 Therefore, you Israelite people, I, Yahweh the Lord, will judge each of you according to what you have done. Repent! Turn away from all your wicked behavior! Then I will not destroy you because of the wrong things you have done.
\s5
\v 31 Stop doing wicked things; start thinking in a new way. You Israelite people, do you really want me to kill you because you have sinned?
\v 32 I, Yahweh the Lord, declare that I am not pleased if you die. So turn away from your sins and stay alive!"
\s5
@ -1135,113 +1135,113 @@
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 Almost seven years after the Babylonians had taken us Israelites to their land, on the tenth day of the fifth month of that year, some Israelite elders came to me to ask if I had any message for them from Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 2 Then Yahweh gave me a message for them. He said,
\v 3 "Son of man, speak to the elders and tell them that the Lord Yahweh says this: 'You say that you have come to ask if there is any message from me, but as surely as I am alive, I will not allow you to ask for any message from me.'
\s5
\p
\v 4 If you are willing to warn them, remind them of the disgusting things that their ancestors did.
\v 5 Then say to them, 'On the day that I chose you Israelite people to belong to me, I made a solemn oath to your ancestors while they were still in Egypt.' I said to them, 'I am Yahweh, your God.
\v 6 I will bring you out of Egypt and lead you to a land that I have chosen for you. It is the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
\s5
\v 7 Each of you must get rid of the disgusting idols that you love, and the idols which you learned to worship in Egypt, and with which you made it impossible for me to accept you. I, Yahweh your God, am saying this to you.'
\s5
\p
\v 8 But they rebelled against me. They would not pay attention to me. They did not get rid of the disgusting idols they loved; they did not reject the idols that they saw in Egypt. So because I was angry with them, I said that I would punish them in Egypt.
\v 9 But for the sake of my own reputation, I decided to do something for your people so that the other people groups would not laugh at me and say I had no power. I decided that they would see me bring my people out of Egypt.
\s5
\v 10 Therefore I led your people out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
\v 11 I gave them all my laws and decrees, in order that they would obey them, and as a result they would live for a long time.
\v 12 Also, I established the Sabbath days to be a reminder between me and them, so they would know that I am Yahweh, the one who sets them apart for my honor.
\s5
\p
\v 13 But the Israelite people rebelled against me in the wilderness also. They did not obey my commands; they rejected them, even though they would have lived a long time if they had obeyed them, and they treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So I said that I would destroy them in the wilderness, because that would show that I was very angry with them.
\v 14 But again, so that the other people groups would not laugh at me, I decided to do something in order to show those people groups that I was still as powerful as when they had seen me bring my people out of Egypt.
\s5
\v 15 I solemnly swore to your people in the wilderness that I would not take them into the land that I had promised to give them, a land that was the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
\v 16 I made this oath, because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day. And they insisted on worshiping their idols.
\v 17 But I still pitied them, so I did not destroy them in the wilderness.
\s5
\v 18 I said to their children, the next generation, 'Do not do the things that your parents always do. Do not worship their idols and so make it impossible for me to accept you.
\v 19 I am Yahweh your God. Carefully obey my laws and commands.
\v 20 Respect my Sabbath days, in order that by doing that, it will remind you that you belong to me.
\s5
\p
\v 21 But their children also rebelled against me. They did not take care to obey my laws, even though anyone who obeys them will live for a long time; and they also treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So again I said that I would kill them all in the wilderness, and in this way I would stop being angry.
\v 22 But I did not do that. I decided once more to do something so that the other people groups, those that had seen me bring your people out of Egypt, would not laugh and say that I had lost my power.
\s5
\v 23 So I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among many people groups,
\v 24 because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day—and because they were eager to worship the idols that their parents had worshiped.
\s5
\v 25 So I also allowed them to obey laws that were not good, laws that would not help them live a long time.
\v 26 I allowed them to do things that made it impossible for me to accept them: I allowed them to sacrifice their firstborn children in fire. I allowed them to do that in order that they would be horrified at themselves, and in order that they would know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.
\s5
\p
\v 27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the Israelite people. Say this to them, 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you: This is one way that your ancestors dishonored me by turning away from me.'
\v 28 After I brought them into the land that I had sworn to give them, every time that they saw a high hill or a big green tree, they offered sacrifices to idols there. They made offerings to them, and that caused me to become angry. They presented to those idols their fragrant incense, and they poured out wine offerings to them.
\v 29 Then I asked them, 'What is this hilltop place where you go to worship idols?' So they are still called Bamah, which means 'hilltop'.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Therefore, say this to the Israelite people: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Why do you imitate your ancestors in acting in ways that make me unable to accept you? You act like prostitutes, leaving their husbands for other men. In the same way, you have left me to worship disgusting idols.
\v 31 When you sacrifice your children in the fire, you make me unable to accept you. It is the same as when you bow down to your idols. You Israelite people, should I allow you to ask me to direct you in any matter? I, Yahweh the Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will not answer if you ask me.'
\p
\v 32 You say, 'We want to be like the other people groups in the world. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone like they do.' But what you want will never happen.'
\s5
\v 33 I, Yahweh your Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will use my great power to rule over you, and to show that I am angry with you.
\v 34 With my great power I will gather you from the places to which I scattered you.
\v 35 I will bring you to a wilderness that is surrounded by other nations. There, while I am looking at you, I will judge you.
\s5
\v 36 I will punish you, as I punished your ancestors in the wilderness near Egypt.
\v 37 I will make you submit to me; I will force you to obey the covenant that I made with you.
\v 38 I will destroy the people among you who rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of Babylonia, where they are now living, they will not enter Israel. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who have the power to do what I say that I will do.
\s5
\p
\v 39 As for you Israelite people, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Go and worship your idols now, each of you. But afterwards, you will surely pay attention to me and no longer dishonor me by taking gifts to your idols.
\s5
\v 40 I, Yahweh your Lord, declare that there on my sacred hill, Zion, that high hill in Israel, you will bring gifts to me, and I will accept them. I will require you to bring to me gifts and offerings there, and your sacrifices that you will set apart for me.
\v 41 When I bring you out from the other nations to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as though you were fragrant incense. I will show the people of other nations that I have set myself apart as holy, that I might be honored.
\s5
\v 42 Then, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give to your ancestors, you will know that I, Yahweh, have done it.
\v 43 And there in Israel you will remember how you conducted your lives previously, the actions that caused you to become unacceptable to me, and you will hate yourselves for all the evil things that you have done.
\v 44 When I act toward you Israelite people to protect my reputation, and not because of your evil deeds and corrupt behavior, you Israelite people will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. That is what Yahweh the Lord declares."
\s5
\p
\v 45 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
\v 46 "Son of man, turn toward the south. Preach about what will happen to that dry land, to the forest there.
\v 47 Say to the forest in the southern wilderness of Israel: Listen to this message that Yahweh the Lord is saying about you: I am about to start a fire in your midst, and it will burn up all your trees, both the green trees and the withered trees. Nothing will extinguish the blazing flames. And the fire will scorch the faces of everyone who lives in that area, from the south to the north.
\s5
\v 48 Everyone will see that it is I, Yahweh, who have lit this fire, and no one will be able to put it out."
\p
\v 49 Then I said, "Yahweh, my Lord, when I tell things like this to people, they do not believe me. They say about me, 'He is only telling parables.'"
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 Almost seven years after the Babylonians had taken us Israelites to their land, on the tenth day of the fifth month of that year, some Israelite elders came to me to ask if I had any message for them from Yahweh.
\s5
\p
\v 2 Then Yahweh gave me a message for them. He said,
\v 3 "Son of man, speak to the elders and tell them that the Lord Yahweh says this: 'You say that you have come to ask if there is any message from me, but as surely as I am alive, I will not allow you to ask for any message from me.'
\s5
\p
\v 4 If you are willing to warn them, remind them of the disgusting things that their ancestors did.
\v 5 Then say to them, 'On the day that I chose you Israelite people to belong to me, I made a solemn oath to your ancestors while they were still in Egypt.' I said to them, 'I am Yahweh, your God.
\v 6 I will bring you out of Egypt and lead you to a land that I have chosen for you. It is the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
\s5
\v 7 Each of you must get rid of the disgusting idols that you love, and the idols which you learned to worship in Egypt, and with which you made it impossible for me to accept you. I, Yahweh your God, am saying this to you.'
\s5
\p
\v 8 But they rebelled against me. They would not pay attention to me. They did not get rid of the disgusting idols they loved; they did not reject the idols that they saw in Egypt. So because I was angry with them, I said that I would punish them in Egypt.
\v 9 But for the sake of my own reputation, I decided to do something for your people so that the other people groups would not laugh at me and say I had no power. I decided that they would see me bring my people out of Egypt.
\s5
\v 10 Therefore I led your people out of Egypt and brought them into the wilderness.
\v 11 I gave them all my laws and decrees, in order that they would obey them, and as a result they would live for a long time.
\v 12 Also, I established the Sabbath days to be a reminder between me and them, so they would know that I am Yahweh, the one who sets them apart for my honor.
\s5
\p
\v 13 But the Israelite people rebelled against me in the wilderness also. They did not obey my commands; they rejected them, even though they would have lived a long time if they had obeyed them, and they treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So I said that I would destroy them in the wilderness, because that would show that I was very angry with them.
\v 14 But again, so that the other people groups would not laugh at me, I decided to do something in order to show those people groups that I was still as powerful as when they had seen me bring my people out of Egypt.
\s5
\v 15 I solemnly swore to your people in the wilderness that I would not take them into the land that I had promised to give them, a land that was the most fertile and beautiful land in the world.
\v 16 I made this oath, because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day. And they insisted on worshiping their idols.
\v 17 But I still pitied them, so I did not destroy them in the wilderness.
\s5
\v 18 I said to their children, the next generation, 'Do not do the things that your parents always do. Do not worship their idols and so make it impossible for me to accept you.
\v 19 I am Yahweh your God. Carefully obey my laws and commands.
\v 20 Respect my Sabbath days, in order that by doing that, it will remind you that you belong to me.
\s5
\p
\v 21 But their children also rebelled against me. They did not take care to obey my laws, even though anyone who obeys them will live for a long time; and they also treated the Sabbath days like any other day. So again I said that I would kill them all in the wilderness, and in this way I would stop being angry.
\v 22 But I did not do that. I decided once more to do something so that the other people groups, those that had seen me bring your people out of Egypt, would not laugh and say that I had lost my power.
\s5
\v 23 So I swore to them in the wilderness that I would scatter them among many people groups,
\v 24 because they had rejected and disobeyed all my laws, and because they were treating the Sabbath days like any other day—and because they were eager to worship the idols that their parents had worshiped.
\s5
\v 25 So I also allowed them to obey laws that were not good, laws that would not help them live a long time.
\v 26 I allowed them to do things that made it impossible for me to accept them: I allowed them to sacrifice their firstborn children in fire. I allowed them to do that in order that they would be horrified at themselves, and in order that they would know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.
\s5
\p
\v 27 Therefore, son of man, speak to the Israelite people. Say this to them, 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you: This is one way that your ancestors dishonored me by turning away from me.'
\v 28 After I brought them into the land that I had sworn to give them, every time that they saw a high hill or a big green tree, they offered sacrifices to idols there. They made offerings to them, and that caused me to become angry. They presented to those idols their fragrant incense, and they poured out wine offerings to them.
\v 29 Then I asked them, 'What is this hilltop place where you go to worship idols?' So they are still called Bamah, which means 'hilltop'.
\s5
\p
\v 30 Therefore, say this to the Israelite people: 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: Why do you imitate your ancestors in acting in ways that make me unable to accept you? You act like prostitutes, leaving their husbands for other men. In the same way, you have left me to worship disgusting idols.
\v 31 When you sacrifice your children in the fire, you make me unable to accept you. It is the same as when you bow down to your idols. You Israelite people, should I allow you to ask me to direct you in any matter? I, Yahweh the Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will not answer if you ask me.'
\p
\v 32 You say, 'We want to be like the other people groups in the world. We want to worship idols made of wood and stone like they do.' But what you want will never happen.'
\s5
\v 33 I, Yahweh your Lord, say that as surely as I am alive, I will use my great power to rule over you, and to show that I am angry with you.
\v 34 With my great power I will gather you from the places to which I scattered you.
\v 35 I will bring you to a wilderness that is surrounded by other nations. There, while I am looking at you, I will judge you.
\s5
\v 36 I will punish you, as I punished your ancestors in the wilderness near Egypt.
\v 37 I will make you submit to me; I will force you to obey the covenant that I made with you.
\v 38 I will destroy the people among you who rebel against me. Although I will bring them out of Babylonia, where they are now living, they will not enter Israel. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who have the power to do what I say that I will do.
\s5
\p
\v 39 As for you Israelite people, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Go and worship your idols now, each of you. But afterwards, you will surely pay attention to me and no longer dishonor me by taking gifts to your idols.
\s5
\v 40 I, Yahweh your Lord, declare that there on my sacred hill, Zion, that high hill in Israel, you will bring gifts to me, and I will accept them. I will require you to bring to me gifts and offerings there, and your sacrifices that you will set apart for me.
\v 41 When I bring you out from the other nations to which you have been scattered, I will accept you as though you were fragrant incense. I will show the people of other nations that I have set myself apart as holy, that I might be honored.
\s5
\v 42 Then, when I bring you into the land of Israel, the land that I swore to give to your ancestors, you will know that I, Yahweh, have done it.
\v 43 And there in Israel you will remember how you conducted your lives previously, the actions that caused you to become unacceptable to me, and you will hate yourselves for all the evil things that you have done.
\v 44 When I act toward you Israelite people to protect my reputation, and not because of your evil deeds and corrupt behavior, you Israelite people will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do. That is what Yahweh the Lord declares."
\s5
\p
\v 45 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
\v 46 "Son of man, turn toward the south. Preach about what will happen to that dry land, to the forest there.
\v 47 Say to the forest in the southern wilderness of Israel: Listen to this message that Yahweh the Lord is saying about you: I am about to start a fire in your midst, and it will burn up all your trees, both the green trees and the withered trees. Nothing will extinguish the blazing flames. And the fire will scorch the faces of everyone who lives in that area, from the south to the north.
\s5
\v 48 Everyone will see that it is I, Yahweh, who have lit this fire, and no one will be able to put it out."
\p
\v 49 Then I said, "Yahweh, my Lord, when I tell things like this to people, they do not believe me. They say about me, 'He is only telling parables.'"
\s5
@ -1436,130 +1436,130 @@
\s5
\c 23
\p
\v 1 Yahweh said to me,
\v 2 "Son of man, listen to this parable about Jerusalem and Samaria. Once there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
\v 3 They lived in Egypt. And from the time that they were young women, they became prostitutes. In that land, men fondled their breasts and caressed their young bosoms.
\v 4 The older sister was Oholah, and her younger sister was Oholibah. It was as though they later became my wives. Later they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 5 Oholah acted like a prostitute while she was still my wife. She desired to sleep with those whom she loved—soldiers from Assyria.
\v 6 Some of them were army officers and commanders. They wore beautiful purple uniforms. They were all handsome young men who rode horses.
\v 7 She acted like a prostitute toward all the important Assyrian officials. I could no longer accept her as belonging to me, because she was worshiping all the idols of the men she wanted to sleep with.
\s5
\v 8 When she was a young woman in Egypt, she started being a prostitute, and she allowed young men to caress her breasts and have sex with her. When she became older, she did not quit acting like a prostitute.
\p
\v 9 So I allowed the Assyrian soldiers, whom she wanted to sleep with, to capture her.
\v 10 They stripped all her clothes off her. They took away her sons and daughters. And then they killed her with a sword. Other women started talking about how she was disgraced, and about how she deserved to suffer.
\s5
\p
\v 11 Her younger sister Oholibah saw those things that happened to Oholah, but she was also a prostitute, and she desired to sleep with men even more than her older sister had desired.
\v 12 Oholibah also wanted to sleep with the Assyrian soldiers. Some of them were army officers and commanders. They all wore beautiful uniforms. They were all handsome young men. And they rode horses.
\v 13 I saw what she did that caused me to be unable to accept her, just like her older sister.
\s5
\p
\v 14 But she did even worse things. She saw drawings of men from Babylonia on the walls, painted in red.
\v 15 The men in the drawings had belts around their waists and long turbans on their heads. They all resembled officers from Babylonia who rode in chariots.
\s5
\v 16 As soon as she saw those drawings, she wanted to sleep with those men, and she sent messages to them in Babylonia.
\v 17 Then the soldiers from Babylonia came to her, lay in bed with her, and slept with her. Then she became disgusted with them and turned away from them.
\s5
\v 18 But when she continued to openly act like a prostitute and to show herself naked to others, I became disgusted with her and rejected her, as I had rejected her older sister.
\v 19 But she became even more immoral, as she remembered when she was a young woman learning to be a prostitute in Egypt.
\s5
\v 20 There she wanted to sleep with those who loved her, whose private parts were very long, like those of donkeys, and whose reproductive emissions were huge, like those of horses.
\v 21 So she desired to be immoral like she was when she was young, when men in Egypt caressed her bosom and fondled her young breasts.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Oholibah represents you people of Jerusalem. Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord say: Those soldiers who loved you but from whom you turned away because you became disgusted with them—I will make them angry with you. I will make them come and attack you from every side—
\v 23 soldiers from Babylon and all the other places in Babylonia, and their allies from the regions of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the army of Assyria. Yes, all of them are handsome young men, army officers and commanders, officers who have great fame, all riding on horses.
\s5
\v 24 Their huge army will attack you with weapons, riding in chariots and pulling wagons that will carry the army supplies. They will surround you, carrying large and small shields, and wearing helmets. I will allow them to capture you and punish you in the way that they always punish their enemies.
\v 25 Because I am very angry with you, I will cause them to act furiously toward you. They will cut off your noses and your ears. Then, those who are still alive, they will kill with their swords. They will take away your sons and daughters, and it will be like a fire that burns up your descendants.
\s5
\v 26 They will strip off your clothes and your fine jewelry, and they will take them away.
\v 27 In that way, I will stop all the immoral behavior that began when you became a prostitute in Egypt. You will no longer desire to do those things; you will no longer think about what you did in Egypt.
\s5
\p
\v 28 This is what I, Yahweh the Lord say: Those whom you hate, those with whom you became disgusted and from whom you turned away—I am about to allow them to capture you.
\v 29 They will be cruel; they will take away everything that you own. They will leave you completely naked, and everyone will see that you truly are a prostitute.
\s5
\v 30 It is because of what you have done that you will be punished in that way; you have been an immoral prostitute; you have slept with men of other nations, and you have made it impossible for me to accept you, because you have worshiped their idols.
\v 31 You have behaved like the people of Samaria, who are like your older sister. So I will cause you to be punished as they were punished.
\s5
\p
\v 32 This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: You will suffer when you drink from a cup that is deep and large.
\q1 It will be as though you will drink from the same cup that the people of Samaria drank from.
\q1 And it is because you will drink what it is in that cup, many people will scorn you and make fun of you,
\q2 because when you drink from the cup it will make you drunk and then you will be overcome with sadness.
\s5
\q1
\v 33 When you become very drunk, you will become very sad,
\q2 because drinking what is in that cup will cause you to be ruined; everyone will leave you.
\q2 This is what happened to the people of Samaria, who are like your sister.
\q1
\v 34 You will drink all the liquid that is in that cup;
\q2 then you will break that cup into pieces
\q2 and use those pieces to cut your breasts because you will be very sad.
\m That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.
\s5
\p
\v 35 Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Because you have forgotten me and rejected me, I must punish you for your immoral behavior and for being a prostitute."
\s5
\p
\v 36 Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, judge the people of those two cities represented by Oholah and Oholibah. You must remind them of their detestable behavior.
\v 37 It is as though they have committed adultery and have murdered people. They have been unfaithful to me by worshiping idols. They have even sacrificed their own children, who belonged to me, in fire.
\s5
\v 38 They have done other disgraceful things: they have caused my temple to be an unacceptable place for worship, and they treat the Sabbath days like any other day.
\v 39 On the same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my temple, which caused it to be an unacceptable place for worshiping me. They did these things in my own house!
\s5
\p
\v 40 They sent messages to men in countries far away. And as those men were coming, the two sisters bathed themselves for them, painted their eyebrows, and put on jewelry.
\v 41 They sat on a beautiful couch, with a table in front of it on which they had put incense and olive oil that belonged to me.
\s5
\p
\v 42 Soon there was a noisy crowd around them. Among the crowd there were drunkards who had come from the desert of Arabia. They put bracelets on the arms of the two sisters, and they put beautiful crowns on their heads.
\s5
\v 43 Then I said about the woman who had become exhausted by sleeping with many men, 'Now those men will act toward her as though she were a prostitute, because that is all that she is.'
\v 44 So they slept with those two women, Oholah and Oholibah, as men sleep with prostitutes.
\v 45 But righteous men will condemn them to be punished, as women who commit adultery and who murder others are punished, because those women commit adultery and they murder others.
\s5
\p
\v 46 So this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Bring a mob to attack Samaria and Jerusalem, and allow that mob to cause the people of those cities to be terrified; allow the mob to rob them.
\v 47 The mob will throw stones at them to kill them; they will cut them into pieces with their swords, they will kill their sons and daughters, and they will burn down their houses.
\s5
\p
\v 48 In that way I will cause them to stop their immoral behavior. This will warn other women to not imitate what you people of Jerusalem are doing.
\v 49 I will punish you people of Jerusalem for your immoral behavior and for worshiping idols. Then you will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, have the power to do what I say that I will do."
\s5
\c 23
\p
\v 1 Yahweh said to me,
\v 2 "Son of man, listen to this parable about Jerusalem and Samaria. Once there were two women, daughters of the same mother.
\v 3 They lived in Egypt. And from the time that they were young women, they became prostitutes. In that land, men fondled their breasts and caressed their young bosoms.
\v 4 The older sister was Oholah, and her younger sister was Oholibah. It was as though they later became my wives. Later they gave birth to sons and daughters. Oholah represents Samaria, and Oholibah represents Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 5 Oholah acted like a prostitute while she was still my wife. She desired to sleep with those whom she loved—soldiers from Assyria.
\v 6 Some of them were army officers and commanders. They wore beautiful purple uniforms. They were all handsome young men who rode horses.
\v 7 She acted like a prostitute toward all the important Assyrian officials. I could no longer accept her as belonging to me, because she was worshiping all the idols of the men she wanted to sleep with.
\s5
\v 8 When she was a young woman in Egypt, she started being a prostitute, and she allowed young men to caress her breasts and have sex with her. When she became older, she did not quit acting like a prostitute.
\p
\v 9 So I allowed the Assyrian soldiers, whom she wanted to sleep with, to capture her.
\v 10 They stripped all her clothes off her. They took away her sons and daughters. And then they killed her with a sword. Other women started talking about how she was disgraced, and about how she deserved to suffer.
\s5
\p
\v 11 Her younger sister Oholibah saw those things that happened to Oholah, but she was also a prostitute, and she desired to sleep with men even more than her older sister had desired.
\v 12 Oholibah also wanted to sleep with the Assyrian soldiers. Some of them were army officers and commanders. They all wore beautiful uniforms. They were all handsome young men. And they rode horses.
\v 13 I saw what she did that caused me to be unable to accept her, just like her older sister.
\s5
\p
\v 14 But she did even worse things. She saw drawings of men from Babylonia on the walls, painted in red.
\v 15 The men in the drawings had belts around their waists and long turbans on their heads. They all resembled officers from Babylonia who rode in chariots.
\s5
\v 16 As soon as she saw those drawings, she wanted to sleep with those men, and she sent messages to them in Babylonia.
\v 17 Then the soldiers from Babylonia came to her, lay in bed with her, and slept with her. Then she became disgusted with them and turned away from them.
\s5
\v 18 But when she continued to openly act like a prostitute and to show herself naked to others, I became disgusted with her and rejected her, as I had rejected her older sister.
\v 19 But she became even more immoral, as she remembered when she was a young woman learning to be a prostitute in Egypt.
\s5
\v 20 There she wanted to sleep with those who loved her, whose private parts were very long, like those of donkeys, and whose reproductive emissions were huge, like those of horses.
\v 21 So she desired to be immoral like she was when she was young, when men in Egypt caressed her bosom and fondled her young breasts.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Oholibah represents you people of Jerusalem. Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord say: Those soldiers who loved you but from whom you turned away because you became disgusted with them—I will make them angry with you. I will make them come and attack you from every side—
\v 23 soldiers from Babylon and all the other places in Babylonia, and their allies from the regions of Pekod, Shoa, and Koa, and all the army of Assyria. Yes, all of them are handsome young men, army officers and commanders, officers who have great fame, all riding on horses.
\s5
\v 24 Their huge army will attack you with weapons, riding in chariots and pulling wagons that will carry the army supplies. They will surround you, carrying large and small shields, and wearing helmets. I will allow them to capture you and punish you in the way that they always punish their enemies.
\v 25 Because I am very angry with you, I will cause them to act furiously toward you. They will cut off your noses and your ears. Then, those who are still alive, they will kill with their swords. They will take away your sons and daughters, and it will be like a fire that burns up your descendants.
\s5
\v 26 They will strip off your clothes and your fine jewelry, and they will take them away.
\v 27 In that way, I will stop all the immoral behavior that began when you became a prostitute in Egypt. You will no longer desire to do those things; you will no longer think about what you did in Egypt.
\s5
\p
\v 28 This is what I, Yahweh the Lord say: Those whom you hate, those with whom you became disgusted and from whom you turned away—I am about to allow them to capture you.
\v 29 They will be cruel; they will take away everything that you own. They will leave you completely naked, and everyone will see that you truly are a prostitute.
\s5
\v 30 It is because of what you have done that you will be punished in that way; you have been an immoral prostitute; you have slept with men of other nations, and you have made it impossible for me to accept you, because you have worshiped their idols.
\v 31 You have behaved like the people of Samaria, who are like your older sister. So I will cause you to be punished as they were punished.
\s5
\p
\v 32 This is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: You will suffer when you drink from a cup that is deep and large.
\q1 It will be as though you will drink from the same cup that the people of Samaria drank from.
\q1 And it is because you will drink what it is in that cup, many people will scorn you and make fun of you,
\q2 because when you drink from the cup it will make you drunk and then you will be overcome with sadness.
\s5
\q1
\v 33 When you become very drunk, you will become very sad,
\q2 because drinking what is in that cup will cause you to be ruined; everyone will leave you.
\q2 This is what happened to the people of Samaria, who are like your sister.
\q1
\v 34 You will drink all the liquid that is in that cup;
\q2 then you will break that cup into pieces
\q2 and use those pieces to cut your breasts because you will be very sad.
\m That will surely happen because I, Yahweh, have said it.
\s5
\p
\v 35 Therefore, this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Because you have forgotten me and rejected me, I must punish you for your immoral behavior and for being a prostitute."
\s5
\p
\v 36 Yahweh said to me, "Son of man, judge the people of those two cities represented by Oholah and Oholibah. You must remind them of their detestable behavior.
\v 37 It is as though they have committed adultery and have murdered people. They have been unfaithful to me by worshiping idols. They have even sacrificed their own children, who belonged to me, in fire.
\s5
\v 38 They have done other disgraceful things: they have caused my temple to be an unacceptable place for worship, and they treat the Sabbath days like any other day.
\v 39 On the same day that they sacrificed their children to their idols, they entered my temple, which caused it to be an unacceptable place for worshiping me. They did these things in my own house!
\s5
\p
\v 40 They sent messages to men in countries far away. And as those men were coming, the two sisters bathed themselves for them, painted their eyebrows, and put on jewelry.
\v 41 They sat on a beautiful couch, with a table in front of it on which they had put incense and olive oil that belonged to me.
\s5
\p
\v 42 Soon there was a noisy crowd around them. Among the crowd there were drunkards who had come from the desert of Arabia. They put bracelets on the arms of the two sisters, and they put beautiful crowns on their heads.
\s5
\v 43 Then I said about the woman who had become exhausted by sleeping with many men, 'Now those men will act toward her as though she were a prostitute, because that is all that she is.'
\v 44 So they slept with those two women, Oholah and Oholibah, as men sleep with prostitutes.
\v 45 But righteous men will condemn them to be punished, as women who commit adultery and who murder others are punished, because those women commit adultery and they murder others.
\s5
\p
\v 46 So this is what I, Yahweh the Lord, say: Bring a mob to attack Samaria and Jerusalem, and allow that mob to cause the people of those cities to be terrified; allow the mob to rob them.
\v 47 The mob will throw stones at them to kill them; they will cut them into pieces with their swords, they will kill their sons and daughters, and they will burn down their houses.
\s5
\p
\v 48 In that way I will cause them to stop their immoral behavior. This will warn other women to not imitate what you people of Jerusalem are doing.
\v 49 I will punish you people of Jerusalem for your immoral behavior and for worshiping idols. Then you will know that I, Yahweh the Lord, have the power to do what I say that I will do."
\s5
@ -2673,70 +2673,70 @@
\s5
\c 37
\p
\v 1 One day Yahweh gave me another vision. In the vision I felt the power of God on me, and by his Spirit he took me to the middle of a valley. It was full of bones of people who had been killed.
\v 2 He led me to walk back and forth among those bones. I saw that there were very many bones there, bones that were very dry.
\v 3 He asked me, "Son of man, do you think that these bones can become living people again?"
\p I replied, "Yahweh my Lord, only you know if that can happen."
\s5
\p
\v 4 Then he said to me, "Speak a message for me to these bones. Say to them, 'You dry bones, listen to what Yahweh says.
\v 5 This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you bones: I am going to put my breath into each of you, and you will become alive again.
\v 6 I will fasten tendons to your bones and cause your bones to be covered with flesh. I will cover the flesh with skin. Then I will breathe into you, and you will become alive. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.'"
\s5
\p
\v 7 So I spoke to the bones as Yahweh commanded me to speak. As I was speaking, there was a noise, a sound of shaking, and the bones came together, bones joining to each other.
\v 8 While I was looking, I saw tendons fastening to them and flesh covering them, and then skin covered the flesh, but they were not breathing.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then he said to me, "Son of man, speak a message for me to the wind. Say to the wind, 'Wind, Yahweh says to you, blow from all four directions. Breathe into these people who have been killed, in order that they can come alive again!'"
\v 10 So I said what he commanded me to say, and then breath entered them, and they began to breathe. They became alive and stood up, like a huge army.
\s5
\p
\v 11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones represent all the Israelite people. The people say, 'It is as though our bones are dried up; we can hope for nothing good any longer; our nation is destroyed.'
\v 12 So speak my message to them and say, 'This is what the Lord Yahweh says: My people, it will be as though I will open your graves and cause your corpses to become alive again. I will bring you back to Israel.
\s5
\v 13 Then when that happens, you my people will know that I, Yahweh, have done this.
\v 14 I will put my spirit in you, and it will be as though you will become alive again, and I will enable you to live in your own land again. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who said that it would happen and who has caused it to happen. That is what I, Yahweh, declare.'"
\s5
\p
\v 15 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
\v 16 "Son of man, take a wooden stick and write on it, 'This represents Judah and all the tribes of Judah.' Then take another one and write on it, 'This represents Israel and all the tribes of Israel.'
\v 17 Then join them together to become as though they were one larger wooden stick in your hand.
\s5
\p
\v 18 When your fellow Israelites ask you, 'What does this action mean?',
\v 19 tell them, 'This is what the Lord Yahweh says: One of the pieces of wood in Ezekiel's hand represents Israel and all the tribes of Israel. I am joining it to the piece of wood that represents Judah, to form one stick in his hand.'
\v 20 Then, Son of man, hold up the pieces of wood that you have written on, in order that the people can see them.
\s5
\v 21 Say to the people, 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: I will take you Israelite people out of the countries to which you have been forced to go. I will gather you from all those lands, back to your own land.
\v 22 And I will cause you to again be one nation in your land, on the mountains of Israel. And there will be one king to rule over all of you. Never again will you be two nations or divided into two kingdoms.
\v 23 No longer will you defile yourselves by worshiping idols and disgusting statues of your gods, because I will enable you to stop sinning and to stop rejecting me. You will be my people, and I will be your God.'
\s5
\p
\v 24 The king who rules over them will always come from the family of King David. David was the one who served me well. There will be one shepherd to watch over them and to take care of all of them. They will carefully obey all my laws.
\v 25 They will live in the land that I gave to Jacob, who also served me well; they will live in the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren will live there forever, and the one who will be like King David will be their king forever.
\s5
\v 26 I will make a covenant with them to give them peace; it will be a covenant that will last forever. I will give them that land again and cause their population to increase. And I will put my temple among them forever.
\v 27 My home, where I will live, will be among them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
\v 28 Then, when my temple is there again among them, the people of nations will know that I, Yahweh, set apart Israel for my honor."
\s5
\c 37
\p
\v 1 One day Yahweh gave me another vision. In the vision I felt the power of God on me, and by his Spirit he took me to the middle of a valley. It was full of bones of people who had been killed.
\v 2 He led me to walk back and forth among those bones. I saw that there were very many bones there, bones that were very dry.
\v 3 He asked me, "Son of man, do you think that these bones can become living people again?"
\p I replied, "Yahweh my Lord, only you know if that can happen."
\s5
\p
\v 4 Then he said to me, "Speak a message for me to these bones. Say to them, 'You dry bones, listen to what Yahweh says.
\v 5 This is what Yahweh the Lord says to you bones: I am going to put my breath into each of you, and you will become alive again.
\v 6 I will fasten tendons to your bones and cause your bones to be covered with flesh. I will cover the flesh with skin. Then I will breathe into you, and you will become alive. When that happens, you will know that I, Yahweh, have the power to do what I say that I will do.'"
\s5
\p
\v 7 So I spoke to the bones as Yahweh commanded me to speak. As I was speaking, there was a noise, a sound of shaking, and the bones came together, bones joining to each other.
\v 8 While I was looking, I saw tendons fastening to them and flesh covering them, and then skin covered the flesh, but they were not breathing.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then he said to me, "Son of man, speak a message for me to the wind. Say to the wind, 'Wind, Yahweh says to you, blow from all four directions. Breathe into these people who have been killed, in order that they can come alive again!'"
\v 10 So I said what he commanded me to say, and then breath entered them, and they began to breathe. They became alive and stood up, like a huge army.
\s5
\p
\v 11 Then he said to me, "Son of man, these bones represent all the Israelite people. The people say, 'It is as though our bones are dried up; we can hope for nothing good any longer; our nation is destroyed.'
\v 12 So speak my message to them and say, 'This is what the Lord Yahweh says: My people, it will be as though I will open your graves and cause your corpses to become alive again. I will bring you back to Israel.
\s5
\v 13 Then when that happens, you my people will know that I, Yahweh, have done this.
\v 14 I will put my spirit in you, and it will be as though you will become alive again, and I will enable you to live in your own land again. Then you will know that it is I, Yahweh, who said that it would happen and who has caused it to happen. That is what I, Yahweh, declare.'"
\s5
\p
\v 15 Yahweh gave me another message. He said,
\v 16 "Son of man, take a wooden stick and write on it, 'This represents Judah and all the tribes of Judah.' Then take another one and write on it, 'This represents Israel and all the tribes of Israel.'
\v 17 Then join them together to become as though they were one larger wooden stick in your hand.
\s5
\p
\v 18 When your fellow Israelites ask you, 'What does this action mean?',
\v 19 tell them, 'This is what the Lord Yahweh says: One of the pieces of wood in Ezekiel's hand represents Israel and all the tribes of Israel. I am joining it to the piece of wood that represents Judah, to form one stick in his hand.'
\v 20 Then, Son of man, hold up the pieces of wood that you have written on, in order that the people can see them.
\s5
\v 21 Say to the people, 'This is what Yahweh the Lord says: I will take you Israelite people out of the countries to which you have been forced to go. I will gather you from all those lands, back to your own land.
\v 22 And I will cause you to again be one nation in your land, on the mountains of Israel. And there will be one king to rule over all of you. Never again will you be two nations or divided into two kingdoms.
\v 23 No longer will you defile yourselves by worshiping idols and disgusting statues of your gods, because I will enable you to stop sinning and to stop rejecting me. You will be my people, and I will be your God.'
\s5
\p
\v 24 The king who rules over them will always come from the family of King David. David was the one who served me well. There will be one shepherd to watch over them and to take care of all of them. They will carefully obey all my laws.
\v 25 They will live in the land that I gave to Jacob, who also served me well; they will live in the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their grandchildren will live there forever, and the one who will be like King David will be their king forever.
\s5
\v 26 I will make a covenant with them to give them peace; it will be a covenant that will last forever. I will give them that land again and cause their population to increase. And I will put my temple among them forever.
\v 27 My home, where I will live, will be among them; I will be their God, and they will be my people.
\v 28 Then, when my temple is there again among them, the people of nations will know that I, Yahweh, set apart Israel for my honor."
\s5

View File

@ -920,40 +920,40 @@ to those who understand.
f
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 The angel also said to me, "After those things happen, the great angel Michael, who protects the Israelite people, will appear. Then there will be a time when there will be great troubles. The troubles will be greater than any troubles since any nation began. At that time, all of your people whose names have been written in the book will be saved.
\v 2 Many of those who have died will become alive again. Some of them will live in everlasting life, and some in shame and everlasting contempt.
\s5
\v 3 Those who were wise will shine as brightly as the sky. Those who have shown to others the way to live righteously will shine forever like the stars.
\v 4 But as for you, Daniel, close up the scroll in which you are writing and seal it until the time of the end. Before that happens, many people will travel here and there, learning more and more about many things."
\s5
\p
\v 5 When that angel finished speaking, I, Daniel, looked up, and suddenly I saw two other angels. One was standing on the side of the river where I was, and one was standing on the other side.
\v 6 One of them called to the other one who was wearing linen clothes and who was now standing further up the river, "How long will it be until the end of these amazing events?"
\s5
\p
\v 7 The one wearing the linen clothes and standing further up the river raised his hands toward the sky and solemnly promised to the one who lives forever, "It will be three and a half years, and when God's holy people and their strength are no longer being shattered to pieces, then all these things are finished."
\s5
\p
\v 8 I heard what he said, but I did not understand it. So I asked, "Sir, what will be the result when these things end?"
\p
\v 9 He replied, "Daniel, you must leave now. I cannot answer your question. The words are closed and sealed until the time of the end.
\s5
\v 10 Many people will be made pure, and they will be refined, but the wicked people will continue to act wickedly. Only those who are wise will understand these things.
\v 11 There will be 1,290 days from the time that people are prevented from offering sacrifices each day, that is, from the time that the enemy brings into the temple the abominable thing that will make it like a wilderness unacceptable to God.
\s5
\v 12 God will be pleased with those who remain faithful until the end of 1,335 days.
\p
\v 13 So now I say to you, continue to faithfully trust God until your life on earth ends. You will die, but when everything ends, you will receive your reward from God."
f
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 The angel also said to me, "After those things happen, the great angel Michael, who protects the Israelite people, will appear. Then there will be a time when there will be great troubles. The troubles will be greater than any troubles since any nation began. At that time, all of your people whose names have been written in the book will be saved.
\v 2 Many of those who have died will become alive again. Some of them will live in everlasting life, and some in shame and everlasting contempt.
\s5
\v 3 Those who were wise will shine as brightly as the sky. Those who have shown to others the way to live righteously will shine forever like the stars.
\v 4 But as for you, Daniel, close up the scroll in which you are writing and seal it until the time of the end. Before that happens, many people will travel here and there, learning more and more about many things."
\s5
\p
\v 5 When that angel finished speaking, I, Daniel, looked up, and suddenly I saw two other angels. One was standing on the side of the river where I was, and one was standing on the other side.
\v 6 One of them called to the other one who was wearing linen clothes and who was now standing further up the river, "How long will it be until the end of these amazing events?"
\s5
\p
\v 7 The one wearing the linen clothes and standing further up the river raised his hands toward the sky and solemnly promised to the one who lives forever, "It will be three and a half years, and when God's holy people and their strength are no longer being shattered to pieces, then all these things are finished."
\s5
\p
\v 8 I heard what he said, but I did not understand it. So I asked, "Sir, what will be the result when these things end?"
\p
\v 9 He replied, "Daniel, you must leave now. I cannot answer your question. The words are closed and sealed until the time of the end.
\s5
\v 10 Many people will be made pure, and they will be refined, but the wicked people will continue to act wickedly. Only those who are wise will understand these things.
\v 11 There will be 1,290 days from the time that people are prevented from offering sacrifices each day, that is, from the time that the enemy brings into the temple the abominable thing that will make it like a wilderness unacceptable to God.
\s5
\v 12 God will be pleased with those who remain faithful until the end of 1,335 days.
\p
\v 13 So now I say to you, continue to faithfully trust God until your life on earth ends. You will die, but when everything ends, you will receive your reward from God."

View File

@ -122,245 +122,245 @@
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 While Jesus was still in the town of Nazareth, John, whom the people called the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in the province of Judea.
He was preaching to the people who came there. He kept saying,
\v 2 "You must stop sinning, because God's rule from heaven is near, and he will reject you if you do not stop sinning."
\v 3 When John began preaching, then came true what Isaiah the prophet had said long ago. He said,
\pi "In the wilderness people hear someone shouting to anyone who comes,
\pi 'Get ready to receive the Lord when he comes!
\pi Get everything ready for him!'"
\s5
\p
\v 4 John wore rough clothing made from camel's hair. As the prophet Elijah had done so long ago, he wore a leather belt around his waist. His food was only grasshoppers and honey that he found in the wilderness.
\v 5 People who lived in the city of Jerusalem, many people who lived in other places in the district of Judea, and many others who lived near the Jordan River came to John to hear him preach.
\v 6 After they heard him, they openly confessed their sins, and then he baptized them in the Jordan River.
\s5
\p
\v 7 But John saw that many Pharisees and Sadducees were coming for him to baptize them. He said to them, "You
people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God will punish everyone who sins, did they? Do not think that you can escape from him!
\v 8 If you truly stop sinning, then do right things to show it.
\v 9 I know that God promised to be with Abraham's descendants. But do not say to yourselves, 'Since we are descendants of our ancestor Abraham, God will not punish us even though we have sinned.' No! I tell you that he can change these stones here into descendants of Abraham!
\s5
\v 10 God is ready right now to punish you, just like a man who starts to chop away the roots of a fruit tree that does not give good fruit. He will chop down every tree like that and throw it into the fire."
\p
\v 11 "As for me, I am not very important, because I baptize you only with water. I do it when people are sorry for having sinned. But someone else will come soon who will do very powerful things. He is so much greater than I, that I do not even deserve to carry his sandals.
\p He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
\v 12 He is holding his winnowing fork, ready to separate the good grain from the bad chaff. He is ready to clear out all the bad chaff from where he has threshed the grain. He will take the righteous people home, as a farmer puts his wheat into his storehouse; but he will burn the wicked people, like one burns the chaff, in a fire that never goes out."
\s5
\p
\v 13 During that time, Jesus went from the district of Galilee to the Jordan River, where John was. He did this so John could baptize him.
\v 14 When Jesus asked John to baptize him, John refused; he said, "I need you to baptize me! But you are not a sinner, so why do you come to me?"
\v 15 But Jesus said to him, "Baptize me now, because in this way we two will do everything that God requires." Then John agreed to baptize him.
\s5
\p
\v 16 After that, Jesus immediately came up out of the water. Just then, it was as though the sky was opened, and Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down and sitting on him, in the form of a dove.
\v 17 Then God spoke from heaven and said, "This is my Son. I love him, and I am very pleased with him."
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Then God's Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for the devil to tempt him.
\v 2 After he had not eaten food day and night for forty days, he was hungry.
\v 3 Satan, the tempter, came to him and said, "If you are really the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread for yourself!"
\v 4 But Jesus said to him, "No! I will not do this, because God has said in the scriptures, 'For people to truly live, they must have more than food; they must listen to every word that God has spoken.'"
\s5
\v 5 Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, the city that was especially for God. He set him on the highest part of the temple
\v 6 and said to him, "If you are truly the Son of God, jump down to the ground. You will, of course, not be hurt, because God has said in the scriptures,
\q
'God will command his angels to protect you.
\q They will lift you up in their hands when you are falling, \q and they will keep you from even hitting your foot on a stone.'"
\s5
\v 7 But Jesus said, "No! I will not jump down, because God has also said in the scriptures, 'Do not try to make your God prove who he is.'"
\v 8 Then the devil took him on top of a very high mountain. There he showed him all the nations in the world and the magnificent things in those nations.
\v 9 Then he said to him, "I will let you rule all these nations and give you the magnificent things in them if you bow down and worship me."
\s5
\v 10 But Jesus said to him, "No, I will not worship you, Satan, so go away! God has said in the scriptures, 'It is to the Lord your God whom you must bow down, and you must worship only him!'"
\v 11 Then the devil went away, and at that moment, angels came to Jesus and took care of him.
\s5
\p
\v 12 While Jesus was in the province of Judea, John the Baptizer's disciples came and told him that King Herod had put John in prison. So Jesus returned to the district of Galilee, to the town of Nazareth.
\v 13 Then he left Nazareth and went to the city of Capernaum in order to live there. Capernaum is located beside the Sea of Galilee in the region that formerly belonged to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
\s5
\v 14 He went there so that these words that the prophet Isaiah had written long ago might come true:
\m
\q
\v 15 "The regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
\q regions by the road going to the Sea, on the eastern side of the Jordan River,
\q regions in Galilee, home of many non-Israelites!
\q
\v 16 Those people do not know God, as if they were in darkness,
\q but they will learn the truth, as if a bright light had shone on them.
\q Yes, they have been very afraid of dying,
\q But a brilliant light has shone upon them!"
\s5
\p
\v 17 At that time, while Jesus was in the city of Capernaum, he began to preach to the people, "The rule of God from heaven is near, and he will judge you when he rules. So stop sinning!"
\s5
\p
\v 18 One day while Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two men, Simon, who was later called Peter, and Andrew, his younger brother. They were casting their fishing net into the water because they caught and sold fish.
\v 19 Jesus said to them, "Come with me and I will teach you how to gather people to become my disciples. I will make your work fishing for people."
\v 20 They immediately left the work that they were doing and went with him.
\s5
\p
\v 21 As the three of them walked on from there, Jesus saw two other men, James and John, the younger brother of James. They were in their boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their fishing nets. Jesus told them that they should leave their work and go with him.
\v 22 Immediately they also left their boat and their father and went with Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 23 Jesus led those four men throughout all of the district of Galilee. He was teaching the people in the synagogues. He was preaching the good news about how God is ruling. He was also healing all the people who were sick.
\v 24 When people who lived in other parts of the district of Syria heard what he was doing, they brought to him people who suffered from illnesses, people who suffered from many kinds of diseases, people who suffered from severe pains, people who were controlled by demons, people who were epileptics, and people who were paralyzed. And Jesus healed them.
\v 25 Then large crowds started to go with him. They were people from Galilee, from the Ten Towns, from the city of Jerusalem, from other parts of the province of Judea, and from areas east of the Jordan River.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mount. He sat down there and taught his followers. They came near to him to listen to him.
\v 2 Then he began to teach them by saying,
\q
\v 3 "God is pleased with people who admit that they need him;
\q he will agree to rule over them from heaven.
\q
\v 4 God is pleased with people who mourn because of this sinful world;
\q he will encourage them.
\q
\s5
\v 5 God is pleased with people who are humble;
\q they will inherit the earth that God will make new.
\q
\v 6 God is pleased with people who desire to live righteously just as someone might wish to eat and drink;
\q he will make them able to live righteously.
\q
\v 7 God is pleased with people who act mercifully toward others;
\q he will act mercifully toward them.
\q
\v 8 God is pleased with people who try to do only that which pleases him;
\q some day they will be where God is and will see him.
\q
\s5
\v 9 God is pleased with people who help other people to live peacefully;
\q he will regard them as his own children.
\q
\v 10 God is pleased with people who live righteously; and he is honored when their righteous lives are the reason why evil people insult and treat them badly.
\q God rules over these righteous people from heaven.
\s5
\q
\v 11 God is pleased with you when other people insult you, and he is honored when they do evil things to you and when they tells lies about you, saying that you are evil because you believe in me.
\v 12 When that happens, rejoice and be glad, because God will give you a great reward in heaven. Remember, that is how they persecuted the prophets who lived long ago.
\s5
\p
\v 13 What salt does for food, this is what you will do for the world. But if salt loses its power, no one can make it good again. People just throw it out and walk over it.
\v 14 What light does for people in the dark, this is what you will do for the world. All people will see you, just as they see a city built on a hillside.
\s5
\v 15 After people light a lamp, they never put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand in their houses in order that it can shine on everyone there.
\v 16 Similarly, you need to do what is right in such a way that other people can see what you do. When they see it, they will praise your Father who is in heaven."
\s5
\p
\v 17 "You should not suppose that I have come to you in order to do away with the laws that God gave Moses or what the prophets wrote. Instead, I came to cause to happen what those things said would happen.
\v 18 This is a true saying: God may remove the heaven and the earth, but God will not remove anything from those laws, not even the smallest details or a tiny dot used to end a sentence, until God makes everything he put in the law happen, just as he said it would.
\v 19 Because that is true, if you break the commands that are the least important, you will be the least important person under God's rule from heaven. But if you keep all those commands and teach others to obey God as you are obeying him, you will become very important in God's rule from heaven.
\v 20 I tell you that you must obey those laws better than the teachers of the law, and you must do what is right from your heart. And you must do better than the Pharisees or you will never come under the rule of God from heaven.
\s5
\p
\v 21 "Others have told you what God said to our ancestors, 'You must not kill anyone,' and, 'If you kill anyone, the members of a governing council might sentence you.'
\v 22 But I tell you that if you are angry with anyone, God himself will judge you. If you say to someone, 'You are worthless,' a governing council will judge you. If you say to someone, 'You are a fool,' God will throw you into the fire in hell.
\s5
\v 23 So when you take your gift for God to the altar, if you remember that you have offended someone,
\v 24 leave your gift by the altar, and first go to the person you have offended. Tell that person that you are sorry for what you have done, and ask that person to forgive you. Then go back and offer your gift to God.
\s5
\v 25 If a fellow citizen takes you to court in order to accuse you of doing something wrong, come to an agreement quickly with that person, while you are still walking with that person to court. Do that while there still is time so that he will not take you to the judge, because the judge might say you are guilty and hand you over to the prison guard, and the prison guard will put you in prison.
\v 26 Keep this in mind: If you go to prison, you will never get out because you will never be able to pay all that the judge says that you owe. So remember also to be at peace with your brothers."
\s5
\p
\v 27 "You have heard that God said to our ancestors, 'Do not commit adultery.'
\v 28 But what I say to you is this: If a man even just looks at a woman desiring to sleep with her, God considers that he has already committed adultery with her in his mind.
\s5
\v 29 If you want to sin because you have looked at certain things, then stop looking at them. Even if you have to destroy both of your eyes, do it if that would make you able to avoid sinning. It would be better to be blind and stop sinning, than for God to throw you into hell while you can still see.
\v 30 And if you want to use one of your hands to sin, stop using your hand. Even if you have to cut your hand off and throw it away, do it if that would make you able to avoid sinning. It would be better to be blind and stop sinning, than for God to throw you into hell while you still have both your hands."
\s5
\p
\v 31 "God has said in the scriptures, 'If a man is divorcing his wife, he should write a document on which he states that he is divorcing her.'
\v 32 But now listen to what I say to you: A man may divorce his wife only if she has committed adultery. If a man divorces his wife for any other reason, she commits adultery if she marries someone else. And the man who marries her also commits adultery."
\s5
\p
\v 33 "You have also heard that long ago people were told, 'You should never swear an oath by making up a lie! Instead, you should make your promises as you would if the Lord himself were standing before you.'
\v 34 But now I will say to you something more: Do not swear an oath for any reason! Do not ask the place where God lives in heaven to guarantee what you promised. That is where his great seat of power is and from where he rules over all things.
\v 35 And do not swear any oath on the promise that the earth would witness it. Do not do this, because the earth is where God rests his feet. Never swear an oath by the city of Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is the city that belongs to God, our great King.
\s5
\p
\v 36 Also, do not promise that you will do something and then say that they should cut off your head if you do not do it. How could you promise something so important, when you are not even able to change the color of one hair on your head.
\v 37 If you talk about doing something, just say 'Yes, I will do it,' or 'No, I will not do it.' If you say anything more than that, it is Satan, the Evil One, who has suggested that you talk this way."
\s5
\p
\v 38 "You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'If someone harms one of your eyes, then they should harm one of that person's eyes. And if someone harms one of your teeth, then they should harm one of that person's teeth.'
\v 39 But now listen to what I say to you: Far from taking revenge on someone who harms you, do not even try to stop him. Instead, if someone insults you by striking you on one cheek, turn your other cheek toward that person so he can strike it also.
\s5
\v 40 If someone wants to sue you in a court to get your tunic, let that person have both it and your outer garment, too, which is even of more worth to you.
\v 41 And if a Roman soldier forces you to go with him one mile and carry his gear, carry it for two miles.
\v 42 Also, if someone asks you for something, give it to him. If someone asks you to lend him something, go ahead and lend it to him."
\s5
\p
\v 43 "You have heard that God said to our ancestors, 'Love your fellow Israelites and hate foreigners, for they are your enemies.'
\v 44 But now listen to what I say to you: Love your enemies as well as your friends, and pray for those who cause you to suffer.
\v 45 Do this in order to be like God, your Father who is in heaven. He acts kindly to all people. For example, he causes the sun to shine equally on wicked people and on good people, and he sends rain both on people who obey his law and on people who do not.
\s5
\v 46 If you love only the people who love you, do not expect God to reward you at all! Even people who do terrible things, such as tax collectors, love those who love them. You must act better than they do!
\v 47 Yes, and if you greet only your friends and ask God to bless them, you are not acting any better than other people. Even non-Jews, who do not obey God's law, do the same thing!
\v 48 So you must be completely faithful to God your Father in heaven, just as he is completely faithful to you."
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 While Jesus was still in the town of Nazareth, John, whom the people called the Baptizer, went to a desolate place in the province of Judea.
He was preaching to the people who came there. He kept saying,
\v 2 "You must stop sinning, because God's rule from heaven is near, and he will reject you if you do not stop sinning."
\v 3 When John began preaching, then came true what Isaiah the prophet had said long ago. He said,
\pi "In the wilderness people hear someone shouting to anyone who comes,
\pi 'Get ready to receive the Lord when he comes!
\pi Get everything ready for him!'"
\s5
\p
\v 4 John wore rough clothing made from camel's hair. As the prophet Elijah had done so long ago, he wore a leather belt around his waist. His food was only grasshoppers and honey that he found in the wilderness.
\v 5 People who lived in the city of Jerusalem, many people who lived in other places in the district of Judea, and many others who lived near the Jordan River came to John to hear him preach.
\v 6 After they heard him, they openly confessed their sins, and then he baptized them in the Jordan River.
\s5
\p
\v 7 But John saw that many Pharisees and Sadducees were coming for him to baptize them. He said to them, "You
people are the children of poisonous snakes! No one warned you that one day God will punish everyone who sins, did they? Do not think that you can escape from him!
\v 8 If you truly stop sinning, then do right things to show it.
\v 9 I know that God promised to be with Abraham's descendants. But do not say to yourselves, 'Since we are descendants of our ancestor Abraham, God will not punish us even though we have sinned.' No! I tell you that he can change these stones here into descendants of Abraham!
\s5
\v 10 God is ready right now to punish you, just like a man who starts to chop away the roots of a fruit tree that does not give good fruit. He will chop down every tree like that and throw it into the fire."
\p
\v 11 "As for me, I am not very important, because I baptize you only with water. I do it when people are sorry for having sinned. But someone else will come soon who will do very powerful things. He is so much greater than I, that I do not even deserve to carry his sandals.
\p He will baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire.
\v 12 He is holding his winnowing fork, ready to separate the good grain from the bad chaff. He is ready to clear out all the bad chaff from where he has threshed the grain. He will take the righteous people home, as a farmer puts his wheat into his storehouse; but he will burn the wicked people, like one burns the chaff, in a fire that never goes out."
\s5
\p
\v 13 During that time, Jesus went from the district of Galilee to the Jordan River, where John was. He did this so John could baptize him.
\v 14 When Jesus asked John to baptize him, John refused; he said, "I need you to baptize me! But you are not a sinner, so why do you come to me?"
\v 15 But Jesus said to him, "Baptize me now, because in this way we two will do everything that God requires." Then John agreed to baptize him.
\s5
\p
\v 16 After that, Jesus immediately came up out of the water. Just then, it was as though the sky was opened, and Jesus saw God's Spirit coming down and sitting on him, in the form of a dove.
\v 17 Then God spoke from heaven and said, "This is my Son. I love him, and I am very pleased with him."
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Then God's Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness for the devil to tempt him.
\v 2 After he had not eaten food day and night for forty days, he was hungry.
\v 3 Satan, the tempter, came to him and said, "If you are really the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread for yourself!"
\v 4 But Jesus said to him, "No! I will not do this, because God has said in the scriptures, 'For people to truly live, they must have more than food; they must listen to every word that God has spoken.'"
\s5
\v 5 Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem, the city that was especially for God. He set him on the highest part of the temple
\v 6 and said to him, "If you are truly the Son of God, jump down to the ground. You will, of course, not be hurt, because God has said in the scriptures,
\q
'God will command his angels to protect you.
\q They will lift you up in their hands when you are falling, \q and they will keep you from even hitting your foot on a stone.'"
\s5
\v 7 But Jesus said, "No! I will not jump down, because God has also said in the scriptures, 'Do not try to make your God prove who he is.'"
\v 8 Then the devil took him on top of a very high mountain. There he showed him all the nations in the world and the magnificent things in those nations.
\v 9 Then he said to him, "I will let you rule all these nations and give you the magnificent things in them if you bow down and worship me."
\s5
\v 10 But Jesus said to him, "No, I will not worship you, Satan, so go away! God has said in the scriptures, 'It is to the Lord your God whom you must bow down, and you must worship only him!'"
\v 11 Then the devil went away, and at that moment, angels came to Jesus and took care of him.
\s5
\p
\v 12 While Jesus was in the province of Judea, John the Baptizer's disciples came and told him that King Herod had put John in prison. So Jesus returned to the district of Galilee, to the town of Nazareth.
\v 13 Then he left Nazareth and went to the city of Capernaum in order to live there. Capernaum is located beside the Sea of Galilee in the region that formerly belonged to the tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali.
\s5
\v 14 He went there so that these words that the prophet Isaiah had written long ago might come true:
\m
\q
\v 15 "The regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,
\q regions by the road going to the Sea, on the eastern side of the Jordan River,
\q regions in Galilee, home of many non-Israelites!
\q
\v 16 Those people do not know God, as if they were in darkness,
\q but they will learn the truth, as if a bright light had shone on them.
\q Yes, they have been very afraid of dying,
\q But a brilliant light has shone upon them!"
\s5
\p
\v 17 At that time, while Jesus was in the city of Capernaum, he began to preach to the people, "The rule of God from heaven is near, and he will judge you when he rules. So stop sinning!"
\s5
\p
\v 18 One day while Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two men, Simon, who was later called Peter, and Andrew, his younger brother. They were casting their fishing net into the water because they caught and sold fish.
\v 19 Jesus said to them, "Come with me and I will teach you how to gather people to become my disciples. I will make your work fishing for people."
\v 20 They immediately left the work that they were doing and went with him.
\s5
\p
\v 21 As the three of them walked on from there, Jesus saw two other men, James and John, the younger brother of James. They were in their boat with Zebedee, their father, mending their fishing nets. Jesus told them that they should leave their work and go with him.
\v 22 Immediately they also left their boat and their father and went with Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 23 Jesus led those four men throughout all of the district of Galilee. He was teaching the people in the synagogues. He was preaching the good news about how God is ruling. He was also healing all the people who were sick.
\v 24 When people who lived in other parts of the district of Syria heard what he was doing, they brought to him people who suffered from illnesses, people who suffered from many kinds of diseases, people who suffered from severe pains, people who were controlled by demons, people who were epileptics, and people who were paralyzed. And Jesus healed them.
\v 25 Then large crowds started to go with him. They were people from Galilee, from the Ten Towns, from the city of Jerusalem, from other parts of the province of Judea, and from areas east of the Jordan River.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mount. He sat down there and taught his followers. They came near to him to listen to him.
\v 2 Then he began to teach them by saying,
\q
\v 3 "God is pleased with people who admit that they need him;
\q he will agree to rule over them from heaven.
\q
\v 4 God is pleased with people who mourn because of this sinful world;
\q he will encourage them.
\q
\s5
\v 5 God is pleased with people who are humble;
\q they will inherit the earth that God will make new.
\q
\v 6 God is pleased with people who desire to live righteously just as someone might wish to eat and drink;
\q he will make them able to live righteously.
\q
\v 7 God is pleased with people who act mercifully toward others;
\q he will act mercifully toward them.
\q
\v 8 God is pleased with people who try to do only that which pleases him;
\q some day they will be where God is and will see him.
\q
\s5
\v 9 God is pleased with people who help other people to live peacefully;
\q he will regard them as his own children.
\q
\v 10 God is pleased with people who live righteously; and he is honored when their righteous lives are the reason why evil people insult and treat them badly.
\q God rules over these righteous people from heaven.
\s5
\q
\v 11 God is pleased with you when other people insult you, and he is honored when they do evil things to you and when they tells lies about you, saying that you are evil because you believe in me.
\v 12 When that happens, rejoice and be glad, because God will give you a great reward in heaven. Remember, that is how they persecuted the prophets who lived long ago.
\s5
\p
\v 13 What salt does for food, this is what you will do for the world. But if salt loses its power, no one can make it good again. People just throw it out and walk over it.
\v 14 What light does for people in the dark, this is what you will do for the world. All people will see you, just as they see a city built on a hillside.
\s5
\v 15 After people light a lamp, they never put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on a lampstand in their houses in order that it can shine on everyone there.
\v 16 Similarly, you need to do what is right in such a way that other people can see what you do. When they see it, they will praise your Father who is in heaven."
\s5
\p
\v 17 "You should not suppose that I have come to you in order to do away with the laws that God gave Moses or what the prophets wrote. Instead, I came to cause to happen what those things said would happen.
\v 18 This is a true saying: God may remove the heaven and the earth, but God will not remove anything from those laws, not even the smallest details or a tiny dot used to end a sentence, until God makes everything he put in the law happen, just as he said it would.
\v 19 Because that is true, if you break the commands that are the least important, you will be the least important person under God's rule from heaven. But if you keep all those commands and teach others to obey God as you are obeying him, you will become very important in God's rule from heaven.
\v 20 I tell you that you must obey those laws better than the teachers of the law, and you must do what is right from your heart. And you must do better than the Pharisees or you will never come under the rule of God from heaven.
\s5
\p
\v 21 "Others have told you what God said to our ancestors, 'You must not kill anyone,' and, 'If you kill anyone, the members of a governing council might sentence you.'
\v 22 But I tell you that if you are angry with anyone, God himself will judge you. If you say to someone, 'You are worthless,' a governing council will judge you. If you say to someone, 'You are a fool,' God will throw you into the fire in hell.
\s5
\v 23 So when you take your gift for God to the altar, if you remember that you have offended someone,
\v 24 leave your gift by the altar, and first go to the person you have offended. Tell that person that you are sorry for what you have done, and ask that person to forgive you. Then go back and offer your gift to God.
\s5
\v 25 If a fellow citizen takes you to court in order to accuse you of doing something wrong, come to an agreement quickly with that person, while you are still walking with that person to court. Do that while there still is time so that he will not take you to the judge, because the judge might say you are guilty and hand you over to the prison guard, and the prison guard will put you in prison.
\v 26 Keep this in mind: If you go to prison, you will never get out because you will never be able to pay all that the judge says that you owe. So remember also to be at peace with your brothers."
\s5
\p
\v 27 "You have heard that God said to our ancestors, 'Do not commit adultery.'
\v 28 But what I say to you is this: If a man even just looks at a woman desiring to sleep with her, God considers that he has already committed adultery with her in his mind.
\s5
\v 29 If you want to sin because you have looked at certain things, then stop looking at them. Even if you have to destroy both of your eyes, do it if that would make you able to avoid sinning. It would be better to be blind and stop sinning, than for God to throw you into hell while you can still see.
\v 30 And if you want to use one of your hands to sin, stop using your hand. Even if you have to cut your hand off and throw it away, do it if that would make you able to avoid sinning. It would be better to be blind and stop sinning, than for God to throw you into hell while you still have both your hands."
\s5
\p
\v 31 "God has said in the scriptures, 'If a man is divorcing his wife, he should write a document on which he states that he is divorcing her.'
\v 32 But now listen to what I say to you: A man may divorce his wife only if she has committed adultery. If a man divorces his wife for any other reason, she commits adultery if she marries someone else. And the man who marries her also commits adultery."
\s5
\p
\v 33 "You have also heard that long ago people were told, 'You should never swear an oath by making up a lie! Instead, you should make your promises as you would if the Lord himself were standing before you.'
\v 34 But now I will say to you something more: Do not swear an oath for any reason! Do not ask the place where God lives in heaven to guarantee what you promised. That is where his great seat of power is and from where he rules over all things.
\v 35 And do not swear any oath on the promise that the earth would witness it. Do not do this, because the earth is where God rests his feet. Never swear an oath by the city of Jerusalem, because Jerusalem is the city that belongs to God, our great King.
\s5
\p
\v 36 Also, do not promise that you will do something and then say that they should cut off your head if you do not do it. How could you promise something so important, when you are not even able to change the color of one hair on your head.
\v 37 If you talk about doing something, just say 'Yes, I will do it,' or 'No, I will not do it.' If you say anything more than that, it is Satan, the Evil One, who has suggested that you talk this way."
\s5
\p
\v 38 "You have heard that our ancestors were told, 'If someone harms one of your eyes, then they should harm one of that person's eyes. And if someone harms one of your teeth, then they should harm one of that person's teeth.'
\v 39 But now listen to what I say to you: Far from taking revenge on someone who harms you, do not even try to stop him. Instead, if someone insults you by striking you on one cheek, turn your other cheek toward that person so he can strike it also.
\s5
\v 40 If someone wants to sue you in a court to get your tunic, let that person have both it and your outer garment, too, which is even of more worth to you.
\v 41 And if a Roman soldier forces you to go with him one mile and carry his gear, carry it for two miles.
\v 42 Also, if someone asks you for something, give it to him. If someone asks you to lend him something, go ahead and lend it to him."
\s5
\p
\v 43 "You have heard that God said to our ancestors, 'Love your fellow Israelites and hate foreigners, for they are your enemies.'
\v 44 But now listen to what I say to you: Love your enemies as well as your friends, and pray for those who cause you to suffer.
\v 45 Do this in order to be like God, your Father who is in heaven. He acts kindly to all people. For example, he causes the sun to shine equally on wicked people and on good people, and he sends rain both on people who obey his law and on people who do not.
\s5
\v 46 If you love only the people who love you, do not expect God to reward you at all! Even people who do terrible things, such as tax collectors, love those who love them. You must act better than they do!
\v 47 Yes, and if you greet only your friends and ask God to bless them, you are not acting any better than other people. Even non-Jews, who do not obey God's law, do the same thing!
\v 48 So you must be completely faithful to God your Father in heaven, just as he is completely faithful to you."
\s5
@ -460,352 +460,352 @@ and rescue us when Satan tries to harm us.'
\s5
\c 7
\p
\v 1 Do not talk about how sinfully others have acted, in order that God will not say how sinfully you have acted.
\v 2 If you condemn other people, God will condemn you. To the same extent that you condemn others, you will be condemned.
\s5
\v 3 None of you should be concerned about someone else's small faults! That would be like noticing a speck of straw in that person's eye. But you should be concerned about your own big faults because you do not notice a huge wooden plank in your own eye.
\v 4 You should not say to other people about their minor faults, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye!' while you still have a wooden plank in your own eye.
\v 5 If you do that, you are a hypocrite! You should first remove the plank out of your own eye before trying to get the speck out of someone else's eye."
\s5
\p
\v 6 "You do not give things that belong to God to dogs that would attack you. And you do not throw valuable pearls in front of hogs, because they would just walk on them. In the same way, do not tell wonderful things about God to people who you know will do evil things to you in return.
\s5
\p
\v 7 "Keep asking God for what you need, and keep expecting him to give it to you.
\v 8 For everyone who asks God for something, and who expects him to give it to him, will receive it.
\p
\v 9 If your son asked you for bread, no one among you would give him a stone, would he?
\v 10 If your son asked you for a fish, no one among you would give him a snake, would he?
\s5
\v 11 You know how to give good things to your children, even though you are evil. So God, your Father who is in heaven, will even more certainly give good things to those who ask him.
\p
\v 12 So in whatever way you want others to act toward you, that is the way you should act toward them, because that is the meaning of God's law and of everything that the prophets wrote long ago.
\s5
\p
\v 13-14 "Going to live forever with God in heaven is difficult; it is like a difficult road that you should take.
There is another road, one that most people take. That road is wide; they walk on until they reach a wide gate, but when they go through it, they will die.
So I am telling you to take the difficult road and enter the narrow gate to live forever with God in heaven."
\s5
\p
\v 15 Watch out for people who come to you and say falsely that they are telling you what God has said. They are like wolves that have covered themselves with sheepskins to appear harmless but will attack you.
\v 16 By seeing the fruit that plants produce you know what kind of plants they are. Thornbushes cannot
produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking grapes from thorns or figs from thistles.
\v 17 Here is another example: All good fruit trees produce good fruit, but all rotten trees produce worthless fruit.
\s5
\v 18 No good fruit tree produces worthless fruit, and no rotten tree produces good fruit.
\v 19 Workers chop down and burn up all the trees that do not produce good fruit.
\v 20 By seeing what plants produce, you know what kind of plants they are. Similarly, when you see what the people who come to you do, you will know if they truly produce good or not.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Even though many people habitually call me Lord, pretending that they have my authority, God will not agree to rule from heaven over some of them, because they do not do what he desires. My Father will agree to rule over only those who do what he wants.
\v 22 On the day that God judges everyone, many people will say to me, 'Lord, we spoke God's message as your representatives! As your representatives we drove out demons from people! And as your representatives, many times we performed mighty deeds!'
\v 23 Then I will publicly say to them, 'I have never admitted that you belonged to me. Go away from me, you who do what is evil!'"
\s5
\p
\v 24 So then, anyone who hears what I say and does what I command, will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
\v 25 Even though the rain came down and the river flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not fall down because it had been built on solid rock.
\s5
\v 26 On the other hand, anyone who hears what I say but does not obey me will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
\v 27 When the rain fell and the river flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it crashed down and broke completely apart, because it was built on sand. So you should obey what I have told you."
\s5
\p
\v 28 When Jesus finished teaching all those things, the crowds who had heard him were amazed by how he taught.
\v 29 He taught like a teacher who relies on what he himself knows. He did not teach like those who taught the Jewish laws, who repeated the different things that other men had taught.
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 When Jesus went down from the hillside, large crowds followed him.
\v 2 After Jesus left the crowds, a man who had a skin disease came and knelt before him. He said to Jesus, "Lord, please heal me, because I know you are able to heal me if you are willing to."
\v 3 Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man. He said to him, "I am willing to heal you, and I heal you now!" Immediately the man was healed from his sickness.
\s5
\v 4 Then Jesus said to him, "Make sure that now you do not report about my healing you to anyone other than the priest. Then go to the temple in Jerusalem and give the offering that Moses commanded so people will know about it."
\s5
\p
\v 5 When Jesus went to the city of Capernaum, a Roman officer who commanded one hundred soldiers came to him. He begged Jesus to help him.
\v 6 He said to him, "Lord, my servant is lying in bed at home and is paralyzed, and he has severe pain."
\v 7 Jesus said to him, "I will go to your house and heal him."
\s5
\v 8 But the officer said to him, "I am not worthy for you to come into my house. Instead, just say that my servant is healed, and he will be healed.
\v 9 It is the same way with me. I am a soldier; I have to obey my commanders, and I also have soldiers that I command. When I say to one of them 'Go!' he goes. When I say to another 'Come!' he comes. When I say to my slave, 'Do this!' he does it."
\v 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled. He said to the crowd that was walking with him, "Listen to this: I have never before found anyone who trusts in me as much this non-Jewish man. Not even in Israel, where I would expect people to believe in me, have I found anyone who trusts so much in me!
\s5
\v 11 I tell you truly that many other non-Jewish people will believe in me also, and they will come from distant countries, including those far to the east and far to the west, and they will sit down to feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when God will rule from heaven over everything completely.
\v 12 But as for the Jews whom God intended to rule--he will throw them into hell, where there is total darkness. There they will weep because of their suffering, and they will grind their teeth because they will have severe pain."
\v 13 Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home. What you believed will happen." Then the officer went home and found out that his servant had become well at the exact time that Jesus told him that he would heal him.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When Jesus and some of his disciples went to the home of Peter, Jesus saw Peter's mother-in-law. She was lying on a bed because she had a fever.
\v 15 He touched her hand, and immediately she no longer had a fever. Then she got up and served them some food.
\s5
\p
\v 16 That evening when the Sabbath ended, the crowd brought to Jesus many people whom demons controlled, and other people who were sick. He made the demons leave just by speaking to them, and he healed all the people who were sick.
\v 17 When he did this, he made come true what the prophet Isaiah had written, 'He freed people from being sick, and he made them well.'
\s5
\p
\v 18 Jesus saw the crowd around him he told his disciples to take him by boat to the other side of the lake.
\v 19 As they were walking toward the boat, a man who taught the Jewish laws came to him and said, "Teacher, I will go with you wherever you go."
\v 20 Jesus answered him, "Foxes have holes in the ground in which to live, and birds have nests, but even though I am the Son of Man, I do not have a home where I can sleep."
\s5
\v 21 Another man who was one of Jesus' disciples said to him, "Lord, permit me first to go home. After my father dies I will bury him, and then I will come with you."
\v 22 But Jesus said to him, "Come with me now. The people who are as good as dead, let them wait for their own people to die."
\s5
\p
\v 23 Then Jesus got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
\v 24 Suddenly strong winds blew on the water, and very high waves were splashing into the boat and filling it. But Jesus was sleeping.
\v 25 They went and woke him up, and said to him, "Lord, rescue us! We are about to drown!"
\s5
\v 26 He said to them, "You should not be terrified! You do not believe very much that I can rescue you." Then he got up and rebuked the wind and told the waves to calm down. Immediately the wind stopped blowing and the water became calm.
\v 27 The men were amazed, and they said to each other, "This man is certainly an extraordinary person! All things are under his control! Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
\s5
\p
\v 28 When they came to the east side of the lake, they arrived in the region where the Gadarenes lived. Then two men whom demons controlled came out of the burial caves where they were living. Because they were extremely violent and attacked people, no one dared to travel on the road there.
\v 29 Suddenly they shouted to Jesus, "You are the Son of God! Because you have nothing in common with us, leave us alone! Have you come here to torture us before the time God has appointed to punish us?"
\s5
\v 30 There was a large herd of pigs grazing not far away.
\v 31 So the demons begged Jesus and said, "You are going to drive us out of these men, so send us into those pigs!"
\v 32 Jesus said to them, "If that is what you want, go!" So the demons left the men and entered the pigs. Suddenly the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the water and drowned.
\s5
\v 33 The men who were tending the pigs became afraid and ran into the town and reported everything that had happened, including what had happened to the two men whom demons had controlled.
\v 34 Then it seemed as if all the people who lived in that town went to meet Jesus. When they saw him and the two men whom demons had controlled, they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Jesus and his disciples got into the boat. They sailed over the lake and went to Capernaum, the city where he was staying.
\v 2 Some people brought to him a man who was paralyzed and who was lying on a sleeping pad. When Jesus perceived that they believed that he could heal the paralyzed man, he said to him, "Young man, be encouraged! I forgive your sins."
\s5
\v 3 Some of the men who taught the Jewish laws said among themselves, "This man thinks he is God; he cannot forgive sins!"
\v 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, "You should not think evil thoughts!
\v 5 What is easier, to tell him that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk?
\v 6 So I am going to do something in order that you may know that God has authorized me, the Son of Man, to forgive sins." Then he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your sleeping pad, and go home!"
\s5
\v 7 Immediately the man got up, picked up his sleeping pad, and went home!
\v 8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck. They praised God for giving such authority to people.
\p
\v 9 As Jesus was going away from there, he saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at a table where he collected taxes for the Roman government. Jesus said to him, "Come with me and be my disciple!" So Matthew got up and went with him.
\s5
\v 10 Jesus and his disciples sat down in a house for a meal. While they were eating, many tax collectors and other persons came and ate with them.
\v 11 When the Pharisees saw that, they went up to the disciples and said, "It is disgusting that your teacher eats and associates with tax collectors and other people like them."
\s5
\v 12 Jesus heard what they said, so he told them this parable: "It is people who are sick who need a doctor, not people who are well.
\v 13 You need to learn what these words that God said mean: 'I want you to act mercifully to people and not just to offer sacrifices.' Keep in mind that I came to you, not to invite people who think that they are righteous to turn away from their sinful lives and come to me, but to invite people who know they are sinners."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Then the disciples of John the Baptizer came to Jesus and asked him, "We and the Pharisees often abstain from food because we want to please God, but your disciples do not do that. Why do they not?"
\v 15 Jesus answered, "When the bridegroom is with his friends when he gets married, those people do not mourn, do they? No, because they are not sad at that time. But when the bridegroom has to leave them, they will abstain from food, because they will be sad.
\s5
\p
\v 16 People do not sew a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment to mend a hole. If they did that, when they washed the garment, the patch would shrink and tear the garment, and the hole would become bigger.
\s5
\v 17 Neither does anyone pour fresh grape juice into old skin bags to store it. If anyone did that, those skin bags would tear when the juice became wine. The bags would be ruined, and the wine would be spilled on the ground. Instead, people put new wine into new skin bags, and the bags will stretch when the wine ferments. In this way, both the wine and the bags will be safe."
\s5
\p
\v 18 While Jesus was saying that, a leader in the city came and bowed down before him. Then he said, "My daughter has just now died! But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live again!"
\v 19 So Jesus got up, and he and the disciples went with the man.
\s5
\v 20 Then a woman who had been suffering constant bleeding for twelve years came near Jesus. She came behind him and touched the edge of his garment.
\v 21 She was saying to herself, "If I just touch his garment, I will be healed."
\v 22 Then Jesus turned around to see who had touched him. And when he saw the woman, he said to her, "Be encouraged, dear woman. Because you believed that I could heal you, I have healed you." The woman was healed at that very moment.
\s5
\p
\v 23 Jesus came to the man's house and saw the flute players playing funeral music; there were also many mourners who were wailing loudly because the girl had died.
\v 24 He said to them, "Go away and stop this funeral music and wailing, because the girl is not dead! She is just sleeping!" The people laughed at him, because they knew that she was dead.
\s5
\v 25 But Jesus told them to get out of the house. Then he went into the room where the girl was lying. He took hold of her hand and she became alive again and got up.
\v 26 And the people of that whole region heard about it.
\s5
\p
\v 27 As Jesus went away from there, two blind men followed him and shouted, "Have mercy on us and heal us, you Descendant of King David!"
\v 28 Jesus went into the house, and then the blind men went in, too. Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to heal you?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord!"
\s5
\v 29 Then he touched their eyes and he said to them, "Because you believe that I can heal your eyes, I am healing them right now!"
\v 30 And they were able to see! Then Jesus told them sternly, "Be sure that you do not tell anybody what I have done for you!"
\v 31 But they went out and spread the new in that whole region.
\s5
\p
\v 32 Just when those two men were leaving, some people brought to Jesus a man who was unable to speak because a demon controlled him.
\v 33 After Jesus had driven out the demon, the man began to speak! The crowd who saw this were astonished and said, "Never before have we seen anything as marvelous as this happen in Israel!"
\v 34 But the Pharisees said, "It is Satan, who rules the demons, who enables this man to drive out demons from people."
\s5
\p
\v 35 Then Jesus and his disciples went through many of the cities and towns in the district of Galilee. He was teaching in the synagogues and preaching the good news about how God will rule from heaven. He also was healing the people who had various diseases and illnesses.
\v 36 When he saw the crowd of people, he pitied them because they were upset and worried. They were like sheep that do not have a shepherd.
\s5
\v 37 Then he said to his disciples: "The people who are ready to receive my message are like a field where the crops are ready to harvest. But there are not many people who go to gather the crops.
\v 38 So pray and ask the Lord God to send many more people to gather in his crops."
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 Jesus told his twelve disciples to come to him. Then he gave them the power to drive out evil spirits that controlled people. He also enabled them to heal people who had all kinds diseases or who were sick in all kinds of ways.
\s5
\v 2 Here is a list of the twelve disciples, whom he called apostles. They were Simon, to whom he gave the new name Peter; Andrew, Peter's younger brother; James, the son of Zebedee; John, the younger brother of James;
\v 3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus;
\v 4 Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who later made it possible for the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 5 When Jesus was about to send his twelve. postles to tell the good news to people in various places, he gave them these instructions: "Do not go where the non-Jews live or into the towns where the Samaritans live.
\v 6 Instead, go to the people of Israel; they are like sheep who have strayed away from their shepherd.
\v 7 When you go to them, proclaim to them that God will soon rule from heaven.
\s5
\v 8 Heal sick people, cause dead people to become alive, heal people with leprosy and bring them back into society, and cause demons to leave those whom they control. Do not charge any money for helping people, because God did not charge you anything for helping you.
\v 9 Do not take any money with you,
\v 10 nor a bag for what belongs to you. Do not take an extra tunic, nor sandals in addition to what you are wearing, nor a walking stick. Every worker deserves to get pay from the people for whom he works, so you deserve to receive food from the people to whom you go.
\s5
\v 11 In any town or village that you enter, find a person who wants you to stay in his home.
\v 12 As you go into that house, call upon God to do good to the people who live there. Stay in that home until you leave that town or village.
\v 13 If the people who live in that house receive you well, God will indeed do good to them. But if they do not receive you well, then your prayer will not help them, and God will not do them good.
\s5
\v 14 If the people who live in any house or town do not welcome you, nor listen to your message, leave that place. As you leave, shake off the dust from your feet. By doing that, you will warn them that God will reject them as they rejected what you said.
\v 15 Note this carefully: At the time when God judges all people, he will punish the wicked people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. But if the people of any city reject you, God will punish them even more severely.
\s5
\p
\v 16 "Take note: When I send you out, you will be as defenseless as sheep, among people who are as dangerous as wolves. So be careful like snakes are careful and be harmless to them like pigeons are harmless.
\v 17 Also, be on guard against such people, because they will arrest you and take you to the members of the governing councils to put you on trial. They will whip you in their synagogues.
\v 18 And because you belong to me, they will take you before governors and kings in order that they may put you on trial and punish you. But you will testify to those rulers and to other non-Jews about me.
\s5
\v 19 When those people arrest you, do not be worried about what you will say to them, because the words that you should say will come to you.
\v 20 It is not that you will decide what to say. Instead, you will say what the Spirit of your heavenly Father tells you to say.
\s5
\v 21 They will take you to the authorities to die because you believe in me. For example, people will do that to their brothers, and fathers will do that to their children. Children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.
\v 22 Many people will hate you because you trust in me. But anyone who faithfully trusts in me until they die, those people God will save.
\v 23 When people in one city cause you to suffer, escape to another city. Note this: I, the Son of Man, will certainly return to earth before you have finished going from one town to another town throughout Israel and telling people about me.
\s5
\p
\v 24 A disciple should not expect to be greater than his teacher, and servants are not superior to their master.
\v 25 You do not expect that people will treat a student better than they treat his teacher, or that they will treat a servant better than they treat his master. Similarly, because I am your teacher and master, you can expect that people will mistreat you, because they have mistreated me. I am like the ruler of a household, whom they call Satan. If they act that badly toward me, how do you think they will act toward you?"
\s5
\p
\v 26 "Do not be afraid of those people. Everything that is unknown to people, God wants you now to reveal it. He does not want you to hide what is true, neither to keep it secret.
\v 27 So, instead of being afraid, what I say to you secretly as people do at night, tell it publicly as people do during the daytime. What I say to you privately as people do when they whisper to you, proclaim it publicly.
\s5
\v 28 Do not be afraid of people who are able to kill your body but are not able to destroy your soul. Instead, fear God, because he is able to destroy both your body and your soul in hell.
\v 29 Think about the sparrows. They have so little value that you can buy two of them for only one small coin. But when any sparrow falls to the ground and dies, God, your heavenly Father, knows it, because he knows everything.
\v 30 He knows everything about you, too. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head!
\v 31 God values you much more than he values sparrows. So, do not be afraid of people who threaten to kill you!
\s5
\v 32 If people are willing to tell others that they belong to me, I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven that they belong to me.
\v 33 But if they are afraid to say in front of others that they belong to me, I will tell my Father, who is in heaven, that they are not mine."
\s5
\p
\v 34 "Do not think that I came to earth to cause people to live together in peace. Because I have come, some of those who follow me will die.
\v 35 Because I came to earth, people who do not believe in me will be against those who do believe in me. For example, some sons will oppose their fathers, some daughters will oppose their mothers, and some daughters-in-law will oppose their mothers-in-law.
\v 36 This shows that sometimes a person's enemies will be members of his own household.
\s5
\v 37 People who love their fathers or mothers more than they love me are not worthy to belong to me. And people who love their sons or daughters more than they love me are not worthy to belong to me.
\v 38 If you are not ready to die because you belong to me, then you are not worthy to belong to me.
\v 39 People who deny that they believe in me in order to escape dying will not live with God eternally, but people who are willing to lose their lives because they trust in me, will live with God eternally."
\s5
\p
\v 40 "God considers that everyone who welcomes you, welcomes me, and he considers that everyone who welcomes me welcomes him, the one who sent me.
\v 41 Those who welcome someone because they know that person is a prophet—they will receive the same reward that prophets receive from God. Likewise, those who welcome a person because they know that person is righteous—they will receive the reward that righteous people receive from God.
\s5
\v 42 Note this: Suppose people see that you are thirsty and give you a drink of cold water because they know that you are one of my disciples, even if you are not an important person at all. God will certainly reward people who do that."
\s5
\c 7
\p
\v 1 Do not talk about how sinfully others have acted, in order that God will not say how sinfully you have acted.
\v 2 If you condemn other people, God will condemn you. To the same extent that you condemn others, you will be condemned.
\s5
\v 3 None of you should be concerned about someone else's small faults! That would be like noticing a speck of straw in that person's eye. But you should be concerned about your own big faults because you do not notice a huge wooden plank in your own eye.
\v 4 You should not say to other people about their minor faults, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye!' while you still have a wooden plank in your own eye.
\v 5 If you do that, you are a hypocrite! You should first remove the plank out of your own eye before trying to get the speck out of someone else's eye."
\s5
\p
\v 6 "You do not give things that belong to God to dogs that would attack you. And you do not throw valuable pearls in front of hogs, because they would just walk on them. In the same way, do not tell wonderful things about God to people who you know will do evil things to you in return.
\s5
\p
\v 7 "Keep asking God for what you need, and keep expecting him to give it to you.
\v 8 For everyone who asks God for something, and who expects him to give it to him, will receive it.
\p
\v 9 If your son asked you for bread, no one among you would give him a stone, would he?
\v 10 If your son asked you for a fish, no one among you would give him a snake, would he?
\s5
\v 11 You know how to give good things to your children, even though you are evil. So God, your Father who is in heaven, will even more certainly give good things to those who ask him.
\p
\v 12 So in whatever way you want others to act toward you, that is the way you should act toward them, because that is the meaning of God's law and of everything that the prophets wrote long ago.
\s5
\p
\v 13-14 "Going to live forever with God in heaven is difficult; it is like a difficult road that you should take.
There is another road, one that most people take. That road is wide; they walk on until they reach a wide gate, but when they go through it, they will die.
So I am telling you to take the difficult road and enter the narrow gate to live forever with God in heaven."
\s5
\p
\v 15 Watch out for people who come to you and say falsely that they are telling you what God has said. They are like wolves that have covered themselves with sheepskins to appear harmless but will attack you.
\v 16 By seeing the fruit that plants produce you know what kind of plants they are. Thornbushes cannot
produce grapes and thistles cannot produce figs, so no one thinks of picking grapes from thorns or figs from thistles.
\v 17 Here is another example: All good fruit trees produce good fruit, but all rotten trees produce worthless fruit.
\s5
\v 18 No good fruit tree produces worthless fruit, and no rotten tree produces good fruit.
\v 19 Workers chop down and burn up all the trees that do not produce good fruit.
\v 20 By seeing what plants produce, you know what kind of plants they are. Similarly, when you see what the people who come to you do, you will know if they truly produce good or not.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Even though many people habitually call me Lord, pretending that they have my authority, God will not agree to rule from heaven over some of them, because they do not do what he desires. My Father will agree to rule over only those who do what he wants.
\v 22 On the day that God judges everyone, many people will say to me, 'Lord, we spoke God's message as your representatives! As your representatives we drove out demons from people! And as your representatives, many times we performed mighty deeds!'
\v 23 Then I will publicly say to them, 'I have never admitted that you belonged to me. Go away from me, you who do what is evil!'"
\s5
\p
\v 24 So then, anyone who hears what I say and does what I command, will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
\v 25 Even though the rain came down and the river flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not fall down because it had been built on solid rock.
\s5
\v 26 On the other hand, anyone who hears what I say but does not obey me will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
\v 27 When the rain fell and the river flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it crashed down and broke completely apart, because it was built on sand. So you should obey what I have told you."
\s5
\p
\v 28 When Jesus finished teaching all those things, the crowds who had heard him were amazed by how he taught.
\v 29 He taught like a teacher who relies on what he himself knows. He did not teach like those who taught the Jewish laws, who repeated the different things that other men had taught.
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 When Jesus went down from the hillside, large crowds followed him.
\v 2 After Jesus left the crowds, a man who had a skin disease came and knelt before him. He said to Jesus, "Lord, please heal me, because I know you are able to heal me if you are willing to."
\v 3 Then Jesus stretched out his hand and touched the man. He said to him, "I am willing to heal you, and I heal you now!" Immediately the man was healed from his sickness.
\s5
\v 4 Then Jesus said to him, "Make sure that now you do not report about my healing you to anyone other than the priest. Then go to the temple in Jerusalem and give the offering that Moses commanded so people will know about it."
\s5
\p
\v 5 When Jesus went to the city of Capernaum, a Roman officer who commanded one hundred soldiers came to him. He begged Jesus to help him.
\v 6 He said to him, "Lord, my servant is lying in bed at home and is paralyzed, and he has severe pain."
\v 7 Jesus said to him, "I will go to your house and heal him."
\s5
\v 8 But the officer said to him, "I am not worthy for you to come into my house. Instead, just say that my servant is healed, and he will be healed.
\v 9 It is the same way with me. I am a soldier; I have to obey my commanders, and I also have soldiers that I command. When I say to one of them 'Go!' he goes. When I say to another 'Come!' he comes. When I say to my slave, 'Do this!' he does it."
\v 10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled. He said to the crowd that was walking with him, "Listen to this: I have never before found anyone who trusts in me as much this non-Jewish man. Not even in Israel, where I would expect people to believe in me, have I found anyone who trusts so much in me!
\s5
\v 11 I tell you truly that many other non-Jewish people will believe in me also, and they will come from distant countries, including those far to the east and far to the west, and they will sit down to feast with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob when God will rule from heaven over everything completely.
\v 12 But as for the Jews whom God intended to rule--he will throw them into hell, where there is total darkness. There they will weep because of their suffering, and they will grind their teeth because they will have severe pain."
\v 13 Then Jesus said to the officer, "Go home. What you believed will happen." Then the officer went home and found out that his servant had become well at the exact time that Jesus told him that he would heal him.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When Jesus and some of his disciples went to the home of Peter, Jesus saw Peter's mother-in-law. She was lying on a bed because she had a fever.
\v 15 He touched her hand, and immediately she no longer had a fever. Then she got up and served them some food.
\s5
\p
\v 16 That evening when the Sabbath ended, the crowd brought to Jesus many people whom demons controlled, and other people who were sick. He made the demons leave just by speaking to them, and he healed all the people who were sick.
\v 17 When he did this, he made come true what the prophet Isaiah had written, 'He freed people from being sick, and he made them well.'
\s5
\p
\v 18 Jesus saw the crowd around him he told his disciples to take him by boat to the other side of the lake.
\v 19 As they were walking toward the boat, a man who taught the Jewish laws came to him and said, "Teacher, I will go with you wherever you go."
\v 20 Jesus answered him, "Foxes have holes in the ground in which to live, and birds have nests, but even though I am the Son of Man, I do not have a home where I can sleep."
\s5
\v 21 Another man who was one of Jesus' disciples said to him, "Lord, permit me first to go home. After my father dies I will bury him, and then I will come with you."
\v 22 But Jesus said to him, "Come with me now. The people who are as good as dead, let them wait for their own people to die."
\s5
\p
\v 23 Then Jesus got into the boat and his disciples followed him.
\v 24 Suddenly strong winds blew on the water, and very high waves were splashing into the boat and filling it. But Jesus was sleeping.
\v 25 They went and woke him up, and said to him, "Lord, rescue us! We are about to drown!"
\s5
\v 26 He said to them, "You should not be terrified! You do not believe very much that I can rescue you." Then he got up and rebuked the wind and told the waves to calm down. Immediately the wind stopped blowing and the water became calm.
\v 27 The men were amazed, and they said to each other, "This man is certainly an extraordinary person! All things are under his control! Even the winds and the waves obey him!"
\s5
\p
\v 28 When they came to the east side of the lake, they arrived in the region where the Gadarenes lived. Then two men whom demons controlled came out of the burial caves where they were living. Because they were extremely violent and attacked people, no one dared to travel on the road there.
\v 29 Suddenly they shouted to Jesus, "You are the Son of God! Because you have nothing in common with us, leave us alone! Have you come here to torture us before the time God has appointed to punish us?"
\s5
\v 30 There was a large herd of pigs grazing not far away.
\v 31 So the demons begged Jesus and said, "You are going to drive us out of these men, so send us into those pigs!"
\v 32 Jesus said to them, "If that is what you want, go!" So the demons left the men and entered the pigs. Suddenly the whole herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the water and drowned.
\s5
\v 33 The men who were tending the pigs became afraid and ran into the town and reported everything that had happened, including what had happened to the two men whom demons had controlled.
\v 34 Then it seemed as if all the people who lived in that town went to meet Jesus. When they saw him and the two men whom demons had controlled, they pleaded with Jesus to leave their region.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Jesus and his disciples got into the boat. They sailed over the lake and went to Capernaum, the city where he was staying.
\v 2 Some people brought to him a man who was paralyzed and who was lying on a sleeping pad. When Jesus perceived that they believed that he could heal the paralyzed man, he said to him, "Young man, be encouraged! I forgive your sins."
\s5
\v 3 Some of the men who taught the Jewish laws said among themselves, "This man thinks he is God; he cannot forgive sins!"
\v 4 Jesus knew what they were thinking, so he said, "You should not think evil thoughts!
\v 5 What is easier, to tell him that his sins are forgiven or to tell him to get up and walk?
\v 6 So I am going to do something in order that you may know that God has authorized me, the Son of Man, to forgive sins." Then he said to the paralyzed man, "Get up, pick up your sleeping pad, and go home!"
\s5
\v 7 Immediately the man got up, picked up his sleeping pad, and went home!
\v 8 When the crowds saw this, they were awestruck. They praised God for giving such authority to people.
\p
\v 9 As Jesus was going away from there, he saw a man named Matthew. He was sitting at a table where he collected taxes for the Roman government. Jesus said to him, "Come with me and be my disciple!" So Matthew got up and went with him.
\s5
\v 10 Jesus and his disciples sat down in a house for a meal. While they were eating, many tax collectors and other persons came and ate with them.
\v 11 When the Pharisees saw that, they went up to the disciples and said, "It is disgusting that your teacher eats and associates with tax collectors and other people like them."
\s5
\v 12 Jesus heard what they said, so he told them this parable: "It is people who are sick who need a doctor, not people who are well.
\v 13 You need to learn what these words that God said mean: 'I want you to act mercifully to people and not just to offer sacrifices.' Keep in mind that I came to you, not to invite people who think that they are righteous to turn away from their sinful lives and come to me, but to invite people who know they are sinners."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Then the disciples of John the Baptizer came to Jesus and asked him, "We and the Pharisees often abstain from food because we want to please God, but your disciples do not do that. Why do they not?"
\v 15 Jesus answered, "When the bridegroom is with his friends when he gets married, those people do not mourn, do they? No, because they are not sad at that time. But when the bridegroom has to leave them, they will abstain from food, because they will be sad.
\s5
\p
\v 16 People do not sew a patch of unshrunken cloth on an old garment to mend a hole. If they did that, when they washed the garment, the patch would shrink and tear the garment, and the hole would become bigger.
\s5
\v 17 Neither does anyone pour fresh grape juice into old skin bags to store it. If anyone did that, those skin bags would tear when the juice became wine. The bags would be ruined, and the wine would be spilled on the ground. Instead, people put new wine into new skin bags, and the bags will stretch when the wine ferments. In this way, both the wine and the bags will be safe."
\s5
\p
\v 18 While Jesus was saying that, a leader in the city came and bowed down before him. Then he said, "My daughter has just now died! But if you come and lay your hand on her, she will live again!"
\v 19 So Jesus got up, and he and the disciples went with the man.
\s5
\v 20 Then a woman who had been suffering constant bleeding for twelve years came near Jesus. She came behind him and touched the edge of his garment.
\v 21 She was saying to herself, "If I just touch his garment, I will be healed."
\v 22 Then Jesus turned around to see who had touched him. And when he saw the woman, he said to her, "Be encouraged, dear woman. Because you believed that I could heal you, I have healed you." The woman was healed at that very moment.
\s5
\p
\v 23 Jesus came to the man's house and saw the flute players playing funeral music; there were also many mourners who were wailing loudly because the girl had died.
\v 24 He said to them, "Go away and stop this funeral music and wailing, because the girl is not dead! She is just sleeping!" The people laughed at him, because they knew that she was dead.
\s5
\v 25 But Jesus told them to get out of the house. Then he went into the room where the girl was lying. He took hold of her hand and she became alive again and got up.
\v 26 And the people of that whole region heard about it.
\s5
\p
\v 27 As Jesus went away from there, two blind men followed him and shouted, "Have mercy on us and heal us, you Descendant of King David!"
\v 28 Jesus went into the house, and then the blind men went in, too. Jesus said to them, "Do you believe that I am able to heal you?" They said to him, "Yes, Lord!"
\s5
\v 29 Then he touched their eyes and he said to them, "Because you believe that I can heal your eyes, I am healing them right now!"
\v 30 And they were able to see! Then Jesus told them sternly, "Be sure that you do not tell anybody what I have done for you!"
\v 31 But they went out and spread the new in that whole region.
\s5
\p
\v 32 Just when those two men were leaving, some people brought to Jesus a man who was unable to speak because a demon controlled him.
\v 33 After Jesus had driven out the demon, the man began to speak! The crowd who saw this were astonished and said, "Never before have we seen anything as marvelous as this happen in Israel!"
\v 34 But the Pharisees said, "It is Satan, who rules the demons, who enables this man to drive out demons from people."
\s5
\p
\v 35 Then Jesus and his disciples went through many of the cities and towns in the district of Galilee. He was teaching in the synagogues and preaching the good news about how God will rule from heaven. He also was healing the people who had various diseases and illnesses.
\v 36 When he saw the crowd of people, he pitied them because they were upset and worried. They were like sheep that do not have a shepherd.
\s5
\v 37 Then he said to his disciples: "The people who are ready to receive my message are like a field where the crops are ready to harvest. But there are not many people who go to gather the crops.
\v 38 So pray and ask the Lord God to send many more people to gather in his crops."
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 Jesus told his twelve disciples to come to him. Then he gave them the power to drive out evil spirits that controlled people. He also enabled them to heal people who had all kinds diseases or who were sick in all kinds of ways.
\s5
\v 2 Here is a list of the twelve disciples, whom he called apostles. They were Simon, to whom he gave the new name Peter; Andrew, Peter's younger brother; James, the son of Zebedee; John, the younger brother of James;
\v 3 Philip; Bartholomew; Thomas; Matthew, the tax collector; James, the son of Alphaeus; Thaddaeus;
\v 4 Simon the Zealot; and Judas Iscariot, who later made it possible for the Jewish leaders to arrest Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 5 When Jesus was about to send his twelve. postles to tell the good news to people in various places, he gave them these instructions: "Do not go where the non-Jews live or into the towns where the Samaritans live.
\v 6 Instead, go to the people of Israel; they are like sheep who have strayed away from their shepherd.
\v 7 When you go to them, proclaim to them that God will soon rule from heaven.
\s5
\v 8 Heal sick people, cause dead people to become alive, heal people with leprosy and bring them back into society, and cause demons to leave those whom they control. Do not charge any money for helping people, because God did not charge you anything for helping you.
\v 9 Do not take any money with you,
\v 10 nor a bag for what belongs to you. Do not take an extra tunic, nor sandals in addition to what you are wearing, nor a walking stick. Every worker deserves to get pay from the people for whom he works, so you deserve to receive food from the people to whom you go.
\s5
\v 11 In any town or village that you enter, find a person who wants you to stay in his home.
\v 12 As you go into that house, call upon God to do good to the people who live there. Stay in that home until you leave that town or village.
\v 13 If the people who live in that house receive you well, God will indeed do good to them. But if they do not receive you well, then your prayer will not help them, and God will not do them good.
\s5
\v 14 If the people who live in any house or town do not welcome you, nor listen to your message, leave that place. As you leave, shake off the dust from your feet. By doing that, you will warn them that God will reject them as they rejected what you said.
\v 15 Note this carefully: At the time when God judges all people, he will punish the wicked people who lived in Sodom and Gomorrah. But if the people of any city reject you, God will punish them even more severely.
\s5
\p
\v 16 "Take note: When I send you out, you will be as defenseless as sheep, among people who are as dangerous as wolves. So be careful like snakes are careful and be harmless to them like pigeons are harmless.
\v 17 Also, be on guard against such people, because they will arrest you and take you to the members of the governing councils to put you on trial. They will whip you in their synagogues.
\v 18 And because you belong to me, they will take you before governors and kings in order that they may put you on trial and punish you. But you will testify to those rulers and to other non-Jews about me.
\s5
\v 19 When those people arrest you, do not be worried about what you will say to them, because the words that you should say will come to you.
\v 20 It is not that you will decide what to say. Instead, you will say what the Spirit of your heavenly Father tells you to say.
\s5
\v 21 They will take you to the authorities to die because you believe in me. For example, people will do that to their brothers, and fathers will do that to their children. Children will rebel against their parents and cause them to be killed.
\v 22 Many people will hate you because you trust in me. But anyone who faithfully trusts in me until they die, those people God will save.
\v 23 When people in one city cause you to suffer, escape to another city. Note this: I, the Son of Man, will certainly return to earth before you have finished going from one town to another town throughout Israel and telling people about me.
\s5
\p
\v 24 A disciple should not expect to be greater than his teacher, and servants are not superior to their master.
\v 25 You do not expect that people will treat a student better than they treat his teacher, or that they will treat a servant better than they treat his master. Similarly, because I am your teacher and master, you can expect that people will mistreat you, because they have mistreated me. I am like the ruler of a household, whom they call Satan. If they act that badly toward me, how do you think they will act toward you?"
\s5
\p
\v 26 "Do not be afraid of those people. Everything that is unknown to people, God wants you now to reveal it. He does not want you to hide what is true, neither to keep it secret.
\v 27 So, instead of being afraid, what I say to you secretly as people do at night, tell it publicly as people do during the daytime. What I say to you privately as people do when they whisper to you, proclaim it publicly.
\s5
\v 28 Do not be afraid of people who are able to kill your body but are not able to destroy your soul. Instead, fear God, because he is able to destroy both your body and your soul in hell.
\v 29 Think about the sparrows. They have so little value that you can buy two of them for only one small coin. But when any sparrow falls to the ground and dies, God, your heavenly Father, knows it, because he knows everything.
\v 30 He knows everything about you, too. He even knows how many hairs you have on your head!
\v 31 God values you much more than he values sparrows. So, do not be afraid of people who threaten to kill you!
\s5
\v 32 If people are willing to tell others that they belong to me, I will also acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven that they belong to me.
\v 33 But if they are afraid to say in front of others that they belong to me, I will tell my Father, who is in heaven, that they are not mine."
\s5
\p
\v 34 "Do not think that I came to earth to cause people to live together in peace. Because I have come, some of those who follow me will die.
\v 35 Because I came to earth, people who do not believe in me will be against those who do believe in me. For example, some sons will oppose their fathers, some daughters will oppose their mothers, and some daughters-in-law will oppose their mothers-in-law.
\v 36 This shows that sometimes a person's enemies will be members of his own household.
\s5
\v 37 People who love their fathers or mothers more than they love me are not worthy to belong to me. And people who love their sons or daughters more than they love me are not worthy to belong to me.
\v 38 If you are not ready to die because you belong to me, then you are not worthy to belong to me.
\v 39 People who deny that they believe in me in order to escape dying will not live with God eternally, but people who are willing to lose their lives because they trust in me, will live with God eternally."
\s5
\p
\v 40 "God considers that everyone who welcomes you, welcomes me, and he considers that everyone who welcomes me welcomes him, the one who sent me.
\v 41 Those who welcome someone because they know that person is a prophet—they will receive the same reward that prophets receive from God. Likewise, those who welcome a person because they know that person is righteous—they will receive the reward that righteous people receive from God.
\s5
\v 42 Note this: Suppose people see that you are thirsty and give you a drink of cold water because they know that you are one of my disciples, even if you are not an important person at all. God will certainly reward people who do that."
\s5
@ -886,266 +886,266 @@ If I had done these same miracles in Sodom of long ago, those wicked people woul
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 On a Sabbath at that time, Jesus and the disciples were walking past some grain fields. Because the disciples were hungry, they began to pick some of the heads of grain and eat them, something that the law of Moses allowed.
\v 2 Some Pharisees saw them doing that, so they said to Jesus, "Look! Your disciples are doing work on our day of rest. The law does not allow that!"
\s5
\v 3 But Jesus answered, "It is written in the scriptures what our ancestor King David did when he and the men with him were hungry.
\v 4 David entered the sacred tent where they worshiped God and ate the bread that had been on display before God. But according to the law of Moses, only priests were permitted to eat that bread, but David and the men who were with him ate it.
\s5
\v 5 Also, surely you have read what Moses wrote, when he said that even though the priests, by working in the temple on our Sabbath day, are not obeying the Jewish day of rest laws, they are not guilty.
\v 6 Let me tell you what this means: I have come to you, and I am more important than the temple.
\s5
\v 7 You should think about these words of God in the scriptures: 'I want you to act mercifully toward people, and not just offer sacrifices.' If you understood what that means, you would not condemn my disciples, who have done no wrong.
\v 8 I am the Son of Man, and I have the authority to tell people what they can do on the Sabbath day."
\s5
\p
\v 9 After Jesus left there that day, he went into a synagogue.
\v 10 There he saw a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees kept wanting to debate with Jesus about the Sabbath, so one of them asked him, "Does God permit us to heal people on our day of rest?" They were hoping that Jesus would commit a sin by saying something wrong.
\s5
\v 11 He replied to them, "Suppose that one of you had just one sheep, and that it fell into a deep hole on the Sabbath day. Would you just leave it there? Certainly not! You would take hold of it and lift it out right away, and that would be alright on our day of rest, too!
\v 12 But a person is much more valuable than a sheep. So it is certainly right for us to do good by healing another person any day, even on our day of rest!"
\s5
\v 13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" The man stretched out his withered hand, and it became healthy like the other hand!
\v 14 Then the Pharisees left the synagogue. They began to plan together how they could kill Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Because Jesus knew that the Pharisees were plotting to kill him, he took the disciples and went away from there. Large crowds, including many sick people, followed him, and he healed them all.
\v 16 But he told them firmly that they should not tell other people about him.
\v 17 By doing this he fulfilled what Isaiah the prophet had written long ago. He wrote,
\s5
\q
\v 18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
\q the one whom I love and who pleases me.
\q I will put my Spirit in him,
\q and he will bring justice and salvation to the non-Jews."
\q
\s5
\v 19 He will not quarrel with people, neither will he shout.
\q And he will not shout in the streets.
\q
\v 20 He will be gentle with the weak people;
\q If a person is barely alive, he will not kill him.
\q And he will judge the people with justice and declare that they are not guilty.
\q
\v 21 So the non-Jews will confidently trust in him."
\s5
\p
\v 22 One day some men brought to Jesus a man who was blind and unable to speak because he had a demon. Jesus drove out the demon and healed him. Then the man began to talk and was able to see.
\v 23 All the crowds who saw it marveled. They began asking each other, "Could this man be the Messiah, the descendant of King David, whom we have been expecting?"
\s5
\v 24 Because the Pharisees heard about this miracle, they said, "It is not God, but Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, who enables this man to drive demons from people!"
\v 25 But Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. So he said to them, "If the people in one nation fight against each other, they will destroy their nation. If people who live in the same city or house fight each other, they will certainly not remain as one group or family.
\s5
\v 26 In the same way, if Satan were driving out his own demons, he would be fighting against himself. He will not be able to continue to rule over his servants!
\v 27 Furthermore, if it is true that Satan enables me to drive out demons, is it also true that your disciples who drive them out do so by Satan's power? No! So they will judge you for saying that Satan's power was behind their work.
\s5
\v 28 But because it is God's Spirit who enables me to drive out demons, that proves that the rule of God from heaven is already here.
\p
\v 29 I will show you why I am able to drive out demons. A person cannot go into the house of a strong man like Satan and carry off his possessions if he does not first tie up that strong man. But if he ties him up, then he will be able to take his possessions.
\p
\v 30 No one can be neutral. Those who do not acknowledge that the Holy Spirit enables me to expel demons are opposing me, and those who do not gather people to become my disciples are causing those people to go away from me.
\s5
\p
\v 31 You are saying that it is not the Holy Spirit who is enabling me to expel demons. So I will say this to you: If those who offend and insult other people in any way are then sorry and ask God to forgive them, God will forgive them. But he will not forgive people who insult the Holy Spirit.
\v 32 God is willing to forgive people who criticize me, the Son of Man. But I warn you that he will not forgive those who say evil things about what the Holy Spirit does. God will not forgive them now, nor in the coming world."
\s5
\p
\v 33 "When you see some fruit from a tree, you decide whether the fruit is good or bad. If it is good, then you know that its tree is also good. If I am doing good things, then you should know whether or not I am good.
\v 34 You are like the children of poisonous snakes! You cannot say anything good, because you are evil. What a person says shows what is inside him.
\v 35 Good people speak good things. That is because it is like they have stored up all these good things in a safe place and can bring them out at any time. But evil people speak evil things. That is because it is like they have stored up all these evil things and bring them out at any time from the place where they store them.
\s5
\v 36 I tell you that on the day when God judges, he will make people recall every useless word they have spoken, and he will judge the people by what they have said.
\v 37 God will either declare that you are righteous based on the words that you have spoken, or else he will condemn you based on what you have said."
\s5
\p
\v 38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish laws responded to Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see you perform a miracle that will convince us that God sent you."
\v 39 Then Jesus said to them, "You people have already seen me perform miracles, but you are evil, and you do not faithfully worship God! You want me to prove that God sent me, but God will show you only one miracle. It will be like what happened to Jonah the prophet.
\v 40 Jonah was in the stomach of a huge fish for three days and nights before God caused him to come out. Similarly, for three days and nights I, the Son of Man, will be deep in the earth, and then God will cause me to live again.
\s5
\v 41 When God judges everyone, the people who lived in the city of Nineveh will stand in front of him beside you people. But they stopped sinning when Jonah warned them. Now I have come to you, and I am far more important than Jonah was, but you have not stopped sinning. So God will judge you.
\s5
\v 42 The queen from Sheba, south of Israel, who lived long ago, came from a distant region in order to listen to King Solomon teach many wise things. Now I have come to you, and I am far more important than Solomon was, but you have not stopped sinning. So when God judges everyone, the queen of Sheba will stand in front of him beside you people, and she will condemn you."
\s5
\p
\v 43 "Sometimes when an evil spirit leaves a person, it wanders around in desolate areas, seeking someone in whom he can rest. If he does not find anyone,
\v 44 he says to itself, 'I will return to the person in whom I used to live.' So he goes back and finds that the Spirit of God is not in control of that person's life. The person's life is like a house that has been swept clean and everything put in order, but it is empty.
\v 45 Then this evil spirit goes and gets seven other spirits that are even more evil, and they all enter that person and begin living there. So although that person's condition was bad before, it becomes much worse. That is what you wicked people who have heard me teach will experience."
\s5
\p
\v 46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowd, his mother and his younger brothers arrived. They stood outside the house, and they wanted to speak with him.
\v 47 Someone said to him, "Your mother and your younger brothers are standing outside the house, and they want to talk to you."
\s5
\v 48 Then Jesus said to the person who told him that, "I will tell you who are really my mother and brothers."
\v 49 He then pointed toward his disciples and said, "These are ones who take the place of my mother and my brothers.
\v 50 Those who do what God my Father who is in heaven wants take the place of my brother, my sister, or my mother."
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 That same day Jesus, along with the disciples, left the house where he was teaching and went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He sat down there,
\v 2 and a very large crowd gathered around him to listen to him teach. In order to have a little room, he got into a boat and sat down to teach them. The crowd stood on the shore and listened to him.
\s5
\v 3 He taught them using many parables. He said, "Listen! A man went out to his field to sow seeds.
\v 4 As he was scattering the seeds over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the path. But some birds came and ate those seeds.
\v 5 Other seeds fell on ground where there was not much soil on top of the rock. Those seeds sprouted very soon, because the sun quickly warmed the shallow soil.
\v 6 But when the young plants came up, they became too hot in the sunlight, and they dried up because they did not have deep roots.
\s5
\v 7 Other seeds fell on ground that had thorny weeds. The thorny weeds grew together with the young plants, and they crowded out the plants.
\v 8 But other seeds fell on good soil, and the plants grew and produced a lot of grain. Some plants produced one hundred times as many seeds as were planted. Some plants produced sixty times as much. Some plants produced thirty times as much.
\v 9 If you are able to understand this, you should consider carefully what I have just said."
\s5
\p
\v 10 The disciples approached Jesus later and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowd?"
\v 11 He answered, "God is revealing to you what he did not reveal before, about how he is ruling from heaven. But he has not revealed it to these other people.
\v 12 Those who are able to think about what I say and understand it, God will enable them to understand more. But those who are not able think carefully about what I say will forget even what they already know.
\s5
\v 13 That is why I use parables when I speak to people, because although they see what I do, they do not understand what it means, and although they hear what I say, they do not really learn what it means.
\v 14 What these people do completely fulfills what God told the prophet Isaiah to say long ago, You will hear what I say, but you will not understand it. You will see what I do, but you will not learn what it means.
\s5
\p
\v 15 God also said to Isaiah,
\q These people have become unable to really listen to me;
\q They have become unable to really hear what I say.
\q It is as if they wanted to keep their eyes shut,
\q As if they did not really want to see anything,
\q As if they did not really want to hear anything.
\q They are like this so they will not think they must stop sinning;
\q They are like this so they will not think they need for me to save them.
\s5
\p
\v 16 But as for you, God has made you able because you realize what I have done and
because you understand what I say.
\v 17 Note this: Many prophets and righteous people who lived long ago longed to see what you are seeing me do, but they did not see it. They longed to hear the things that you have been hearing me say, but they did not hear what you hear me say."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Now listen to me explain the parable I told you.
\v 19 Some people hear about how God is ruling but do not understand it. They are like the path where some of the seeds fell. Satan, the evil one, comes and causes these people to forget what they have heard.
\s5
\v 20 Some people hear God's message and immediately accept it joyfully. They are like the rocky places where some seeds fell.
\v 21 But because it does not penetrate deeply into their hearts, they believe it for only a short time. They are like the plants that did not have deep roots. When others treat them badly and make them suffer because they believe in what I have told them, they sin by refusing to believe in it any longer.
\s5
\v 22 Some people hear God's message, but they desire to be rich, so they worry only about money and what they can buy with money. As a result, they forget God's message and they do not do the things that God wants them to do. These people are like the soil that had the roots of thorny weeds in it.
\v 23 But some people hear my message and understand it. Some of them do many things that please God, some do even more things that please God, and some do very many things that please God. They are like the good soil where some of the seeds fell."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Jesus also told the crowd another parable. He said, "When God rules from heaven, it will be like a landowner who sent his servants to sow good seed in his field.
\v 25 While those servants were sleeping and not guarding the field, an enemy of the landowner came and scattered weed seeds in the midst of the wheat. Then he left.
\v 26 After the seeds sprouted and the green plants grew, the heads of grain began to form. But the weeds also grew.
\s5
\v 27 So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, you gave us good seeds and those are the ones we sowed in your field. So where did the weeds come from?'
\v 28 The landowner said to them, 'My enemy did this.' His servants said to him, 'Do you want us to pull up the weeds?'
\s5
\v 29 He said to them, 'No, do not do that, because you might pull up some of the wheat at the same time.
\v 30 Let the wheat and the weeds grow together until harvest time. At that time I will say to those who will reap, 'First gather the weeds, tie them into bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat and put it into my barns.'"
\s5
\p
\v 31 Jesus also told this parable: "When God rules from heaven, it is like mustard seeds that grow after a man plants them in his field.
\v 32 Although mustard seeds are among the smallest of all the seeds that people plant, here in Israel they become large plants. When the plants have fully grown, they are larger than the other garden plants. They become shrubs as big as trees, and they are large enough for the birds to build nests in their branches."
\s5
\p
\v 33 Jesus also told this parable: "When God rules from heaven, it is like a woman who was making bread. She took about forty liters of flour and mixed into it a little bit of yeast, and the bread rose."
\s5
\p
\v 34 Jesus told the crowd parables to teach them all these things. When he spoke to them he habitually told stories like these.
\v 35 By doing that, he made come true what God told one of the prophets to write long ago.
\p I will speak in parables; I will tell parables to teach what I have kept secret since I created the world.
\s5
\p
\v 36 After Jesus sent the crowd away, he went into the house. Then the disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds that grew in the wheat field."
\v 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed represents me, the Son of Man.
\v 38 The field represents this world, where people live. The seeds that grew well represent the people over whom God rules. The weeds represent the people who do what the devil, the Evil One, tells them to do.
\v 39 The enemy who sowed the weed seeds represents the devil. The time when the reapers will harvest the grain represents the time when the world will end. The reapers represent the angels.
\s5
\v 40 The weeds are gathered and burned. That represents what will happen when God judges all people, when the world will end. It will be like this:
\v 41 I, the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will gather from among all that I am ruling the things that cause others to sin and all those who violate God's will.
\v 42 The angels will throw those people into the fires of hell. There those people will weep and grind their teeth because of the great pain that they are suffering.
\v 43 However, the people who have lived as he wants them to will shine out as brightly as the sun shines. They will shine out because God, their Father, will rule over them. If you are able to understand this, you should think carefully about what I have just said."
\s5
\p
\v 44 "God's ruling from heaven is so precious it is like a man who found a great treasure that another person had buried in a field. When this man dug it up, he buried it again so no one else would find it. Then he went and sold all his possessions to obtain money to buy that field. He then went and bought the field, and so he was able to acquire that treasure.
\p
\v 45 Also, God ruling from heaven is so precious it is like what a merchant did who was looking for good quality pearls to buy.
\v 46 When he found one very costly pearl that was for sale, he sold all his possessions to acquire enough money to buy that pearl. Then he went and bought it.
\s5
\p
\v 47 When God rules from heaven, it is like what certain fishermen did with the fish they caught in a lake with a large net. They caught all kinds of fish, both useful and worthless fish.
\v 48 When the net was full, the fishermen pulled it up onto the shore. Then they sat there and put the good fish into buckets, but they threw the worthless ones away.
\s5
\v 49 This is like what will happen to people when the world ends. The angels will come to where God is judging people and will separate the wicked people from the righteous ones.
\v 50 They will throw the wicked people into the fire in hell. And those wicked people will weep and gnash their teeth because of the intense pain they are suffering."
\s5
\p
\v 51 Then Jesus asked the disciples, "Do you understand all these parables I have told you?" They said to him, "Yes, we understand them."
\v 52 Then he said, "Those teachers and interpeters who understand these parables and act accordingly under the rule of God from heaven are like a house owner who shares both new things and old things out of his storage room."
\p
\v 53 When Jesus had finished telling these parables, he took the disciples and left that area.
\s5
\v 54 Then they went to the town of Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus. On the Sabbath he began to teach the people in the synagogue. The result was that the people there were astonished. But some said, "This man is just an ordinary person like us! So how is it that he knows so much and understands so much? And how is it that he is able to do such miracles?
\v 55 He is just the son of the carpenter, is he not? His mother is Mary, and his younger brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas!
\v 56 And his sisters also live here in our town. So how is he able to teach and do all these things?"
\s5
\v 57 The people there refused to accept that Jesus had such authority. So Jesus said to them, "People honor me and other prophets everywhere else we go, but in our hometowns we are not honored, and even our own families do not honor us!"
\v 58 Jesus did not perform many miracles there because the people did not believe that he had such authority.
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 On a Sabbath at that time, Jesus and the disciples were walking past some grain fields. Because the disciples were hungry, they began to pick some of the heads of grain and eat them, something that the law of Moses allowed.
\v 2 Some Pharisees saw them doing that, so they said to Jesus, "Look! Your disciples are doing work on our day of rest. The law does not allow that!"
\s5
\v 3 But Jesus answered, "It is written in the scriptures what our ancestor King David did when he and the men with him were hungry.
\v 4 David entered the sacred tent where they worshiped God and ate the bread that had been on display before God. But according to the law of Moses, only priests were permitted to eat that bread, but David and the men who were with him ate it.
\s5
\v 5 Also, surely you have read what Moses wrote, when he said that even though the priests, by working in the temple on our Sabbath day, are not obeying the Jewish day of rest laws, they are not guilty.
\v 6 Let me tell you what this means: I have come to you, and I am more important than the temple.
\s5
\v 7 You should think about these words of God in the scriptures: 'I want you to act mercifully toward people, and not just offer sacrifices.' If you understood what that means, you would not condemn my disciples, who have done no wrong.
\v 8 I am the Son of Man, and I have the authority to tell people what they can do on the Sabbath day."
\s5
\p
\v 9 After Jesus left there that day, he went into a synagogue.
\v 10 There he saw a man with a withered hand. The Pharisees kept wanting to debate with Jesus about the Sabbath, so one of them asked him, "Does God permit us to heal people on our day of rest?" They were hoping that Jesus would commit a sin by saying something wrong.
\s5
\v 11 He replied to them, "Suppose that one of you had just one sheep, and that it fell into a deep hole on the Sabbath day. Would you just leave it there? Certainly not! You would take hold of it and lift it out right away, and that would be alright on our day of rest, too!
\v 12 But a person is much more valuable than a sheep. So it is certainly right for us to do good by healing another person any day, even on our day of rest!"
\s5
\v 13 Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand!" The man stretched out his withered hand, and it became healthy like the other hand!
\v 14 Then the Pharisees left the synagogue. They began to plan together how they could kill Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 15 Because Jesus knew that the Pharisees were plotting to kill him, he took the disciples and went away from there. Large crowds, including many sick people, followed him, and he healed them all.
\v 16 But he told them firmly that they should not tell other people about him.
\v 17 By doing this he fulfilled what Isaiah the prophet had written long ago. He wrote,
\s5
\q
\v 18 "Here is my servant whom I have chosen,
\q the one whom I love and who pleases me.
\q I will put my Spirit in him,
\q and he will bring justice and salvation to the non-Jews."
\q
\s5
\v 19 He will not quarrel with people, neither will he shout.
\q And he will not shout in the streets.
\q
\v 20 He will be gentle with the weak people;
\q If a person is barely alive, he will not kill him.
\q And he will judge the people with justice and declare that they are not guilty.
\q
\v 21 So the non-Jews will confidently trust in him."
\s5
\p
\v 22 One day some men brought to Jesus a man who was blind and unable to speak because he had a demon. Jesus drove out the demon and healed him. Then the man began to talk and was able to see.
\v 23 All the crowds who saw it marveled. They began asking each other, "Could this man be the Messiah, the descendant of King David, whom we have been expecting?"
\s5
\v 24 Because the Pharisees heard about this miracle, they said, "It is not God, but Beelzebul, the ruler of the demons, who enables this man to drive demons from people!"
\v 25 But Jesus knew what the Pharisees were thinking. So he said to them, "If the people in one nation fight against each other, they will destroy their nation. If people who live in the same city or house fight each other, they will certainly not remain as one group or family.
\s5
\v 26 In the same way, if Satan were driving out his own demons, he would be fighting against himself. He will not be able to continue to rule over his servants!
\v 27 Furthermore, if it is true that Satan enables me to drive out demons, is it also true that your disciples who drive them out do so by Satan's power? No! So they will judge you for saying that Satan's power was behind their work.
\s5
\v 28 But because it is God's Spirit who enables me to drive out demons, that proves that the rule of God from heaven is already here.
\p
\v 29 I will show you why I am able to drive out demons. A person cannot go into the house of a strong man like Satan and carry off his possessions if he does not first tie up that strong man. But if he ties him up, then he will be able to take his possessions.
\p
\v 30 No one can be neutral. Those who do not acknowledge that the Holy Spirit enables me to expel demons are opposing me, and those who do not gather people to become my disciples are causing those people to go away from me.
\s5
\p
\v 31 You are saying that it is not the Holy Spirit who is enabling me to expel demons. So I will say this to you: If those who offend and insult other people in any way are then sorry and ask God to forgive them, God will forgive them. But he will not forgive people who insult the Holy Spirit.
\v 32 God is willing to forgive people who criticize me, the Son of Man. But I warn you that he will not forgive those who say evil things about what the Holy Spirit does. God will not forgive them now, nor in the coming world."
\s5
\p
\v 33 "When you see some fruit from a tree, you decide whether the fruit is good or bad. If it is good, then you know that its tree is also good. If I am doing good things, then you should know whether or not I am good.
\v 34 You are like the children of poisonous snakes! You cannot say anything good, because you are evil. What a person says shows what is inside him.
\v 35 Good people speak good things. That is because it is like they have stored up all these good things in a safe place and can bring them out at any time. But evil people speak evil things. That is because it is like they have stored up all these evil things and bring them out at any time from the place where they store them.
\s5
\v 36 I tell you that on the day when God judges, he will make people recall every useless word they have spoken, and he will judge the people by what they have said.
\v 37 God will either declare that you are righteous based on the words that you have spoken, or else he will condemn you based on what you have said."
\s5
\p
\v 38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the Jewish laws responded to Jesus, "Teacher, we want to see you perform a miracle that will convince us that God sent you."
\v 39 Then Jesus said to them, "You people have already seen me perform miracles, but you are evil, and you do not faithfully worship God! You want me to prove that God sent me, but God will show you only one miracle. It will be like what happened to Jonah the prophet.
\v 40 Jonah was in the stomach of a huge fish for three days and nights before God caused him to come out. Similarly, for three days and nights I, the Son of Man, will be deep in the earth, and then God will cause me to live again.
\s5
\v 41 When God judges everyone, the people who lived in the city of Nineveh will stand in front of him beside you people. But they stopped sinning when Jonah warned them. Now I have come to you, and I am far more important than Jonah was, but you have not stopped sinning. So God will judge you.
\s5
\v 42 The queen from Sheba, south of Israel, who lived long ago, came from a distant region in order to listen to King Solomon teach many wise things. Now I have come to you, and I am far more important than Solomon was, but you have not stopped sinning. So when God judges everyone, the queen of Sheba will stand in front of him beside you people, and she will condemn you."
\s5
\p
\v 43 "Sometimes when an evil spirit leaves a person, it wanders around in desolate areas, seeking someone in whom he can rest. If he does not find anyone,
\v 44 he says to itself, 'I will return to the person in whom I used to live.' So he goes back and finds that the Spirit of God is not in control of that person's life. The person's life is like a house that has been swept clean and everything put in order, but it is empty.
\v 45 Then this evil spirit goes and gets seven other spirits that are even more evil, and they all enter that person and begin living there. So although that person's condition was bad before, it becomes much worse. That is what you wicked people who have heard me teach will experience."
\s5
\p
\v 46 While Jesus was still speaking to the crowd, his mother and his younger brothers arrived. They stood outside the house, and they wanted to speak with him.
\v 47 Someone said to him, "Your mother and your younger brothers are standing outside the house, and they want to talk to you."
\s5
\v 48 Then Jesus said to the person who told him that, "I will tell you who are really my mother and brothers."
\v 49 He then pointed toward his disciples and said, "These are ones who take the place of my mother and my brothers.
\v 50 Those who do what God my Father who is in heaven wants take the place of my brother, my sister, or my mother."
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 That same day Jesus, along with the disciples, left the house where he was teaching and went to the shore of the Sea of Galilee. He sat down there,
\v 2 and a very large crowd gathered around him to listen to him teach. In order to have a little room, he got into a boat and sat down to teach them. The crowd stood on the shore and listened to him.
\s5
\v 3 He taught them using many parables. He said, "Listen! A man went out to his field to sow seeds.
\v 4 As he was scattering the seeds over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the path. But some birds came and ate those seeds.
\v 5 Other seeds fell on ground where there was not much soil on top of the rock. Those seeds sprouted very soon, because the sun quickly warmed the shallow soil.
\v 6 But when the young plants came up, they became too hot in the sunlight, and they dried up because they did not have deep roots.
\s5
\v 7 Other seeds fell on ground that had thorny weeds. The thorny weeds grew together with the young plants, and they crowded out the plants.
\v 8 But other seeds fell on good soil, and the plants grew and produced a lot of grain. Some plants produced one hundred times as many seeds as were planted. Some plants produced sixty times as much. Some plants produced thirty times as much.
\v 9 If you are able to understand this, you should consider carefully what I have just said."
\s5
\p
\v 10 The disciples approached Jesus later and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you speak to the crowd?"
\v 11 He answered, "God is revealing to you what he did not reveal before, about how he is ruling from heaven. But he has not revealed it to these other people.
\v 12 Those who are able to think about what I say and understand it, God will enable them to understand more. But those who are not able think carefully about what I say will forget even what they already know.
\s5
\v 13 That is why I use parables when I speak to people, because although they see what I do, they do not understand what it means, and although they hear what I say, they do not really learn what it means.
\v 14 What these people do completely fulfills what God told the prophet Isaiah to say long ago, You will hear what I say, but you will not understand it. You will see what I do, but you will not learn what it means.
\s5
\p
\v 15 God also said to Isaiah,
\q These people have become unable to really listen to me;
\q They have become unable to really hear what I say.
\q It is as if they wanted to keep their eyes shut,
\q As if they did not really want to see anything,
\q As if they did not really want to hear anything.
\q They are like this so they will not think they must stop sinning;
\q They are like this so they will not think they need for me to save them.
\s5
\p
\v 16 But as for you, God has made you able because you realize what I have done and
because you understand what I say.
\v 17 Note this: Many prophets and righteous people who lived long ago longed to see what you are seeing me do, but they did not see it. They longed to hear the things that you have been hearing me say, but they did not hear what you hear me say."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Now listen to me explain the parable I told you.
\v 19 Some people hear about how God is ruling but do not understand it. They are like the path where some of the seeds fell. Satan, the evil one, comes and causes these people to forget what they have heard.
\s5
\v 20 Some people hear God's message and immediately accept it joyfully. They are like the rocky places where some seeds fell.
\v 21 But because it does not penetrate deeply into their hearts, they believe it for only a short time. They are like the plants that did not have deep roots. When others treat them badly and make them suffer because they believe in what I have told them, they sin by refusing to believe in it any longer.
\s5
\v 22 Some people hear God's message, but they desire to be rich, so they worry only about money and what they can buy with money. As a result, they forget God's message and they do not do the things that God wants them to do. These people are like the soil that had the roots of thorny weeds in it.
\v 23 But some people hear my message and understand it. Some of them do many things that please God, some do even more things that please God, and some do very many things that please God. They are like the good soil where some of the seeds fell."
\s5
\p
\v 24 Jesus also told the crowd another parable. He said, "When God rules from heaven, it will be like a landowner who sent his servants to sow good seed in his field.
\v 25 While those servants were sleeping and not guarding the field, an enemy of the landowner came and scattered weed seeds in the midst of the wheat. Then he left.
\v 26 After the seeds sprouted and the green plants grew, the heads of grain began to form. But the weeds also grew.
\s5
\v 27 So the servants of the landowner came and said to him, 'Sir, you gave us good seeds and those are the ones we sowed in your field. So where did the weeds come from?'
\v 28 The landowner said to them, 'My enemy did this.' His servants said to him, 'Do you want us to pull up the weeds?'
\s5
\v 29 He said to them, 'No, do not do that, because you might pull up some of the wheat at the same time.
\v 30 Let the wheat and the weeds grow together until harvest time. At that time I will say to those who will reap, 'First gather the weeds, tie them into bundles to be burned. Then gather the wheat and put it into my barns.'"
\s5
\p
\v 31 Jesus also told this parable: "When God rules from heaven, it is like mustard seeds that grow after a man plants them in his field.
\v 32 Although mustard seeds are among the smallest of all the seeds that people plant, here in Israel they become large plants. When the plants have fully grown, they are larger than the other garden plants. They become shrubs as big as trees, and they are large enough for the birds to build nests in their branches."
\s5
\p
\v 33 Jesus also told this parable: "When God rules from heaven, it is like a woman who was making bread. She took about forty liters of flour and mixed into it a little bit of yeast, and the bread rose."
\s5
\p
\v 34 Jesus told the crowd parables to teach them all these things. When he spoke to them he habitually told stories like these.
\v 35 By doing that, he made come true what God told one of the prophets to write long ago.
\p I will speak in parables; I will tell parables to teach what I have kept secret since I created the world.
\s5
\p
\v 36 After Jesus sent the crowd away, he went into the house. Then the disciples approached him and said, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds that grew in the wheat field."
\v 37 He answered, "The one who sows the good seed represents me, the Son of Man.
\v 38 The field represents this world, where people live. The seeds that grew well represent the people over whom God rules. The weeds represent the people who do what the devil, the Evil One, tells them to do.
\v 39 The enemy who sowed the weed seeds represents the devil. The time when the reapers will harvest the grain represents the time when the world will end. The reapers represent the angels.
\s5
\v 40 The weeds are gathered and burned. That represents what will happen when God judges all people, when the world will end. It will be like this:
\v 41 I, the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will gather from among all that I am ruling the things that cause others to sin and all those who violate God's will.
\v 42 The angels will throw those people into the fires of hell. There those people will weep and grind their teeth because of the great pain that they are suffering.
\v 43 However, the people who have lived as he wants them to will shine out as brightly as the sun shines. They will shine out because God, their Father, will rule over them. If you are able to understand this, you should think carefully about what I have just said."
\s5
\p
\v 44 "God's ruling from heaven is so precious it is like a man who found a great treasure that another person had buried in a field. When this man dug it up, he buried it again so no one else would find it. Then he went and sold all his possessions to obtain money to buy that field. He then went and bought the field, and so he was able to acquire that treasure.
\p
\v 45 Also, God ruling from heaven is so precious it is like what a merchant did who was looking for good quality pearls to buy.
\v 46 When he found one very costly pearl that was for sale, he sold all his possessions to acquire enough money to buy that pearl. Then he went and bought it.
\s5
\p
\v 47 When God rules from heaven, it is like what certain fishermen did with the fish they caught in a lake with a large net. They caught all kinds of fish, both useful and worthless fish.
\v 48 When the net was full, the fishermen pulled it up onto the shore. Then they sat there and put the good fish into buckets, but they threw the worthless ones away.
\s5
\v 49 This is like what will happen to people when the world ends. The angels will come to where God is judging people and will separate the wicked people from the righteous ones.
\v 50 They will throw the wicked people into the fire in hell. And those wicked people will weep and gnash their teeth because of the intense pain they are suffering."
\s5
\p
\v 51 Then Jesus asked the disciples, "Do you understand all these parables I have told you?" They said to him, "Yes, we understand them."
\v 52 Then he said, "Those teachers and interpeters who understand these parables and act accordingly under the rule of God from heaven are like a house owner who shares both new things and old things out of his storage room."
\p
\v 53 When Jesus had finished telling these parables, he took the disciples and left that area.
\s5
\v 54 Then they went to the town of Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus. On the Sabbath he began to teach the people in the synagogue. The result was that the people there were astonished. But some said, "This man is just an ordinary person like us! So how is it that he knows so much and understands so much? And how is it that he is able to do such miracles?
\v 55 He is just the son of the carpenter, is he not? His mother is Mary, and his younger brothers are James, Joseph, Simon and Judas!
\v 56 And his sisters also live here in our town. So how is he able to teach and do all these things?"
\s5
\v 57 The people there refused to accept that Jesus had such authority. So Jesus said to them, "People honor me and other prophets everywhere else we go, but in our hometowns we are not honored, and even our own families do not honor us!"
\v 58 Jesus did not perform many miracles there because the people did not believe that he had such authority.
\s5
@ -1547,200 +1547,200 @@ because you understand what I say.
\s5
\v 29 God will reward those who, because they were my disciples, left behind a house or a plot of ground, their brothers, their sisters, their father, their mother, their children, or any other family members. God will give them a hundred times as many benefits as they have given up. And they will live with God forever.
\v 30 But many people who are important in this life now will be unimportant at that future time, and many people who are unimportant now will be important at that future time."
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 "The way God rules from heaven compares to what the owner of an estate did. Early in the morning the owner of the estate went to the marketplace, where people who wanted work gathered. He went there to hire laborers to work in his vineyard.
\v 2 He promised the men whom he hired that he would pay them the standard wage for working one day. Then he sent them to his vineyards.
\s5
\v 3 At nine o'clock that same morning he went back to the marketplace. There he saw more men who did not have work.
\v 4 He said to them, 'Go to my vineyard as other men have done, and work there. I will pay you whatever wage is right.' So they also went to his vineyard and began to work.
\s5
\v 5 At noon and at three o'clock he again went to the marketplace and found other laborers whom he promised to pay a fair wage.
\v 6 At five o'clock he went to the marketplace once again and saw other men standing there who were not working. He said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day and not working?'
\v 7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'I will hire you. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, and work there.' So they went.
\s5
\p
\v 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Tell the men to come so that you can give them their wages. First, pay the men who started working last, and pay the men last who started working first.'
\v 9 The manager paid a standard day's wage to each of the men who did not start working until five o'clock in the afternoon.
\v 10 When the men who had begun working early in the morning went to get their wages, they thought that they would receive more than the standard wage. But they also received only the standard wage.
\s5
\v 11 So they complained to the owner of the vineyard because they thought their payment was unfair.
\v 12 They said to him, 'You are not being fair! The men who started working after all of the rest of us worked for only one hour! You have paid them the same wage as you paid us! But we worked hard all day. We even worked through the hottest part!'
\s5
\v 13 The owner of the vineyard said to one of those who complained, 'Friend, I did not treat you unfairly. You agreed with me to work the whole day for a standard day's wage.
\v 14 Stop complaining to me! Take your wages and go! I desire to give the same wage that I gave you to the men who began working after all of you had begun working.
\s5
\v 15 I certainly have a right to spend my money as I desire, do I not? You should not be envious about my being generous! '"
\v 16 "Similarly, God will reward well some people who seem to be less important now, and he will not reward some people who seem to be more important now."
\s5
\p
\v 17 When Jesus was walking on the road up to Jerusalem along with the twelve disciples, he took them to a place by themselves in order that he could talk to them privately. Then he said to them,
\v 18 "Listen carefully! We are now going up to Jerusalem. While we are there, someone will enable the chief priests and the men who teach the Jewish laws to seize me, the Son of Man, and they will put me on trial. They will condemn me and say that I should die.
\v 19 Then they will put me in the hands of non-Jews so that they can make fun of me, whip me, and kill me by nailing me to a cross. But on the third day after that, God will cause me to live again."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, brought her two sons to Jesus. She bowed down before Jesus and asked him to do her a favor.
\v 21 Jesus said to her, "What do you want me to do for you?" She said to him, "Permit these two sons of mine to sit in the places of most honor when you become king, one on your right hand and the other on your left."
\s5
\v 22 Jesus said to her and her sons, "You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer?" James and John answered him, "Yes, we are able to do that."
\v 23 Then Jesus said to them, "Yes, you will suffer as I will suffer. But I am not the one who chooses the ones who will sit next to me and rule with me. God, my Father, will give those places to the ones whom he appoints."
\p
\v 24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had requested, they became angry with them because they also wanted to rule with Jesus in the positions of most honor.
\s5
\v 25 So Jesus called all of them together and said to them, "You know that those who rule the non-Jews enjoy showing them that they are powerful. Their chief rulers enjoy commanding the people under them.
\v 26 You should not be like them. On the contrary, everyone among you who wants God to consider him great must become a servant for the rest of you.
\v 27 Yes, and everyone among you who wants God to consider him to be the most important must become a servant for the rest of you.
\v 28 You should imitate me. Even though I am the Son of Man, I did not come for others to serve me. On the contrary, I came in order to serve them and to allow them to kill me, so that my dying would be like a payment to rescue many people from being punished for their sins."
\s5
\p
\v 29 As they were leaving the city of Jericho, a large crowd of people followed them.
\v 30 As they walked along, they saw two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they yelled to him, "Lord, Descendant of King David, you are the Messiah! Take pity on us!"
\v 31 People in the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But the blind men yelled even louder, "Lord, Descendant of King David, you are the Messiah! Have pity on us!"
\s5
\v 32 Jesus stopped and called them to come to him. Then he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"
\v 33 They said to him, "Lord, heal our eyes so that we can see!"
\v 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they went after Jesus.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1-2 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the village of Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to two of his disciples, "Go to the village just ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey and her colt that are tied up. Untie them and bring them here to me.
\v 3 If anyone says anything to you about your doing that, tell him, 'The Lord needs them.' He will then allow you to lead them away."
\s5
\v 4-5 When all this happened, what one of the prophets had written came true. That prophet had written, "Tell the people who live in Jerusalem, 'Look! Your king is coming to you! He will come humbly. He will show that he is humble, because he will be riding on a colt, the offspring of a donkey.'"
\s5
\p
\v 6 So the two disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do.
\v 7 They brought the donkey and its colt to Jesus. They placed their cloaks on them to make something for him to sit on. Then Jesus mounted
and sat on the cloaks.
\v 8 Then a large crowd spread some of their outer clothing on the road, and other people cut off branches from palm trees and spread them on the road.
\s5
\v 9 The crowds that walked in front of him and those who walked behind him were shouting,
\q "Praise the Messiah, the descendant of King David!"
\q "May the Lord God bless this one who comes as God's representative and with God's authority ."
\q "Praise God, who is in the highest heaven!"
\m
\v 10 As Jesus entered Jerusalem, many people from all over the city became excited and were saying, "Why are they honoring this man like that?"
\v 11 The crowd that was already following him answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee!"
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Jesus went into the temple courtyard and chased out all of those who were buying and selling things there. He also overturned the tables of those who were changing Roman coins for temple tax money, and he overturned the seats of those who were selling pigeons for sacrifices.
\v 13 Then he said to them, "A prophet wrote in the scriptures that God said, 'I want my house to be a place where people pray to me,' but you people have made it into a place where robbers gather!"
\p
\v 14 After that, many blind people and lame people came to Jesus in the temple in order that he would heal them, and he did so.
\s5
\v 15 The high priests and the men who taught the people the Jewish laws saw the marvelous deeds that Jesus did. They also saw the children shouting in the temple, "We praise the Messiah, the descendant of King David!" They were indignant.
\v 16 They asked him, "How can you tolerate this? Do you hear what these people are shouting?" Then Jesus said to them, "Yes, I hear them, but if you remembered what you have read in the scriptures about children praising me, you would know that God is pleased with them. The psalmist wrote, saying to God, 'You have taught infants and other children to praise you perfectly.'"
\p
\v 17 Then Jesus left the city. The disciples went with him to the village of Bethany, and they stayed there that night.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Early the next morning when they were returning to the city, Jesus was hungry.
\v 19 He saw a fig tree near the road, so he went over to it to pick some figs to eat. But when he got close, he saw that there were no figs on the tree, but only leaves. So he said to the fig tree, "May you never again produce figs!" As a result, the fig tree immediately dried up.
\s5
\v 20 The next day when the disciples saw that the fig tree was completely dead. They were astonished and said to Jesus, "How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?"
\v 21 Jesus said to them, "Think about this: If you believe that God has power to do what you ask him to and you do not doubt that, you will be able to do things like what I have done to this fig tree. You will even be able to do marvelous deeds like saying to that hill over there, 'Uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea,' and it will happen!
\v 22 In addition to that, whenever you ask God for something when you pray to him, if you believe that he will give it to you, you will receive it from him."
\s5
\p
\v 23 After that, Jesus went into the temple courtyard. While he was teaching the people, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him. They asked, "By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do what you did here yesterday?"
\v 24 Jesus said to them, "I also will ask you a question, and if you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do these things.
\s5
\v 25 Where did John the Baptizer get his authority to baptize those who came to him? Did he get it from God or from people?' The chief priests and elders debated among themselves about what they should answer. They said to each other, "If we say, 'It was from God,' he will say to us, 'Then you should have believed his message!'
\v 26 But if we say, 'It was from people,' the crowd might react violently against us, because all the people believe that John was a prophet whom God had sent."
\v 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know where John got his authority from." Then Jesus said to them, "Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you who gave me the right to do the things I did here yesterday."
\s5
\p
\v 28 "Tell me what you think about what I am about to tell you. There was a man who had two sons. He went to his older son and said, 'My son, go and work in my vineyard today!'
\v 29 But the son said to his father, 'I will not go!' But later he changed his mind, and he went to the vineyard and worked.
\v 30 Then the father approached his younger son and said what he had said to his older son. That son said, 'Sir, I will go and work in the vineyard today.' But he did not go there.
\s5
\v 31 So which of the man's two sons did what their father desired?" They answered, "The older son." Then Jesus said to them, "So think about this: God will be kind to the tax collectors and prostitutes by agreeing to rule over them much sooner than he will agree to rule over you. This is true, even though you condemn those people because they ignore the law of Moses.
\v 32 I say this to you because, even though John the Baptizer explained to you how to live in the right way, you did not believe his message. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed his message, and they turned away from their sinful behavior. In contrast, even though you saw that they changed, you refused to stop sinning, and you did not believe John's message."
\s5
\p
\v 33 "Listen to another parable that I will tell you. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it. He made a place to collect the juice that would come out of the grapes. He also built a tower in which someone could sit to guard that vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some men who would care for it and give him some of the grapes in return. Then he went away to another country.
\v 34 When it was time to harvest the grapes, the landowner sent some of his servants to the men who were caring for the vineyard to get his share of the grapes that the vineyard had produced.
\s5
\v 35 But the renters seized the servants. They beat one of them, they killed another one, and killed a third one of them by throwing stones at him.
\v 36 So the landowner sent more servants than he had sent the first time. The renters treated those servants the same way that they had treated the other servants.
\v 37 After he heard about this, the landowner sent his own son to the renters to get his share of the grapes. When he sent him, he said to himself, 'They will certainly respect my son and give him my share of the grapes.'
\s5
\v 38 But when the renters saw his son arriving, they said to each other, 'This is the man who will inherit this vineyard! Let us join together and kill him and divide the property among ourselves.'
\v 39 So they grabbed him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
\s5
\v 40 Now I ask you, when the landowner returns to his vineyard, what do you think he will do to those renters?"
\v 41 The people replied, "He will thoroughly destroy those wicked men! Then he will rent the vineyard to others. They will give him his share of the grapes when they are ripe."
\s5
\v 42 Jesus said to them, "You need to think carefully about these words that you have read in the scriptures:
\q 'The men who were building a large building rejected a certain stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone of the building. The Lord has done this, and we marvel as we look at it.'
\s5
\p
\v 43 I am telling you this: God will no longer let you Jews be the people over whom he rules from heaven. Instead, he will agree to rule over non-Jews, and they will do what he asks them to do.
\v 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will break into pieces, and the stone will crush anyone on whom it falls."
\s5
\p
\v 45 When the chief priests and the elders who were Pharisees heard this parable, they realized that he was accusing them because they did not believe that he was the Messiah.
\v 46 They wanted to seize him, but they did not do so because they were afraid of what the crowds would do if they did that, because the crowds considered that Jesus was a prophet.
\s5
\c 20
\p
\v 1 "The way God rules from heaven compares to what the owner of an estate did. Early in the morning the owner of the estate went to the marketplace, where people who wanted work gathered. He went there to hire laborers to work in his vineyard.
\v 2 He promised the men whom he hired that he would pay them the standard wage for working one day. Then he sent them to his vineyards.
\s5
\v 3 At nine o'clock that same morning he went back to the marketplace. There he saw more men who did not have work.
\v 4 He said to them, 'Go to my vineyard as other men have done, and work there. I will pay you whatever wage is right.' So they also went to his vineyard and began to work.
\s5
\v 5 At noon and at three o'clock he again went to the marketplace and found other laborers whom he promised to pay a fair wage.
\v 6 At five o'clock he went to the marketplace once again and saw other men standing there who were not working. He said to them, 'Why are you standing here all day and not working?'
\v 7 They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'I will hire you. Go to my vineyard as other men have done, and work there.' So they went.
\s5
\p
\v 8 When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Tell the men to come so that you can give them their wages. First, pay the men who started working last, and pay the men last who started working first.'
\v 9 The manager paid a standard day's wage to each of the men who did not start working until five o'clock in the afternoon.
\v 10 When the men who had begun working early in the morning went to get their wages, they thought that they would receive more than the standard wage. But they also received only the standard wage.
\s5
\v 11 So they complained to the owner of the vineyard because they thought their payment was unfair.
\v 12 They said to him, 'You are not being fair! The men who started working after all of the rest of us worked for only one hour! You have paid them the same wage as you paid us! But we worked hard all day. We even worked through the hottest part!'
\s5
\v 13 The owner of the vineyard said to one of those who complained, 'Friend, I did not treat you unfairly. You agreed with me to work the whole day for a standard day's wage.
\v 14 Stop complaining to me! Take your wages and go! I desire to give the same wage that I gave you to the men who began working after all of you had begun working.
\s5
\v 15 I certainly have a right to spend my money as I desire, do I not? You should not be envious about my being generous! '"
\v 16 "Similarly, God will reward well some people who seem to be less important now, and he will not reward some people who seem to be more important now."
\s5
\p
\v 17 When Jesus was walking on the road up to Jerusalem along with the twelve disciples, he took them to a place by themselves in order that he could talk to them privately. Then he said to them,
\v 18 "Listen carefully! We are now going up to Jerusalem. While we are there, someone will enable the chief priests and the men who teach the Jewish laws to seize me, the Son of Man, and they will put me on trial. They will condemn me and say that I should die.
\v 19 Then they will put me in the hands of non-Jews so that they can make fun of me, whip me, and kill me by nailing me to a cross. But on the third day after that, God will cause me to live again."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee, brought her two sons to Jesus. She bowed down before Jesus and asked him to do her a favor.
\v 21 Jesus said to her, "What do you want me to do for you?" She said to him, "Permit these two sons of mine to sit in the places of most honor when you become king, one on your right hand and the other on your left."
\s5
\v 22 Jesus said to her and her sons, "You do not understand what you are asking for. Can you suffer like I am about to suffer?" James and John answered him, "Yes, we are able to do that."
\v 23 Then Jesus said to them, "Yes, you will suffer as I will suffer. But I am not the one who chooses the ones who will sit next to me and rule with me. God, my Father, will give those places to the ones whom he appoints."
\p
\v 24 When the ten other disciples heard what James and John had requested, they became angry with them because they also wanted to rule with Jesus in the positions of most honor.
\s5
\v 25 So Jesus called all of them together and said to them, "You know that those who rule the non-Jews enjoy showing them that they are powerful. Their chief rulers enjoy commanding the people under them.
\v 26 You should not be like them. On the contrary, everyone among you who wants God to consider him great must become a servant for the rest of you.
\v 27 Yes, and everyone among you who wants God to consider him to be the most important must become a servant for the rest of you.
\v 28 You should imitate me. Even though I am the Son of Man, I did not come for others to serve me. On the contrary, I came in order to serve them and to allow them to kill me, so that my dying would be like a payment to rescue many people from being punished for their sins."
\s5
\p
\v 29 As they were leaving the city of Jericho, a large crowd of people followed them.
\v 30 As they walked along, they saw two blind men sitting alongside the road. When they heard that Jesus was passing by, they yelled to him, "Lord, Descendant of King David, you are the Messiah! Take pity on us!"
\v 31 People in the crowd scolded them and told them to be quiet. But the blind men yelled even louder, "Lord, Descendant of King David, you are the Messiah! Have pity on us!"
\s5
\v 32 Jesus stopped and called them to come to him. Then he said to them, "What do you want me to do for you?"
\v 33 They said to him, "Lord, heal our eyes so that we can see!"
\v 34 Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Immediately they were able to see, and they went after Jesus.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1-2 As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the village of Bethphage, near the Mount of Olives. Jesus said to two of his disciples, "Go to the village just ahead of you. As soon as you enter it, you will see a donkey and her colt that are tied up. Untie them and bring them here to me.
\v 3 If anyone says anything to you about your doing that, tell him, 'The Lord needs them.' He will then allow you to lead them away."
\s5
\v 4-5 When all this happened, what one of the prophets had written came true. That prophet had written, "Tell the people who live in Jerusalem, 'Look! Your king is coming to you! He will come humbly. He will show that he is humble, because he will be riding on a colt, the offspring of a donkey.'"
\s5
\p
\v 6 So the two disciples went and did what Jesus told them to do.
\v 7 They brought the donkey and its colt to Jesus. They placed their cloaks on them to make something for him to sit on. Then Jesus mounted
and sat on the cloaks.
\v 8 Then a large crowd spread some of their outer clothing on the road, and other people cut off branches from palm trees and spread them on the road.
\s5
\v 9 The crowds that walked in front of him and those who walked behind him were shouting,
\q "Praise the Messiah, the descendant of King David!"
\q "May the Lord God bless this one who comes as God's representative and with God's authority ."
\q "Praise God, who is in the highest heaven!"
\m
\v 10 As Jesus entered Jerusalem, many people from all over the city became excited and were saying, "Why are they honoring this man like that?"
\v 11 The crowd that was already following him answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee!"
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then Jesus went into the temple courtyard and chased out all of those who were buying and selling things there. He also overturned the tables of those who were changing Roman coins for temple tax money, and he overturned the seats of those who were selling pigeons for sacrifices.
\v 13 Then he said to them, "A prophet wrote in the scriptures that God said, 'I want my house to be a place where people pray to me,' but you people have made it into a place where robbers gather!"
\p
\v 14 After that, many blind people and lame people came to Jesus in the temple in order that he would heal them, and he did so.
\s5
\v 15 The high priests and the men who taught the people the Jewish laws saw the marvelous deeds that Jesus did. They also saw the children shouting in the temple, "We praise the Messiah, the descendant of King David!" They were indignant.
\v 16 They asked him, "How can you tolerate this? Do you hear what these people are shouting?" Then Jesus said to them, "Yes, I hear them, but if you remembered what you have read in the scriptures about children praising me, you would know that God is pleased with them. The psalmist wrote, saying to God, 'You have taught infants and other children to praise you perfectly.'"
\p
\v 17 Then Jesus left the city. The disciples went with him to the village of Bethany, and they stayed there that night.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Early the next morning when they were returning to the city, Jesus was hungry.
\v 19 He saw a fig tree near the road, so he went over to it to pick some figs to eat. But when he got close, he saw that there were no figs on the tree, but only leaves. So he said to the fig tree, "May you never again produce figs!" As a result, the fig tree immediately dried up.
\s5
\v 20 The next day when the disciples saw that the fig tree was completely dead. They were astonished and said to Jesus, "How did the fig tree dry up so quickly?"
\v 21 Jesus said to them, "Think about this: If you believe that God has power to do what you ask him to and you do not doubt that, you will be able to do things like what I have done to this fig tree. You will even be able to do marvelous deeds like saying to that hill over there, 'Uproot yourself and throw yourself into the sea,' and it will happen!
\v 22 In addition to that, whenever you ask God for something when you pray to him, if you believe that he will give it to you, you will receive it from him."
\s5
\p
\v 23 After that, Jesus went into the temple courtyard. While he was teaching the people, the chief priests and the elders of the people approached him. They asked, "By what authority are you doing these things? Who authorized you to do what you did here yesterday?"
\v 24 Jesus said to them, "I also will ask you a question, and if you answer me, I will tell you who authorized me to do these things.
\s5
\v 25 Where did John the Baptizer get his authority to baptize those who came to him? Did he get it from God or from people?' The chief priests and elders debated among themselves about what they should answer. They said to each other, "If we say, 'It was from God,' he will say to us, 'Then you should have believed his message!'
\v 26 But if we say, 'It was from people,' the crowd might react violently against us, because all the people believe that John was a prophet whom God had sent."
\v 27 So they answered Jesus, "We do not know where John got his authority from." Then Jesus said to them, "Because you did not answer my question, I will not tell you who gave me the right to do the things I did here yesterday."
\s5
\p
\v 28 "Tell me what you think about what I am about to tell you. There was a man who had two sons. He went to his older son and said, 'My son, go and work in my vineyard today!'
\v 29 But the son said to his father, 'I will not go!' But later he changed his mind, and he went to the vineyard and worked.
\v 30 Then the father approached his younger son and said what he had said to his older son. That son said, 'Sir, I will go and work in the vineyard today.' But he did not go there.
\s5
\v 31 So which of the man's two sons did what their father desired?" They answered, "The older son." Then Jesus said to them, "So think about this: God will be kind to the tax collectors and prostitutes by agreeing to rule over them much sooner than he will agree to rule over you. This is true, even though you condemn those people because they ignore the law of Moses.
\v 32 I say this to you because, even though John the Baptizer explained to you how to live in the right way, you did not believe his message. But tax collectors and prostitutes believed his message, and they turned away from their sinful behavior. In contrast, even though you saw that they changed, you refused to stop sinning, and you did not believe John's message."
\s5
\p
\v 33 "Listen to another parable that I will tell you. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He built a fence around it. He made a place to collect the juice that would come out of the grapes. He also built a tower in which someone could sit to guard that vineyard. He rented the vineyard to some men who would care for it and give him some of the grapes in return. Then he went away to another country.
\v 34 When it was time to harvest the grapes, the landowner sent some of his servants to the men who were caring for the vineyard to get his share of the grapes that the vineyard had produced.
\s5
\v 35 But the renters seized the servants. They beat one of them, they killed another one, and killed a third one of them by throwing stones at him.
\v 36 So the landowner sent more servants than he had sent the first time. The renters treated those servants the same way that they had treated the other servants.
\v 37 After he heard about this, the landowner sent his own son to the renters to get his share of the grapes. When he sent him, he said to himself, 'They will certainly respect my son and give him my share of the grapes.'
\s5
\v 38 But when the renters saw his son arriving, they said to each other, 'This is the man who will inherit this vineyard! Let us join together and kill him and divide the property among ourselves.'
\v 39 So they grabbed him, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him.
\s5
\v 40 Now I ask you, when the landowner returns to his vineyard, what do you think he will do to those renters?"
\v 41 The people replied, "He will thoroughly destroy those wicked men! Then he will rent the vineyard to others. They will give him his share of the grapes when they are ripe."
\s5
\v 42 Jesus said to them, "You need to think carefully about these words that you have read in the scriptures:
\q 'The men who were building a large building rejected a certain stone. But others put that same stone in its proper place, and it has become the most important stone of the building. The Lord has done this, and we marvel as we look at it.'
\s5
\p
\v 43 I am telling you this: God will no longer let you Jews be the people over whom he rules from heaven. Instead, he will agree to rule over non-Jews, and they will do what he asks them to do.
\v 44 Anyone who falls on this stone will break into pieces, and the stone will crush anyone on whom it falls."
\s5
\p
\v 45 When the chief priests and the elders who were Pharisees heard this parable, they realized that he was accusing them because they did not believe that he was the Messiah.
\v 46 They wanted to seize him, but they did not do so because they were afraid of what the crowds would do if they did that, because the crowds considered that Jesus was a prophet.
\s5

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@ -4,179 +4,179 @@
\toc1 The Gospel of Luke
\toc2 Luke
\toc3 Luk
\mt1 Luke
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 Dear Theophilus,
\p Many people have written reports about the amazing events that have happened among us.
\v 2 We heard about these things from people who saw them happen, from the time everything first started happening. These people taught others about God's message.
\v 3 I myself have carefully studied everything that these people wrote and taught. So I decided that it would also be good for me to write for you, noble Theophilus, an accurate account of these matters.
\v 4 I am doing this so that you may know that what you have been taught about these things is true.
\s5
\p
\v 5 When King Herod ruled the province of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He belonged to the group of priests called the Abijah group. He and his wife Elizabeth were both descended from Aaron.
\v 6 God considered that both of them were righteous, because they always obeyed without fault everything that God had commanded.
\v 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was unable to bear children. Furthermore, she and her husband were very old.
\s5
\p
\v 8 One day Zechariah was serving as a priest in the temple in Jerusalem during his group's regular time of service there.
\v 9 Following their custom, the priests chose him by lot to go into the Lord's temple and burn incense.
\v 10 When the time came for him to burn the incense, many people were praying in the courtyard outside the temple.
\s5
\v 11 Then an angel whom the Lord had sent appeared to him. The angel was standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
\v 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and became very afraid.
\v 13 But the angel said to him, "Zechariah, do not be afraid! When you prayed, the Lord heard your request. So your wife Elizabeth will bear a son for you. You must name him John.
\s5
\v 14 You will be very happy, and many other people will also be happy because he is born.
\v 15 God will consider him to be very important. He must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink. He will be empowered by the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
\s5
\v 16 He will persuade many descendants of Israel to stop sinning and start obeying the Lord their God again.
\v 17 Your son will go in advance of the Lord as his forerunner and will be powerful in his spirit like the prophet Elijah was. He will cause parents to love their children again. He will cause many people who do not obey God to live wisely and to obey him as righteous people do. He will do this in order to cause many people to be ready when the Lord comes."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, "I am very old, and my wife is also very old. So how can I believe that the things you said will really happen?"
\p
\v 19 Then the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel! I stand in God's presence! I was sent to tell you this good news about what will happen to you.
\v 20 What I have told you will certainly happen at the time God has decided, but you did not believe my words. So now God will cause you to be unable to talk until the day your son is born!"
\s5
\p
\v 21 While Zechariah and the angel were talking in the temple, the people in the courtyard were waiting for Zechariah to come out. They wondered why he was staying in the temple for such a long time.
\v 22 When he came out, he was not able to speak to them. Because he could not talk, he made motions with his hands to try to explain what had happened. Then they realized that he had seen a vision from God while he was in the temple.
\p
\v 23 When Zechariah's time to work as a priest in the temple was finished, he left Jerusalem and went to his home.
\s5
\p
\v 24 Some time after this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, but she did not go out in public for five months.
\v 25 She said to herself, "The Lord has enabled me to become pregnant. In this way, he had compassion on me and has taken away the reason that people looked down on me!"
\s5
\p
\v 26 When Elizabeth had been pregnant for almost six months, God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in the district of Galilee.
\v 27 He went there to speak to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, who was a descendent of King David. The virgin's name was Mary.
\v 28 The angel said to her, "Greetings! The Lord is with you and has shown great kindness to you!"
\v 29 But Mary felt very troubled when she heard his greeting. She wondered what the angel meant by these words.
\s5
\v 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have received favor from God!
\v 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you must name him Jesus.
\v 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king over his people as his ancestor David was.
\v 33 He will rule forever over the descendants of Jacob. He will rule forever!"
\s5
\p
\v 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this happen, since I am a virgin?"
\v 35 The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come to you and the power of God will cover you. So the baby you will bear will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
\s5
\v 36 And listen to this. Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant with a son, even though she is very old. And though people thought that she could not bear children, she has now been pregnant for almost six months.
\v 37 For God can do anything!"
\v 38 Then Mary said, "All right, I am the Lord's servant, so let what you have said about me happen!" Then the angel left her.
\s5
\p
\v 39 Very soon after that, Mary got ready and went quickly to the highlands of Judea, to the city where Zechariah lived.
\v 40 She entered his house and greeted his wife Elizabeth.
\v 41 As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary greet her, the baby leaped inside Elizabeth's womb. Immediately the Holy Spirit guided Elizabeth to start praising God.
\s5
\v 42 She exclaimed loudly to Mary, "God has blessed you more than he has blessed other women, and he has blessed the baby you will bear!
\v 43 How wonderful it is that you, the mother of my Lord, have come to me!
\v 44 As soon as I heard you greet me, the baby in my womb leaped because he was so happy that you had come!
\v 45 You are blessed because you believed that what the Lord told you would come true."
\s5
\p
\v 46 Then Mary praised God by saying:
\q "Oh, how I praise the Lord!
\q \v 47 I feel very joyful about God,
\q who is the one who saves me.
\s5
\q \v 48 I was only his lowly servant girl, but he did not forget me.
\q So from now on, people living in all time periods will say that God has blessed me.
\q \v 49 They will say this because of the great things that God, the Powerful One, has done for me.
\q His name is holy!
\s5
\q \v 50 He acts mercifully from one generation to the next toward those who respect him.
\q \v 51 He shows people that he is very powerful.
\q He scatters those who think proudly within their inner beings.
\s5
\q \v 52 He has stopped kings from ruling,
\q and he has honored people who are oppressed.
\q \v 53 He has given good things to eat to those who are hungry,
\q and he has sent away rich people without giving them anything.
\s5
\q \v 54-55 He has helped Israel, the people who serve him.
\q Long ago he promised our ancestors that he would be merciful to them.
\q He has kept that promise and has always acted mercifully toward Abraham and all who descended from him."
\s5
\p
\v 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.
\p
\v 57 When it was time for Elizabeth to bear her child, she bore a son.
\v 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had been so kind to her, and they were happy along with Elizabeth.
\s5
\v 59 On the eighth day after this, people gathered together for the ceremony to circumcise the baby. Since his father's name was Zechariah, they wanted to give the baby the same name.
\v 60 But his mother said, "No, his name must be John!"
\v 61 So they said to her, "But John is not the name of any of your relatives!"
\s5
\v 62 Then they made motions with their hands to his father, for him to indicate what name he wanted to be given to his son.
\v 63 So he signaled that they should give him a tablet to write on. When they gave him one, he wrote on it, "His name is John." All those who were there were surprised!
\s5
\v 64 Immediately Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God.
\v 65 Everyone who lived nearby was completely awed by what God had done. They told many other people about what had happened and the news spread all over the highlands of Judea.
\v 66 Everyone who heard it kept thinking about it. They were saying, "We wonder what work this child will do when he grows up!" Because of everything that had happened, they were sure that God would be helping him in a powerful way.
\s5
\v 67 After Zechariah's son was born, Zechariah was controlled by the Holy Spirit and he spoke these words from God:
\q \v 68 "Praise the Lord, the God whom we people of Israel worship,
\q because he has come to set us, his people, free.
\s5
\q \v 69 He is sending us someone who will powerfully save us,
\q someone who is descended from his servant, King David.
\q \v 70 Long ago God caused his prophets to say that he would do that.
\q \v 71 This powerful Savior will rescue us from our enemies,
\q and he will save us from the power of all those who hate us.
\s5
\q \v 72 He has done this because he is merciful to our ancestors and remembers his holy covenant,
\q \v 73 which is the oath that he promised to our ancestor Abraham.
\q \v 74 God promised to rescue us from the power of our enemies,
\q and to enable us to serve him without being afraid,
\q \v 75 in holy and righteous ways all of our lives.
\s5
\p
\v 76 Then Zechariah said this to his baby son:
\q "My child, you will be called a prophet
\q of the Most High God.
\q You will go ahead of the Lord
\q to prepare a people to be ready when he comes.
\q \v 77 You will tell people that God is able to forgive them and save them from being punished for their sins.
\s5
\q \v 78 God will forgive us because he is kind and merciful to us.
\q And because of that, this Savior, who is like the rising sun,
\q will come to us from heaven to help us.
\q \v 79 He will shine on people who live in spiritual darkness and in the fear of death.
\q He will guide us so that we will live peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 80 Over time, Zechariah and Elizabeth's baby boy grew up and became spiritually strong. Then he lived in a desolate region and was still living there when he began to preach publicly to God's people, Israel.
\mt1 Luke
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 Dear Theophilus,
\p Many people have written reports about the amazing events that have happened among us.
\v 2 We heard about these things from people who saw them happen, from the time everything first started happening. These people taught others about God's message.
\v 3 I myself have carefully studied everything that these people wrote and taught. So I decided that it would also be good for me to write for you, noble Theophilus, an accurate account of these matters.
\v 4 I am doing this so that you may know that what you have been taught about these things is true.
\s5
\p
\v 5 When King Herod ruled the province of Judea, there was a Jewish priest named Zechariah. He belonged to the group of priests called the Abijah group. He and his wife Elizabeth were both descended from Aaron.
\v 6 God considered that both of them were righteous, because they always obeyed without fault everything that God had commanded.
\v 7 But they had no children, because Elizabeth was unable to bear children. Furthermore, she and her husband were very old.
\s5
\p
\v 8 One day Zechariah was serving as a priest in the temple in Jerusalem during his group's regular time of service there.
\v 9 Following their custom, the priests chose him by lot to go into the Lord's temple and burn incense.
\v 10 When the time came for him to burn the incense, many people were praying in the courtyard outside the temple.
\s5
\v 11 Then an angel whom the Lord had sent appeared to him. The angel was standing at the right side of the altar of incense.
\v 12 When Zechariah saw the angel, he was startled and became very afraid.
\v 13 But the angel said to him, "Zechariah, do not be afraid! When you prayed, the Lord heard your request. So your wife Elizabeth will bear a son for you. You must name him John.
\s5
\v 14 You will be very happy, and many other people will also be happy because he is born.
\v 15 God will consider him to be very important. He must never drink wine or any other alcoholic drink. He will be empowered by the Holy Spirit even before he is born.
\s5
\v 16 He will persuade many descendants of Israel to stop sinning and start obeying the Lord their God again.
\v 17 Your son will go in advance of the Lord as his forerunner and will be powerful in his spirit like the prophet Elijah was. He will cause parents to love their children again. He will cause many people who do not obey God to live wisely and to obey him as righteous people do. He will do this in order to cause many people to be ready when the Lord comes."
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then Zechariah said to the angel, "I am very old, and my wife is also very old. So how can I believe that the things you said will really happen?"
\p
\v 19 Then the angel said to him, "I am Gabriel! I stand in God's presence! I was sent to tell you this good news about what will happen to you.
\v 20 What I have told you will certainly happen at the time God has decided, but you did not believe my words. So now God will cause you to be unable to talk until the day your son is born!"
\s5
\p
\v 21 While Zechariah and the angel were talking in the temple, the people in the courtyard were waiting for Zechariah to come out. They wondered why he was staying in the temple for such a long time.
\v 22 When he came out, he was not able to speak to them. Because he could not talk, he made motions with his hands to try to explain what had happened. Then they realized that he had seen a vision from God while he was in the temple.
\p
\v 23 When Zechariah's time to work as a priest in the temple was finished, he left Jerusalem and went to his home.
\s5
\p
\v 24 Some time after this, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant, but she did not go out in public for five months.
\v 25 She said to herself, "The Lord has enabled me to become pregnant. In this way, he had compassion on me and has taken away the reason that people looked down on me!"
\s5
\p
\v 26 When Elizabeth had been pregnant for almost six months, God sent the angel Gabriel to the town of Nazareth in the district of Galilee.
\v 27 He went there to speak to a virgin named Mary. She was engaged to be married to a man named Joseph, who was a descendent of King David. The virgin's name was Mary.
\v 28 The angel said to her, "Greetings! The Lord is with you and has shown great kindness to you!"
\v 29 But Mary felt very troubled when she heard his greeting. She wondered what the angel meant by these words.
\s5
\v 30 Then the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have received favor from God!
\v 31 You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you must name him Jesus.
\v 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king over his people as his ancestor David was.
\v 33 He will rule forever over the descendants of Jacob. He will rule forever!"
\s5
\p
\v 34 Then Mary said to the angel, "How can this happen, since I am a virgin?"
\v 35 The angel replied, "The Holy Spirit will come to you and the power of God will cover you. So the baby you will bear will be holy, and he will be called the Son of God.
\s5
\v 36 And listen to this. Your relative Elizabeth is pregnant with a son, even though she is very old. And though people thought that she could not bear children, she has now been pregnant for almost six months.
\v 37 For God can do anything!"
\v 38 Then Mary said, "All right, I am the Lord's servant, so let what you have said about me happen!" Then the angel left her.
\s5
\p
\v 39 Very soon after that, Mary got ready and went quickly to the highlands of Judea, to the city where Zechariah lived.
\v 40 She entered his house and greeted his wife Elizabeth.
\v 41 As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary greet her, the baby leaped inside Elizabeth's womb. Immediately the Holy Spirit guided Elizabeth to start praising God.
\s5
\v 42 She exclaimed loudly to Mary, "God has blessed you more than he has blessed other women, and he has blessed the baby you will bear!
\v 43 How wonderful it is that you, the mother of my Lord, have come to me!
\v 44 As soon as I heard you greet me, the baby in my womb leaped because he was so happy that you had come!
\v 45 You are blessed because you believed that what the Lord told you would come true."
\s5
\p
\v 46 Then Mary praised God by saying:
\q "Oh, how I praise the Lord!
\q \v 47 I feel very joyful about God,
\q who is the one who saves me.
\s5
\q \v 48 I was only his lowly servant girl, but he did not forget me.
\q So from now on, people living in all time periods will say that God has blessed me.
\q \v 49 They will say this because of the great things that God, the Powerful One, has done for me.
\q His name is holy!
\s5
\q \v 50 He acts mercifully from one generation to the next toward those who respect him.
\q \v 51 He shows people that he is very powerful.
\q He scatters those who think proudly within their inner beings.
\s5
\q \v 52 He has stopped kings from ruling,
\q and he has honored people who are oppressed.
\q \v 53 He has given good things to eat to those who are hungry,
\q and he has sent away rich people without giving them anything.
\s5
\q \v 54-55 He has helped Israel, the people who serve him.
\q Long ago he promised our ancestors that he would be merciful to them.
\q He has kept that promise and has always acted mercifully toward Abraham and all who descended from him."
\s5
\p
\v 56 Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months. Then she returned to her home.
\p
\v 57 When it was time for Elizabeth to bear her child, she bore a son.
\v 58 Her neighbors and relatives heard how the Lord had been so kind to her, and they were happy along with Elizabeth.
\s5
\v 59 On the eighth day after this, people gathered together for the ceremony to circumcise the baby. Since his father's name was Zechariah, they wanted to give the baby the same name.
\v 60 But his mother said, "No, his name must be John!"
\v 61 So they said to her, "But John is not the name of any of your relatives!"
\s5
\v 62 Then they made motions with their hands to his father, for him to indicate what name he wanted to be given to his son.
\v 63 So he signaled that they should give him a tablet to write on. When they gave him one, he wrote on it, "His name is John." All those who were there were surprised!
\s5
\v 64 Immediately Zechariah was able to speak again, and he began praising God.
\v 65 Everyone who lived nearby was completely awed by what God had done. They told many other people about what had happened and the news spread all over the highlands of Judea.
\v 66 Everyone who heard it kept thinking about it. They were saying, "We wonder what work this child will do when he grows up!" Because of everything that had happened, they were sure that God would be helping him in a powerful way.
\s5
\v 67 After Zechariah's son was born, Zechariah was controlled by the Holy Spirit and he spoke these words from God:
\q \v 68 "Praise the Lord, the God whom we people of Israel worship,
\q because he has come to set us, his people, free.
\s5
\q \v 69 He is sending us someone who will powerfully save us,
\q someone who is descended from his servant, King David.
\q \v 70 Long ago God caused his prophets to say that he would do that.
\q \v 71 This powerful Savior will rescue us from our enemies,
\q and he will save us from the power of all those who hate us.
\s5
\q \v 72 He has done this because he is merciful to our ancestors and remembers his holy covenant,
\q \v 73 which is the oath that he promised to our ancestor Abraham.
\q \v 74 God promised to rescue us from the power of our enemies,
\q and to enable us to serve him without being afraid,
\q \v 75 in holy and righteous ways all of our lives.
\s5
\p
\v 76 Then Zechariah said this to his baby son:
\q "My child, you will be called a prophet
\q of the Most High God.
\q You will go ahead of the Lord
\q to prepare a people to be ready when he comes.
\q \v 77 You will tell people that God is able to forgive them and save them from being punished for their sins.
\s5
\q \v 78 God will forgive us because he is kind and merciful to us.
\q And because of that, this Savior, who is like the rising sun,
\q will come to us from heaven to help us.
\q \v 79 He will shine on people who live in spiritual darkness and in the fear of death.
\q He will guide us so that we will live peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 80 Over time, Zechariah and Elizabeth's baby boy grew up and became spiritually strong. Then he lived in a desolate region and was still living there when he began to preach publicly to God's people, Israel.
l
\s5
@ -375,103 +375,103 @@ l
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness.
\v 2 The Holy Spirit led him around in the wilderness for forty days. While he was there, the devil kept tempting him. During the entire time Jesus was in the wilderness he did not eat anything, so when the forty days were over, he was very hungry.
\s5
\v 3 Then the devil said to Jesus, "If you really are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread for you to eat!"
\v 4 Jesus replied, "No, I will not do that, because it is written in the scriptures, 'People need more than just food in order to live.'"
\s5
\v 5 Then the devil took Jesus up to the top of a high mountain and showed him in an instant all the nations in the world.
\v 6 Then he said to Jesus, "I will give you the right to rule all these nations and you will possess all their splendor and wealth. God has permitted me to control them all, and so I can do whatever I want to do with them.
\v 7 So if you worship me, I will let you rule them all!"
\s5
\v 8 But Jesus replied, "No, I will not worship you, because it is written in the scriptures, 'You must only worship the Lord, your God. He is the only one you may serve!'"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem. He set him on the highest part of the temple and said to him, "If you really are the Son of God, jump down from here.
\v 10 You will not be hurt, because it is written in the scriptures,
\q1 'God will command his angels to protect you.'
\v 11 And it also says,
\q1 'They will lift you up in their hands when you are falling, so that you will not get hurt. You will not even strike your foot on a stone.'"
\s5
\v 12 But Jesus replied, "No, I will not do that, because it is written in the scriptures: 'Do not try to test the Lord your God'."
\p
\v 13 Then, after the devil had finished trying to tempt Jesus in many ways, he left him until a later time.
\s5
\p
\v 14 After this, Jesus left the wilderness and returned to the district of Galilee. The Holy Spirit was empowering him. Throughout that region, people heard about Jesus and told others about him.
\v 15 He taught people in their synagogues and they all spoke highly of him because of his teaching.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue, as he usually did. He stood up to read aloud something from the scriptures.
\v 17 A synagogue attendant handed him a scroll containing the words that the prophet Isaiah had written long ago. Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the place where these words were written:
\s5
\q1 \v 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is in me.
\q1 He has appointed me to declare God's good news to people who are poor.
\q1 He has sent me here to proclaim that the captives will go free,
\q1 And will tell those who are blind that they will see again.
\q1 I will free people who have been oppressed.
\q1 \v 19 He sent me here to declare that now is the time when the Lord will act favorably toward people.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was looking intently at him.
\v 21 He said to them, "Today this scripture passage was fulfilled as you heard it."
\v 22 Everyone there heard what he said and marveled at him, and they were amazed at how well he spoke. But some of them said, "This man is only Joseph's son, right?"
\s5
\v 23 He said to them, "Surely some of you will quote to me the proverb that says, 'Doctor, heal yourself!' You will say, 'Do here in your hometown the same kind of miracles that you did in Capernaum!'"
\v 24 Then he said, "It is certainly true that the people in a prophet's own hometown do not accept his message.
\s5
\v 25 But think about this: There were many widows in Israel during the time when the prophet Elijah lived, when there was a great famine throughout the country because there had been no rain for three and half years.
\v 26 But God did not send Elijah to help any of those Israelite widows. God sent him to the town of Zarephath near the city of Sidon, to help a widow.
\v 27 There were also many Israelite lepers in Israel during the time when the prophet Elisha lived. But Elisha did not heal any of them. He healed only Naaman, a man from Syria."
\s5
\v 28 When all the people in the synagogue heard him say that, they were very angry.
\v 29 So they all got up and shoved him out of the city. They took him to the top of the hill outside their city in order to throw him off the cliff and kill him.
\v 30 But he simply walked through their midst and went away.
\s5
\p
\v 31 One day he went down to Capernaum, a city in the district of Galilee. On the next Sabbath, he taught the people in the synagogue.
\v 32 They were continually amazed at what he was teaching, because he spoke with confidence.
\s5
\v 33 That day, there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. The man shouted very loudly,
\v 34 "Ha! Jesus, from Nazareth! Evil spirits have nothing to do with you! Have you come to destroy us all? I know who you are. You are the Holy One from God!"
\s5
\v 35 Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" The demon threw the man down on the ground in the midst of the people and came out of him without harming him.
\v 36 All the people in the synagogue were very amazed. They said to each other, "He speaks with confidence, and his words have so much power! Even evil spirits obey him and come out of people when he commands them to!"
\v 37 And in every place throughout the surrounding regions, people kept talking about what Jesus had done.
\s5
\p
\v 38 Then Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was sick and had a high fever. Some people who were there asked Jesus to heal her.
\v 39 So he bent over her and commanded the fever to leave her. Immediately she became well! She got up and served them some food.
\s5
\p
\v 40 When the sun was setting that day, many people brought to Jesus their friends or relatives who were sick with various diseases. He put his hands on them and healed all of them.
\v 41 He also was forcing evil spirits to come out of many people. As the evil spirits left those people, they shouted to Jesus, "You are the Son of God!" But he commanded those evil spirits not to tell people about him, because they knew that he was the Messiah.
\s5
\p
\v 42 The next morning Jesus went out to an uninhabited place. Crowds of people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.
\v 43 But he said to them, "I must tell people in other cities also the message about how God is going to rule everyone, because that is what I was sent to do."
\v 44 So he kept preaching in the synagogues in various towns in the province of Judea.
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Then Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness.
\v 2 The Holy Spirit led him around in the wilderness for forty days. While he was there, the devil kept tempting him. During the entire time Jesus was in the wilderness he did not eat anything, so when the forty days were over, he was very hungry.
\s5
\v 3 Then the devil said to Jesus, "If you really are the Son of God, command these stones to become bread for you to eat!"
\v 4 Jesus replied, "No, I will not do that, because it is written in the scriptures, 'People need more than just food in order to live.'"
\s5
\v 5 Then the devil took Jesus up to the top of a high mountain and showed him in an instant all the nations in the world.
\v 6 Then he said to Jesus, "I will give you the right to rule all these nations and you will possess all their splendor and wealth. God has permitted me to control them all, and so I can do whatever I want to do with them.
\v 7 So if you worship me, I will let you rule them all!"
\s5
\v 8 But Jesus replied, "No, I will not worship you, because it is written in the scriptures, 'You must only worship the Lord, your God. He is the only one you may serve!'"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then the devil took Jesus to Jerusalem. He set him on the highest part of the temple and said to him, "If you really are the Son of God, jump down from here.
\v 10 You will not be hurt, because it is written in the scriptures,
\q1 'God will command his angels to protect you.'
\v 11 And it also says,
\q1 'They will lift you up in their hands when you are falling, so that you will not get hurt. You will not even strike your foot on a stone.'"
\s5
\v 12 But Jesus replied, "No, I will not do that, because it is written in the scriptures: 'Do not try to test the Lord your God'."
\p
\v 13 Then, after the devil had finished trying to tempt Jesus in many ways, he left him until a later time.
\s5
\p
\v 14 After this, Jesus left the wilderness and returned to the district of Galilee. The Holy Spirit was empowering him. Throughout that region, people heard about Jesus and told others about him.
\v 15 He taught people in their synagogues and they all spoke highly of him because of his teaching.
\s5
\p
\v 16 Then Jesus went to Nazareth, the town where he grew up. On the Sabbath he went to the synagogue, as he usually did. He stood up to read aloud something from the scriptures.
\v 17 A synagogue attendant handed him a scroll containing the words that the prophet Isaiah had written long ago. Jesus unrolled the scroll and found the place where these words were written:
\s5
\q1 \v 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is in me.
\q1 He has appointed me to declare God's good news to people who are poor.
\q1 He has sent me here to proclaim that the captives will go free,
\q1 And will tell those who are blind that they will see again.
\q1 I will free people who have been oppressed.
\q1 \v 19 He sent me here to declare that now is the time when the Lord will act favorably toward people.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. Everyone in the synagogue was looking intently at him.
\v 21 He said to them, "Today this scripture passage was fulfilled as you heard it."
\v 22 Everyone there heard what he said and marveled at him, and they were amazed at how well he spoke. But some of them said, "This man is only Joseph's son, right?"
\s5
\v 23 He said to them, "Surely some of you will quote to me the proverb that says, 'Doctor, heal yourself!' You will say, 'Do here in your hometown the same kind of miracles that you did in Capernaum!'"
\v 24 Then he said, "It is certainly true that the people in a prophet's own hometown do not accept his message.
\s5
\v 25 But think about this: There were many widows in Israel during the time when the prophet Elijah lived, when there was a great famine throughout the country because there had been no rain for three and half years.
\v 26 But God did not send Elijah to help any of those Israelite widows. God sent him to the town of Zarephath near the city of Sidon, to help a widow.
\v 27 There were also many Israelite lepers in Israel during the time when the prophet Elisha lived. But Elisha did not heal any of them. He healed only Naaman, a man from Syria."
\s5
\v 28 When all the people in the synagogue heard him say that, they were very angry.
\v 29 So they all got up and shoved him out of the city. They took him to the top of the hill outside their city in order to throw him off the cliff and kill him.
\v 30 But he simply walked through their midst and went away.
\s5
\p
\v 31 One day he went down to Capernaum, a city in the district of Galilee. On the next Sabbath, he taught the people in the synagogue.
\v 32 They were continually amazed at what he was teaching, because he spoke with confidence.
\s5
\v 33 That day, there was a man in the synagogue who was controlled by an evil spirit. The man shouted very loudly,
\v 34 "Ha! Jesus, from Nazareth! Evil spirits have nothing to do with you! Have you come to destroy us all? I know who you are. You are the Holy One from God!"
\s5
\v 35 Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, saying, "Be quiet and come out of him!" The demon threw the man down on the ground in the midst of the people and came out of him without harming him.
\v 36 All the people in the synagogue were very amazed. They said to each other, "He speaks with confidence, and his words have so much power! Even evil spirits obey him and come out of people when he commands them to!"
\v 37 And in every place throughout the surrounding regions, people kept talking about what Jesus had done.
\s5
\p
\v 38 Then Jesus left the synagogue and went to Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was sick and had a high fever. Some people who were there asked Jesus to heal her.
\v 39 So he bent over her and commanded the fever to leave her. Immediately she became well! She got up and served them some food.
\s5
\p
\v 40 When the sun was setting that day, many people brought to Jesus their friends or relatives who were sick with various diseases. He put his hands on them and healed all of them.
\v 41 He also was forcing evil spirits to come out of many people. As the evil spirits left those people, they shouted to Jesus, "You are the Son of God!" But he commanded those evil spirits not to tell people about him, because they knew that he was the Messiah.
\s5
\p
\v 42 The next morning Jesus went out to an uninhabited place. Crowds of people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them.
\v 43 But he said to them, "I must tell people in other cities also the message about how God is going to rule everyone, because that is what I was sent to do."
\v 44 So he kept preaching in the synagogues in various towns in the province of Judea.
\s5
@ -768,127 +768,127 @@ l
\v 50 But Jesus said to the woman, "Because you have believed in me, God has saved you. May God give you peace as you go!"
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 After that, Jesus and his twelve disciples traveled around through various cities and villages. As they went, Jesus preached to people, proclaiming the good news that God would soon reveal himself as king.
\v 2 Also traveling with them were several women whom he had healed from evil spirits and sicknesses. These included Mary from the village of Magdala, out of whom he had forced seven evil spirits,
\v 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was one of King Herod Antipas' managers, Susanna, and many others. They were providing some of their own funds to support Jesus and his disciples.
\s5
\p
\v 4 One day a very large crowd was gathering, because people were traveling to see Jesus from many different towns. Then he told them this story:
\v 5 "A man went out to his field to plant some grain seeds. As he was scattering them over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the hard pathway. Then people walked on those seeds, and birds ate them.
\v 6 Some of the seeds fell on rocky ground which had very little soil. Therefore, as soon as the seeds grew, the plants dried up because there was no moisture.
\s5
\v 7 Some of the seeds fell on ground that contained seeds of thorn plants. The thorn plants grew up together with the young grain plants and crowded them out so that they could not grow.
\v 8 But some of the grain seeds fell on fertile soil, and grew so well that they produced a crop that had a hundred times as many seeds." After saying these things, Jesus called out to them, "All of you should think carefully about what you just heard me say!"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then Jesus' disciples asked him to tell them the meaning of the story.
\v 10 And he said, "To you has been granted the privilege of knowing the hidden things about how God will rule as king. But I speak to everyone else only in parables, so that,
\q 'Although they see, they may not perceive, and although they hear, they may not understand.'
\s5
\p
\v 11 Now, this is what the story means: The seeds represent God's word.
\v 12 The seeds that fell on the pathway show what happens when people hear God's word, but afterwards the devil comes and takes that word away from their minds and hearts. As a result, they do not believe it and are not saved.
\v 13 The seeds that fell on the rocky ground show what happens when people hear God's word and receive it joyfully, but they do not have deep roots. As a result, they only believe for a short time. As soon as difficult things happen to them, they stop believing God's word.
\s5
\v 14 The seeds that fell among the thorny plants show what happens when people hear God's word, but then as they go on in life they allow such things as the worries, riches and pleasures of this life to crowd out God's word from their life. As a result, they do not become spiritually mature.
\v 15 But the seeds that fell on the fertile ground show what happens when people hear God's word and receive it with an honorable and upright heart. They persevere in believing and obeying the word, and so they produce good spiritual fruit.
\s5
\p
\v 16 After lighting a lamp, people do not cover it with a basket or put it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a lampstand, so that everyone who enters the room can see by its light.
\v 17 This illustrates that everything that is hidden now will someday be made visible. And everything that is secret now will someday be brought out into the open.
\v 18 So make sure that you are listening carefully to what I tell you, because God will enable those who believe his truth to understand even more. But God will cause those who do not believe his truth to not understand even the little that they think they have understood."
\s5
\p
\v 19 One day Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they could not get near to him because there was such a large crowd around him in the house where he was.
\v 20 Then someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers have been standing outside, wanting to see you."
\v 21 But he replied to them, "Those who hear God's word and obey it are as dear to me as my mother and my brothers."
\s5
\p
\v 22 On another day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples. He said to them, "I would like us to go across to the other side of the lake." So they started to sail across the lake.
\v 23 But as they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. Then a powerful windstorm came down on the lake. Soon the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.
\s5
\v 24 So Jesus' disciples came to him and woke him up. They said to him, "Master! Master! We are going to die!" He then woke up and commanded the wind and the violent waves to be still and they became still. Everything became calm.
\v 25 Then he said to them, "Why is your faith so weak?" The disciples were alarmed and amazed because of what had just happened. They kept saying to one another, "Who is this, that he is able to command even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"
\s5
\p
\v 26 Jesus and his disciples continued sailing and came to the region where the Gerasene people lived, on the opposite side of the lake from the district of Galilee.
\v 27 After Jesus stepped out of the boat onto the land, he was met by a certain man from the town in that area. This man had demons in him. For a long time this man had not worn clothes and did not live in a house. Instead, he lived in the burial caves.
\s5
\p
\v 28 When he saw Jesus, the man cried out, lay facedown before him, and said with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"
\v 29 The man said this because Jesus had just commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. Although the man had been bound with chains on his wrists and ankles while people guarded him, many times the evil spirit would suddenly seize him by force. Then the man would break the chains and the demon would make him go out into deserted places.
\s5
\v 30 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Thousands." He said that because many demons had entered that man.
\v 31 The demons kept begging Jesus not to command them to go into the deep pit where God punishes demons.
\s5
\v 32 There was a large herd of pigs grazing on the hillside nearby. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, and he allowed them.
\v 33 So the demons left the man and entered the pigs, and the herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
\s5
\p
\v 34 When the men who were taking care of the pigs saw what happened, they ran away! They reported what they had seen to people in the town and in the countryside.
\v 35 Then the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to where Jesus was, they saw that the man from whom the demons had gone out was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to him. They saw that he had clothes on, and that his mind was normal again, and they became afraid.
\s5
\v 36 The men who had seen what had happened told the people who had just arrived how Jesus had healed the man who had been controlled by demons.
\v 37 Then many people from the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave their area because they were very afraid. So Jesus and the disciples got into the boat to go back across the lake.
\s5
\v 38 Before they left, the man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus saying, "Please, let me go with you!" But instead, Jesus sent him away by saying to him,
\v 39 "No, go back to your house and tell people how much God has done for you!" So the man went away and told people throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.
\s5
\p
\v 40 Then Jesus and the disciples went back across the lake to Capernaum. A crowd of people was waiting for him there, and they welcomed him.
\v 41 Just then a man named Jairus, who was one of the leaders of the synagogue there, came near to Jesus and he laid facedown before him. He pleaded with Jesus to come to his house
\v 42 because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying and he wanted Jesus to heal her.
\p But as Jesus went, many people were crowding around him.
\s5
\v 43 Now in the crowd there was a woman who had been suffering for twelve years from a disease that caused continual bleeding. She had spent all her money to pay doctors to help her, but none of them was able to heal her.
\v 44 She came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his robe. At once her bleeding stopped.
\s5
\v 45 Jesus said, "Who touched me?" As everyone around Jesus was saying they had not touched him, Peter said, "Master, there are many people crowding around you and pressing up against you, so any one of them might have touched you!"
\v 46 But Jesus said, "I know that someone deliberately touched me, because power has gone out of me to heal that person."
\s5
\v 47 And when the woman realized that she could not hide, she came trembling to him and she laid facedown on the ground before him. As the other people were listening, she told Jesus why she had touched him and that she had been healed immediately.
\v 48 And Jesus said to her, "My dear woman, because you believed that I could heal you, you are now well. Now go on your way, and may God's peace be with you."
\s5
\p
\v 49 While he was still speaking to her, a man from Jairus' house came and said to Jairus, "Your daughter has died. So do not bother the teacher anymore!"
\v 50 But when Jesus heard that, he said to Jairus, "Do not be afraid. Just believe in me and she will live again."
\s5
\v 51 When he arrived outside the house, Jesus did not allow anyone to go in the house with him, except for Peter, John and James, and the girl's mother and father.
\v 52 And all the people there were crying loudly to show that they were very sad because the girl had died. But Jesus said to them, "Stop crying! She is not dead! She is just sleeping!"
\v 53 And the people laughed at him, because they knew that the girl was dead.
\s5
\v 54 But Jesus took hold of her hand and called to her, saying, "Child, get up!"
\v 55 And immediately her spirit returned to her body and she got up. Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
\v 56 And her parents were amazed, but Jesus told them not to tell anyone else yet what had happened.
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 After that, Jesus and his twelve disciples traveled around through various cities and villages. As they went, Jesus preached to people, proclaiming the good news that God would soon reveal himself as king.
\v 2 Also traveling with them were several women whom he had healed from evil spirits and sicknesses. These included Mary from the village of Magdala, out of whom he had forced seven evil spirits,
\v 3 Joanna, the wife of Chuza, who was one of King Herod Antipas' managers, Susanna, and many others. They were providing some of their own funds to support Jesus and his disciples.
\s5
\p
\v 4 One day a very large crowd was gathering, because people were traveling to see Jesus from many different towns. Then he told them this story:
\v 5 "A man went out to his field to plant some grain seeds. As he was scattering them over the soil, some of the seeds fell on the hard pathway. Then people walked on those seeds, and birds ate them.
\v 6 Some of the seeds fell on rocky ground which had very little soil. Therefore, as soon as the seeds grew, the plants dried up because there was no moisture.
\s5
\v 7 Some of the seeds fell on ground that contained seeds of thorn plants. The thorn plants grew up together with the young grain plants and crowded them out so that they could not grow.
\v 8 But some of the grain seeds fell on fertile soil, and grew so well that they produced a crop that had a hundred times as many seeds." After saying these things, Jesus called out to them, "All of you should think carefully about what you just heard me say!"
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then Jesus' disciples asked him to tell them the meaning of the story.
\v 10 And he said, "To you has been granted the privilege of knowing the hidden things about how God will rule as king. But I speak to everyone else only in parables, so that,
\q 'Although they see, they may not perceive, and although they hear, they may not understand.'
\s5
\p
\v 11 Now, this is what the story means: The seeds represent God's word.
\v 12 The seeds that fell on the pathway show what happens when people hear God's word, but afterwards the devil comes and takes that word away from their minds and hearts. As a result, they do not believe it and are not saved.
\v 13 The seeds that fell on the rocky ground show what happens when people hear God's word and receive it joyfully, but they do not have deep roots. As a result, they only believe for a short time. As soon as difficult things happen to them, they stop believing God's word.
\s5
\v 14 The seeds that fell among the thorny plants show what happens when people hear God's word, but then as they go on in life they allow such things as the worries, riches and pleasures of this life to crowd out God's word from their life. As a result, they do not become spiritually mature.
\v 15 But the seeds that fell on the fertile ground show what happens when people hear God's word and receive it with an honorable and upright heart. They persevere in believing and obeying the word, and so they produce good spiritual fruit.
\s5
\p
\v 16 After lighting a lamp, people do not cover it with a basket or put it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a lampstand, so that everyone who enters the room can see by its light.
\v 17 This illustrates that everything that is hidden now will someday be made visible. And everything that is secret now will someday be brought out into the open.
\v 18 So make sure that you are listening carefully to what I tell you, because God will enable those who believe his truth to understand even more. But God will cause those who do not believe his truth to not understand even the little that they think they have understood."
\s5
\p
\v 19 One day Jesus' mother and brothers came to see him, but they could not get near to him because there was such a large crowd around him in the house where he was.
\v 20 Then someone told him, "Your mother and your brothers have been standing outside, wanting to see you."
\v 21 But he replied to them, "Those who hear God's word and obey it are as dear to me as my mother and my brothers."
\s5
\p
\v 22 On another day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples. He said to them, "I would like us to go across to the other side of the lake." So they started to sail across the lake.
\v 23 But as they were sailing, Jesus fell asleep. Then a powerful windstorm came down on the lake. Soon the boat was filling with water, and they were in danger.
\s5
\v 24 So Jesus' disciples came to him and woke him up. They said to him, "Master! Master! We are going to die!" He then woke up and commanded the wind and the violent waves to be still and they became still. Everything became calm.
\v 25 Then he said to them, "Why is your faith so weak?" The disciples were alarmed and amazed because of what had just happened. They kept saying to one another, "Who is this, that he is able to command even the winds and the water, and they obey him?"
\s5
\p
\v 26 Jesus and his disciples continued sailing and came to the region where the Gerasene people lived, on the opposite side of the lake from the district of Galilee.
\v 27 After Jesus stepped out of the boat onto the land, he was met by a certain man from the town in that area. This man had demons in him. For a long time this man had not worn clothes and did not live in a house. Instead, he lived in the burial caves.
\s5
\p
\v 28 When he saw Jesus, the man cried out, lay facedown before him, and said with a loud voice, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me!"
\v 29 The man said this because Jesus had just commanded the evil spirit to come out of him. Although the man had been bound with chains on his wrists and ankles while people guarded him, many times the evil spirit would suddenly seize him by force. Then the man would break the chains and the demon would make him go out into deserted places.
\s5
\v 30 Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Thousands." He said that because many demons had entered that man.
\v 31 The demons kept begging Jesus not to command them to go into the deep pit where God punishes demons.
\s5
\v 32 There was a large herd of pigs grazing on the hillside nearby. The demons begged Jesus to allow them to enter the pigs, and he allowed them.
\v 33 So the demons left the man and entered the pigs, and the herd of pigs rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.
\s5
\p
\v 34 When the men who were taking care of the pigs saw what happened, they ran away! They reported what they had seen to people in the town and in the countryside.
\v 35 Then the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to where Jesus was, they saw that the man from whom the demons had gone out was sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to him. They saw that he had clothes on, and that his mind was normal again, and they became afraid.
\s5
\v 36 The men who had seen what had happened told the people who had just arrived how Jesus had healed the man who had been controlled by demons.
\v 37 Then many people from the surrounding region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave their area because they were very afraid. So Jesus and the disciples got into the boat to go back across the lake.
\s5
\v 38 Before they left, the man from whom the demons had gone out begged Jesus saying, "Please, let me go with you!" But instead, Jesus sent him away by saying to him,
\v 39 "No, go back to your house and tell people how much God has done for you!" So the man went away and told people throughout the town how much Jesus had done for him.
\s5
\p
\v 40 Then Jesus and the disciples went back across the lake to Capernaum. A crowd of people was waiting for him there, and they welcomed him.
\v 41 Just then a man named Jairus, who was one of the leaders of the synagogue there, came near to Jesus and he laid facedown before him. He pleaded with Jesus to come to his house
\v 42 because his only daughter, who was about twelve years old, was dying and he wanted Jesus to heal her.
\p But as Jesus went, many people were crowding around him.
\s5
\v 43 Now in the crowd there was a woman who had been suffering for twelve years from a disease that caused continual bleeding. She had spent all her money to pay doctors to help her, but none of them was able to heal her.
\v 44 She came behind Jesus and touched the edge of his robe. At once her bleeding stopped.
\s5
\v 45 Jesus said, "Who touched me?" As everyone around Jesus was saying they had not touched him, Peter said, "Master, there are many people crowding around you and pressing up against you, so any one of them might have touched you!"
\v 46 But Jesus said, "I know that someone deliberately touched me, because power has gone out of me to heal that person."
\s5
\v 47 And when the woman realized that she could not hide, she came trembling to him and she laid facedown on the ground before him. As the other people were listening, she told Jesus why she had touched him and that she had been healed immediately.
\v 48 And Jesus said to her, "My dear woman, because you believed that I could heal you, you are now well. Now go on your way, and may God's peace be with you."
\s5
\p
\v 49 While he was still speaking to her, a man from Jairus' house came and said to Jairus, "Your daughter has died. So do not bother the teacher anymore!"
\v 50 But when Jesus heard that, he said to Jairus, "Do not be afraid. Just believe in me and she will live again."
\s5
\v 51 When he arrived outside the house, Jesus did not allow anyone to go in the house with him, except for Peter, John and James, and the girl's mother and father.
\v 52 And all the people there were crying loudly to show that they were very sad because the girl had died. But Jesus said to them, "Stop crying! She is not dead! She is just sleeping!"
\v 53 And the people laughed at him, because they knew that the girl was dead.
\s5
\v 54 But Jesus took hold of her hand and called to her, saying, "Child, get up!"
\v 55 And immediately her spirit returned to her body and she got up. Jesus told them to give her something to eat.
\v 56 And her parents were amazed, but Jesus told them not to tell anyone else yet what had happened.
\s5
@ -1361,158 +1361,158 @@ l
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 At that time, some people told Jesus about some Galileans whom soldiers had recently killed in Jerusalem. Pilate, the Roman governor, had ordered soldiers to kill them while they were offering sacrifices in the temple.
\v 2 Jesus replied to them, "Do you think that this happened to those people from Galilee because they were more sinful than all the other Galileans?
\v 3 I assure you, that was not the reason! But you need to remember that God will similarly punish you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior.
\s5
\v 4 Or what about the eighteen people who died when the tower at Siloam outside Jerusalem fell on them? Do you think that this happened to them because they were worse sinners than everyone else in Jerusalem?
\v 5 I assure you, that was not the reason! But instead, you need to realize that God will similarly punish you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior!"
\s5
\p
\v 6 Then Jesus told them this story: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden. Each year he came to pick the figs, but there were never any on it.
\v 7 Then he said to the gardener, 'Look at this tree! I have been looking for fruit on it every year for the past three years, but there have been no figs. Cut it down! It is just using up the nutrients in the soil for nothing!'
\s5
\v 8 But the gardener replied, 'Sir, leave it here for another year. I will dig around it and fertilize it.
\v 9 If it has figs on it next year, we can allow it to keep growing! But if it does not bear any fruit by then, you can cut it down.'"
\s5
\p
\v 10 On one Jewish day of rest, Jesus was teaching people in one of the synagogues.
\v 11 There was a woman there whom an evil spirit had crippled for eighteen years. She was always bent over; she could not stand up straight.
\s5
\v 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over to him. He said to her, "Woman, I have healed you of this illness!"
\v 13 He put his hands on her. Immediately she stood up straight and began praising God!
\v 14 But the leader of the synagogue was angry because Jesus had healed her on the Jewish rest day. So he said to the people, "There are six days each week in which our laws permit people to work. If you need healing, those are the days to come to the synagogue and be healed." Do not come on our day of rest!"
\s5
\v 15 Then the Lord replied to him, "You and your fellow religious leaders are hypocrites! Each of you also works on the day of rest sometimes! Would you not untie your ox or donkey to lead it from the food trough to where it can drink water?
\v 16 This woman is a Jew, descended from Abraham! But Satan has kept her crippled for eighteen years, as though he had tied her up! Certainly you would agree that it is right that I free her from Satan, even if I do it on a day of rest!
\s5
\v 17 After he said that, his enemies were ashamed of themselves. But all the other people were happy about all the wonderful things he was doing.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then he said, "How can I explain what it will be like when God shows himself as king? I will tell you what it will be like.
\v 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in his field. It grew until it became big, like a tree. It was so big that birds built nests in its branches."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then again he said, "I will tell you in another way what it will be like when God shows himself as king.
\v 21 It is like a little bit of yeast that a woman mixed with about twenty-five kilograms of flour. That small amount of yeast made the whole batch of dough swell up."
\s5
\p
\v 22 Jesus continued traveling toward Jerusalem. He stopped in all the towns and villages along the way and taught the people.
\v 23 Someone asked him, "Lord, will God only save a few people?" Jesus replied,
\v 24 "You need to try hard to enter the narrow doorway. I tell you that many people will try some other way, but they will not be able to get in.
\s5
\v 25 After the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will stand outside and you will knock on the door. And you will beg the owner and say to him, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'No, I will not open it, because I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from!'
\v 26 Then you will say, 'You must have forgotten that we ate meals with you, and you taught us in the streets of our towns!'
\v 27 But he will say, 'I tell you again, I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from. You are wicked people! Get away from here!'"
\s5
\v 28 Then Jesus continued by saying, "You will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the distance. All the prophets who lived long ago will also be there, where God will rule everything as king. But you will be outside, crying and grinding your teeth in pain!
\v 29 Furthermore, many non-Jewish people will be inside. There will be ones who have come from lands to the north, east, south, and west. They will be feasting to celebrate that God is ruling everything.
\v 30 Think about this: Some people who seem the least important now will be the most important then, and others who seem important now, will be the least important then."
\s5
\p
\v 31 That same day, some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, "Leave this area, because the ruler Herod Antipas wants to kill you!"
\v 32 He replied to them, "Tell that fox Herod this message from me: 'Listen! I am expelling demons and performing miracles today, and I will continue doing it for a short time. After that, I will finish my work.
\v 33 But I must continue my trip to Jerusalem during the coming days, since it is not appropriate to kill a prophet in a place other than Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 34 Oh, people of Jerusalem! You killed the prophets who lived long ago, and you killed others, whom God sent to you, by throwing stones at them. Many times I wanted to gather you together to protect you like a hen gathers her young chicks under her wings. But you did not want me to do that.
\v 35 Now look! God will no longer protect you, people of Jerusalem. I will also tell you this: I will enter your city only once more. After that, you will not see me until the time when I return, when you will say about me, 'May God bless this man who comes with God's authority!'"
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 One day, which was a day of rest, Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, and they were watching him carefully.
\v 2 Right there in front of Jesus was a man who had a disease that caused his arms and legs to be very swollen.
\v 3 Jesus asked the experts in Jewish law and the Pharisees who were present, "Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the day of rest, or not?"
\s5
\v 4 They did not reply. So Jesus put his hands on the man and healed him. Then he told him he could go.
\v 5 And he said to the others there, "If you had a son or an ox that fell into a well on the day of rest, would you not immediately pull him out?"
\v 6 Again, they were not able to answer him.
\s5
\p
\v 7 Jesus noticed that the people who had been invited to the meal were choosing to sit in the places where important people usually sit. Then he gave this advice to them:
\v 8 "When one of you is invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit in a place where important people sit. It may be that a man more important than you has also been invited to the feast.
\v 9 When that man comes, the man who invited both of you will come say to you, 'Let this man take your seat!' Then you will have to take the least important seat, and you will be ashamed.
\s5
\v 10 Instead, when you are invited to a feast, go and sit in the least important seat. Then when the man who invited everyone comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, come sit in a better seat!' Then all the people who are eating with you will see that he is honoring you.
\v 11 For God will humble those who exalt themselves, and he will exalt those who humble themselves."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jesus also said to the Pharisee who had invited him to the meal, "When you invite people to a midday or evening meal, do not only invite your friends, relatives or rich neighbors, since they will later repay you by inviting you for a meal.
\s5
\v 13 Instead, when you give a feast, invite poor people, crippled people, lame people or blind people.
\v 14 They will be unable to repay you. But God will bless you! He will repay you at the resurrection of the righteous."
\s5
\p
\v 15 One of those who were eating with him heard him say that. He said to Jesus, "God has truly blessed everyone who will eat the feast to celebrate that God has begun to rule everywhere!"
\v 16 Jesus replied to him, "One time a man decided to prepare a large feast. He invited many people to come.
\v 17 When it was the day for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come now because everything is ready!'
\s5
\v 18 But when the servant did that, all of the people whom he had invited began to say why they could not come. The first man that the servant went to said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go there and see it. Please ask your master to forgive me for not coming!'
\v 19 Another person said, 'I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I must go to examine them. Please ask your master to forgive me for not coming!'
\v 20 Another person said, 'I have just been married, so I cannot come.'
\s5
\v 21 So the servant returned to his master and reported what everyone had said. The owner of the house was angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city and find poor and crippled and blind and lame people, and bring them here into my house!'
\v 22 After the servant went out and did that, he came back and said, 'Sir, I have done what you told me to do, but there is still room for more people.'
\s5
\v 23 So his master said to him, 'Then go outside the city. Search for people along the highways. Search also along the narrow roads with hedges. Strongly urge the people in those places to come to my house. I want it to be full of people!
\v 24 Moreover I tell you this, the ones who were invited first will not get to enjoy my feast because they refused to come.'"
\s5
\p
\v 25 A large crowd of people was traveling with Jesus. He turned toward the people and said to them,
\v 26 "If anyone comes to me who loves his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters more than he loves me, he cannot be my disciple. He must even love me more than he loves his own life!
\v 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and whoever does not obey me cannot be my disciple.
\s5
\v 28 If one of you desired to build a tower, would you not first sit down and determine how much it would cost? Then you would be able to determine whether you had enough money to complete it.
\v 29 Otherwise, if you laid the foundation and were not able to finish the rest of the tower, everyone who saw it would make fun of you.
\v 30 They would say, 'This man started to build a tower, but he was not able to finish it!'
\s5
\v 31 Or, if a king decided to send his army to war against another king, he would surely first sit down with those who advised him. They would determine whether his army, which had only ten thousand soldiers, could defeat the other king's army, which had twenty thousand soldiers.
\v 32 If he decided his army could not defeat the other army, he would send a messenger to the other king while the other army was still far away. He would tell the messenger to say to that king, 'What things must I do to have peace with you?'
\v 33 So, similarly, if any one of you does not first decide that you are willing to give up all that you have, you cannot be my disciple."
\s5
\p
\v 34 Jesus also said, "You are like salt, which is very useful. But if salt were to lose its saltiness, could it ever be made to taste salty again?
\v 35 If salt does not taste salty anymore, it is no longer any good even for the soil or manure heap. People just throw it away. Every one of you should listen carefully to what I am telling you!"
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 At that time, some people told Jesus about some Galileans whom soldiers had recently killed in Jerusalem. Pilate, the Roman governor, had ordered soldiers to kill them while they were offering sacrifices in the temple.
\v 2 Jesus replied to them, "Do you think that this happened to those people from Galilee because they were more sinful than all the other Galileans?
\v 3 I assure you, that was not the reason! But you need to remember that God will similarly punish you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior.
\s5
\v 4 Or what about the eighteen people who died when the tower at Siloam outside Jerusalem fell on them? Do you think that this happened to them because they were worse sinners than everyone else in Jerusalem?
\v 5 I assure you, that was not the reason! But instead, you need to realize that God will similarly punish you if you do not turn from your sinful behavior!"
\s5
\p
\v 6 Then Jesus told them this story: "A man planted a fig tree in his garden. Each year he came to pick the figs, but there were never any on it.
\v 7 Then he said to the gardener, 'Look at this tree! I have been looking for fruit on it every year for the past three years, but there have been no figs. Cut it down! It is just using up the nutrients in the soil for nothing!'
\s5
\v 8 But the gardener replied, 'Sir, leave it here for another year. I will dig around it and fertilize it.
\v 9 If it has figs on it next year, we can allow it to keep growing! But if it does not bear any fruit by then, you can cut it down.'"
\s5
\p
\v 10 On one Jewish day of rest, Jesus was teaching people in one of the synagogues.
\v 11 There was a woman there whom an evil spirit had crippled for eighteen years. She was always bent over; she could not stand up straight.
\s5
\v 12 When Jesus saw her, he called her over to him. He said to her, "Woman, I have healed you of this illness!"
\v 13 He put his hands on her. Immediately she stood up straight and began praising God!
\v 14 But the leader of the synagogue was angry because Jesus had healed her on the Jewish rest day. So he said to the people, "There are six days each week in which our laws permit people to work. If you need healing, those are the days to come to the synagogue and be healed." Do not come on our day of rest!"
\s5
\v 15 Then the Lord replied to him, "You and your fellow religious leaders are hypocrites! Each of you also works on the day of rest sometimes! Would you not untie your ox or donkey to lead it from the food trough to where it can drink water?
\v 16 This woman is a Jew, descended from Abraham! But Satan has kept her crippled for eighteen years, as though he had tied her up! Certainly you would agree that it is right that I free her from Satan, even if I do it on a day of rest!
\s5
\v 17 After he said that, his enemies were ashamed of themselves. But all the other people were happy about all the wonderful things he was doing.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Then he said, "How can I explain what it will be like when God shows himself as king? I will tell you what it will be like.
\v 19 It is like a tiny mustard seed that a man planted in his field. It grew until it became big, like a tree. It was so big that birds built nests in its branches."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Then again he said, "I will tell you in another way what it will be like when God shows himself as king.
\v 21 It is like a little bit of yeast that a woman mixed with about twenty-five kilograms of flour. That small amount of yeast made the whole batch of dough swell up."
\s5
\p
\v 22 Jesus continued traveling toward Jerusalem. He stopped in all the towns and villages along the way and taught the people.
\v 23 Someone asked him, "Lord, will God only save a few people?" Jesus replied,
\v 24 "You need to try hard to enter the narrow doorway. I tell you that many people will try some other way, but they will not be able to get in.
\s5
\v 25 After the owner of the house gets up and locks the door, you will stand outside and you will knock on the door. And you will beg the owner and say to him, 'Lord, open the door for us!' But he will reply, 'No, I will not open it, because I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from!'
\v 26 Then you will say, 'You must have forgotten that we ate meals with you, and you taught us in the streets of our towns!'
\v 27 But he will say, 'I tell you again, I do not know you, and I do not know where you are from. You are wicked people! Get away from here!'"
\s5
\v 28 Then Jesus continued by saying, "You will see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the distance. All the prophets who lived long ago will also be there, where God will rule everything as king. But you will be outside, crying and grinding your teeth in pain!
\v 29 Furthermore, many non-Jewish people will be inside. There will be ones who have come from lands to the north, east, south, and west. They will be feasting to celebrate that God is ruling everything.
\v 30 Think about this: Some people who seem the least important now will be the most important then, and others who seem important now, will be the least important then."
\s5
\p
\v 31 That same day, some Pharisees came and said to Jesus, "Leave this area, because the ruler Herod Antipas wants to kill you!"
\v 32 He replied to them, "Tell that fox Herod this message from me: 'Listen! I am expelling demons and performing miracles today, and I will continue doing it for a short time. After that, I will finish my work.
\v 33 But I must continue my trip to Jerusalem during the coming days, since it is not appropriate to kill a prophet in a place other than Jerusalem.
\s5
\p
\v 34 Oh, people of Jerusalem! You killed the prophets who lived long ago, and you killed others, whom God sent to you, by throwing stones at them. Many times I wanted to gather you together to protect you like a hen gathers her young chicks under her wings. But you did not want me to do that.
\v 35 Now look! God will no longer protect you, people of Jerusalem. I will also tell you this: I will enter your city only once more. After that, you will not see me until the time when I return, when you will say about me, 'May God bless this man who comes with God's authority!'"
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 One day, which was a day of rest, Jesus went to eat at the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees, and they were watching him carefully.
\v 2 Right there in front of Jesus was a man who had a disease that caused his arms and legs to be very swollen.
\v 3 Jesus asked the experts in Jewish law and the Pharisees who were present, "Is it permitted in the law to heal people on the day of rest, or not?"
\s5
\v 4 They did not reply. So Jesus put his hands on the man and healed him. Then he told him he could go.
\v 5 And he said to the others there, "If you had a son or an ox that fell into a well on the day of rest, would you not immediately pull him out?"
\v 6 Again, they were not able to answer him.
\s5
\p
\v 7 Jesus noticed that the people who had been invited to the meal were choosing to sit in the places where important people usually sit. Then he gave this advice to them:
\v 8 "When one of you is invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not sit in a place where important people sit. It may be that a man more important than you has also been invited to the feast.
\v 9 When that man comes, the man who invited both of you will come say to you, 'Let this man take your seat!' Then you will have to take the least important seat, and you will be ashamed.
\s5
\v 10 Instead, when you are invited to a feast, go and sit in the least important seat. Then when the man who invited everyone comes, he will say to you, 'Friend, come sit in a better seat!' Then all the people who are eating with you will see that he is honoring you.
\v 11 For God will humble those who exalt themselves, and he will exalt those who humble themselves."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jesus also said to the Pharisee who had invited him to the meal, "When you invite people to a midday or evening meal, do not only invite your friends, relatives or rich neighbors, since they will later repay you by inviting you for a meal.
\s5
\v 13 Instead, when you give a feast, invite poor people, crippled people, lame people or blind people.
\v 14 They will be unable to repay you. But God will bless you! He will repay you at the resurrection of the righteous."
\s5
\p
\v 15 One of those who were eating with him heard him say that. He said to Jesus, "God has truly blessed everyone who will eat the feast to celebrate that God has begun to rule everywhere!"
\v 16 Jesus replied to him, "One time a man decided to prepare a large feast. He invited many people to come.
\v 17 When it was the day for the feast, he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, 'Come now because everything is ready!'
\s5
\v 18 But when the servant did that, all of the people whom he had invited began to say why they could not come. The first man that the servant went to said, 'I have just bought a field, and I must go there and see it. Please ask your master to forgive me for not coming!'
\v 19 Another person said, 'I have just bought five pairs of oxen, and I must go to examine them. Please ask your master to forgive me for not coming!'
\v 20 Another person said, 'I have just been married, so I cannot come.'
\s5
\v 21 So the servant returned to his master and reported what everyone had said. The owner of the house was angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and alleys of the city and find poor and crippled and blind and lame people, and bring them here into my house!'
\v 22 After the servant went out and did that, he came back and said, 'Sir, I have done what you told me to do, but there is still room for more people.'
\s5
\v 23 So his master said to him, 'Then go outside the city. Search for people along the highways. Search also along the narrow roads with hedges. Strongly urge the people in those places to come to my house. I want it to be full of people!
\v 24 Moreover I tell you this, the ones who were invited first will not get to enjoy my feast because they refused to come.'"
\s5
\p
\v 25 A large crowd of people was traveling with Jesus. He turned toward the people and said to them,
\v 26 "If anyone comes to me who loves his father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters more than he loves me, he cannot be my disciple. He must even love me more than he loves his own life!
\v 27 Whoever does not carry his own cross and whoever does not obey me cannot be my disciple.
\s5
\v 28 If one of you desired to build a tower, would you not first sit down and determine how much it would cost? Then you would be able to determine whether you had enough money to complete it.
\v 29 Otherwise, if you laid the foundation and were not able to finish the rest of the tower, everyone who saw it would make fun of you.
\v 30 They would say, 'This man started to build a tower, but he was not able to finish it!'
\s5
\v 31 Or, if a king decided to send his army to war against another king, he would surely first sit down with those who advised him. They would determine whether his army, which had only ten thousand soldiers, could defeat the other king's army, which had twenty thousand soldiers.
\v 32 If he decided his army could not defeat the other army, he would send a messenger to the other king while the other army was still far away. He would tell the messenger to say to that king, 'What things must I do to have peace with you?'
\v 33 So, similarly, if any one of you does not first decide that you are willing to give up all that you have, you cannot be my disciple."
\s5
\p
\v 34 Jesus also said, "You are like salt, which is very useful. But if salt were to lose its saltiness, could it ever be made to taste salty again?
\v 35 If salt does not taste salty anymore, it is no longer any good even for the soil or manure heap. People just throw it away. Every one of you should listen carefully to what I am telling you!"
\s5
@ -1580,151 +1580,151 @@ l
\s5
\c 16
\p
\v 1 Jesus also said to his disciples, "Once there was a rich man who had a household manager. One day the rich man was told that the manager was managing his property so badly that he was causing the rich man to lose his possessions.
\v 2 So he called the manager to come to him and said to him, 'What you have been doing is terrible! Give me a final written report of what you have been managing, because you may no longer be my household manager!'
\s5
\v 3 Then the manager said to himself, 'My master is going to dismiss me from being his manager, so I have to think of what to do. I am not strong enough to work by digging ditches, and I am ashamed to beg for money.
\v 4 I know what I will do, so that people will take me into their houses and provide for me after I am dismissed from my management work!'
\s5
\v 5 So one by one he asked everyone who owed his master money to come to him. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?'
\v 6 The man replied, '3,000 liters of olive oil.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down, and quickly change it to 1,500 liters!'
\v 7 He said to another man, 'How much do you owe?' The man replied, 'A thousand baskets of wheat.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill and change it to eight hundred baskets!'
\s5
\v 8 When the master heard what his manager had done, he admired the dishonest manager for the way he prepared for the fact that he was about to lose his job. The truth is, the ungodly people in this world, who act dishonestly and use deceit, look ahead and prepare for their future more than the godly, who shine like lights in this world.
\v 9 I tell you, use the money you made dishonestly to help others. When you do, they will become your friends, and when the money is gone, you will have friends who will welcome you into your eternal home.
\s5
\v 10 People who faithfully manage only small amounts of money, can also be trusted with much more. People who are dishonest in the way they handle unimportant duties will be dishonest in the way they handle important matters.
\v 11 You have money in your care that was made dishonestly, but if you have not been honest in the way you have managed that money, no one will give you property of your own.
\v 12 You have been managing other people's money, but if you were dishonest you should not expect anyone to give you money you could invest for yourself.
\s5
\v 13 No servant is able to serve two different masters at the same time. If he tried to do that, he would hate one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one. You cannot devote your life to serving God if you are also devoting your life to acquiring money and other material possessions."
\s5
\p
\v 14 When the Pharisees who were there heard Jesus say that, they made fun of him because they loved to acquire money.
\v 15 But Jesus said to them, "You try to make other people think that you are righteous, but God knows your hearts. Keep in mind that many things that people praise as being very important, God considers to be detestable.
\s5
\p
\v 16 The laws that God gave Moses and what the prophets wrote were proclaimed until John the Baptizer came. Since then I have been preaching that God will soon show himself as king. Many people are accepting that message and are very eagerly asking God to rule their lives.
\v 17 All of God's laws, even those that seem insignificant, are more permanent than heaven and earth.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery, and any man who marries a woman who is divorced from her husband is also committing adultery."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Jesus also said, "Once there was a rich man who wore fine purple and linen clothes. Every day he gave expensive feasts.
\v 20 And every day a poor man whose name was Lazarus was laid at the gate of the rich man's house. Lazarus' body was covered with sores.
\v 21 He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the scraps of food that fell from the table where the rich man ate. Furthermore, to make things worse, dogs came and licked his sores.
\s5
\v 22 Eventually the poor man died. Then he was taken by the angels to his ancestor Abraham. The rich man also died, and his body was buried.
\v 23 In the place of the dead, the rich man was suffering great pain. He looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus sitting very close to Abraham.
\s5
\v 24 So the rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, I am suffering very much in this fire! So please pity me, and send Lazarus here so that he can dip his finger in water and touch my tongue to cool it!'
\s5
\v 25 But Abraham replied, 'Child, remember that while you were alive on earth you enjoyed many good things. But Lazarus was miserable. Now he is happy here, and you are suffering.
\v 26 Besides that, God has placed a huge ravine between you and us. So those who want to go from here to where you are, are not able to. Furthermore, no one can cross from there to where we are, either.'
\s5
\v 27 Then the rich man said, 'If that is so, Father Abraham, I ask you to send Lazarus to my father's house.
\v 28 I have five brothers who live there. Tell him to warn them so that they do not also come to this place, where we suffer great pain!'
\s5
\v 29 But Abraham replied, 'No, I will not do that, because your brothers have what Moses and the prophets wrote long ago. They should obey what they wrote!'
\v 30 But the rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham, that will not be enough! But if someone from those who have died goes back to them and warns them, they will turn from their sinful behavior.'
\v 31 Abraham said to him, 'No! If they do not listen to what Moses and the prophets wrote, even if someone would rise from among the dead and go warn them, they would still not be convinced that they should turn from their sinful behavior.'"
\s5
\c 17
\p
\v 1 Jesus said to his disciples, "Things that tempt people to sin will certainly happen, but how terrible it will be for anyone who causes those things to happen!
\v 2 It would be better for that person if someone fastened a huge stone around his neck and threw him into the sea, than if he were to cause to sin someone who is weak in his faith.
\s5
\v 3 Be careful how you act. If one of your brothers sins, you should rebuke him. If he says that he is sorry for having sinned and asks you to forgive him, then you should forgive him.
\v 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in one day, if he comes to you each time and says, 'I am sorry for what I did,' you must continue forgiving him."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith!"
\v 6 The Lord replied, "Even if you had faith that was no bigger than this tiny mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself with your roots out of the ground and plant yourself in the sea' and it would obey you!"
\s5
\p
\v 7 Jesus also said, "Suppose that one of you had a servant who was plowing your fields or taking care of your sheep. After he comes into the house from the field, you would not say, 'Come sit down immediately and eat!'
\v 8 Instead, you would say to him, 'Prepare a meal for me! Then put on your serving clothes and serve it to me so that I can eat and drink! Afterwards you can eat and drink.'
\s5
\v 9 You will not thank your servant for doing the work that he had been told to do!
\v 10 Similarly, when you have done everything that God has told you to do, you should say, 'We are only God's servants and do not deserve for him to thank us. We have only done the things that he told us to do.'"
\s5
\p
\v 11 As Jesus and his disciples were walking along the road to Jerusalem, they were going through the area between the regions of Samaria and Galilee.
\v 12 As Jesus entered a village, ten lepers came toward him, but stood at some distance away.
\v 13 They called out, "Jesus, Master, please have pity on us!"
\s5
\v 14 When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." So they went, and as they were going, they were healed.
\v 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God loudly.
\v 16 He came to Jesus and laid down with his face at Jesus' feet, and he thanked him. This man was a Samaritan.
\s5
\v 17 Then Jesus said, "I healed ten lepers! Why did the other nine not come back?
\v 18 This foreign man was the only one who returned to thank God; none of the others came back!"
\v 19 Then he said to the man, "Get up and go on your way. God has healed you because you trusted in me."
\s5
\p
\v 20 One day Jesus was asked by some Pharisees "When will God begin to rule everyone?" He replied, "That is not about signs that people can see with their own eyes.
\v 21 People will not be able to say, 'Look! He is ruling here!' Or 'He is ruling there!' because, contrary to what you think, God has already begun to rule within you."
\s5
\p
\v 22 Jesus said to his disciples, "There will be a time when you will want to see me, the Son of Man, ruling powerfully. But you will not see that.
\v 23 People will say to you, 'Look, the Messiah is over there!' or they will say 'Look, he is here!' When they say that, do not follow them.
\v 24 Because when the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, everyone can see it. Similarly when I, the Son of Man, come back again, everyone will see me.
\s5
\v 25 But before that happens, I must suffer in many ways, and I will be rejected by people.
\v 26 But when I, the Son of Man, come again, people will be doing things just like people were doing at the time when Noah lived.
\v 27 At that time people ate and drank as usual, and they got married as usual, up until the day when Noah and his family entered the big boat. But then the flood came and destroyed all those who were not in the boat.
\s5
\v 28 Similarly, when Lot lived in the city of Sodom, people there ate and drank as usual. They bought things and they sold things. They planted crops and they built houses as usual.
\v 29 But on the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and burning sulfur came down from the sky and destroyed all those who stayed in the city.
\s5
\v 30 Similarly, when I, the Son of Man, return to earth, people will be unprepared.
\v 31 On that day, those who are outside their houses, with all the things that they own inside the houses, must not take time to go inside to take them away. Similarly, those who are working in a field must not turn back to get anything; they must flee quickly.
\s5
\v 32 Remember what happened to Lot's wife!
\v 33 Anyone who continues in his own way of living will die. But anyone who leaves his way for my sake will live forever.
\s5
\v 34 I tell you this: On the night when I return, there will be two people sleeping in one bed. The one who believes in me will be taken and the other one will be left behind.
\v 35-36 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left behind."
\s5
\v 37 His disciples said to him, "Lord, where will this happen?" He replied to them, "Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather to eat it."
\s5
\c 16
\p
\v 1 Jesus also said to his disciples, "Once there was a rich man who had a household manager. One day the rich man was told that the manager was managing his property so badly that he was causing the rich man to lose his possessions.
\v 2 So he called the manager to come to him and said to him, 'What you have been doing is terrible! Give me a final written report of what you have been managing, because you may no longer be my household manager!'
\s5
\v 3 Then the manager said to himself, 'My master is going to dismiss me from being his manager, so I have to think of what to do. I am not strong enough to work by digging ditches, and I am ashamed to beg for money.
\v 4 I know what I will do, so that people will take me into their houses and provide for me after I am dismissed from my management work!'
\s5
\v 5 So one by one he asked everyone who owed his master money to come to him. He asked the first one, 'How much do you owe my master?'
\v 6 The man replied, '3,000 liters of olive oil.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill, sit down, and quickly change it to 1,500 liters!'
\v 7 He said to another man, 'How much do you owe?' The man replied, 'A thousand baskets of wheat.' The manager said to him, 'Take your bill and change it to eight hundred baskets!'
\s5
\v 8 When the master heard what his manager had done, he admired the dishonest manager for the way he prepared for the fact that he was about to lose his job. The truth is, the ungodly people in this world, who act dishonestly and use deceit, look ahead and prepare for their future more than the godly, who shine like lights in this world.
\v 9 I tell you, use the money you made dishonestly to help others. When you do, they will become your friends, and when the money is gone, you will have friends who will welcome you into your eternal home.
\s5
\v 10 People who faithfully manage only small amounts of money, can also be trusted with much more. People who are dishonest in the way they handle unimportant duties will be dishonest in the way they handle important matters.
\v 11 You have money in your care that was made dishonestly, but if you have not been honest in the way you have managed that money, no one will give you property of your own.
\v 12 You have been managing other people's money, but if you were dishonest you should not expect anyone to give you money you could invest for yourself.
\s5
\v 13 No servant is able to serve two different masters at the same time. If he tried to do that, he would hate one of them and love the other one, or he would be loyal to one of them and despise the other one. You cannot devote your life to serving God if you are also devoting your life to acquiring money and other material possessions."
\s5
\p
\v 14 When the Pharisees who were there heard Jesus say that, they made fun of him because they loved to acquire money.
\v 15 But Jesus said to them, "You try to make other people think that you are righteous, but God knows your hearts. Keep in mind that many things that people praise as being very important, God considers to be detestable.
\s5
\p
\v 16 The laws that God gave Moses and what the prophets wrote were proclaimed until John the Baptizer came. Since then I have been preaching that God will soon show himself as king. Many people are accepting that message and are very eagerly asking God to rule their lives.
\v 17 All of God's laws, even those that seem insignificant, are more permanent than heaven and earth.
\s5
\p
\v 18 Any man who divorces his wife and marries another woman is committing adultery, and any man who marries a woman who is divorced from her husband is also committing adultery."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Jesus also said, "Once there was a rich man who wore fine purple and linen clothes. Every day he gave expensive feasts.
\v 20 And every day a poor man whose name was Lazarus was laid at the gate of the rich man's house. Lazarus' body was covered with sores.
\v 21 He was so hungry that he wanted to eat the scraps of food that fell from the table where the rich man ate. Furthermore, to make things worse, dogs came and licked his sores.
\s5
\v 22 Eventually the poor man died. Then he was taken by the angels to his ancestor Abraham. The rich man also died, and his body was buried.
\v 23 In the place of the dead, the rich man was suffering great pain. He looked up and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus sitting very close to Abraham.
\s5
\v 24 So the rich man shouted, 'Father Abraham, I am suffering very much in this fire! So please pity me, and send Lazarus here so that he can dip his finger in water and touch my tongue to cool it!'
\s5
\v 25 But Abraham replied, 'Child, remember that while you were alive on earth you enjoyed many good things. But Lazarus was miserable. Now he is happy here, and you are suffering.
\v 26 Besides that, God has placed a huge ravine between you and us. So those who want to go from here to where you are, are not able to. Furthermore, no one can cross from there to where we are, either.'
\s5
\v 27 Then the rich man said, 'If that is so, Father Abraham, I ask you to send Lazarus to my father's house.
\v 28 I have five brothers who live there. Tell him to warn them so that they do not also come to this place, where we suffer great pain!'
\s5
\v 29 But Abraham replied, 'No, I will not do that, because your brothers have what Moses and the prophets wrote long ago. They should obey what they wrote!'
\v 30 But the rich man replied, 'No, Father Abraham, that will not be enough! But if someone from those who have died goes back to them and warns them, they will turn from their sinful behavior.'
\v 31 Abraham said to him, 'No! If they do not listen to what Moses and the prophets wrote, even if someone would rise from among the dead and go warn them, they would still not be convinced that they should turn from their sinful behavior.'"
\s5
\c 17
\p
\v 1 Jesus said to his disciples, "Things that tempt people to sin will certainly happen, but how terrible it will be for anyone who causes those things to happen!
\v 2 It would be better for that person if someone fastened a huge stone around his neck and threw him into the sea, than if he were to cause to sin someone who is weak in his faith.
\s5
\v 3 Be careful how you act. If one of your brothers sins, you should rebuke him. If he says that he is sorry for having sinned and asks you to forgive him, then you should forgive him.
\v 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in one day, if he comes to you each time and says, 'I am sorry for what I did,' you must continue forgiving him."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Then the apostles said to the Lord, "Give us more faith!"
\v 6 The Lord replied, "Even if you had faith that was no bigger than this tiny mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, 'Pull yourself with your roots out of the ground and plant yourself in the sea' and it would obey you!"
\s5
\p
\v 7 Jesus also said, "Suppose that one of you had a servant who was plowing your fields or taking care of your sheep. After he comes into the house from the field, you would not say, 'Come sit down immediately and eat!'
\v 8 Instead, you would say to him, 'Prepare a meal for me! Then put on your serving clothes and serve it to me so that I can eat and drink! Afterwards you can eat and drink.'
\s5
\v 9 You will not thank your servant for doing the work that he had been told to do!
\v 10 Similarly, when you have done everything that God has told you to do, you should say, 'We are only God's servants and do not deserve for him to thank us. We have only done the things that he told us to do.'"
\s5
\p
\v 11 As Jesus and his disciples were walking along the road to Jerusalem, they were going through the area between the regions of Samaria and Galilee.
\v 12 As Jesus entered a village, ten lepers came toward him, but stood at some distance away.
\v 13 They called out, "Jesus, Master, please have pity on us!"
\s5
\v 14 When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." So they went, and as they were going, they were healed.
\v 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God loudly.
\v 16 He came to Jesus and laid down with his face at Jesus' feet, and he thanked him. This man was a Samaritan.
\s5
\v 17 Then Jesus said, "I healed ten lepers! Why did the other nine not come back?
\v 18 This foreign man was the only one who returned to thank God; none of the others came back!"
\v 19 Then he said to the man, "Get up and go on your way. God has healed you because you trusted in me."
\s5
\p
\v 20 One day Jesus was asked by some Pharisees "When will God begin to rule everyone?" He replied, "That is not about signs that people can see with their own eyes.
\v 21 People will not be able to say, 'Look! He is ruling here!' Or 'He is ruling there!' because, contrary to what you think, God has already begun to rule within you."
\s5
\p
\v 22 Jesus said to his disciples, "There will be a time when you will want to see me, the Son of Man, ruling powerfully. But you will not see that.
\v 23 People will say to you, 'Look, the Messiah is over there!' or they will say 'Look, he is here!' When they say that, do not follow them.
\v 24 Because when the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, everyone can see it. Similarly when I, the Son of Man, come back again, everyone will see me.
\s5
\v 25 But before that happens, I must suffer in many ways, and I will be rejected by people.
\v 26 But when I, the Son of Man, come again, people will be doing things just like people were doing at the time when Noah lived.
\v 27 At that time people ate and drank as usual, and they got married as usual, up until the day when Noah and his family entered the big boat. But then the flood came and destroyed all those who were not in the boat.
\s5
\v 28 Similarly, when Lot lived in the city of Sodom, people there ate and drank as usual. They bought things and they sold things. They planted crops and they built houses as usual.
\v 29 But on the day that Lot left Sodom, fire and burning sulfur came down from the sky and destroyed all those who stayed in the city.
\s5
\v 30 Similarly, when I, the Son of Man, return to earth, people will be unprepared.
\v 31 On that day, those who are outside their houses, with all the things that they own inside the houses, must not take time to go inside to take them away. Similarly, those who are working in a field must not turn back to get anything; they must flee quickly.
\s5
\v 32 Remember what happened to Lot's wife!
\v 33 Anyone who continues in his own way of living will die. But anyone who leaves his way for my sake will live forever.
\s5
\v 34 I tell you this: On the night when I return, there will be two people sleeping in one bed. The one who believes in me will be taken and the other one will be left behind.
\v 35-36 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left behind."
\s5
\v 37 His disciples said to him, "Lord, where will this happen?" He replied to them, "Wherever there is a dead body, the vultures will gather to eat it."
\s5
\c 18
@ -2102,277 +2102,277 @@ l
\s5
\c 22
\p
\v 1 It was now almost time for the Celebration of Unleavened Bread, which people also call the Passover.
\v 2 Now the chief priests and the teachers of the Jewish laws were looking for a way to kill Jesus because they feared the people who followed him.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Then Satan entered into Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples.
\v 4 He went and talked with the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard about how he might turn Jesus over to them.
\s5
\v 5 They were very pleased that he wanted to do that. They offered to pay him money for doing this.
\v 6 So Judas agreed, and then he started looking for a way to help them arrest Jesus when there was no crowd around him.
\s5
\p
\v 7 Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came, the day when the lambs for the Passover Celebration had to be killed.
\v 8 So Jesus said to Peter and John, "Go and prepare the meal for the Passover Celebration for us so we can eat it together."
\v 9 They replied to him, "Where do you want us to prepare to eat it?"
\s5
\v 10 He answered, "Listen carefully. When you go into the city, a man carrying a large jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters.
\v 11 Say to the owner of the house, 'Our teacher says to show us the room where he can eat the Passover meal together with us, his disciples?'
\s5
\v 12 He will show you a large room that is on the upper floor of the house. It will be all set up, with everything ready for guests. Prepare the meal for us there."
\v 13 So the two disciples went into the city. They found everything to be just like Jesus had told them. So they prepared the meal for the Passover Celebration there.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When it was time to eat the meal, Jesus came and sat down with the apostles.
\v 15 He said to them, "I have wanted very much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer and die.
\v 16 I tell you, I will not eat it again until I do so when God rules everyone everywhere, when he finishes what he started to do in the Passover."
\s5
\v 17 Then he took a cup of wine and thanked God for it. He said, "Take this, and share it among yourselves.
\v 18 For I tell you that I will not drink any of this wine again until God rules everyone everywhere."
\s5
\v 19 Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke it into pieces and gave it to them to eat. As he did so, he said, "This bread is my body, which I am about to sacrifice for you. Do this later to honor me."
\v 20 In the same way, after they had eaten the meal, he took the cup of wine and said, "This is the new covenant I will make using my own blood, which will pour out for you.
\s5
\v 21 But, look! The person who will hand me over to my enemies is here eating with me.
\v 22 Indeed, I, the Son of Man, will die, because that is what God has planned. But how terrible it will be for the man who hands me over to my enemies!"
\v 23 Then the apostles began to ask one another, "Which one of us is planning to do this thing?"
\s5
\p
\v 24 After that, the apostles began to argue among themselves; they said, "Which one of us will have the most honor when Jesus becomes king?"
\v 25 Jesus answered them, "The kings of the Gentile nations like to show people that they are powerful. Yet they give themselves the title, 'ones who help the people.'
\s5
\v 26 But you should not be like those rulers! Instead, the most honored persons among you should act as if they were the youngest, and the one who leads must act like a servant.
\v 27 For you know that the important person is the one who eats at the table, not the servant who brings the food. But I am your servant.
\s5
\p
\v 28 You are the persons who have stayed with me during all the hard things I have suffered.
\v 29 So now, I will make you powerful officials when God rules everyone, just as my Father appointed me to rule as a king.
\v 30 You will sit and eat and drink with me when I become king. In fact, you will sit on thrones to judge the people of the twelve tribes of Israel."
\s5
\p
\v 31 "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked God to let him test you, like someone shakes grain in a sieve, and God has permitted him to do it.
\v 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that you will not completely stop believing in me. So when you come back to me, give courage again to these men, your brothers.
\s5
\v 33 Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison; I am willing to die with you!"
\v 34 Jesus replied, "Peter, I want you to know that this night, before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me!"
\s5
\p
\v 35 Then Jesus asked the disciples, "When I sent you out to the villages, and you went without any money, food, or sandals, was there anything you needed but could not get?" They replied, "Nothing!"
\v 36 And he said, "But, now, if anyone among you has some money, he should take it with him. Also, whoever has food should take it with him, and whoever does not have a sword should sell his coat and buy one!"
\s5
\v 37 I tell you this because what a prophet wrote about me in the scriptures must happen: 'People considered him to be a criminal.' Everything that is written about me in the scriptures is happening.
\v 38 The disciples said, "Lord, look! We have two swords!" He replied, "Enough. Do not talk like this any longer."
\s5
\p
\v 39 Jesus left the city and went to the Mount of Olives, as he usually did; his disciples went with him.
\v 40 When he came to the place where he wanted to go, he said to them, "Pray that God will help you not to be tempted to sin."
\s5
\v 41 Then he went about thirty meters from them, knelt down and prayed. He said,
\v 42 "Father, the terrible things that are about to happen to me: If you are willing to keep from happening, do it. But do not do what I want, but what you want."
\s5
\v 43 Then an angel from heaven came and and gave him courage.
\v 44 He was suffering greatly. So he prayed more intensely. His sweat was falling to the ground like large drops of blood.
\s5
\v 45 When he got up from praying, he returned to his disciples. He found that they were so tired out because of their sorrow, they were sleeping.
\v 46 He woke them up and said to them, "You should not be sleeping! Get up! Pray that God will help you so that nothing will persuade you to sin."
\s5
\p
\v 47 While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd of people came to him. Judas, one of the twelve disciples, was leading them. He came up to Jesus to kiss him.
\v 48 But Jesus said to him, "Judas, will you really kiss me, the Son of Man, in order to hand me over to my enemies?"
\s5
\v 49 When the disciples realized what was happening, they said, "Lord, shall we strike them with our swords?"
\v 50 One of them struck the servant of the high priest, but only cut off his right ear.
\v 51 But Jesus said, "Do not do any more of that." Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him.
\s5
\v 52-53 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guards, and the Jewish elders who had come to arrest him, "It is surprising that you have come here with swords and clubs to arrest me, as if I were a robber. For many days I was with you in the temple, but you did not try to arrest me at all! But this is the time you are doing what you want. It is also the time when Satan is doing the evil things as he wants to do.
\s5
\p
\v 54 They seized Jesus and led him away. They brought him to the high priest's house. Peter followed them far behind.
\v 55 The people lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together. Peter sat among them.
\s5
\v 56 A female servant saw Peter sitting there as the fire shone upon him. She looked at him carefully and said, "This man was also with the one whom they have arrested!"
\v 57 But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him!"
\v 58 A little later someone else saw Peter and said, "You also are one of those who were with the man they arrested!" But Peter said, "Man, I am not one of them!"
\s5
\v 59 About an hour later someone else said loudly, "The way that this man speaks shows that he is from the region of Galilee. Certainly this man was also with the man whom they arrested!"
\v 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" Immediately a rooster crowed, while he was still speaking.
\s5
\v 61 The Lord Jesus turned around and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him, "This night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you know me."
\v 62 And he went out of the courtyard and cried with great sorrow.
\s5
\p
\v 63 The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him.
\v 64 They put a blindfold on him and said to him, "Show us that you are a prophet! Tell us who it was that struck you!"
\v 65 They said many other evil things about him, insulting him.
\s5
\p
\v 66 At dawn the next morning, many of the Jewish leaders gathered together. In this group were the chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws. They took Jesus to the Jewish council chamber. There they said to him,
\v 67 "If you are the Messiah, tell us!" But he replied, "If I say that I am he, you will not believe me.
\v 68 If I ask you what you think about the Messiah, you will not answer me.
\s5
\v 69 But from now on, I, the Son of Man, will be sitting next to almighty God and ruling!"
\v 70 Then they all asked, "If that is so, are you saying that you are the Son of God?" He answered, "Yes, it is just like you say."
\v 71 Then they said to each other, "We certainly do not need any more people to testify against him! We ourselves have heard him say that he is equal to God!"
\s5
\c 23
\p
\v 1 Then the whole group got up and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
\v 2 They accused him in front of Pilate: "We have seen this fellow causing trouble by telling lies to our people. He has been telling them to not pay taxes to Caesar, the Roman emperor. Also, he has been saying that he is the Messiah, a king!"
\s5
\v 3 Pilate then asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Yes, it is just as you have asked me."
\v 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and to the crowd, "This man is not guilty of any crime."
\v 5 But they kept on accusing Jesus; they said, "He is trying to get the people to riot! He has been teaching his ideas throughout all of the region of Judea. He started doing this in the region of Galilee and now he is doing it here, also!"
\s5
\p
\v 6 When Pilate heard their words, he asked, "Does this man come from the district of Galilee?"
\v 7 Because Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, where Herod Antipas ruled, he sent Jesus to him, because Herod was in Jerusalem at that time.
\s5
\v 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. He had been wanting for a long time to see Jesus, because he was hearing many things about him and wanted to see him perform a miracle.
\v 9 So he asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus did not reply to any of them.
\v 10 And the chief priests and some experts in the Jewish laws stood near him, accusing him very of all kinds of crimes.
\s5
\v 11 Then Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus. They put expensive clothes on him to pretend that he was a king. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate.
\v 12 Until that time Herod and Pilate had been very hostile to each other, but that very day they became friends.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Pilate then gathered together the chief priests and other Jewish leaders and the crowd that was still there.
\v 14 He said to them, "You brought this man to me, saying that he has been leading the people to revolt. But I want you to know that after having examined him while you were listening, I do not think that he is guilty of any of the things you have told me about.
\s5
\v 15 Even Herod does not think he is guilty. I know this, because he sent him back to us without punishing him. So it is clear that this man does not deserve to die.
\v 16 So I will tell my soldiers to whip him and then set him free."
\v 17 (Pilate said this because he had to set free one prisoner at the Passover Celebration.)
\s5
\v 18 But the whole crowd shouted together saying, "Put this man to death! Set Barabbas free for us!"
\v 19 Now Barabbas was a man who had led some people in the city to rebel against the Roman government. He was also a murderer. He was in prison because of these crimes, and he was waiting for them to put him to death.
\s5
\v 20 But Pilate wanted very much to set Jesus free, so he tried to speak to the crowd again.
\v 21 But they kept on shouting, saying, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
\v 22 Pilate spoke to them a third time and asked them, "Why? What crime has he committed? He has done nothing for which he deserves to die. So I will have my soldiers whip him and then set him free."
\s5
\v 23 But they kept insisting with loud voices that Jesus should be die on a cross. Finally, because they continued to shout so loudly, they persuaded Pilate
\v 24 to do what they requested.
\v 25 So he set free the man who was in prison because he had fought against the government and murdered people! He then commanded the soldiers to take Jesus and do what the crowd wanted.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Now there was a man named Simon, who was from the city of Cyrene in Africa. He was coming into Jerusalem from the countryside. As the soldiers were leading Jesus away, they grabbed hold of Simon. They took from Jesus the cross that they had made him carry, and they they put it on Simon's shoulders. They told him to carry it and follow behind Jesus.
\s5
\v 27 Now a large crowd was following Jesus. It had many women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
\v 28 Jesus turned to them and said, "You women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me! Instead, weep because of what is going to happen to yourselves and your children!
\s5
\v 29 For I want you to know that there will soon be a time when people will say, 'How fortunate are the women who have never given birth to children or nursed babies!'
\v 30 Then the people in this city will say, 'We wish that the mountains would fall on top of us and that the hills would cover us up!'
\v 31 If I have to die, even though I have nothing wrong, terrible things will certainly happen to people who deserve to die.
\s5
\p
\v 32 Two other men who were criminals were also walking to the place where they would die with Jesus.
\s5
\v 33 When they came to the place named 'The Skull', there they crucified Jesus by nailing him to a cross. They did the same thing to the two criminals. They put one at the right side of Jesus and one at his left side.
\v 34 But Jesus said, "Father, forgive these people who did this, because they do not really know whom they are doing this to." Then the soldiers divided his clothes by gambling with something like dice, to decide which piece of clothing each one would get.
\s5
\v 35 Many people stood nearby, watching. Even the Jewish leaders were mocking Jesus: "He saved other people! If God has really chosen him to be the Messiah, he should save himself!"
\s5
\v 36 The soldiers also mocked him. They came up to him and offered him some sour wine.
\v 37 They kept saying to him, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
\v 38 They also fastened on the cross above his head a sign that stated, 'This is the King of the Jews.'
\s5
\p
\v 39 One of the criminals who was hanging on a cross also insulted Jesus; he said, "You are the Messiah, are you not? So save yourself, and save us too!"
\v 40 But the other criminal stopped him from speaking; he said, "You should be afraid of God punishing you! They are punishing him and us in the same way.
\v 41 We two deserve to die. They are punishing us as we deserve for the evil things that we did. But this man has done nothing wrong!"
\s5
\v 42 Then he said to Jesus, "Jesus, please remember to save me when you begin to rule as king!"
\v 43 Jesus replied, "I want you to know that today you will be with me in paradise!"
\s5
\p
\v 44 Then it was about noontime. But it became dark over all the land until three o'clock in the afternoon.
\v 45 There was no light from the sun. And the thick curtain that closed off the most holy place in the temple split into two pieces.
\s5
\v 46 When that happened, Jesus shouted loudly, "Father, I put my spirit into your care!" After he said that, he stopped breathing and died.
\p
\v 47 When the centurion who was over the soldiers saw what happened, he said, "Indeed, this man has done nothing wrong!" What he said honored God.
\s5
\v 48 When the crowd of people who had gathered to see these men die saw what actually happened, they returned to their homes, hitting their own chests to show that they were sorrowful.
\v 49 All of Jesus' acquaintances, including the women who had come with him from the region of Galilee, stood at a little distance away and watched everything happen.
\s5
\p
\v 50-51 Now there was a man named Joseph from Arimathea, a Jewish town. He was a good and a righteous man, and he was a member of the Jewish council. He saw everything happen, but he had not agreed with the other Council members when they decided to kill Jesus and when they did it it. He was waiting eagerly for the time when God would send his king to begin to rule.
\s5
\v 52 Joseph went to Pilate and asked Pilate to permit him to take Jesus' body to bury it. Pilate gave him permission,
\v 53 so he took Jesus' body down from the cross. He wrapped it in a linen cloth. Then he put his body in a burial chamber that someone had cut in a rock cliff. No one had ever put a body in it before.
\s5
\v 54 It was the day when people got ready for the Jewish day of rest called the Sabbath. It was soon going to be sunset, the start of the Sabbath.
\v 55 The women who had come with Jesus from the district of Galilee followed Joseph and the men who were with him. They saw the burial chamber, and they saw how the men laid Jesus' body inside it.
\v 56 Then the women went back to where they were staying in order to get spices and ointments to put on Jesus' body. However, they did no work on the Sabbath, just as the Jewish law required.
\s5
\c 22
\p
\v 1 It was now almost time for the Celebration of Unleavened Bread, which people also call the Passover.
\v 2 Now the chief priests and the teachers of the Jewish laws were looking for a way to kill Jesus because they feared the people who followed him.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Then Satan entered into Judas, the one called Iscariot, who was one of the twelve disciples.
\v 4 He went and talked with the chief priests and the officers of the temple guard about how he might turn Jesus over to them.
\s5
\v 5 They were very pleased that he wanted to do that. They offered to pay him money for doing this.
\v 6 So Judas agreed, and then he started looking for a way to help them arrest Jesus when there was no crowd around him.
\s5
\p
\v 7 Then the Day of Unleavened Bread came, the day when the lambs for the Passover Celebration had to be killed.
\v 8 So Jesus said to Peter and John, "Go and prepare the meal for the Passover Celebration for us so we can eat it together."
\v 9 They replied to him, "Where do you want us to prepare to eat it?"
\s5
\v 10 He answered, "Listen carefully. When you go into the city, a man carrying a large jar of water will meet you; follow him into the house that he enters.
\v 11 Say to the owner of the house, 'Our teacher says to show us the room where he can eat the Passover meal together with us, his disciples?'
\s5
\v 12 He will show you a large room that is on the upper floor of the house. It will be all set up, with everything ready for guests. Prepare the meal for us there."
\v 13 So the two disciples went into the city. They found everything to be just like Jesus had told them. So they prepared the meal for the Passover Celebration there.
\s5
\p
\v 14 When it was time to eat the meal, Jesus came and sat down with the apostles.
\v 15 He said to them, "I have wanted very much to eat this Passover meal with you before I suffer and die.
\v 16 I tell you, I will not eat it again until I do so when God rules everyone everywhere, when he finishes what he started to do in the Passover."
\s5
\v 17 Then he took a cup of wine and thanked God for it. He said, "Take this, and share it among yourselves.
\v 18 For I tell you that I will not drink any of this wine again until God rules everyone everywhere."
\s5
\v 19 Then he took some bread and thanked God for it. He broke it into pieces and gave it to them to eat. As he did so, he said, "This bread is my body, which I am about to sacrifice for you. Do this later to honor me."
\v 20 In the same way, after they had eaten the meal, he took the cup of wine and said, "This is the new covenant I will make using my own blood, which will pour out for you.
\s5
\v 21 But, look! The person who will hand me over to my enemies is here eating with me.
\v 22 Indeed, I, the Son of Man, will die, because that is what God has planned. But how terrible it will be for the man who hands me over to my enemies!"
\v 23 Then the apostles began to ask one another, "Which one of us is planning to do this thing?"
\s5
\p
\v 24 After that, the apostles began to argue among themselves; they said, "Which one of us will have the most honor when Jesus becomes king?"
\v 25 Jesus answered them, "The kings of the Gentile nations like to show people that they are powerful. Yet they give themselves the title, 'ones who help the people.'
\s5
\v 26 But you should not be like those rulers! Instead, the most honored persons among you should act as if they were the youngest, and the one who leads must act like a servant.
\v 27 For you know that the important person is the one who eats at the table, not the servant who brings the food. But I am your servant.
\s5
\p
\v 28 You are the persons who have stayed with me during all the hard things I have suffered.
\v 29 So now, I will make you powerful officials when God rules everyone, just as my Father appointed me to rule as a king.
\v 30 You will sit and eat and drink with me when I become king. In fact, you will sit on thrones to judge the people of the twelve tribes of Israel."
\s5
\p
\v 31 "Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has asked God to let him test you, like someone shakes grain in a sieve, and God has permitted him to do it.
\v 32 But I have prayed for you, Simon, that you will not completely stop believing in me. So when you come back to me, give courage again to these men, your brothers.
\s5
\v 33 Peter said to him, "Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison; I am willing to die with you!"
\v 34 Jesus replied, "Peter, I want you to know that this night, before the rooster crows, you will say three times that you do not know me!"
\s5
\p
\v 35 Then Jesus asked the disciples, "When I sent you out to the villages, and you went without any money, food, or sandals, was there anything you needed but could not get?" They replied, "Nothing!"
\v 36 And he said, "But, now, if anyone among you has some money, he should take it with him. Also, whoever has food should take it with him, and whoever does not have a sword should sell his coat and buy one!"
\s5
\v 37 I tell you this because what a prophet wrote about me in the scriptures must happen: 'People considered him to be a criminal.' Everything that is written about me in the scriptures is happening.
\v 38 The disciples said, "Lord, look! We have two swords!" He replied, "Enough. Do not talk like this any longer."
\s5
\p
\v 39 Jesus left the city and went to the Mount of Olives, as he usually did; his disciples went with him.
\v 40 When he came to the place where he wanted to go, he said to them, "Pray that God will help you not to be tempted to sin."
\s5
\v 41 Then he went about thirty meters from them, knelt down and prayed. He said,
\v 42 "Father, the terrible things that are about to happen to me: If you are willing to keep from happening, do it. But do not do what I want, but what you want."
\s5
\v 43 Then an angel from heaven came and and gave him courage.
\v 44 He was suffering greatly. So he prayed more intensely. His sweat was falling to the ground like large drops of blood.
\s5
\v 45 When he got up from praying, he returned to his disciples. He found that they were so tired out because of their sorrow, they were sleeping.
\v 46 He woke them up and said to them, "You should not be sleeping! Get up! Pray that God will help you so that nothing will persuade you to sin."
\s5
\p
\v 47 While Jesus was still speaking, a crowd of people came to him. Judas, one of the twelve disciples, was leading them. He came up to Jesus to kiss him.
\v 48 But Jesus said to him, "Judas, will you really kiss me, the Son of Man, in order to hand me over to my enemies?"
\s5
\v 49 When the disciples realized what was happening, they said, "Lord, shall we strike them with our swords?"
\v 50 One of them struck the servant of the high priest, but only cut off his right ear.
\v 51 But Jesus said, "Do not do any more of that." Then he touched the servant's ear and healed him.
\s5
\v 52-53 Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guards, and the Jewish elders who had come to arrest him, "It is surprising that you have come here with swords and clubs to arrest me, as if I were a robber. For many days I was with you in the temple, but you did not try to arrest me at all! But this is the time you are doing what you want. It is also the time when Satan is doing the evil things as he wants to do.
\s5
\p
\v 54 They seized Jesus and led him away. They brought him to the high priest's house. Peter followed them far behind.
\v 55 The people lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together. Peter sat among them.
\s5
\v 56 A female servant saw Peter sitting there as the fire shone upon him. She looked at him carefully and said, "This man was also with the one whom they have arrested!"
\v 57 But he denied it, saying, "Woman, I do not know him!"
\v 58 A little later someone else saw Peter and said, "You also are one of those who were with the man they arrested!" But Peter said, "Man, I am not one of them!"
\s5
\v 59 About an hour later someone else said loudly, "The way that this man speaks shows that he is from the region of Galilee. Certainly this man was also with the man whom they arrested!"
\v 60 But Peter said, "Man, I do not know what you are talking about!" Immediately a rooster crowed, while he was still speaking.
\s5
\v 61 The Lord Jesus turned around and looked right at Peter. Then Peter remembered what the Lord had said to him, "This night, before the rooster crows, you will deny three times that you know me."
\v 62 And he went out of the courtyard and cried with great sorrow.
\s5
\p
\v 63 The men who were guarding Jesus made fun of him and beat him.
\v 64 They put a blindfold on him and said to him, "Show us that you are a prophet! Tell us who it was that struck you!"
\v 65 They said many other evil things about him, insulting him.
\s5
\p
\v 66 At dawn the next morning, many of the Jewish leaders gathered together. In this group were the chief priests and the men who taught the Jewish laws. They took Jesus to the Jewish council chamber. There they said to him,
\v 67 "If you are the Messiah, tell us!" But he replied, "If I say that I am he, you will not believe me.
\v 68 If I ask you what you think about the Messiah, you will not answer me.
\s5
\v 69 But from now on, I, the Son of Man, will be sitting next to almighty God and ruling!"
\v 70 Then they all asked, "If that is so, are you saying that you are the Son of God?" He answered, "Yes, it is just like you say."
\v 71 Then they said to each other, "We certainly do not need any more people to testify against him! We ourselves have heard him say that he is equal to God!"
\s5
\c 23
\p
\v 1 Then the whole group got up and took him to Pilate, the Roman governor.
\v 2 They accused him in front of Pilate: "We have seen this fellow causing trouble by telling lies to our people. He has been telling them to not pay taxes to Caesar, the Roman emperor. Also, he has been saying that he is the Messiah, a king!"
\s5
\v 3 Pilate then asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" Jesus replied, "Yes, it is just as you have asked me."
\v 4 Then Pilate said to the chief priests and to the crowd, "This man is not guilty of any crime."
\v 5 But they kept on accusing Jesus; they said, "He is trying to get the people to riot! He has been teaching his ideas throughout all of the region of Judea. He started doing this in the region of Galilee and now he is doing it here, also!"
\s5
\p
\v 6 When Pilate heard their words, he asked, "Does this man come from the district of Galilee?"
\v 7 Because Pilate learned that Jesus was from Galilee, where Herod Antipas ruled, he sent Jesus to him, because Herod was in Jerusalem at that time.
\s5
\v 8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad. He had been wanting for a long time to see Jesus, because he was hearing many things about him and wanted to see him perform a miracle.
\v 9 So he asked Jesus many questions, but Jesus did not reply to any of them.
\v 10 And the chief priests and some experts in the Jewish laws stood near him, accusing him very of all kinds of crimes.
\s5
\v 11 Then Herod and his soldiers made fun of Jesus. They put expensive clothes on him to pretend that he was a king. Then Herod sent him back to Pilate.
\v 12 Until that time Herod and Pilate had been very hostile to each other, but that very day they became friends.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Pilate then gathered together the chief priests and other Jewish leaders and the crowd that was still there.
\v 14 He said to them, "You brought this man to me, saying that he has been leading the people to revolt. But I want you to know that after having examined him while you were listening, I do not think that he is guilty of any of the things you have told me about.
\s5
\v 15 Even Herod does not think he is guilty. I know this, because he sent him back to us without punishing him. So it is clear that this man does not deserve to die.
\v 16 So I will tell my soldiers to whip him and then set him free."
\v 17 (Pilate said this because he had to set free one prisoner at the Passover Celebration.)
\s5
\v 18 But the whole crowd shouted together saying, "Put this man to death! Set Barabbas free for us!"
\v 19 Now Barabbas was a man who had led some people in the city to rebel against the Roman government. He was also a murderer. He was in prison because of these crimes, and he was waiting for them to put him to death.
\s5
\v 20 But Pilate wanted very much to set Jesus free, so he tried to speak to the crowd again.
\v 21 But they kept on shouting, saying, "Crucify him! Crucify him!"
\v 22 Pilate spoke to them a third time and asked them, "Why? What crime has he committed? He has done nothing for which he deserves to die. So I will have my soldiers whip him and then set him free."
\s5
\v 23 But they kept insisting with loud voices that Jesus should be die on a cross. Finally, because they continued to shout so loudly, they persuaded Pilate
\v 24 to do what they requested.
\v 25 So he set free the man who was in prison because he had fought against the government and murdered people! He then commanded the soldiers to take Jesus and do what the crowd wanted.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Now there was a man named Simon, who was from the city of Cyrene in Africa. He was coming into Jerusalem from the countryside. As the soldiers were leading Jesus away, they grabbed hold of Simon. They took from Jesus the cross that they had made him carry, and they they put it on Simon's shoulders. They told him to carry it and follow behind Jesus.
\s5
\v 27 Now a large crowd was following Jesus. It had many women who were beating their breasts and wailing for him.
\v 28 Jesus turned to them and said, "You women of Jerusalem, do not weep for me! Instead, weep because of what is going to happen to yourselves and your children!
\s5
\v 29 For I want you to know that there will soon be a time when people will say, 'How fortunate are the women who have never given birth to children or nursed babies!'
\v 30 Then the people in this city will say, 'We wish that the mountains would fall on top of us and that the hills would cover us up!'
\v 31 If I have to die, even though I have nothing wrong, terrible things will certainly happen to people who deserve to die.
\s5
\p
\v 32 Two other men who were criminals were also walking to the place where they would die with Jesus.
\s5
\v 33 When they came to the place named 'The Skull', there they crucified Jesus by nailing him to a cross. They did the same thing to the two criminals. They put one at the right side of Jesus and one at his left side.
\v 34 But Jesus said, "Father, forgive these people who did this, because they do not really know whom they are doing this to." Then the soldiers divided his clothes by gambling with something like dice, to decide which piece of clothing each one would get.
\s5
\v 35 Many people stood nearby, watching. Even the Jewish leaders were mocking Jesus: "He saved other people! If God has really chosen him to be the Messiah, he should save himself!"
\s5
\v 36 The soldiers also mocked him. They came up to him and offered him some sour wine.
\v 37 They kept saying to him, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
\v 38 They also fastened on the cross above his head a sign that stated, 'This is the King of the Jews.'
\s5
\p
\v 39 One of the criminals who was hanging on a cross also insulted Jesus; he said, "You are the Messiah, are you not? So save yourself, and save us too!"
\v 40 But the other criminal stopped him from speaking; he said, "You should be afraid of God punishing you! They are punishing him and us in the same way.
\v 41 We two deserve to die. They are punishing us as we deserve for the evil things that we did. But this man has done nothing wrong!"
\s5
\v 42 Then he said to Jesus, "Jesus, please remember to save me when you begin to rule as king!"
\v 43 Jesus replied, "I want you to know that today you will be with me in paradise!"
\s5
\p
\v 44 Then it was about noontime. But it became dark over all the land until three o'clock in the afternoon.
\v 45 There was no light from the sun. And the thick curtain that closed off the most holy place in the temple split into two pieces.
\s5
\v 46 When that happened, Jesus shouted loudly, "Father, I put my spirit into your care!" After he said that, he stopped breathing and died.
\p
\v 47 When the centurion who was over the soldiers saw what happened, he said, "Indeed, this man has done nothing wrong!" What he said honored God.
\s5
\v 48 When the crowd of people who had gathered to see these men die saw what actually happened, they returned to their homes, hitting their own chests to show that they were sorrowful.
\v 49 All of Jesus' acquaintances, including the women who had come with him from the region of Galilee, stood at a little distance away and watched everything happen.
\s5
\p
\v 50-51 Now there was a man named Joseph from Arimathea, a Jewish town. He was a good and a righteous man, and he was a member of the Jewish council. He saw everything happen, but he had not agreed with the other Council members when they decided to kill Jesus and when they did it it. He was waiting eagerly for the time when God would send his king to begin to rule.
\s5
\v 52 Joseph went to Pilate and asked Pilate to permit him to take Jesus' body to bury it. Pilate gave him permission,
\v 53 so he took Jesus' body down from the cross. He wrapped it in a linen cloth. Then he put his body in a burial chamber that someone had cut in a rock cliff. No one had ever put a body in it before.
\s5
\v 54 It was the day when people got ready for the Jewish day of rest called the Sabbath. It was soon going to be sunset, the start of the Sabbath.
\v 55 The women who had come with Jesus from the district of Galilee followed Joseph and the men who were with him. They saw the burial chamber, and they saw how the men laid Jesus' body inside it.
\v 56 Then the women went back to where they were staying in order to get spices and ointments to put on Jesus' body. However, they did no work on the Sabbath, just as the Jewish law required.
\s5

View File

@ -245,116 +245,116 @@ John answered, "No."
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Jesus got a report about the Pharisees. They found out that Jesus was gaining more followers than John the Baptizer and that he was baptizing more people than John was.
\v 2 But Jesus himself was not personally doing the work of baptizing; his disciples were doing that.
\v 3 So Jesus and his disciples left the region of Judea and returned once more to Galilee.
\s5
\v 4 Now they had to go through the region of Samaria.
\v 5 So they arrived at a town called Sychar in the region of Samaria. Sychar was near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph long ago.
\s5
\v 6 Just outside the town of Sychar was Jacob's well. Jesus was very tired from his long journey, and he sat down to rest beside the well. It was about noon.
\v 7 A woman from Samaria came out to the well to draw some water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
\v 8 Now his disciples had left him alone because they had gone into the town to buy food.
\s5
\v 9 The woman said to him, "I am surprised that you, a Jew, are asking me, a woman from Samaria, for a drink."
\v 10 Jesus replied to her, "If you had known the gift that God wants to give you and if you had known who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked me for a drink, and I would have given you living water."
\s5
\v 11 "Sir, you do not have a bucket or a rope with which to draw the water up out of the well, and this well is deep. Where would you get this living water?
\v 12 You cannot be greater than our father Jacob. He dug this well that we use today, and he drank from it himself, as did his children and his animals."
\s5
\v 13 Jesus replied to her, "Everyone who drinks water from this well will be thirsty again,
\v 14 but those who drink the water I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water I give will become a spring of water that fills them up and brings them everlasting life."
\s5
\v 15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will never be thirsty or have to come here to draw water again."
\p
\v 16 Jesus knew she did not understand what he was saying, so he said to her, "Madam, go and call your husband and bring him here."
\s5
\v 17 The woman answered him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying that you have no husband,
\v 18 because you have had not one, but five, husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. What you have said about not having a husband is true."
\s5
\p
\v 19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I see you are a prophet.
\v 20 Our ancestors worshiped God right here on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place we must worship God. Who is right?"
\s5
\v 21 Jesus said to her, "Madam, believe me when I say that a time is coming when neither here on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will people worship the Father.
\v 22 You people in Samaria worship what you do not know. We Jewish worshipers know whom we worship because salvation comes from the Jews.
\s5
\v 23 The time is coming and has now arrived when those who truly worship God will worship the Father spiritually and in truth. The Father searches for such people so that they may worship him in this way.
\v 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him spiritually, and the truth must lead them in worship."
\s5
\v 25 The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming (the one also called "Christ"). When he comes, he will tell us everything we need to hear."
\v 26 Jesus said to her, "I, who am speaking to you now, I am he!"
\s5
\p
\v 27 Just then, the disciples came back from town. They were amazed that Jesus was talking with a woman who was not a member of his family. (That was against the Jewish custom.) Nevertheless, no one was brave enough to ask him, "What were you doing talking to a woman by yourself?" or "Why are you talking with her at all?"
\s5
\p
\v 28 The woman left her water jar there and went back into town. She said to the people of the town,
\v 29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He could not be the Messiah, could he?"
\v 30 Many people started heading out of town, going where Jesus was.
\s5
\p
\v 31 His disciples, who had just returned with the food, urged him, "Teacher, eat something."
\v 32 Jesus said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about!"
\v 33 So they were saying to one another, "No one else could have brought him something to eat, could they?"
\s5
\v 34 Jesus said, "I will tell what I am most hungry for: It is to do what my Father who sent me wants and to complete all his work.
\v 35 At this time of the year you usually say, 'There are four months left, and then we will harvest the crops.' Yet look all around you! The fields are ready for harvest at this moment. The non-Jews are now wanting God to rule over them; they are like the fields that are now ready to be harvested.
\v 36 The one who believes this and is ready to work in this kind of harvest is already receiving his payment and is gathering much fruit for eternal life. Those who sow the seed and those who reap the harvest will be glad together.
\s5
\v 37 This statement is true: One person plants the seeds, and another person harvests the crops.
\v 38 I sent you to gather the harvest from a crop you did not plant. Others have worked very hard, but you are now joining in their work."
\s5
\p
\v 39 Many Samaritans who lived in the town of Sychar put their trust in Jesus because of what they heard about him from all the woman told them. She said, "He told me everything I have ever done."
\v 40 When the Samaritans came to Jesus, they urged him to stay a longer time with them. So he stayed there two more days.
\s5
\v 41 Many more of them trusted in Jesus because of what he proclaimed to them.
\v 42 They told the woman, "We believe in Jesus now, not just because of what you told us about him but also because we have heard his message for ourselves. Now we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world."
\s5
\p
\v 43 After those two days in Samaria, Jesus and his disciples left and went to the region of Galilee.
\v 44 (Jesus himself confirmed that a prophet receives honor in many places but never in the place where he grew up.)
\v 45 However, when he arrived in Galilee, many of the people there welcomed him. They knew who he was because they saw all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the recent Passover Festival that was held there.
\s5
\v 46 Jesus went back again to Cana in Galilee. (That was where he had turned the water into wine.) There was an official of the king who lived in Capernaum just twenty-seven kilometers away, and his son was very sick.
\v 47 When that man heard that Jesus had come back to Galilee from Judea, he went to Jesus in Cana and begged him, "Come down to Capernaum and heal my son. He is about to die!"
\s5
\v 48 Jesus said to him, "Unless you see me do things that prove who I am and watch me do miracles, you will not trust in me!"
\v 49 Yet the official said to him, "Sir, please come down to my home before my son dies!"
\v 50 Jesus said to him, "Go. Your son will live." The man trusted what Jesus said and he started on his way back home.
\s5
\v 51 As he was traveling down to his home in Capernaum, his servants met him along the road. They told him, "Your child is going to live."
\v 52 He asked them, "At what time did my son begin to improve?" They said to him, "His fever ceased yesterday afternoon at one o'clock."
\s5
\v 53 Then the boy's father realized that this was the time Jesus told him, "Your son lives." So he trusted in Jesus, along with everyone who lived in his house.
\p
\v 54 That was the second time Jesus did something to prove to people who he was. He did it during the time that he came to the region of Galilee, having traveled there from Judea.
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Jesus got a report about the Pharisees. They found out that Jesus was gaining more followers than John the Baptizer and that he was baptizing more people than John was.
\v 2 But Jesus himself was not personally doing the work of baptizing; his disciples were doing that.
\v 3 So Jesus and his disciples left the region of Judea and returned once more to Galilee.
\s5
\v 4 Now they had to go through the region of Samaria.
\v 5 So they arrived at a town called Sychar in the region of Samaria. Sychar was near the plot of ground that Jacob had given to his son Joseph long ago.
\s5
\v 6 Just outside the town of Sychar was Jacob's well. Jesus was very tired from his long journey, and he sat down to rest beside the well. It was about noon.
\v 7 A woman from Samaria came out to the well to draw some water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink."
\v 8 Now his disciples had left him alone because they had gone into the town to buy food.
\s5
\v 9 The woman said to him, "I am surprised that you, a Jew, are asking me, a woman from Samaria, for a drink."
\v 10 Jesus replied to her, "If you had known the gift that God wants to give you and if you had known who is asking you for a drink, you would have asked me for a drink, and I would have given you living water."
\s5
\v 11 "Sir, you do not have a bucket or a rope with which to draw the water up out of the well, and this well is deep. Where would you get this living water?
\v 12 You cannot be greater than our father Jacob. He dug this well that we use today, and he drank from it himself, as did his children and his animals."
\s5
\v 13 Jesus replied to her, "Everyone who drinks water from this well will be thirsty again,
\v 14 but those who drink the water I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water I give will become a spring of water that fills them up and brings them everlasting life."
\s5
\v 15 The woman said to him, "Sir, give me this water, so that I will never be thirsty or have to come here to draw water again."
\p
\v 16 Jesus knew she did not understand what he was saying, so he said to her, "Madam, go and call your husband and bring him here."
\s5
\v 17 The woman answered him, "I do not have a husband." Jesus said to her, "You are right in saying that you have no husband,
\v 18 because you have had not one, but five, husbands, and the man you are living with now is not your husband. What you have said about not having a husband is true."
\s5
\p
\v 19 The woman said to him, "Sir, I see you are a prophet.
\v 20 Our ancestors worshiped God right here on this mountain, but you Jews say that Jerusalem is the place we must worship God. Who is right?"
\s5
\v 21 Jesus said to her, "Madam, believe me when I say that a time is coming when neither here on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, will people worship the Father.
\v 22 You people in Samaria worship what you do not know. We Jewish worshipers know whom we worship because salvation comes from the Jews.
\s5
\v 23 The time is coming and has now arrived when those who truly worship God will worship the Father spiritually and in truth. The Father searches for such people so that they may worship him in this way.
\v 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship him must worship him spiritually, and the truth must lead them in worship."
\s5
\v 25 The woman said to him, "I know that the Messiah is coming (the one also called "Christ"). When he comes, he will tell us everything we need to hear."
\v 26 Jesus said to her, "I, who am speaking to you now, I am he!"
\s5
\p
\v 27 Just then, the disciples came back from town. They were amazed that Jesus was talking with a woman who was not a member of his family. (That was against the Jewish custom.) Nevertheless, no one was brave enough to ask him, "What were you doing talking to a woman by yourself?" or "Why are you talking with her at all?"
\s5
\p
\v 28 The woman left her water jar there and went back into town. She said to the people of the town,
\v 29 "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done! He could not be the Messiah, could he?"
\v 30 Many people started heading out of town, going where Jesus was.
\s5
\p
\v 31 His disciples, who had just returned with the food, urged him, "Teacher, eat something."
\v 32 Jesus said to them, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about!"
\v 33 So they were saying to one another, "No one else could have brought him something to eat, could they?"
\s5
\v 34 Jesus said, "I will tell what I am most hungry for: It is to do what my Father who sent me wants and to complete all his work.
\v 35 At this time of the year you usually say, 'There are four months left, and then we will harvest the crops.' Yet look all around you! The fields are ready for harvest at this moment. The non-Jews are now wanting God to rule over them; they are like the fields that are now ready to be harvested.
\v 36 The one who believes this and is ready to work in this kind of harvest is already receiving his payment and is gathering much fruit for eternal life. Those who sow the seed and those who reap the harvest will be glad together.
\s5
\v 37 This statement is true: One person plants the seeds, and another person harvests the crops.
\v 38 I sent you to gather the harvest from a crop you did not plant. Others have worked very hard, but you are now joining in their work."
\s5
\p
\v 39 Many Samaritans who lived in the town of Sychar put their trust in Jesus because of what they heard about him from all the woman told them. She said, "He told me everything I have ever done."
\v 40 When the Samaritans came to Jesus, they urged him to stay a longer time with them. So he stayed there two more days.
\s5
\v 41 Many more of them trusted in Jesus because of what he proclaimed to them.
\v 42 They told the woman, "We believe in Jesus now, not just because of what you told us about him but also because we have heard his message for ourselves. Now we know that this man truly is the Savior of the world."
\s5
\p
\v 43 After those two days in Samaria, Jesus and his disciples left and went to the region of Galilee.
\v 44 (Jesus himself confirmed that a prophet receives honor in many places but never in the place where he grew up.)
\v 45 However, when he arrived in Galilee, many of the people there welcomed him. They knew who he was because they saw all the things he had done in Jerusalem during the recent Passover Festival that was held there.
\s5
\v 46 Jesus went back again to Cana in Galilee. (That was where he had turned the water into wine.) There was an official of the king who lived in Capernaum just twenty-seven kilometers away, and his son was very sick.
\v 47 When that man heard that Jesus had come back to Galilee from Judea, he went to Jesus in Cana and begged him, "Come down to Capernaum and heal my son. He is about to die!"
\s5
\v 48 Jesus said to him, "Unless you see me do things that prove who I am and watch me do miracles, you will not trust in me!"
\v 49 Yet the official said to him, "Sir, please come down to my home before my son dies!"
\v 50 Jesus said to him, "Go. Your son will live." The man trusted what Jesus said and he started on his way back home.
\s5
\v 51 As he was traveling down to his home in Capernaum, his servants met him along the road. They told him, "Your child is going to live."
\v 52 He asked them, "At what time did my son begin to improve?" They said to him, "His fever ceased yesterday afternoon at one o'clock."
\s5
\v 53 Then the boy's father realized that this was the time Jesus told him, "Your son lives." So he trusted in Jesus, along with everyone who lived in his house.
\p
\v 54 That was the second time Jesus did something to prove to people who he was. He did it during the time that he came to the region of Galilee, having traveled there from Judea.
\s5
\c 5
@ -701,218 +701,218 @@ John answered, "No."
\p
\v 53 [Then they all left and went to their own homes.
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 Jesus went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, and they stayed near there that night.
\v 2 Early the next morning, Jesus returned to the temple courtyard. Many people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
\v 3 Then men who taught the Jewish laws and some who were Pharisees brought a woman to him. She had been caught in the act of adultery—she had been sleeping with a man who was not her husband. They made her stand up in the front of this group so they could question her.
\s5
\v 4 They said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught committing adultery with a man, someone not her husband.
\v 5 Now Moses commanded us in the law that we must execute such a woman with stones. Nevertheless, what do you say we should do?"
\v 6 They asked this question as a trap so that they could accuse him of saying something wrong. If he said that they should not kill her, they could say that he dishonored the law of Moses. However, if he said that they should kill her, he would be breaking the Roman law that reserved for the governor the power to execute people.
\p However, Jesus bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger.
\s5
\v 7 While they continued to question him, he stood up and said to them, "Whichever one of you has never sinned, you are one who should lead the rest to punish her. You throw the first stone!"
\v 8 Then Jesus stooped down and wrote some more on the ground.
\s5
\v 9 After they heard what he said, those who were questioning him started walking away, one by one, the older ones first and then the younger ones. They knew they were all sinners. Finally only Jesus was there with the woman.
\v 10 Jesus stood up and asked her, "Woman, where are those who accuse you? Has no one brought a charge against you that you must be punished?"
\v 11 She said, "No, sir, no one." Then Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go home now, and from now on, do not sin like this anymore!"]
\f + \ft The best ancient copies do not have John 7:35-8:11 \f*
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will have the light that gives life, and he will never walk in darkness again.
\v 13 So the Pharisees said to him, "It sounds as though you are trying to convince us to trust you by talking about yourself more and more! What you say about yourself does not prove anything!"
\s5
\v 14 Jesus replied, "Even if I were the only one to say these things about myself, what I say is true because I know where I came from and I know where I am going. Nevertheless, you do not know where I came from and you do not know where I am going.
\v 15 You judge people according to human standards and the laws of men. I have not come at this time to judge anyone.
\v 16 When I do judge, it will be right and just because I am not the only one who will bring justice. I and the Father who sent me, we will execute justice together.
\s5
\v 17 It is written in your law that a matter can be settled only when there are at least two witnesses to give evidence in the case.
\v 18 I am bringing evidence to you about myself, and my Father who sent me also brings evidence about me. So you should believe that what we tell you is true."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" Jesus replied, "You do not know me, and you do not know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father."
\v 20 He said these things when he was near the treasury within the temple courtyard, the place where the people brought in their offerings. Yet no one arrested him because it was not yet time for him to die.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Jesus also said to them, "I am going away, and you will seek me, but it is certain that you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."
\v 22 His Jewish opponents said among themselves, "Perhaps he is thinking that he will kill himself, and that is what he means when he says, 'Where I am going you cannot come.'"
\s5
\v 23 Jesus continued saying to them, "You are from this earth below, but I am from heaven above. You belong to this world. I do not belong to this world.
\v 24 I told you that you will die and that God will condemn you for your sins. This will certainly happen unless you trust that I am God, as I say I am."
\s5
\p
\v 25 "Who are you?" they asked him. Jesus said to them, "Ever since the very beginning, I have been telling you!
\v 26 I could judge you and say that you are guilty of many things. Instead, I will say only this: The one who sent me tells the truth, and I tell the people in the world only what I have heard from him."
\p
\v 27 They did not understand that he was talking about the Father.
\s5
\v 28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted me up on a cross to kill me—me, the Son of Man,— you will know that I am God, and you will know that I do not do anything on my own authority. Instead, I only say what my Father has taught me to say.
\v 29 He who sent me is with me, and he has not left me alone because I do only the things that delight him."
\v 30 As Jesus was saying these things, many more people trusted in him.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who now were saying that they trusted in him, "If you listen to all I teach you and live by it in everything you do, you are truly my disciples.
\v 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will lead you to be free from everything that made you its slaves."
\v 33 They answered him, "We are the descendants of Abraham, and we have never been anyone's slaves. Why do you say we need to be free?
\s5
\v 34 Jesus replied, "I am telling you the truth: All who sin obey their sinful desires just as a slave is forced to obey his master.
\v 35 Slaves will not remain as permanent members of a family but may be set free to return home or sold. However, a son is a member of the family forever.
\v 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.
\s5
\v 37 I know that you are in Abraham's family; you are his descendants. Yet, your people are trying to put me to death. You will not trust anything I say.
\v 38 I tell you all about the wonders and wisdom my Father has shown me, but you are only doing what your father told you to do."
\s5
\p
\v 39 They replied to him, "Abraham is our ancestor." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's descendants, you would be doing the things he did.
\v 40 I have been telling you the truth that I heard from God, but you are trying to put me to death. Abraham did not do things like that.
\v 41 No! You are doing the things that your real father did." They said to him, "We do not know about you, but we are not illegitimate children. We have only one Father, and that is God."
\s5
\v 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me because I came from God and now I have come here to this world. I did not come because I myself decided to come but because he sent me.
\v 43 I will tell you why you do not understand what I say. It is because you do not accept my message or my teachings.
\v 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you desire to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the time people first sinned. He has abandoned God's truth; it is not in him. Whenever he lies, he is speaking according to his character because he is a liar; everyone who lies does what the devil wants him to do.
\s5
\v 45 Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me!
\v 46 Which one of you finds me guilty of sin? Since I tell you the truth, what reason do you give for not trusting me?
\v 47 Those who belong to God hear and obey what he tells them. The reason that you do not hear and obey his message is that you do not belong to God."
\s5
\p
\v 48 His Jewish enemies replied to him, "We are certainly right in stating that you are a Samaritan—you are not really a true Jew at all!—and that a demon lives in you!"
\v 49 Jesus replied, "A demon does not live in me! I honor my Father, and you dishonor me!
\s5
\v 50 I do not try to persuade people to praise me. There is someone else who desires to give me what I deserve, and he is the one who will judge everything that I say and do.
\v 51 I am telling you the truth: If anyone holds firm to my word and trusts in it as I gave it, that person will never die!"
\s5
\p
\v 52 Then his Jewish enemies said to him, "Now we are sure that a demon lives within you! Abraham and the prophets died long ago! Yet you say that anyone who holds firm to what you teach will not die!
\v 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham. He died and all the prophets died with him. So who do you think you are?"
\s5
\v 54 Jesus replied, "If I tried to get people to praise me, that would be worthless. It is my Father who praises me, my character and goodness, and yet he is the one of whom you say, 'He is our God.'
\v 55 Although you do not know him, I do know him. If I said that I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. I know him and I always obey what he says.
\v 56 Your father Abraham was happy when, as a prophet, he looked forward and saw what I could do."
\s5
\p
\v 57 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, "You are not fifty years old yet! You have seen Abraham?"
\v 58 Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth, before Abraham was, I AM."
\v 59 So they picked up stones to put him to death. However, Jesus hid himself, left the temple, and went somewhere else.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind his whole life, since the day he was born.
\v 2 The disciples asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind? Was it this man himself who sinned, or was it his parents?"
\s5
\v 3 Jesus replied, "It was not that either this man or his parents sinned. He was born blind so that today people may see the powerful work God would do in him.
\v 4 We must do the works of the one who sent me while it is still day. Night is on the way and when it arrives, no one will be able to work.
\v 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
\s5
\p
\v 6 When he said this, he spit on the ground. He made mud with his saliva, and applied it like a medicine to the man's eyes.
\v 7 Then Jesus said to him, "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam!" (The name of the pool means 'sent'). So the man went and washed in the pool. When he came back, he was able to see.
\s5
\v 8 The man's neighbors and others who had seen him when he was begging said, "Is that not the man who used to sit here and beg?"
\v 9 Some said, "He is the one." Others said, "No, but he just looks like that man." However, the man himself said, "Yes, I am the man!"
\s5
\v 10 So they said to him, "How is it that you are now able to see?"
\v 11 He replied, "The man called Jesus made some mud and used it like medicine and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. So I went there and washed, and then I could see for the first time."
\v 12 They said to him, "Where is that man?" He said, "I do not know."
\s5
\p
\v 13 Some of the people there took the man to a gathering of the Pharisees.
\v 14 Now it was on the Sabbath day when Jesus did this miracle.
\v 15 So the Pharisees asked the man again about how he was now able to see. He said to them, "The man put mud on my eyes and I washed, and now I see."
\s5
\v 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "We know this man Jesus is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath day." Others from that group asked, "If he were a sinner, how could he do such works of power that everyone sees?" So there was a difference of opinion among the Pharisees.
\v 17 They asked the blind man again, "What do you say about him, since he is the one who restored your sight?" The man said, "He is a prophet."
\p
\v 18 Now the Jews who were opposed to Jesus did not believe the man had been blind and then became able to see. So they sent someone to bring in the man's parents so that they could be questioned also.
\s5
\v 19 They asked his parents, "Is this your son? Do you say that he was blind from the day he was born? How, then, is he able to see?"
\v 20 His parents replied, "We know that this is our son. We know that he was blind when he was born.
\v 21 Nevertheless, we do not know how he is now able to see. We also do not know who healed his eyes. Ask him, he is old enough to speak for himself."
\s5
\v 22 The Jews who were against Jesus had previously agreed with one another that they would take anyone who declared that Jesus was the Messiah and ban him from the synagogue.
\v 23 That is why his parents said, "Ask him, he is old enough to speak for himself."
\s5
\p
\v 24 So they called the man who had been blind, and they asked him to come before them a second time. When he got there, they said to him, "Swear to God that you will speak only the truth! We know that this man who healed you is a sinner and that he does not keep the law that Moses gave us."
\v 25 He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I used to be blind, but now I see."
\s5
\v 26 So they said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he heal you so that you now see?"
\v 27 He answered them, "I have told you that already, but you did not believe me. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also really want to become his disciples?"
\s5
\v 28 Then they became angry and insulted him: "You are that man's disciple, but we are Moses' disciples!
\v 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; but about this man, we do not even know where he comes from."
\s5
\v 30 The man replied, "That is very amazing! You do not know where he comes from, but he is the one who opened my eyes so that I can see!
\v 31 We know that God does not listen to the prayers of sinners, those who ignore his law, but he listens to people who worship him and who do what he wants.
\s5
\v 32 Not since the beginning of the world has it been heard anywhere that someone was able to open the eyes of a man who was blind from birth!
\v 33 If this man had not come from God, he could do nothing like that!"
\v 34 They replied to him, "You were born in sin and have lived your whole life entirely in sin! Do you think you are qualified to teach us?" Then they banned him from the synagogue.
\s5
\p
\v 35 Jesus heard about what the Pharisees did to the man he healed, how they threw him out of the synagogue. So he went and searched for the man. When he found him, he said to him, "Do you believe in me, the Son of Man?"
\v 36 The man answered, "Sir, who is he? Tell me, so that I may believe in him."
\v 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him. He is the one who is speaking to you now."
\v 38 The man said, "Lord, I believe." Then he went down on his knees and worshiped him.
\s5
\p
\v 39 Jesus said, "I have come into this world to judge the world so that those who do not see may see and so that those who see may become blind."
\v 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard him say this, and they asked Jesus, "Are we also blind?"
\v 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt. However, because you now defend yourself and say, 'We see,' your guilt is staying with you.
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 Jesus went with his disciples to the Mount of Olives, and they stayed near there that night.
\v 2 Early the next morning, Jesus returned to the temple courtyard. Many people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them.
\v 3 Then men who taught the Jewish laws and some who were Pharisees brought a woman to him. She had been caught in the act of adultery—she had been sleeping with a man who was not her husband. They made her stand up in the front of this group so they could question her.
\s5
\v 4 They said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught committing adultery with a man, someone not her husband.
\v 5 Now Moses commanded us in the law that we must execute such a woman with stones. Nevertheless, what do you say we should do?"
\v 6 They asked this question as a trap so that they could accuse him of saying something wrong. If he said that they should not kill her, they could say that he dishonored the law of Moses. However, if he said that they should kill her, he would be breaking the Roman law that reserved for the governor the power to execute people.
\p However, Jesus bent down and wrote something on the ground with his finger.
\s5
\v 7 While they continued to question him, he stood up and said to them, "Whichever one of you has never sinned, you are one who should lead the rest to punish her. You throw the first stone!"
\v 8 Then Jesus stooped down and wrote some more on the ground.
\s5
\v 9 After they heard what he said, those who were questioning him started walking away, one by one, the older ones first and then the younger ones. They knew they were all sinners. Finally only Jesus was there with the woman.
\v 10 Jesus stood up and asked her, "Woman, where are those who accuse you? Has no one brought a charge against you that you must be punished?"
\v 11 She said, "No, sir, no one." Then Jesus said, "I do not condemn you either. Go home now, and from now on, do not sin like this anymore!"]
\f + \ft The best ancient copies do not have John 7:35-8:11 \f*
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jesus spoke to the people again. He said, "I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows me will have the light that gives life, and he will never walk in darkness again.
\v 13 So the Pharisees said to him, "It sounds as though you are trying to convince us to trust you by talking about yourself more and more! What you say about yourself does not prove anything!"
\s5
\v 14 Jesus replied, "Even if I were the only one to say these things about myself, what I say is true because I know where I came from and I know where I am going. Nevertheless, you do not know where I came from and you do not know where I am going.
\v 15 You judge people according to human standards and the laws of men. I have not come at this time to judge anyone.
\v 16 When I do judge, it will be right and just because I am not the only one who will bring justice. I and the Father who sent me, we will execute justice together.
\s5
\v 17 It is written in your law that a matter can be settled only when there are at least two witnesses to give evidence in the case.
\v 18 I am bringing evidence to you about myself, and my Father who sent me also brings evidence about me. So you should believe that what we tell you is true."
\s5
\p
\v 19 Then they asked him, "Where is your father?" Jesus replied, "You do not know me, and you do not know my Father. If you knew me, you would also know my Father."
\v 20 He said these things when he was near the treasury within the temple courtyard, the place where the people brought in their offerings. Yet no one arrested him because it was not yet time for him to die.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Jesus also said to them, "I am going away, and you will seek me, but it is certain that you will die in your sin. Where I am going, you cannot come."
\v 22 His Jewish opponents said among themselves, "Perhaps he is thinking that he will kill himself, and that is what he means when he says, 'Where I am going you cannot come.'"
\s5
\v 23 Jesus continued saying to them, "You are from this earth below, but I am from heaven above. You belong to this world. I do not belong to this world.
\v 24 I told you that you will die and that God will condemn you for your sins. This will certainly happen unless you trust that I am God, as I say I am."
\s5
\p
\v 25 "Who are you?" they asked him. Jesus said to them, "Ever since the very beginning, I have been telling you!
\v 26 I could judge you and say that you are guilty of many things. Instead, I will say only this: The one who sent me tells the truth, and I tell the people in the world only what I have heard from him."
\p
\v 27 They did not understand that he was talking about the Father.
\s5
\v 28 So Jesus said, "When you have lifted me up on a cross to kill me—me, the Son of Man,— you will know that I am God, and you will know that I do not do anything on my own authority. Instead, I only say what my Father has taught me to say.
\v 29 He who sent me is with me, and he has not left me alone because I do only the things that delight him."
\v 30 As Jesus was saying these things, many more people trusted in him.
\s5
\p
\v 31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who now were saying that they trusted in him, "If you listen to all I teach you and live by it in everything you do, you are truly my disciples.
\v 32 You will know the truth, and the truth will lead you to be free from everything that made you its slaves."
\v 33 They answered him, "We are the descendants of Abraham, and we have never been anyone's slaves. Why do you say we need to be free?
\s5
\v 34 Jesus replied, "I am telling you the truth: All who sin obey their sinful desires just as a slave is forced to obey his master.
\v 35 Slaves will not remain as permanent members of a family but may be set free to return home or sold. However, a son is a member of the family forever.
\v 36 So if the Son sets you free, you will be absolutely free.
\s5
\v 37 I know that you are in Abraham's family; you are his descendants. Yet, your people are trying to put me to death. You will not trust anything I say.
\v 38 I tell you all about the wonders and wisdom my Father has shown me, but you are only doing what your father told you to do."
\s5
\p
\v 39 They replied to him, "Abraham is our ancestor." Jesus said to them, "If you were Abraham's descendants, you would be doing the things he did.
\v 40 I have been telling you the truth that I heard from God, but you are trying to put me to death. Abraham did not do things like that.
\v 41 No! You are doing the things that your real father did." They said to him, "We do not know about you, but we are not illegitimate children. We have only one Father, and that is God."
\s5
\v 42 Jesus said to them, "If God were your Father, you would love me because I came from God and now I have come here to this world. I did not come because I myself decided to come but because he sent me.
\v 43 I will tell you why you do not understand what I say. It is because you do not accept my message or my teachings.
\v 44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you desire to do what he wants. He was a murderer from the time people first sinned. He has abandoned God's truth; it is not in him. Whenever he lies, he is speaking according to his character because he is a liar; everyone who lies does what the devil wants him to do.
\s5
\v 45 Because I tell you the truth, you do not believe me!
\v 46 Which one of you finds me guilty of sin? Since I tell you the truth, what reason do you give for not trusting me?
\v 47 Those who belong to God hear and obey what he tells them. The reason that you do not hear and obey his message is that you do not belong to God."
\s5
\p
\v 48 His Jewish enemies replied to him, "We are certainly right in stating that you are a Samaritan—you are not really a true Jew at all!—and that a demon lives in you!"
\v 49 Jesus replied, "A demon does not live in me! I honor my Father, and you dishonor me!
\s5
\v 50 I do not try to persuade people to praise me. There is someone else who desires to give me what I deserve, and he is the one who will judge everything that I say and do.
\v 51 I am telling you the truth: If anyone holds firm to my word and trusts in it as I gave it, that person will never die!"
\s5
\p
\v 52 Then his Jewish enemies said to him, "Now we are sure that a demon lives within you! Abraham and the prophets died long ago! Yet you say that anyone who holds firm to what you teach will not die!
\v 53 You are not greater than our father Abraham. He died and all the prophets died with him. So who do you think you are?"
\s5
\v 54 Jesus replied, "If I tried to get people to praise me, that would be worthless. It is my Father who praises me, my character and goodness, and yet he is the one of whom you say, 'He is our God.'
\v 55 Although you do not know him, I do know him. If I said that I did not know him, I would be a liar like you. I know him and I always obey what he says.
\v 56 Your father Abraham was happy when, as a prophet, he looked forward and saw what I could do."
\s5
\p
\v 57 Then the Jewish leaders said to him, "You are not fifty years old yet! You have seen Abraham?"
\v 58 Jesus said to them, "I am telling you the truth, before Abraham was, I AM."
\v 59 So they picked up stones to put him to death. However, Jesus hid himself, left the temple, and went somewhere else.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 As Jesus walked along, he saw a man who had been blind his whole life, since the day he was born.
\v 2 The disciples asked him, "Teacher, whose sin caused this man to be born blind? Was it this man himself who sinned, or was it his parents?"
\s5
\v 3 Jesus replied, "It was not that either this man or his parents sinned. He was born blind so that today people may see the powerful work God would do in him.
\v 4 We must do the works of the one who sent me while it is still day. Night is on the way and when it arrives, no one will be able to work.
\v 5 As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
\s5
\p
\v 6 When he said this, he spit on the ground. He made mud with his saliva, and applied it like a medicine to the man's eyes.
\v 7 Then Jesus said to him, "Go and wash in the pool of Siloam!" (The name of the pool means 'sent'). So the man went and washed in the pool. When he came back, he was able to see.
\s5
\v 8 The man's neighbors and others who had seen him when he was begging said, "Is that not the man who used to sit here and beg?"
\v 9 Some said, "He is the one." Others said, "No, but he just looks like that man." However, the man himself said, "Yes, I am the man!"
\s5
\v 10 So they said to him, "How is it that you are now able to see?"
\v 11 He replied, "The man called Jesus made some mud and used it like medicine and put it on my eyes. Then he told me to go to the pool of Siloam and wash. So I went there and washed, and then I could see for the first time."
\v 12 They said to him, "Where is that man?" He said, "I do not know."
\s5
\p
\v 13 Some of the people there took the man to a gathering of the Pharisees.
\v 14 Now it was on the Sabbath day when Jesus did this miracle.
\v 15 So the Pharisees asked the man again about how he was now able to see. He said to them, "The man put mud on my eyes and I washed, and now I see."
\s5
\v 16 Some of the Pharisees said, "We know this man Jesus is not from God because he does not keep the Sabbath day." Others from that group asked, "If he were a sinner, how could he do such works of power that everyone sees?" So there was a difference of opinion among the Pharisees.
\v 17 They asked the blind man again, "What do you say about him, since he is the one who restored your sight?" The man said, "He is a prophet."
\p
\v 18 Now the Jews who were opposed to Jesus did not believe the man had been blind and then became able to see. So they sent someone to bring in the man's parents so that they could be questioned also.
\s5
\v 19 They asked his parents, "Is this your son? Do you say that he was blind from the day he was born? How, then, is he able to see?"
\v 20 His parents replied, "We know that this is our son. We know that he was blind when he was born.
\v 21 Nevertheless, we do not know how he is now able to see. We also do not know who healed his eyes. Ask him, he is old enough to speak for himself."
\s5
\v 22 The Jews who were against Jesus had previously agreed with one another that they would take anyone who declared that Jesus was the Messiah and ban him from the synagogue.
\v 23 That is why his parents said, "Ask him, he is old enough to speak for himself."
\s5
\p
\v 24 So they called the man who had been blind, and they asked him to come before them a second time. When he got there, they said to him, "Swear to God that you will speak only the truth! We know that this man who healed you is a sinner and that he does not keep the law that Moses gave us."
\v 25 He replied, "Whether he is a sinner or not, I do not know. One thing I do know is that I used to be blind, but now I see."
\s5
\v 26 So they said to him, "What did he do to you? How did he heal you so that you now see?"
\v 27 He answered them, "I have told you that already, but you did not believe me. Why do you want me to tell you again? Do you also really want to become his disciples?"
\s5
\v 28 Then they became angry and insulted him: "You are that man's disciple, but we are Moses' disciples!
\v 29 We know that God spoke to Moses; but about this man, we do not even know where he comes from."
\s5
\v 30 The man replied, "That is very amazing! You do not know where he comes from, but he is the one who opened my eyes so that I can see!
\v 31 We know that God does not listen to the prayers of sinners, those who ignore his law, but he listens to people who worship him and who do what he wants.
\s5
\v 32 Not since the beginning of the world has it been heard anywhere that someone was able to open the eyes of a man who was blind from birth!
\v 33 If this man had not come from God, he could do nothing like that!"
\v 34 They replied to him, "You were born in sin and have lived your whole life entirely in sin! Do you think you are qualified to teach us?" Then they banned him from the synagogue.
\s5
\p
\v 35 Jesus heard about what the Pharisees did to the man he healed, how they threw him out of the synagogue. So he went and searched for the man. When he found him, he said to him, "Do you believe in me, the Son of Man?"
\v 36 The man answered, "Sir, who is he? Tell me, so that I may believe in him."
\v 37 Jesus said to him, "You have seen him. He is the one who is speaking to you now."
\v 38 The man said, "Lord, I believe." Then he went down on his knees and worshiped him.
\s5
\p
\v 39 Jesus said, "I have come into this world to judge the world so that those who do not see may see and so that those who see may become blind."
\v 40 Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard him say this, and they asked Jesus, "Are we also blind?"
\v 41 Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would have no guilt. However, because you now defend yourself and say, 'We see,' your guilt is staying with you.
\s5
@ -1005,411 +1005,411 @@ John answered, "No."
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 A man named Lazarus fell very sick. He lived in the village of Bethany where Mary and Martha lived.
\v 2 This is the same Mary who later would pour perfume on the Lord to show her love and honor of him, and would wipe his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.
\s5
\v 3 So the two sisters sent someone to tell Jesus about Lazarus; they said, "Lord, the one you love is ill."
\v 4 When Jesus heard about Lazarus' illness, he said, "This illness will not end in the death of Lazarus. The purpose of this illness is so that people may see and know how great God is when he does wonderful things and so that I, the Son of God, also will show his great power."
\s5
\v 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus.
\v 6 Nevertheless, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he delayed going to see him. He stayed where he was for two more days.
\p
\v 7 Then he said to disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
\s5
\v 8 The disciples said, "Teacher, just a short while ago the Jews who oppose you wanted to murder you with stones, and now you want to go back there again!"
\v 9 Jesus answered them, "You know there are twelve hours of light in a day, is that not true? The one who walks during the daytime will walk safely because he can see what is in the road.
\s5
\v 10 However, when a person walks during the night, he may easily stumble because he cannot see."
\p
\v 11 After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go there to wake him up."
\s5
\v 12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well."
\v 13 Jesus was really speaking about Lazarus' death, but the disciples thought that he was talking about the sleep that we all know gives us rest.
\v 14 Then he told them plainly, "Lazarus has died."
\s5
\v 15 Jesus continued, "But, for your sakes, I am glad that I was not there when he died so that you may see why you can trust in me. Now it is time; let us go to him."
\v 16 Then Thomas, who was called 'The Twin,' said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go with Jesus so that we may die with him."
\s5
\p
\v 17 When Jesus arrived in Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already died and had been in the tomb for four days.
\v 18 Now Jerusalem was only about three kilometers from Bethany.
\v 19 Many Jews knew Lazarus and his family, and they came from Jerusalem to comfort Martha and Mary over their brother's death.
\v 20 When Martha heard someone say Jesus was nearby, she went out to the road to meet him. Mary did not get up but stayed in the house.
\s5
\v 21 When Martha saw Jesus, she said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
\v 22 Yet, even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."
\v 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
\s5
\v 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will come alive again on the day when God raises all the dead on the last day."
\v 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the one who raises people from the dead; I am the one who gives them life. Whoever trusts in me, even if he dies, yet he will live again.
\v 26 All those who receive life joined to me and who trust in me—they will never die. Do you believe me?"
\s5
\v 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord! I trust what you say and I trust who you are, that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one God promised would come into the world.
\p
\v 28 After she said that, she returned to the house and took Mary her sister aside privately and said to her, "The Teacher is here, and he is calling for you."
\v 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went out to him.
\s5
\v 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him.
\v 31 The people who had come to the house to comfort the sisters saw Mary get up quickly and go outside. So they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb where they had buried Lazarus in order to grieve for her brother there.
\p
\v 32 Mary came to the place where Jesus was; when she saw him, she fell down before him at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
\s5
\v 33 When Jesus saw her grieving and crying, and that the mourners who had come with her were also crying, he cried out in distress deep within his spirit, and he was very upset.
\v 34 He said, "Where have you laid his body?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."
\v 35 Jesus wept.
\s5
\v 36 So the Jews said, "See how much he loved Lazarus!"
\v 37 However, some others said, "Did he not open the eyes of the blind man? Why could he not have kept this man from dying?"
\s5
\p
\v 38 Jesus was physically shaken and emotionally upset when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and the entrance had been covered by a large stone.
\v 39 Jesus gave a command to those standing there, "Take away the stone." However, Martha objected, "Lord, by this time there will be a putrid odor, for he has been dead for four days."
\v 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you the truth when I told you that if you trusted me, you would see who God is and you would know what God can do?"
\s5
\p
\v 41 So they took away the stone. Jesus looked up toward heaven and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
\v 42 I know that you always hear me. I said this for the sake of the people who are standing here so that they might put their trust in you and have confidence in the fact that you sent me."
\s5
\v 43 After he said that, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
\v 44 The man who had died came out! His hands were still wrapped and his feet were still bound with linen strips of cloth, and there was a cloth wrapped around his face as well. Jesus said to them, "Take off the strips of cloth that bind him and untie him. Let him go."
\s5
\p
\v 45 As a result, many of the Jews who had come to see Mary and who had witnessed what Jesus did, put their trust in him.
\v 46 Nevertheless, some of the others went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
\s5
\v 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered all the members of the Jewish council together. They were saying to each other, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many miracles.
\v 48 If we allow him to keep doing them, everyone will trust in him and rebel against Rome. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our temple and our nation!"
\s5
\p
\v 49 One of them on the council was Caiaphas, the high priest for that year. He said to them, "You all know nothing!
\v 50 Do you not realize that it is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perishes?"
\s5
\v 51 He said that, not because he thought of it himself. Instead, since he was the high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.
\v 52 But he was also prophesying that Jesus would die, not just for the Jewish nation only, but also so he could gather into one nation from all the children of God, those who live in other lands everywhere.
\v 53 So from that day forward, the council began to look for any way to arrest Jesus and put him to death.
\s5
\p
\v 54 Because of that, Jesus no longer traveled around publicly among his Jewish opponents. Instead, he left Jerusalem and, with the disciples, went to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness and desert region. There he stayed with his disciples for a while.
\p
\v 55 Now it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Celebration, and many worshipers went up from the country and the villages to Jerusalem. They would wash themselves in preparation, to make themselves clean according to the Jewish rules, so that they would be allowed to celebrate the Passover.
\s5
\v 56 The worshipers who came to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival were all looking for Jesus. When they came and stood in the temple, they said to one another, "What do you think? He will not come to the Passover, will he?"
\v 57 The Jewish chief priests and the Pharisees had issued orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, they should report it to them, so that they could arrest him.
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover Festival began. Bethany was the village where Lazarus lived, the man Jesus made alive again after he had died.
\v 2 There in Bethany, they gave a dinner to honor Jesus. Martha made preparations for the dinner, and Lazarus was among those who were sitting together and eating.
\v 3 Then Mary took a bottle of expensive perfume (called nard) and, to honor Jesus, she poured it out on his feet and then wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfume filled the entire house.
\s5
\p
\v 4 However, one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, (he was the one who broke the trust Jesus had in him, and soon he would give Jesus up to his enemies)—he objected and said,
\v 5 "We should have sold this perfume for three hundred days' wages and given the money to the poor."
\v 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor people, but because he was a thief. He kept charge of the bag that held their money, but he would take money for his own use whenever he wanted.
\s5
\v 7 Then Jesus said, "Leave her alone! She bought this perfume for the day when I would die and they would bury me.
\v 8 You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me."
\s5
\p
\v 9 A large crowd of Jews in Jerusalem heard that Jesus was in Bethany, so they went there. They came not only because Jesus was there, but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had made alive.
\v 10 Then the chief priests decided it was necessary to put Lazarus to death, as well,
\v 11 for it was because of him that many of the Jews were no longer believing in what the chief priests were teaching; instead, they were putting their trust in Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 12 The next day the large crowd that had come for the Passover Festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
\v 13 So they cut branches from palm trees and went out to welcome him as he came into the city. They were shouting, "Hosanna! Praise God! God bless the One who comes in the Name of the Lord! Welcome, King of Israel!"
\s5
\v 14 When Jesus came near to Jerusalem, he found a young donkey and sat on it, riding into the city. By doing this, he fulfilled what had been written in scripture:
\q
\v 15 "Do not be afraid, you who live in Jerusalem.
\q Look! Your King is coming.
\q He is riding on a donkey's colt!"
\s5
\p
\v 16 When this happened, his disciples did not understand that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. However, after Jesus had finished his work and had received again his full powers as God, they looked back and remembered what the prophets had written about him and what people had done to him.
\s5
\p
\v 17 The crowd that was following along with Jesus kept telling others what they had seen: That Jesus had called Lazarus out of the tomb and had made him alive again.
\v 18 The other crowd of people, those who went out of the city gate to meet Jesus, did so because they heard he had done great things to show them his power.
\v 19 So the Pharisees said to each other, "See! We are gaining no advantage here. Look! The whole world is following him!"
\s5
\p
\v 20 Among those who went up to Jerusalem during the Passover Festival were some Greeks.
\v 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in the district of Galilee. They had something to ask him; they said, "Sir, would you introduce us to Jesus?"
\v 22 So Philip reported this to Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus.
\s5
\v 23 Jesus answered Philip and Andrew, "It is time for God to show the people everything that I, the Son of Man, have done and to tell them all that I have said.
\v 24 I am telling you the truth: Unless a seed of wheat is planted in the earth and dies, it remains only one seed; but after it dies in the ground, then it will grow and produce a harvest of many seeds.
\s5
\v 25 Anyone who tries to live to please himself will fail, but anyone who does not live to please himself will keep his life forever.
\v 26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must also follow me because my servant must be where I am. The Father will honor everyone who serves me.
\s5
\p
\v 27 Now my soul is greatly troubled. Should I say, 'Father, save me from this time when I will suffer and die!'? No, for this is the very reason I came into this world.
\v 28 My Father, show how powerful you are in all you have said, in all you have done, and in all you are!"
\p Then God spoke from heaven, "I have already displayed my nature, my words, and my works; and I will do it again!"
\v 29 The crowd that was there heard the voice of God, but some said it was just thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to Jesus.
\s5
\v 30 Jesus replied to them, "The voice you heard speaking was God's voice. However, he spoke not for my benefit, but for yours!
\v 31 Now is the time for God to judge the world. Now is the time when he will drive out Satan, the one who rules this world.
\s5
\v 32 As for me, when people raise me high on a cross, I will draw everyone to myself."
\v 33 He said this to let the people know how he would die.
\s5
\p
\v 34 Someone in the crowd answered him, "We understand from the scriptures that the Messiah will live forever. So why do you say that the Son of Man will die? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
\v 35 Jesus answered, "My light will shine on you for just a little longer. Walk in the light while you have my light, or the darkness will overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going!
\v 36 Trust in that light while you have the light; then you will belong to the light.
\p After he said those things, Jesus left them and hid from them.
\s5
\v 37 Although Jesus had done many miracles, most of the people did not believe what he had told them.
\v 38 This was to make come true what Isaiah the prophet had written long ago:
\q "Lord, who has believed anything that they have heard from us?
\q The Lord has shown us how he can powerfully rescue us!"
\s5
\v 39 Yet, they could not trust in him for the reason that Isaiah had written:
\v 40 "The Lord has made them so they cannot see,
\q and he has made them stubborn;
\q they cannot even see with their eyes,
\q If they could, they would understand;
\q they would repent and pray for me to forgive them.
\q For this reason, I cannot heal them!"
\s5
\p
\v 41 Isaiah wrote those words long ago because he understood that the Messiah would serve God powerfully.
\p
\v 42 Although this was true, many of the leaders of the Jewish people put their trust in Jesus. Nevertheless, they greatly feared that the Pharisees would ban them from the synagogues, so they did not speak out about trusting in Jesus.
\v 43 They preferred that other people praise and respect them rather than that God would praise them.
\s5
\p
\v 44 Jesus shouted out to the crowd that had gathered, "Those who put their trust in me are not only putting their trust in me but also are putting their trust in the Father who sent me.
\v 45 When you see me, you are also seeing the one who sent me.
\s5
\v 46 I have come into the world as the light of the world; whoever puts his trust in me will not remain in the darkness.
\p
\v 47 I do not judge those who listen to my words but refuse to obey me. I did not come into the world to condemn the world.
\s5
\v 48 Yet, there is something that will condemn those who reject me and do not follow my message. They are condemned by the message I have spoken to them.
\v 49 When I taught about God, I was not merely saying what I thought. The Father, who sent me, gave me clear instructions on what I should say and how I should say it.
\v 50 I know that the Father's most important instructions are the ones that teach people how to live forever, and I have said exactly what my Father has told me to say."
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 It was now the day before the Passover Festival was to begin. Jesus knew it was time for him to leave this world and to return to his Father. He showed how much he loved those who were with him here in this world, and he loved them until the end of his life.
\v 2 Before Jesus and the disciples had their evening meal, the devil had already put the thought into the mind of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, that he would hand Jesus over to his enemies.
\s5
\v 3 Yet Jesus knew that his Father had given him complete power and authority over everything. He also knew that he himself had come from God and would soon return to God.
\v 4 Jesus got up from the dinner. He took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist.
\v 5 He poured out some water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them dry with the towel.
\s5
\p
\v 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
\v 7 Jesus replied to him, "You do not understand now what I am doing for you, but later you will understand."
\v 8 Peter said, "You will never wash my feet!" Jesus replied to him, "If I do not wash you, then you have nothing to do with me."
\v 9 So Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, wash not only my feet! Wash my hands and my head also!"
\s5
\v 10 Jesus said to him, "One who has taken a bath needs only to wash his feet. The rest of his body is already clean. You are clean, but not all of you."
\v 11 He knew who was going to hand him over. That is the reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."
\s5
\p
\v 12 After he finished washing their feet, he put his outer clothing on again. Then he sat down at his place again and said, "Do you understand what I have done for you?
\v 13 You call me 'teacher' and 'Lord. You are right to say this, for that is what I am.
\v 14 If I, your teacher and Lord, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
\v 15 I have given you an example to follow in order that you should do as I have done for you.
\s5
\v 16 I am telling you the truth: A servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who has sent him.
\v 17 If you know these things, how fortunate you will be if you do them.
\p
\v 18 I am not saying this about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. However, what is written in scripture must come true: 'The one who ate my food with me as a friend, he has turned against me and treated me like an enemy.'
\s5
\p
\v 19 I am telling you this now before he hands me over so that when it does happen, you may believe that I am God.
\v 20 I am telling you the truth: If you receive the one I send to you, you are also receiving me; and whoever receives me, is also receiving my Father, the one who sent me."
\s5
\p
\v 21 After Jesus said this, he was troubled within himself. He solemnly declared, "I am telling you the truth: One of you is going to hand me over to my enemies."
\v 22 The disciples looked at one another. They were confused about which of them he was talking about.
\s5
\v 23 One of the disciples, John, the one whom Jesus especially loved, was at the table next to Jesus.
\v 24 Simon Peter motioned to John that he should ask Jesus which disciple he was talking about.
\v 25 So John leaned back against Jesus and asked him quietly, "Lord, who is it?"
\s5
\v 26 Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I dip it in the bowl." Then he dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
\v 27 As soon as Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered in to him and took control of him. Jesus said to him, "Whatever you need to do, do it quickly."
\s5
\v 28 No one else at the table knew why Jesus had said that to him.
\v 29 Some thought that because Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him to go and buy some things needed for the Passover Festival. Others thought Jesus was telling Judas to give something to the poor.
\v 30 After receiving the bread, immediately Judas went out. It was night.
\s5
\p
\v 31 After Judas left, Jesus said, "Now God will make people know what I, the Son of Man, am doing. I, the Son of Man, will make people know what God is doing as well, and people will praise him for it.
\v 32 Since I, the Son of Man, make God known to people and since I honor him, God will also honor me. God will do this immediately.
\p
\v 33 Little children, I am with you just a little while longer. You will look for me; but, just as I told the Jews, and as I am now telling you, where I am going, you cannot come.
\s5
\v 34 I will give you this new command: You must love one another, just as I have loved you.
\v 35 If you love one another, all people will know that you are my disciples."
\s5
\p
\v 36 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot come with me now; but you will come later."
\v 37 Peter said, "Lord, why can I not come with you now? I would lay down my life for you!"
\v 38 Jesus answered, "Would you really lay down your life for me, Peter? I am telling you the truth: The rooster will not crow in the morning before you will say three times that you do not know me!"
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 "Do not be upset or anxious. You are trusting in God; trust also in me.
\v 2 Where my Father lives there are many places to live. If that were not true, I would have told you. I go there to prepare a place for you.
\v 3 If I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me, so that where I am, there you may be with me.
\s5
\v 4 You know where I am going, and you know the way."
\p
\v 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
\v 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. No one can come to the Father and live with him unless he comes through me.
\v 7 If you knew me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him and you have seen him."
\s5
\p
\v 8 Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be all we will ever want!"
\v 9 Jesus said to him, "Philip, I have been with you so long, and still you do not know me. Those who have seen me, have seen my Father. So why do you say 'Show us the Father'?
\s5
\v 10 Do you not believe that I am joined to my Father and that my Father is joined to me? The things I have told you—I did not think of these things; rather, it is my Father who has sent me to tell you all of these things, for my Father is joined to me and works through me.
\v 11 Trust me because I have told you that I am joined to the Father and that the Father is joined to me, or else trust me because of all the signs and mighty acts you have seen me do.
\s5
\v 12 I am telling you the truth: Whoever trusts in me will also do the things that I do. He will do even greater works because I am going to be with the Father.
\v 13 Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. I will do this in order that everyone might honor the Father and that they might know the Father because of everything that I, his Son, do.
\v 14 If you ask the Father for anything because you belong to me, I will do it.
\s5
\p
\v 15 If you love me, you will live as I have taught you.
\v 16 Then I will ask the Father to give you another gift, and he will send you another Helper, one who will come alongside you to be with you forever.
\v 17 He is the Spirit who tells the truth about God. The unbelieving people in this world will never welcome Him. The world cannot see him or know him. You know him because he lives with you and he will be joined to you.
\s5
\v 18 I will not abandon you and leave you with no one to care for you; I will come to you.
\v 19 Soon the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live.
\v 20 When you see me again, you will know that I am joined to the Father and that you are joined to me and I to you.
\s5
\v 21 Everyone who has heard my commandments and obeys them, they are the ones who love me. And the ones who love me, my Father will love them, too; I will love them and I will reveal myself to them."
\p
\v 22 Then Judas (not Iscariot, but the other disciple with the same name) spoke to Jesus. He said, "Lord, how will you reveal yourself just to us and not to the whole world?"
\s5
\v 23 Jesus replied to him, "This is how you can tell whether people love me: Whether they do what I have told you to do. Any people like this, my Father will love them. He and I will come to them and live with them.
\v 24 As for those who do not love me, they will not obey what I have told them to do. The things I have told you are not things that I have decided to say on my own; instead, they are things that my Father has sent me to tell you.
\s5
\v 25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
\v 26 The Helper, the one who comes alongside to be with you—my Father will send him in my name. He will teach you everything that you need to know. He will also cause you to remember all the things that I have told you.
\v 27 As I leave you with peace, it is my peace that I am giving to you. I give you a kind of peace no one and nothing that belongs to this world can give you. So do not be upset or anxious; and do not be afraid.
\s5
\p
\v 28 You heard me say to you that I am going away and will later come back to you. If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going back to the Father because the Father is greater than I am.
\v 29 I have told you these things now before they happen so that, when they do happen, you will continue to trust me.
\s5
\v 30 I will not be able to talk with you much longer because the ruler of this world is coming. However, he has no power over me,
\v 31 and I will do what the Father has commanded me to do. This is so that the world will know forever that I love the Father. Come, let us go from here."
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 A man named Lazarus fell very sick. He lived in the village of Bethany where Mary and Martha lived.
\v 2 This is the same Mary who later would pour perfume on the Lord to show her love and honor of him, and would wipe his feet with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick.
\s5
\v 3 So the two sisters sent someone to tell Jesus about Lazarus; they said, "Lord, the one you love is ill."
\v 4 When Jesus heard about Lazarus' illness, he said, "This illness will not end in the death of Lazarus. The purpose of this illness is so that people may see and know how great God is when he does wonderful things and so that I, the Son of God, also will show his great power."
\s5
\v 5 Now Jesus loved Martha, her sister Mary, and Lazarus.
\v 6 Nevertheless, when Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, he delayed going to see him. He stayed where he was for two more days.
\p
\v 7 Then he said to disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
\s5
\v 8 The disciples said, "Teacher, just a short while ago the Jews who oppose you wanted to murder you with stones, and now you want to go back there again!"
\v 9 Jesus answered them, "You know there are twelve hours of light in a day, is that not true? The one who walks during the daytime will walk safely because he can see what is in the road.
\s5
\v 10 However, when a person walks during the night, he may easily stumble because he cannot see."
\p
\v 11 After saying these things, he said to them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will go there to wake him up."
\s5
\v 12 The disciples said to him, "Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will get well."
\v 13 Jesus was really speaking about Lazarus' death, but the disciples thought that he was talking about the sleep that we all know gives us rest.
\v 14 Then he told them plainly, "Lazarus has died."
\s5
\v 15 Jesus continued, "But, for your sakes, I am glad that I was not there when he died so that you may see why you can trust in me. Now it is time; let us go to him."
\v 16 Then Thomas, who was called 'The Twin,' said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go with Jesus so that we may die with him."
\s5
\p
\v 17 When Jesus arrived in Bethany, he found that Lazarus had already died and had been in the tomb for four days.
\v 18 Now Jerusalem was only about three kilometers from Bethany.
\v 19 Many Jews knew Lazarus and his family, and they came from Jerusalem to comfort Martha and Mary over their brother's death.
\v 20 When Martha heard someone say Jesus was nearby, she went out to the road to meet him. Mary did not get up but stayed in the house.
\s5
\v 21 When Martha saw Jesus, she said to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
\v 22 Yet, even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you."
\v 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
\s5
\v 24 Martha said to him, "I know that he will come alive again on the day when God raises all the dead on the last day."
\v 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the one who raises people from the dead; I am the one who gives them life. Whoever trusts in me, even if he dies, yet he will live again.
\v 26 All those who receive life joined to me and who trust in me—they will never die. Do you believe me?"
\s5
\v 27 She said to him, "Yes, Lord! I trust what you say and I trust who you are, that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one God promised would come into the world.
\p
\v 28 After she said that, she returned to the house and took Mary her sister aside privately and said to her, "The Teacher is here, and he is calling for you."
\v 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went out to him.
\s5
\v 30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village; he was still at the place where Martha had met him.
\v 31 The people who had come to the house to comfort the sisters saw Mary get up quickly and go outside. So they followed her, thinking that she was going to the tomb where they had buried Lazarus in order to grieve for her brother there.
\p
\v 32 Mary came to the place where Jesus was; when she saw him, she fell down before him at his feet and said, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died."
\s5
\v 33 When Jesus saw her grieving and crying, and that the mourners who had come with her were also crying, he cried out in distress deep within his spirit, and he was very upset.
\v 34 He said, "Where have you laid his body?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see."
\v 35 Jesus wept.
\s5
\v 36 So the Jews said, "See how much he loved Lazarus!"
\v 37 However, some others said, "Did he not open the eyes of the blind man? Why could he not have kept this man from dying?"
\s5
\p
\v 38 Jesus was physically shaken and emotionally upset when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and the entrance had been covered by a large stone.
\v 39 Jesus gave a command to those standing there, "Take away the stone." However, Martha objected, "Lord, by this time there will be a putrid odor, for he has been dead for four days."
\v 40 Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you the truth when I told you that if you trusted me, you would see who God is and you would know what God can do?"
\s5
\p
\v 41 So they took away the stone. Jesus looked up toward heaven and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me.
\v 42 I know that you always hear me. I said this for the sake of the people who are standing here so that they might put their trust in you and have confidence in the fact that you sent me."
\s5
\v 43 After he said that, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!"
\v 44 The man who had died came out! His hands were still wrapped and his feet were still bound with linen strips of cloth, and there was a cloth wrapped around his face as well. Jesus said to them, "Take off the strips of cloth that bind him and untie him. Let him go."
\s5
\p
\v 45 As a result, many of the Jews who had come to see Mary and who had witnessed what Jesus did, put their trust in him.
\v 46 Nevertheless, some of the others went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
\s5
\v 47 So the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered all the members of the Jewish council together. They were saying to each other, "What are we going to do? This man is performing many miracles.
\v 48 If we allow him to keep doing them, everyone will trust in him and rebel against Rome. Then the Roman army will come and destroy both our temple and our nation!"
\s5
\p
\v 49 One of them on the council was Caiaphas, the high priest for that year. He said to them, "You all know nothing!
\v 50 Do you not realize that it is better that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perishes?"
\s5
\v 51 He said that, not because he thought of it himself. Instead, since he was the high priest that year, he was prophesying that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation.
\v 52 But he was also prophesying that Jesus would die, not just for the Jewish nation only, but also so he could gather into one nation from all the children of God, those who live in other lands everywhere.
\v 53 So from that day forward, the council began to look for any way to arrest Jesus and put him to death.
\s5
\p
\v 54 Because of that, Jesus no longer traveled around publicly among his Jewish opponents. Instead, he left Jerusalem and, with the disciples, went to a town called Ephraim in an area near the wilderness and desert region. There he stayed with his disciples for a while.
\p
\v 55 Now it was almost time for the Jewish Passover Celebration, and many worshipers went up from the country and the villages to Jerusalem. They would wash themselves in preparation, to make themselves clean according to the Jewish rules, so that they would be allowed to celebrate the Passover.
\s5
\v 56 The worshipers who came to Jerusalem for the Passover Festival were all looking for Jesus. When they came and stood in the temple, they said to one another, "What do you think? He will not come to the Passover, will he?"
\v 57 The Jewish chief priests and the Pharisees had issued orders that if anyone found out where Jesus was, they should report it to them, so that they could arrest him.
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 Jesus arrived in Bethany six days before the Passover Festival began. Bethany was the village where Lazarus lived, the man Jesus made alive again after he had died.
\v 2 There in Bethany, they gave a dinner to honor Jesus. Martha made preparations for the dinner, and Lazarus was among those who were sitting together and eating.
\v 3 Then Mary took a bottle of expensive perfume (called nard) and, to honor Jesus, she poured it out on his feet and then wiped his feet with her hair. The fragrance of the perfume filled the entire house.
\s5
\p
\v 4 However, one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, (he was the one who broke the trust Jesus had in him, and soon he would give Jesus up to his enemies)—he objected and said,
\v 5 "We should have sold this perfume for three hundred days' wages and given the money to the poor."
\v 6 He said this, not because he cared about the poor people, but because he was a thief. He kept charge of the bag that held their money, but he would take money for his own use whenever he wanted.
\s5
\v 7 Then Jesus said, "Leave her alone! She bought this perfume for the day when I would die and they would bury me.
\v 8 You will always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me."
\s5
\p
\v 9 A large crowd of Jews in Jerusalem heard that Jesus was in Bethany, so they went there. They came not only because Jesus was there, but also to see Lazarus, whom Jesus had made alive.
\v 10 Then the chief priests decided it was necessary to put Lazarus to death, as well,
\v 11 for it was because of him that many of the Jews were no longer believing in what the chief priests were teaching; instead, they were putting their trust in Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 12 The next day the large crowd that had come for the Passover Festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
\v 13 So they cut branches from palm trees and went out to welcome him as he came into the city. They were shouting, "Hosanna! Praise God! God bless the One who comes in the Name of the Lord! Welcome, King of Israel!"
\s5
\v 14 When Jesus came near to Jerusalem, he found a young donkey and sat on it, riding into the city. By doing this, he fulfilled what had been written in scripture:
\q
\v 15 "Do not be afraid, you who live in Jerusalem.
\q Look! Your King is coming.
\q He is riding on a donkey's colt!"
\s5
\p
\v 16 When this happened, his disciples did not understand that this was a fulfillment of prophecy. However, after Jesus had finished his work and had received again his full powers as God, they looked back and remembered what the prophets had written about him and what people had done to him.
\s5
\p
\v 17 The crowd that was following along with Jesus kept telling others what they had seen: That Jesus had called Lazarus out of the tomb and had made him alive again.
\v 18 The other crowd of people, those who went out of the city gate to meet Jesus, did so because they heard he had done great things to show them his power.
\v 19 So the Pharisees said to each other, "See! We are gaining no advantage here. Look! The whole world is following him!"
\s5
\p
\v 20 Among those who went up to Jerusalem during the Passover Festival were some Greeks.
\v 21 They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in the district of Galilee. They had something to ask him; they said, "Sir, would you introduce us to Jesus?"
\v 22 So Philip reported this to Andrew, and they both went and told Jesus.
\s5
\v 23 Jesus answered Philip and Andrew, "It is time for God to show the people everything that I, the Son of Man, have done and to tell them all that I have said.
\v 24 I am telling you the truth: Unless a seed of wheat is planted in the earth and dies, it remains only one seed; but after it dies in the ground, then it will grow and produce a harvest of many seeds.
\s5
\v 25 Anyone who tries to live to please himself will fail, but anyone who does not live to please himself will keep his life forever.
\v 26 If anyone wants to serve me, he must also follow me because my servant must be where I am. The Father will honor everyone who serves me.
\s5
\p
\v 27 Now my soul is greatly troubled. Should I say, 'Father, save me from this time when I will suffer and die!'? No, for this is the very reason I came into this world.
\v 28 My Father, show how powerful you are in all you have said, in all you have done, and in all you are!"
\p Then God spoke from heaven, "I have already displayed my nature, my words, and my works; and I will do it again!"
\v 29 The crowd that was there heard the voice of God, but some said it was just thunder. Others said an angel had spoken to Jesus.
\s5
\v 30 Jesus replied to them, "The voice you heard speaking was God's voice. However, he spoke not for my benefit, but for yours!
\v 31 Now is the time for God to judge the world. Now is the time when he will drive out Satan, the one who rules this world.
\s5
\v 32 As for me, when people raise me high on a cross, I will draw everyone to myself."
\v 33 He said this to let the people know how he would die.
\s5
\p
\v 34 Someone in the crowd answered him, "We understand from the scriptures that the Messiah will live forever. So why do you say that the Son of Man will die? Who is this 'Son of Man'?"
\v 35 Jesus answered, "My light will shine on you for just a little longer. Walk in the light while you have my light, or the darkness will overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going!
\v 36 Trust in that light while you have the light; then you will belong to the light.
\p After he said those things, Jesus left them and hid from them.
\s5
\v 37 Although Jesus had done many miracles, most of the people did not believe what he had told them.
\v 38 This was to make come true what Isaiah the prophet had written long ago:
\q "Lord, who has believed anything that they have heard from us?
\q The Lord has shown us how he can powerfully rescue us!"
\s5
\v 39 Yet, they could not trust in him for the reason that Isaiah had written:
\v 40 "The Lord has made them so they cannot see,
\q and he has made them stubborn;
\q they cannot even see with their eyes,
\q If they could, they would understand;
\q they would repent and pray for me to forgive them.
\q For this reason, I cannot heal them!"
\s5
\p
\v 41 Isaiah wrote those words long ago because he understood that the Messiah would serve God powerfully.
\p
\v 42 Although this was true, many of the leaders of the Jewish people put their trust in Jesus. Nevertheless, they greatly feared that the Pharisees would ban them from the synagogues, so they did not speak out about trusting in Jesus.
\v 43 They preferred that other people praise and respect them rather than that God would praise them.
\s5
\p
\v 44 Jesus shouted out to the crowd that had gathered, "Those who put their trust in me are not only putting their trust in me but also are putting their trust in the Father who sent me.
\v 45 When you see me, you are also seeing the one who sent me.
\s5
\v 46 I have come into the world as the light of the world; whoever puts his trust in me will not remain in the darkness.
\p
\v 47 I do not judge those who listen to my words but refuse to obey me. I did not come into the world to condemn the world.
\s5
\v 48 Yet, there is something that will condemn those who reject me and do not follow my message. They are condemned by the message I have spoken to them.
\v 49 When I taught about God, I was not merely saying what I thought. The Father, who sent me, gave me clear instructions on what I should say and how I should say it.
\v 50 I know that the Father's most important instructions are the ones that teach people how to live forever, and I have said exactly what my Father has told me to say."
\s5
\c 13
\p
\v 1 It was now the day before the Passover Festival was to begin. Jesus knew it was time for him to leave this world and to return to his Father. He showed how much he loved those who were with him here in this world, and he loved them until the end of his life.
\v 2 Before Jesus and the disciples had their evening meal, the devil had already put the thought into the mind of Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon, that he would hand Jesus over to his enemies.
\s5
\v 3 Yet Jesus knew that his Father had given him complete power and authority over everything. He also knew that he himself had come from God and would soon return to God.
\v 4 Jesus got up from the dinner. He took off his outer clothing and wrapped a towel around his waist.
\v 5 He poured out some water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them dry with the towel.
\s5
\p
\v 6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
\v 7 Jesus replied to him, "You do not understand now what I am doing for you, but later you will understand."
\v 8 Peter said, "You will never wash my feet!" Jesus replied to him, "If I do not wash you, then you have nothing to do with me."
\v 9 So Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, wash not only my feet! Wash my hands and my head also!"
\s5
\v 10 Jesus said to him, "One who has taken a bath needs only to wash his feet. The rest of his body is already clean. You are clean, but not all of you."
\v 11 He knew who was going to hand him over. That is the reason he said, "Not all of you are clean."
\s5
\p
\v 12 After he finished washing their feet, he put his outer clothing on again. Then he sat down at his place again and said, "Do you understand what I have done for you?
\v 13 You call me 'teacher' and 'Lord. You are right to say this, for that is what I am.
\v 14 If I, your teacher and Lord, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.
\v 15 I have given you an example to follow in order that you should do as I have done for you.
\s5
\v 16 I am telling you the truth: A servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who has sent him.
\v 17 If you know these things, how fortunate you will be if you do them.
\p
\v 18 I am not saying this about all of you. I know the ones I have chosen. However, what is written in scripture must come true: 'The one who ate my food with me as a friend, he has turned against me and treated me like an enemy.'
\s5
\p
\v 19 I am telling you this now before he hands me over so that when it does happen, you may believe that I am God.
\v 20 I am telling you the truth: If you receive the one I send to you, you are also receiving me; and whoever receives me, is also receiving my Father, the one who sent me."
\s5
\p
\v 21 After Jesus said this, he was troubled within himself. He solemnly declared, "I am telling you the truth: One of you is going to hand me over to my enemies."
\v 22 The disciples looked at one another. They were confused about which of them he was talking about.
\s5
\v 23 One of the disciples, John, the one whom Jesus especially loved, was at the table next to Jesus.
\v 24 Simon Peter motioned to John that he should ask Jesus which disciple he was talking about.
\v 25 So John leaned back against Jesus and asked him quietly, "Lord, who is it?"
\s5
\v 26 Jesus answered, "It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread after I dip it in the bowl." Then he dipped the bread and gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot.
\v 27 As soon as Judas took the piece of bread, Satan entered in to him and took control of him. Jesus said to him, "Whatever you need to do, do it quickly."
\s5
\v 28 No one else at the table knew why Jesus had said that to him.
\v 29 Some thought that because Judas had the money bag, Jesus was telling him to go and buy some things needed for the Passover Festival. Others thought Jesus was telling Judas to give something to the poor.
\v 30 After receiving the bread, immediately Judas went out. It was night.
\s5
\p
\v 31 After Judas left, Jesus said, "Now God will make people know what I, the Son of Man, am doing. I, the Son of Man, will make people know what God is doing as well, and people will praise him for it.
\v 32 Since I, the Son of Man, make God known to people and since I honor him, God will also honor me. God will do this immediately.
\p
\v 33 Little children, I am with you just a little while longer. You will look for me; but, just as I told the Jews, and as I am now telling you, where I am going, you cannot come.
\s5
\v 34 I will give you this new command: You must love one another, just as I have loved you.
\v 35 If you love one another, all people will know that you are my disciples."
\s5
\p
\v 36 Simon Peter said to him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot come with me now; but you will come later."
\v 37 Peter said, "Lord, why can I not come with you now? I would lay down my life for you!"
\v 38 Jesus answered, "Would you really lay down your life for me, Peter? I am telling you the truth: The rooster will not crow in the morning before you will say three times that you do not know me!"
\s5
\c 14
\p
\v 1 "Do not be upset or anxious. You are trusting in God; trust also in me.
\v 2 Where my Father lives there are many places to live. If that were not true, I would have told you. I go there to prepare a place for you.
\v 3 If I am going there to prepare a place for you, I will return and take you to be with me, so that where I am, there you may be with me.
\s5
\v 4 You know where I am going, and you know the way."
\p
\v 5 Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"
\v 6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life. No one can come to the Father and live with him unless he comes through me.
\v 7 If you knew me, you would have known my Father also. From now on, you know him and you have seen him."
\s5
\p
\v 8 Philip said to Jesus, "Lord, show us the Father and that will be all we will ever want!"
\v 9 Jesus said to him, "Philip, I have been with you so long, and still you do not know me. Those who have seen me, have seen my Father. So why do you say 'Show us the Father'?
\s5
\v 10 Do you not believe that I am joined to my Father and that my Father is joined to me? The things I have told you—I did not think of these things; rather, it is my Father who has sent me to tell you all of these things, for my Father is joined to me and works through me.
\v 11 Trust me because I have told you that I am joined to the Father and that the Father is joined to me, or else trust me because of all the signs and mighty acts you have seen me do.
\s5
\v 12 I am telling you the truth: Whoever trusts in me will also do the things that I do. He will do even greater works because I am going to be with the Father.
\v 13 Whatever you ask in my name, that I will do. I will do this in order that everyone might honor the Father and that they might know the Father because of everything that I, his Son, do.
\v 14 If you ask the Father for anything because you belong to me, I will do it.
\s5
\p
\v 15 If you love me, you will live as I have taught you.
\v 16 Then I will ask the Father to give you another gift, and he will send you another Helper, one who will come alongside you to be with you forever.
\v 17 He is the Spirit who tells the truth about God. The unbelieving people in this world will never welcome Him. The world cannot see him or know him. You know him because he lives with you and he will be joined to you.
\s5
\v 18 I will not abandon you and leave you with no one to care for you; I will come to you.
\v 19 Soon the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you will live.
\v 20 When you see me again, you will know that I am joined to the Father and that you are joined to me and I to you.
\s5
\v 21 Everyone who has heard my commandments and obeys them, they are the ones who love me. And the ones who love me, my Father will love them, too; I will love them and I will reveal myself to them."
\p
\v 22 Then Judas (not Iscariot, but the other disciple with the same name) spoke to Jesus. He said, "Lord, how will you reveal yourself just to us and not to the whole world?"
\s5
\v 23 Jesus replied to him, "This is how you can tell whether people love me: Whether they do what I have told you to do. Any people like this, my Father will love them. He and I will come to them and live with them.
\v 24 As for those who do not love me, they will not obey what I have told them to do. The things I have told you are not things that I have decided to say on my own; instead, they are things that my Father has sent me to tell you.
\s5
\v 25 I have said these things to you while I am still with you.
\v 26 The Helper, the one who comes alongside to be with you—my Father will send him in my name. He will teach you everything that you need to know. He will also cause you to remember all the things that I have told you.
\v 27 As I leave you with peace, it is my peace that I am giving to you. I give you a kind of peace no one and nothing that belongs to this world can give you. So do not be upset or anxious; and do not be afraid.
\s5
\p
\v 28 You heard me say to you that I am going away and will later come back to you. If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going back to the Father because the Father is greater than I am.
\v 29 I have told you these things now before they happen so that, when they do happen, you will continue to trust me.
\s5
\v 30 I will not be able to talk with you much longer because the ruler of this world is coming. However, he has no power over me,
\v 31 and I will do what the Father has commanded me to do. This is so that the world will know forever that I love the Father. Come, let us go from here."
\s5
@ -1703,107 +1703,107 @@ John answered, "No."
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 Then Pilate sent for Jesus. He had his soldiers beat him severely using whips.
\v 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown and they put it on his head. They also put a purple robe on him.
\v 3 They mocked him and said, "Greetings, King of the Jews!" and they struck him over and over again.
\s5
\p
\v 4 Pilate came outside again and said to the people, "Look, I am bringing him out to you so that you can know that I find no reason to punish him."
\v 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Look, here is the man!"
\v 6 When the chief priests and temple guards saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him! As for me, I find no reason to punish him."
\s5
\v 7 The Jewish leaders replied to Pilate, "We have a certain law that says he ought to die because he claimed to be the Son of God."
\v 8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid.
\v 9 He entered his headquarters once more and called the soldiers to bring Jesus back inside. Then he said to Jesus, "From where do you come?" However, Jesus gave him no answer.
\s5
\v 10 So Pilate said to him, "Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I also have authority to crucify you?"
\v 11 Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all, if God had not given it to you. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin."
\s5
\p
\v 12 From that moment on, Pilate kept trying to release Jesus. However, the Jewish leaders cried out, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Anyone who makes himself a king, stands opposed to Caesar."
\v 13 When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Then Pilate sat down before him in the judgment seat, the place where he usually pronounced verdicts. This was called "The Stone Pavement," and in Aramaic it was "Gabbatha."
\s5
\v 14 Now it was the day before the Passover Festival, the day of preparation. It was almost noontime when Pilate said to the Jews, "See, here is your king!"
\v 15 They shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Should I crucify your king?" The chief priests replied, "We have no king but Caesar!"
\v 16 So Pilate handed Jesus over to them, and they took him away.
\p
\s5
\v 17 He went out, carrying his own cross by himself to the place called "The Place of a Skull," which in Aramaic is called "Golgotha."
\v 18 There they crucified him, and at the same time they also nailed two other criminals to their crosses. One was on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Pilate also told someone to write on a board a notice and fasten it to Jesus' cross. It read, 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.'
\v 20 Many Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in three languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
\s5
\v 21 The chief priests went back to Pilate and said, "You should not have written, 'King of the Jews', but rather, this man said, 'I am King of the Jews.'"
\v 22 Pilate replied, "You must leave the sign exactly as I have written it."
\q
\s5
\v 23 After the soldiers had put Jesus on the cross, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. However, they kept his tunic separate. This tunic had been woven from top to bottom from one piece of cloth.
\v 24 So they said to each other, "Let us not tear it. Instead, let us decide who will keep it as one piece by casting lots for the one who will get it." This happened to make come true the scripture that said,
\q "They divided my clothes among them.
\q They cast lots for my clothing."
\s5
\p
\v 25 The soldiers did those things.
\p Jesus' mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene were all standing near his cross.
\v 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there and John, the disciple whom he especially loved, standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Mother, here is the one who will act like a son to you."
\v 27 And he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother!" So from that very moment, that disciple took her to live in his home.
\s5
\p
\v 28 A little later, Jesus knew that everything that God sent him to do had now been done, and in order to make come true one final thing that the scriptures had foretold, he said, "I am thirsty!"
\v 29 A jar of sour wine stood there, so they took a short branch from a hyssop plant and put a sponge on it, and they dipped in the sour wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth.
\v 30 After Jesus drank the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and died.
\s5
\p
\v 31 This was the day of preparation for the Passover (and the next day was a very special Sabbath). It was against the law to allow dead bodies to remain on the crosses on the Sabbath, so they went to Pilate and asked him to break the legs of the three men so that the men would die quickly and their bodies would be taken down.
\v 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other, the two men who had been crucified with Jesus.
\v 33 When they came to Jesus, they saw he was dead already. So they did not break his legs.
\s5
\v 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, and right away blood and water poured out of his body.
\v 35 The one who saw this bears witness—his testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth—so that you may put your trust in Jesus.
\s5
\v 36 These things happened in order to fulfill what was written in scripture: "No one will break any of his bones."
\p
\v 37 And they fulfilled another scripture that read: 'They will look on the one whom they have pierced.'
\s5
\p
\v 38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but a secret disciple because he was afraid of the Jews, went to Pilate and asked him if he might take away Jesus' body. Pilate gave Joseph permission, so he came and took away the body of Jesus.
\v 39 Nicodemus, who had once come to Jesus at night, also came and brought with him a mixture of myrrh and aloe spices to prepare the body for burial. The spices weighed about 33 kilograms.
\s5
\v 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, and they packed the wrappings full with all the spices.
\v 41 Now in the place where Jesus was crucified was a garden, and at the edge of the garden was a new tomb in which no one had been buried.
\v 42 The Passover was about to begin that evening, and they chose this tomb because it was close at hand and because they could bury Jesus quickly. So they laid Jesus there.
\s5
\c 19
\p
\v 1 Then Pilate sent for Jesus. He had his soldiers beat him severely using whips.
\v 2 The soldiers also twisted together a crown and they put it on his head. They also put a purple robe on him.
\v 3 They mocked him and said, "Greetings, King of the Jews!" and they struck him over and over again.
\s5
\p
\v 4 Pilate came outside again and said to the people, "Look, I am bringing him out to you so that you can know that I find no reason to punish him."
\v 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, "Look, here is the man!"
\v 6 When the chief priests and temple guards saw him, they shouted, "Crucify him! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Take him yourselves and crucify him! As for me, I find no reason to punish him."
\s5
\v 7 The Jewish leaders replied to Pilate, "We have a certain law that says he ought to die because he claimed to be the Son of God."
\v 8 When Pilate heard this, he was even more afraid.
\v 9 He entered his headquarters once more and called the soldiers to bring Jesus back inside. Then he said to Jesus, "From where do you come?" However, Jesus gave him no answer.
\s5
\v 10 So Pilate said to him, "Will you not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you, and I also have authority to crucify you?"
\v 11 Jesus answered him, "You would have no authority over me at all, if God had not given it to you. So the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a worse sin."
\s5
\p
\v 12 From that moment on, Pilate kept trying to release Jesus. However, the Jewish leaders cried out, "If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar! Anyone who makes himself a king, stands opposed to Caesar."
\v 13 When Pilate heard that, he brought Jesus out. Then Pilate sat down before him in the judgment seat, the place where he usually pronounced verdicts. This was called "The Stone Pavement," and in Aramaic it was "Gabbatha."
\s5
\v 14 Now it was the day before the Passover Festival, the day of preparation. It was almost noontime when Pilate said to the Jews, "See, here is your king!"
\v 15 They shouted, "Take him away! Take him away! Crucify him!" Pilate said to them, "Should I crucify your king?" The chief priests replied, "We have no king but Caesar!"
\v 16 So Pilate handed Jesus over to them, and they took him away.
\p
\s5
\v 17 He went out, carrying his own cross by himself to the place called "The Place of a Skull," which in Aramaic is called "Golgotha."
\v 18 There they crucified him, and at the same time they also nailed two other criminals to their crosses. One was on either side, with Jesus in the middle.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Pilate also told someone to write on a board a notice and fasten it to Jesus' cross. It read, 'Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.'
\v 20 Many Jews read this sign, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in three languages: Aramaic, Latin, and Greek.
\s5
\v 21 The chief priests went back to Pilate and said, "You should not have written, 'King of the Jews', but rather, this man said, 'I am King of the Jews.'"
\v 22 Pilate replied, "You must leave the sign exactly as I have written it."
\q
\s5
\v 23 After the soldiers had put Jesus on the cross, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts, one part for each soldier. However, they kept his tunic separate. This tunic had been woven from top to bottom from one piece of cloth.
\v 24 So they said to each other, "Let us not tear it. Instead, let us decide who will keep it as one piece by casting lots for the one who will get it." This happened to make come true the scripture that said,
\q "They divided my clothes among them.
\q They cast lots for my clothing."
\s5
\p
\v 25 The soldiers did those things.
\p Jesus' mother, his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene were all standing near his cross.
\v 26 When Jesus saw his mother standing there and John, the disciple whom he especially loved, standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Mother, here is the one who will act like a son to you."
\v 27 And he said to the disciple, "Here is your mother!" So from that very moment, that disciple took her to live in his home.
\s5
\p
\v 28 A little later, Jesus knew that everything that God sent him to do had now been done, and in order to make come true one final thing that the scriptures had foretold, he said, "I am thirsty!"
\v 29 A jar of sour wine stood there, so they took a short branch from a hyssop plant and put a sponge on it, and they dipped in the sour wine and held it up to Jesus' mouth.
\v 30 After Jesus drank the sour wine, he said, "It is finished," and he bowed his head and died.
\s5
\p
\v 31 This was the day of preparation for the Passover (and the next day was a very special Sabbath). It was against the law to allow dead bodies to remain on the crosses on the Sabbath, so they went to Pilate and asked him to break the legs of the three men so that the men would die quickly and their bodies would be taken down.
\v 32 So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first and then of the other, the two men who had been crucified with Jesus.
\v 33 When they came to Jesus, they saw he was dead already. So they did not break his legs.
\s5
\v 34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, and right away blood and water poured out of his body.
\v 35 The one who saw this bears witness—his testimony is true, and he knows he is telling the truth—so that you may put your trust in Jesus.
\s5
\v 36 These things happened in order to fulfill what was written in scripture: "No one will break any of his bones."
\p
\v 37 And they fulfilled another scripture that read: 'They will look on the one whom they have pierced.'
\s5
\p
\v 38 After these things, Joseph of Arimathea, a disciple of Jesus, but a secret disciple because he was afraid of the Jews, went to Pilate and asked him if he might take away Jesus' body. Pilate gave Joseph permission, so he came and took away the body of Jesus.
\v 39 Nicodemus, who had once come to Jesus at night, also came and brought with him a mixture of myrrh and aloe spices to prepare the body for burial. The spices weighed about 33 kilograms.
\s5
\v 40 They took the body of Jesus and wrapped it in strips of linen cloth, and they packed the wrappings full with all the spices.
\v 41 Now in the place where Jesus was crucified was a garden, and at the edge of the garden was a new tomb in which no one had been buried.
\v 42 The Passover was about to begin that evening, and they chose this tomb because it was close at hand and because they could bury Jesus quickly. So they laid Jesus there.
\s5
@ -1879,58 +1879,58 @@ John answered, "No."
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 After that, Jesus appeared to the disciples by Lake Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee). He made himself known in this way:
\v 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called The Twin), Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee (James and John), and two other disciples, were together.
\v 3 Simon Peter said to the others, "I am going fishing." They said, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
\s5
\v 4 In the morning as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
\v 5 Jesus said to them, "My friends, do you have any fish?" They said, "No."
\v 6 He said to them, "Throw your net out off the right side of the boat and you will find some." They cast it as he told them, and they caught so many fish in the net that they were unable to pull the net into the boat!
\s5
\v 7 John, the disciple whom Jesus especially loved, said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard him say this, he tucked up his outer garment around himself (he had worn almost nothing while working), and jumped into the water.
\v 8 The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling behind the net full of fish. They were not far from shore, only ninety meters away.
\v 9 When they got to shore, they saw a charcoal fire ready and hot, with fish cooking on it, and there was some bread.
\s5
\v 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught!"
\v 11 Simon Peter got back in the boat and dragged the net to the shore, full of large fish. There were 153 of them. Even so, the net was not torn.
\s5
\v 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast!" None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.
\v 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.
\v 14 This was the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after God had brought him back from the dead.
\s5
\p
\v 15 When they finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others love me?" Peter said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
\v 16 Jesus said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He replied, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Be a shepherd to my sheep."
\s5
\v 17 Jesus said to him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" Peter said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
\v 18 I am telling you the truth: When you were young, you put your own clothes on and you walked about wherever you wanted to go. However, when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone will dress you and will lead you where you do not want to go."
\s5
\v 19 Jesus said this to indicate how Peter would die in order to honor God. Then Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Peter turned around and saw John, the disciple whom Jesus especially loved following them. He was the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the table and said, "Lord, who is going to hand you over to your enemies?"
\v 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what is going to happen to this man?"
\s5
\v 22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, that is not your concern! You follow me."
\v 23 So the report circulated among the brothers and sisters that this disciple was not going to die. Yet Jesus did not say that he would not die. He said only, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, that is not your concern!"
\s5
\p
\v 24 I, John, am the disciple who is bearing witness about all these things, and I have written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
\p
\v 25 Jesus did many other things, so many that if they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 After that, Jesus appeared to the disciples by Lake Tiberias (also known as the Sea of Galilee). He made himself known in this way:
\v 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called The Twin), Nathaniel of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee (James and John), and two other disciples, were together.
\v 3 Simon Peter said to the others, "I am going fishing." They said, "We will go with you." They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.
\s5
\v 4 In the morning as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not know that it was Jesus.
\v 5 Jesus said to them, "My friends, do you have any fish?" They said, "No."
\v 6 He said to them, "Throw your net out off the right side of the boat and you will find some." They cast it as he told them, and they caught so many fish in the net that they were unable to pull the net into the boat!
\s5
\v 7 John, the disciple whom Jesus especially loved, said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" When Simon Peter heard him say this, he tucked up his outer garment around himself (he had worn almost nothing while working), and jumped into the water.
\v 8 The other disciples came to shore in the boat, pulling behind the net full of fish. They were not far from shore, only ninety meters away.
\v 9 When they got to shore, they saw a charcoal fire ready and hot, with fish cooking on it, and there was some bread.
\s5
\v 10 Jesus said to them, "Bring some of the fish that you have just caught!"
\v 11 Simon Peter got back in the boat and dragged the net to the shore, full of large fish. There were 153 of them. Even so, the net was not torn.
\s5
\v 12 Jesus said to them, "Come and eat breakfast!" None of the disciples dared to ask him, "Who are you?" They knew it was the Lord.
\v 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them. He did the same with the fish.
\v 14 This was the third time that Jesus appeared to the disciples after God had brought him back from the dead.
\s5
\p
\v 15 When they finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these others love me?" Peter said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."
\v 16 Jesus said to him a second time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He replied, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Be a shepherd to my sheep."
\s5
\v 17 Jesus said to him a third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because Jesus asked him three times, "Do you love me?" Peter said, "Lord, you know everything. You know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep."
\v 18 I am telling you the truth: When you were young, you put your own clothes on and you walked about wherever you wanted to go. However, when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone will dress you and will lead you where you do not want to go."
\s5
\v 19 Jesus said this to indicate how Peter would die in order to honor God. Then Jesus said to him, "Follow me."
\s5
\p
\v 20 Peter turned around and saw John, the disciple whom Jesus especially loved following them. He was the one who had leaned close to Jesus at the table and said, "Lord, who is going to hand you over to your enemies?"
\v 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord, what is going to happen to this man?"
\s5
\v 22 Jesus said to him, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, that is not your concern! You follow me."
\v 23 So the report circulated among the brothers and sisters that this disciple was not going to die. Yet Jesus did not say that he would not die. He said only, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, that is not your concern!"
\s5
\p
\v 24 I, John, am the disciple who is bearing witness about all these things, and I have written them down. We know that his testimony is true.
\p
\v 25 Jesus did many other things, so many that if they were all written down, I suppose the whole world could not contain the books that would be written.

View File

@ -344,94 +344,94 @@
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 Now there was one of the believers whose name was Ananias, and whose wife's name was Sapphira. He also sold some land.
\v 2 He kept for himself some of the money he had received for the land, and his wife knew that he had done that. Then he brought the rest of the money and presented it to the apostles.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, you let Satan completely control you so that you tried to deceive the Holy Spirit. Why did you do such a terrible thing? You have kept for yourself some of the money you received for selling the land. You did not give us all of it.
\v 4 Before you sold that land, you truly owned it. And after you sold it, the money was still yours. So why did you ever think about doing this wicked thing? You were not trying to deceive only us! No, you tried to deceive God himself!"
\v 5 When Ananias heard these words, immediately he fell down dead. And all who heard about Ananias' death became terrified.
\v 6 Some young men came forward, wrapped his body in a sheet, and carried it out and buried it.
\s5
\p
\v 7 About three hours later, his wife came in, but she did not know what had happened.
\v 8 Then Peter showed her the money that Ananias had brought and asked her, "Tell me, is this the amount of money you two received for the land you sold?" She said, "Yes, that is what we received."
\s5
\v 9 So Peter said to her, "You both did a terrible thing! You two agreed to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord! Listen! Do you hear the footsteps of the men who buried your husband? They are right outside this door, and they will carry you out, too!"
\v 10 Immediately Sapphira fell down dead at Peter's feet. Then the young men came in. When they saw that she was dead, too, they carried her body out and buried it beside her husband's body.
\p
\v 11 All the believers in Jerusalem became greatly frightened because of what God had done to Ananias and Sapphira. And everyone else who heard about these things also became greatly frightened.
\s5
\p
\v 12 God was enabling the apostles to do many amazing miracles that showed the truth of what they were preaching among the people. All the believers were meeting together regularly in the temple courtyard at the place called Solomon's Porch.
\v 13 All of the other people who had not believed in Jesus were afraid to be with the believers. However, those people continued to greatly respect the believers.
\s5
\v 14 Many more men and women started believing in the Lord Jesus, and they joined the group of believers.
\v 15 As a result, people were bringing those who were sick into the streets and laying them on stretchers and mats, in order that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them and heal them.
\v 16 Large crowds of people were also coming to the apostles from the towns near Jerusalem. They were bringing the sick and those who were being tormented by evil spirits, and God healed all of them.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Then the high priest and all who were with him—they were all members of the Sadducee group—became very jealous of the apostles.
\v 18 So they commanded the temple guards to arrest the apostles and to put them in the public jail.
\s5
\v 19 But during the night an angel from the Lord God opened the jail doors and brought the apostles outside. Then the angel said
\v 20 to the apostles, "Go to the temple courtyard, stand there, and tell the people all this message of eternal life."
\v 21 After hearing this, the apostles entered the temple courtyard about dawn and began to teach the people again about Jesus. Meanwhile, the high priest and those who were with him summoned the other Jewish council members. Together they were all the leaders of Israel. After they had gathered together, they sent guards to the jail to bring in the apostles.
\s5
\v 22 But when the guards arrived at the jail, they discovered that the apostles were not there. So they returned to the council and reported,
\v 23 "We saw that the jail doors were very securely locked, and the guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in to get those men, none of them was inside the jail."
\s5
\v 24 When the captain of the temple guards and the chief priests heard that, they became greatly confused, and they wondered where all these events would lead.
\p
\v 25 Then someone came and reported to them, "Listen to this! Right now the men whom you put in jail are standing in the temple courtyard, and they are teaching the people!"
\s5
\v 26 So the captain of the temple guards went to the temple courtyard with the officers, and they brought the apostles back to the council room. But they did not treat them roughly, because they were afraid that the people would kill them by throwing stones at them.
\p
\v 27 After the captain and his officers had brought the apostles to the council room, they commanded them to stand in front of the council members, and the high priest questioned them.
\v 28 He said to them, "We commanded you not to teach people about that man Jesus! But you have disobeyed us, and you have taught people all over Jerusalem about him! Furthermore, you are trying to make it seem that we are the ones who are guilty for that man's death!"
\s5
\v 29 But Peter, speaking for himself and the other apostles, replied, "We have to obey what God commands us to do, not what you people tell us to do!
\v 30 You are the ones who killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross! But God, whom our ancestors worshiped, caused Jesus to become alive again after he died.
\v 31 God has honored Jesus more than anyone. He has made him the one to save us and rule over us. He has allowed us Israelites to stop sinning, so that he might forgive us for our sins.
\v 32 We tell people about these things that we know happened to Jesus. The Holy Spirit, whom God has sent to us who obey him, is also confirming that these things are true."
\s5
\v 33 When the council members heard this, they became very angry with the apostles, and they wanted to kill them.
\p
\v 34 But there was a council member named Gamaliel. He was a member of the Pharisee group. He taught people the Jewish laws, and all the Jewish people respected him. He stood up in the council and told the guards to take the apostles out of the room for a short time.
\s5
\v 35 After the guards had taken the apostles out, he said to the other council members, "Fellow Israelites, you must think carefully about what you want to do to these men.
\v 36 Some years ago a man named Theudas rebelled against the government. He told people that he was an important person, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, and all those who had been accompanying him were scattered. So they were not able to do anything that they had planned.
\v 37 After that, during the time when they were writing down names of the people in order to tax them, a man named Judas from the region of Galilee rebelled and persuaded some people to follow him. But he was killed, too, and all those who had accompanied him went off in different directions.
\s5
\v 38 So now I say this to you: Do not harm these men! Release them! I say this because if the things that are happening now are just something that humans have planned, someone will stop them. They will fail.
\v 39 But if God has commanded them to do these things, you will not be able to stop them, because you will find out that you are working against God!" The other members of the council accepted what Gamaliel said.
\s5
\v 40 They told the temple guards to bring the apostles and beat them. So the guards brought them into the council room and beat them. Then the council members commanded them not to speak to people about Jesus any more, and they released the apostles.
\p
\v 41 So the apostles went out from the council. They were rejoicing because they knew God had honored them by letting people disgrace them because they were following Jesus.
\v 42 Every day after that, the apostles went to the temple area and to various people's houses, and they continued teaching people and telling them that Jesus is the Christ.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 Now there was one of the believers whose name was Ananias, and whose wife's name was Sapphira. He also sold some land.
\v 2 He kept for himself some of the money he had received for the land, and his wife knew that he had done that. Then he brought the rest of the money and presented it to the apostles.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Then Peter said, "Ananias, you let Satan completely control you so that you tried to deceive the Holy Spirit. Why did you do such a terrible thing? You have kept for yourself some of the money you received for selling the land. You did not give us all of it.
\v 4 Before you sold that land, you truly owned it. And after you sold it, the money was still yours. So why did you ever think about doing this wicked thing? You were not trying to deceive only us! No, you tried to deceive God himself!"
\v 5 When Ananias heard these words, immediately he fell down dead. And all who heard about Ananias' death became terrified.
\v 6 Some young men came forward, wrapped his body in a sheet, and carried it out and buried it.
\s5
\p
\v 7 About three hours later, his wife came in, but she did not know what had happened.
\v 8 Then Peter showed her the money that Ananias had brought and asked her, "Tell me, is this the amount of money you two received for the land you sold?" She said, "Yes, that is what we received."
\s5
\v 9 So Peter said to her, "You both did a terrible thing! You two agreed to try to deceive the Spirit of the Lord! Listen! Do you hear the footsteps of the men who buried your husband? They are right outside this door, and they will carry you out, too!"
\v 10 Immediately Sapphira fell down dead at Peter's feet. Then the young men came in. When they saw that she was dead, too, they carried her body out and buried it beside her husband's body.
\p
\v 11 All the believers in Jerusalem became greatly frightened because of what God had done to Ananias and Sapphira. And everyone else who heard about these things also became greatly frightened.
\s5
\p
\v 12 God was enabling the apostles to do many amazing miracles that showed the truth of what they were preaching among the people. All the believers were meeting together regularly in the temple courtyard at the place called Solomon's Porch.
\v 13 All of the other people who had not believed in Jesus were afraid to be with the believers. However, those people continued to greatly respect the believers.
\s5
\v 14 Many more men and women started believing in the Lord Jesus, and they joined the group of believers.
\v 15 As a result, people were bringing those who were sick into the streets and laying them on stretchers and mats, in order that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them and heal them.
\v 16 Large crowds of people were also coming to the apostles from the towns near Jerusalem. They were bringing the sick and those who were being tormented by evil spirits, and God healed all of them.
\s5
\p
\v 17 Then the high priest and all who were with him—they were all members of the Sadducee group—became very jealous of the apostles.
\v 18 So they commanded the temple guards to arrest the apostles and to put them in the public jail.
\s5
\v 19 But during the night an angel from the Lord God opened the jail doors and brought the apostles outside. Then the angel said
\v 20 to the apostles, "Go to the temple courtyard, stand there, and tell the people all this message of eternal life."
\v 21 After hearing this, the apostles entered the temple courtyard about dawn and began to teach the people again about Jesus. Meanwhile, the high priest and those who were with him summoned the other Jewish council members. Together they were all the leaders of Israel. After they had gathered together, they sent guards to the jail to bring in the apostles.
\s5
\v 22 But when the guards arrived at the jail, they discovered that the apostles were not there. So they returned to the council and reported,
\v 23 "We saw that the jail doors were very securely locked, and the guards were standing at the doors. But when we opened the doors and went in to get those men, none of them was inside the jail."
\s5
\v 24 When the captain of the temple guards and the chief priests heard that, they became greatly confused, and they wondered where all these events would lead.
\p
\v 25 Then someone came and reported to them, "Listen to this! Right now the men whom you put in jail are standing in the temple courtyard, and they are teaching the people!"
\s5
\v 26 So the captain of the temple guards went to the temple courtyard with the officers, and they brought the apostles back to the council room. But they did not treat them roughly, because they were afraid that the people would kill them by throwing stones at them.
\p
\v 27 After the captain and his officers had brought the apostles to the council room, they commanded them to stand in front of the council members, and the high priest questioned them.
\v 28 He said to them, "We commanded you not to teach people about that man Jesus! But you have disobeyed us, and you have taught people all over Jerusalem about him! Furthermore, you are trying to make it seem that we are the ones who are guilty for that man's death!"
\s5
\v 29 But Peter, speaking for himself and the other apostles, replied, "We have to obey what God commands us to do, not what you people tell us to do!
\v 30 You are the ones who killed Jesus by nailing him to a cross! But God, whom our ancestors worshiped, caused Jesus to become alive again after he died.
\v 31 God has honored Jesus more than anyone. He has made him the one to save us and rule over us. He has allowed us Israelites to stop sinning, so that he might forgive us for our sins.
\v 32 We tell people about these things that we know happened to Jesus. The Holy Spirit, whom God has sent to us who obey him, is also confirming that these things are true."
\s5
\v 33 When the council members heard this, they became very angry with the apostles, and they wanted to kill them.
\p
\v 34 But there was a council member named Gamaliel. He was a member of the Pharisee group. He taught people the Jewish laws, and all the Jewish people respected him. He stood up in the council and told the guards to take the apostles out of the room for a short time.
\s5
\v 35 After the guards had taken the apostles out, he said to the other council members, "Fellow Israelites, you must think carefully about what you want to do to these men.
\v 36 Some years ago a man named Theudas rebelled against the government. He told people that he was an important person, and about four hundred men joined him. But he was killed, and all those who had been accompanying him were scattered. So they were not able to do anything that they had planned.
\v 37 After that, during the time when they were writing down names of the people in order to tax them, a man named Judas from the region of Galilee rebelled and persuaded some people to follow him. But he was killed, too, and all those who had accompanied him went off in different directions.
\s5
\v 38 So now I say this to you: Do not harm these men! Release them! I say this because if the things that are happening now are just something that humans have planned, someone will stop them. They will fail.
\v 39 But if God has commanded them to do these things, you will not be able to stop them, because you will find out that you are working against God!" The other members of the council accepted what Gamaliel said.
\s5
\v 40 They told the temple guards to bring the apostles and beat them. So the guards brought them into the council room and beat them. Then the council members commanded them not to speak to people about Jesus any more, and they released the apostles.
\p
\v 41 So the apostles went out from the council. They were rejoicing because they knew God had honored them by letting people disgrace them because they were following Jesus.
\v 42 Every day after that, the apostles went to the temple area and to various people's houses, and they continued teaching people and telling them that Jesus is the Christ.
\s5
@ -812,101 +812,101 @@
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 There was a man who lived in the city of Caesarea whose name was Cornelius. He was an officer who commanded one hundred men in a large group of Roman soldiers from Italy.
\v 2 He always tried to do what would please God; he and his entire household were non-Jews who habitually worshiped God. He sometimes gave money to help poor Jewish people, and he prayed to God regularly.
\s5
\p
\v 3 One day at about three o'clock in the afternoon Cornelius saw a vision. He clearly saw an angel whom God had sent. He saw the angel coming into his room and saying to him, "Cornelius!"
\v 4 Cornelius stared at the angel and became terrified. Then he asked fearfully, "Sir, what do you want?" The angel who was sent from God answered him, "You have pleased God because you have been praying regularly to him and you often give money to help poor people. Those things have been like a memorial offering to God.
\v 5 So now command some men to go to Joppa and tell them to bring back a man named Simon whose other name is Peter.
\v 6 He is staying with a man, also named Simon, who makes leather. His house is near the ocean."
\s5
\v 7 When the angel who spoke to Cornelius had gone, he summoned two of his household servants and a soldier who served him, one who also worshiped God.
\v 8 He explained to them everything that the angel had said. Then he told them to go to city of Joppa to ask Peter to come to Caesarea.
\s5
\p
\v 9 About noon the next day those three men were traveling along the road and were coming near Joppa. As they were approaching Joppa, Peter went up on the flat housetop to pray.
\v 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat. While some people were preparing the food, Peter saw a vision.
\v 11 He saw the sky open and something like a large sheet being lowered to the ground, with its four corners raised up.
\v 12 Inside the sheet were all kinds of creatures. These included animals and birds that the Mosaic laws forbade Jews to eat. Some had four feet, others crawled on the ground, and others were wild birds.
\s5
\v 13 Then he heard God say to him, "Peter, stand up, kill some of these and eat them!"
\v 14 But Peter replied, "Lord, surely you do not really want me to do that since I have never eaten anything that our Jewish law says is unacceptable to you or something that we must not eat!"
\v 15 Then Peter heard God talk to him a second time. He said, "I am God, so if I have made something acceptable to eat, do not say that it is not acceptable to eat!"
\v 16 This happened three times. Immediately after that, the sheet with the animals and birds was then pulled back into the sky.
\s5
\p
\v 17 While Peter was trying to understand what that vision meant, the men who had been sent by Cornelius arrived. They asked people how to get to Simon's house. So they found his house and were standing outside the gate.
\v 18 They called and asked if a man named Simon, whose other name was Peter, was staying there.
\s5
\v 19 While Peter was still trying to understand what the vision meant, God's Spirit said to him, "Listen! Three men are here who want to see you.
\v 20 So get up and go downstairs and go with them! Do not think that you should not go with them, because I have sent them here!"
\v 21 So Peter went down to the men and said to them, "Greetings! I am the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"
\s5
\v 22 They replied, "Cornelius, who is a Roman army officer, sent us here. He is a good man who worships God, and all of the Jewish people who know about him say that he is a very good man. An angel said to him, 'Tell some men to go to Joppa to see Simon Peter and bring him here, so that you can hear what he has to say.'"
\v 23 So Peter invited them into the house and told them that they should stay there that night.
\p The next day Peter got ready and went with the men. Several of the believers from Joppa also went with him.
\s5
\v 24 The day after that, they arrived in the city of Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends to come, so they were there in his house too.
\s5
\v 25 When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and bowed low in front of him to worship him.
\v 26 But Peter grasped Cornelius by the hand and lifted him to his feet. He said, "Stand up! Do not bow down and worship me! I myself am only human, like you!"
\s5
\p
\v 27 While he was talking to Cornelius, Peter and the others entered the house and saw that many people had gathered together there.
\v 28 Then Peter said to them, "You all know that any of us Jews think we are disobeying our Jewish laws if we associate with those who are descendants of non-Jewish parents or if we even visit in their homes. However, God has shown me in a vision that I should not say anyone is so defiled and unclean that God would not accept him.
\v 29 So when you sent some men to ask me to come here, I came right away without objection. So, please tell me, why have you asked me to come here?"
\s5
\p
\v 30 Cornelius replied, "About this time three days ago I was praying to God in my house, as I regularly do at three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man whose clothes shone brightly stood in front of me
\v 31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer. He has also noticed that you have often given money to help poor people, and he is pleased with that.
\v 32 So now, send messengers to go to the city of Joppa in order to ask Simon whose other name is Peter to come here. He is staying near the ocean in a house that belongs to another man named Simon, who makes leather.'
\v 33 So I immediately sent some men who asked you to come here, and I certainly thank you for coming. Now we all are gathered here, knowing that God is with us, in order to hear all the things that the Lord God has commanded you to say. So please speak to us."
\s5
\p
\v 34 So Peter began to speak to them. He said, "Now I understand that it is true that God does not favor only certain groups of people.
\v 35 Instead, from every people group he accepts everyone who honors him and who does what pleases him.
\s5
\v 36 You know the message that God sent to us Israelites. He proclaimed to us the good news that he would cause people to have peace with him because of what Jesus Christ has done. This Jesus is not Lord only over us Israelites. He is also the Lord who rules over all people.
\v 37 You know what he did throughout the land of Judea, beginning in Galilee. He began to do those things after John had been proclaiming to people that they should turn away from their sinful behavior before he baptized them.
\v 38 You know that God gave his Holy Spirit to Jesus, the man from the town of Nazareth, and gave him the power to do miracles. You also know how Jesus went to many places, always doing good deeds and healing people. He was healing all the people whom the devil was causing to suffer. Jesus was able to do those things because God was always helping him."
\s5
\p
\v 39 "We all saw the things Jesus did in Jerusalem and around every part of the country of Israel where he lived. His enemies killed him by nailing him to a wooden cross.
\v 40 Then God raised him back to life on the third day after he died, and he made sure that many people would see him alive after he was brought back to life. People were sure it was him who had died, and now they saw with their own eyes, and were fully convinced, that he was alive again.
\v 41 At that time God did not let everyone see him, only those he selected to spend time with him and to eat a meal together in those first days just after God raised him back to life.
\s5
\v 42 God commanded us to preach to the people and he told us to tell them that he appointed Jesus to be the judge of everyone one day, a day that is sure to come. He will judge all those who will still be living and all those who have died before that time.
\v 43 All the prophets who wrote about him long ago told the people about him. They wrote that if anyone believed in him, God could forgive whatever sins they have done, because of what this man, Jesus, had done for them."
\s5
\p
\v 44 While Peter was still speaking those words, suddenly the Holy Spirit came down on all those people from other nations who were listening to the message.
\v 45 The Jewish believers who had come with Peter from Joppa were amazed that God had generously given the Holy Spirit to people from all different nations, too.
\s5
\v 46 The Jewish believers knew that God had done that because they were hearing those people speaking languages that they had not learned and telling how great God is. Then Peter said
\v 47 to the other Jewish believers who were there, "God has given them the Holy Spirit just like he gave him to us Jewish believers, so surely all of you would agree that we should baptize these people!"
\v 48 Then Peter told those non-Jewish people that they should be baptized as believers in Jesus Christ. So they baptized all of them. After they were baptized, they requested that Peter stay with them several days. So Peter and the other Jewish believers did that.
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 There was a man who lived in the city of Caesarea whose name was Cornelius. He was an officer who commanded one hundred men in a large group of Roman soldiers from Italy.
\v 2 He always tried to do what would please God; he and his entire household were non-Jews who habitually worshiped God. He sometimes gave money to help poor Jewish people, and he prayed to God regularly.
\s5
\p
\v 3 One day at about three o'clock in the afternoon Cornelius saw a vision. He clearly saw an angel whom God had sent. He saw the angel coming into his room and saying to him, "Cornelius!"
\v 4 Cornelius stared at the angel and became terrified. Then he asked fearfully, "Sir, what do you want?" The angel who was sent from God answered him, "You have pleased God because you have been praying regularly to him and you often give money to help poor people. Those things have been like a memorial offering to God.
\v 5 So now command some men to go to Joppa and tell them to bring back a man named Simon whose other name is Peter.
\v 6 He is staying with a man, also named Simon, who makes leather. His house is near the ocean."
\s5
\v 7 When the angel who spoke to Cornelius had gone, he summoned two of his household servants and a soldier who served him, one who also worshiped God.
\v 8 He explained to them everything that the angel had said. Then he told them to go to city of Joppa to ask Peter to come to Caesarea.
\s5
\p
\v 9 About noon the next day those three men were traveling along the road and were coming near Joppa. As they were approaching Joppa, Peter went up on the flat housetop to pray.
\v 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat. While some people were preparing the food, Peter saw a vision.
\v 11 He saw the sky open and something like a large sheet being lowered to the ground, with its four corners raised up.
\v 12 Inside the sheet were all kinds of creatures. These included animals and birds that the Mosaic laws forbade Jews to eat. Some had four feet, others crawled on the ground, and others were wild birds.
\s5
\v 13 Then he heard God say to him, "Peter, stand up, kill some of these and eat them!"
\v 14 But Peter replied, "Lord, surely you do not really want me to do that since I have never eaten anything that our Jewish law says is unacceptable to you or something that we must not eat!"
\v 15 Then Peter heard God talk to him a second time. He said, "I am God, so if I have made something acceptable to eat, do not say that it is not acceptable to eat!"
\v 16 This happened three times. Immediately after that, the sheet with the animals and birds was then pulled back into the sky.
\s5
\p
\v 17 While Peter was trying to understand what that vision meant, the men who had been sent by Cornelius arrived. They asked people how to get to Simon's house. So they found his house and were standing outside the gate.
\v 18 They called and asked if a man named Simon, whose other name was Peter, was staying there.
\s5
\v 19 While Peter was still trying to understand what the vision meant, God's Spirit said to him, "Listen! Three men are here who want to see you.
\v 20 So get up and go downstairs and go with them! Do not think that you should not go with them, because I have sent them here!"
\v 21 So Peter went down to the men and said to them, "Greetings! I am the man you are looking for. Why have you come?"
\s5
\v 22 They replied, "Cornelius, who is a Roman army officer, sent us here. He is a good man who worships God, and all of the Jewish people who know about him say that he is a very good man. An angel said to him, 'Tell some men to go to Joppa to see Simon Peter and bring him here, so that you can hear what he has to say.'"
\v 23 So Peter invited them into the house and told them that they should stay there that night.
\p The next day Peter got ready and went with the men. Several of the believers from Joppa also went with him.
\s5
\v 24 The day after that, they arrived in the city of Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had also invited his relatives and close friends to come, so they were there in his house too.
\s5
\v 25 When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and bowed low in front of him to worship him.
\v 26 But Peter grasped Cornelius by the hand and lifted him to his feet. He said, "Stand up! Do not bow down and worship me! I myself am only human, like you!"
\s5
\p
\v 27 While he was talking to Cornelius, Peter and the others entered the house and saw that many people had gathered together there.
\v 28 Then Peter said to them, "You all know that any of us Jews think we are disobeying our Jewish laws if we associate with those who are descendants of non-Jewish parents or if we even visit in their homes. However, God has shown me in a vision that I should not say anyone is so defiled and unclean that God would not accept him.
\v 29 So when you sent some men to ask me to come here, I came right away without objection. So, please tell me, why have you asked me to come here?"
\s5
\p
\v 30 Cornelius replied, "About this time three days ago I was praying to God in my house, as I regularly do at three o'clock in the afternoon. Suddenly a man whose clothes shone brightly stood in front of me
\v 31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer. He has also noticed that you have often given money to help poor people, and he is pleased with that.
\v 32 So now, send messengers to go to the city of Joppa in order to ask Simon whose other name is Peter to come here. He is staying near the ocean in a house that belongs to another man named Simon, who makes leather.'
\v 33 So I immediately sent some men who asked you to come here, and I certainly thank you for coming. Now we all are gathered here, knowing that God is with us, in order to hear all the things that the Lord God has commanded you to say. So please speak to us."
\s5
\p
\v 34 So Peter began to speak to them. He said, "Now I understand that it is true that God does not favor only certain groups of people.
\v 35 Instead, from every people group he accepts everyone who honors him and who does what pleases him.
\s5
\v 36 You know the message that God sent to us Israelites. He proclaimed to us the good news that he would cause people to have peace with him because of what Jesus Christ has done. This Jesus is not Lord only over us Israelites. He is also the Lord who rules over all people.
\v 37 You know what he did throughout the land of Judea, beginning in Galilee. He began to do those things after John had been proclaiming to people that they should turn away from their sinful behavior before he baptized them.
\v 38 You know that God gave his Holy Spirit to Jesus, the man from the town of Nazareth, and gave him the power to do miracles. You also know how Jesus went to many places, always doing good deeds and healing people. He was healing all the people whom the devil was causing to suffer. Jesus was able to do those things because God was always helping him."
\s5
\p
\v 39 "We all saw the things Jesus did in Jerusalem and around every part of the country of Israel where he lived. His enemies killed him by nailing him to a wooden cross.
\v 40 Then God raised him back to life on the third day after he died, and he made sure that many people would see him alive after he was brought back to life. People were sure it was him who had died, and now they saw with their own eyes, and were fully convinced, that he was alive again.
\v 41 At that time God did not let everyone see him, only those he selected to spend time with him and to eat a meal together in those first days just after God raised him back to life.
\s5
\v 42 God commanded us to preach to the people and he told us to tell them that he appointed Jesus to be the judge of everyone one day, a day that is sure to come. He will judge all those who will still be living and all those who have died before that time.
\v 43 All the prophets who wrote about him long ago told the people about him. They wrote that if anyone believed in him, God could forgive whatever sins they have done, because of what this man, Jesus, had done for them."
\s5
\p
\v 44 While Peter was still speaking those words, suddenly the Holy Spirit came down on all those people from other nations who were listening to the message.
\v 45 The Jewish believers who had come with Peter from Joppa were amazed that God had generously given the Holy Spirit to people from all different nations, too.
\s5
\v 46 The Jewish believers knew that God had done that because they were hearing those people speaking languages that they had not learned and telling how great God is. Then Peter said
\v 47 to the other Jewish believers who were there, "God has given them the Holy Spirit just like he gave him to us Jewish believers, so surely all of you would agree that we should baptize these people!"
\v 48 Then Peter told those non-Jewish people that they should be baptized as believers in Jesus Christ. So they baptized all of them. After they were baptized, they requested that Peter stay with them several days. So Peter and the other Jewish believers did that.
\s5
@ -1756,112 +1756,112 @@ y
\v 36 When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of the elders and prayed.
\v 37 They all cried a lot, and they hugged Paul and kissed him.
\v 38 They were very sad because he had said that they would never see him again. Then they all went with him to the ship.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 After we said goodbye to the elders from Ephesus, we got on the ship and traveled on the water to the Island of Cos, where the ship stopped for the night. The next day we went in the ship from Cos to the Island of Rhodes, where the ship stopped again. The day after that we went to the town of Patara, where the ship stopped.
\v 2 At Patara we left that ship, and someone told us that there was a ship that would be going to the region of Phoenicia. So we got on that ship, and it left.
\s5
\v 3 We traveled over the sea until we could see the Island of Cyprus. We passed to the south of the island and continued sailing until we arrived at the region of Phoenicia, in the province of Syria, at the city of Tyre. The ship was going to stay there several days because its workers had to unload the cargo.
\p
\v 4 Someone told us where the believers in Tyre lived, so we went and stayed with them for seven days. Because God's Spirit revealed to them that people would cause Paul to suffer in Jerusalem, they told Paul that he should not go there.
\s5
\v 5 But when it was time for the ship to leave again, we prepared to continue on our way to Jerusalem. When we left Tyre, all the men and their wives and children went with us to the edge of the sea. We all knelt down there on the sand and prayed.
\v 6 After we all said goodbye, Paul and we his companions got on the ship, and the other believers returned to their own homes.
\s5
\p
\v 7 After we left Tyre, we continued on that ship to the city of Ptolemais. There were believers there, and we greeted them and stayed with them that night.
\v 8 The next day we left Ptolemais and sailed to the city of Caesarea, where we stayed in the home of Philip, who spent his time telling others how to become followers of Jesus. He was one of the seven men whom the believers in Jerusalem had chosen to care for the widows.
\v 9 He had four daughters who were not married. Each of them frequently spoke messages that the Holy Spirit had told them.
\s5
\p
\v 10 After we had been in Philip's house for several days, a believer whose name was Agabus came down from the district of Judea and arrived in Caesarea. He frequently spoke messages that the Holy Spirit had told him.
\v 11 Coming over to where we were, he took off Paul's belt. Then he tied his own feet and hands with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the hands and feet of the owner of this belt, like this, and they will put him in the hands of non-Jewish people as a prisoner.'"
\s5
\v 12 When the rest of us heard that, we and the other believers there asked Paul, "Please do not go up to Jerusalem!"
\v 13 But Paul replied, "Please stop crying and trying to discourage me from going! Why are you crying and trying to discourage me from going? I am willing to go to prison and also to die in Jerusalem because I serve the Lord Jesus."
\v 14 When we realized that he would go to Jerusalem, we did not try any longer to stop him. We said, "May the Lord's will be done!"
\s5
\p
\v 15 After those days in Caesarea, we prepared our possessions and left to go by land up to Jerusalem.
\v 16 Some of the believers from Caesarea also went with us. They took us to stay in the house of a man whose name was Mnason. He was from the Island of Cyprus, and he had believed in Jesus when people were first beginning to hear the message about him.
\s5
\p
\v 17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, a group of the believers greeted us happily.
\v 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to speak with James, who was the leader of the church there. All of the other leaders of the church in Jerusalem were also there.
\v 19 Paul greeted them, and then he told them all of the things that God had enabled him to do among the non-Jewish people.
\s5
\v 20 When they heard that, James and the other elders thanked God. Then one of them said to Paul, "Brother, you know that there are very many thousands of us Jewish people here who have believed in the Lord Jesus. Also, you know that we all continue very carefully to obey the laws that Moses gave us.
\v 21 But our fellow Jewish believers have been told that when you are among non-Jews, you tell the Jewish believers who live there that they should stop obeying the laws of Moses. People say that you tell those Jewish believers not to circumcise their sons and not to practice our other customs. We do not believe that they are telling the truth about you.
\s5
\v 22 But our fellow Jewish believers will hear that you have come, and they will be angry with you. So you need to do something to show them that what they heard about you is not true.
\v 23 So please do what we suggest to you. There are four men among us who have made a vow to God.
\v 24 Go with these men to the temple and do the ceremonies there necessary for you and them to be able to worship in the temple. Then, when it is time for them to offer the sacrifices, pay for what they offer. After that, they can shave their heads to show that they have done what they said they would do. When people see you in the courts of the temple with those men, they will know that what they have been told about you is not true. Instead, all of them will know that you obey all our Jewish laws.
\s5
\v 25 As for the non-Jewish believers, we elders here in Jerusalem have talked about which of our laws they should obey, and we wrote them a letter, telling them what we decided. We wrote that they should not eat meat that people have offered as a sacrifice to any idol, that they should not eat blood from animals, and that they should not eat meat from animals that people have killed by strangling them. We also told them that they should not sleep with someone to whom they are not married."
\v 26 So Paul agreed to do what they asked, and the next day he took the four men, and together they purified themselves. After that, Paul went to the temple courts and told the priest what day they would finish purifying themselves and when they would offer the animals as sacrifices for each of them.
\s5
\p
\v 27 When the seven days for purifying themselves were nearly finished, Paul returned to the temple courtyard. Some Jews from Asia saw him there, and they were very angry at him. They called out to many other Jews who were in the temple courtyard to help them take hold of Paul.
\v 28 They shouted, "Fellow Israelites, come and help us to punish this man! This is the one who is teaching people wherever he goes that they should despise the Jewish people. He teaches people that they should no longer obey the laws of Moses nor respect this holy temple. He has even brought non-Jews here into the court of our temple, causing this place to become polluted!"
\v 29 They said these because they had seen Paul walking around in Jerusalem with Trophimus, who was a non-Jew. Their laws did not permit non-Jews to be in the temple, and they thought that Paul had brought Trophimus into the temple courtyard that day.
\s5
\v 30 People all over the city heard that there was trouble at the temple courtyard, and they came running there. They caught Paul and dragged him outside of the temple area. The gates to the temple courtyard were shut, so that the people would not riot inside the temple area.
\p
\v 31 While they were trying to kill Paul, someone ran to the fortress near the temple and told the Roman commander that many people in Jerusalem were rioting at the temple.
\s5
\v 32 The commander quickly took some officers and a large group of soldiers and ran to the temple area where the crowd was. When the crowd of people who were yelling and beating Paul saw the commander and the soldiers coming, they stopped beating him.
\p
\v 33 The commander came to where Paul was and took hold of him. He commanded soldiers to fasten a chain to each of Paul's arms. Then he asked the people in the crowd, "Who is this man, and what has he done?"
\s5
\v 34 Some of the many people there were shouting one thing, and some were shouting something else. Because they continued shouting so loudly, the commander could not understand what they were saying. So he commanded that Paul be taken into the fortress so that he could question him there.
\v 35 The soldiers led Paul to the steps of the fortress, but many people continued to follow them, trying to kill Paul. So the commander told the soldiers to carry Paul up the steps into the fortress.
\v 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!"
\s5
\p
\v 37 As Paul was about to be taken into the fortress, he said in Greek to the commander, "May I speak to you?" The commander said, "I am surprised that you can speak Greek!
\v 38 I thought that you were that fellow from Egypt who wanted to rebel against the government not long ago, and who took four thousand violent men with him out into the desert, so that we could not catch him."
\s5
\v 39 Paul answered, "No, I am not! I am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus, which is an important city in the province of Cilicia. I request that you let me speak to the people."
\v 40 Then the commander permitted Paul to speak. So Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand for the crowd to be quiet. And after the people in the crowd became quiet, Paul spoke to them in their own Hebrew language.
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 After we said goodbye to the elders from Ephesus, we got on the ship and traveled on the water to the Island of Cos, where the ship stopped for the night. The next day we went in the ship from Cos to the Island of Rhodes, where the ship stopped again. The day after that we went to the town of Patara, where the ship stopped.
\v 2 At Patara we left that ship, and someone told us that there was a ship that would be going to the region of Phoenicia. So we got on that ship, and it left.
\s5
\v 3 We traveled over the sea until we could see the Island of Cyprus. We passed to the south of the island and continued sailing until we arrived at the region of Phoenicia, in the province of Syria, at the city of Tyre. The ship was going to stay there several days because its workers had to unload the cargo.
\p
\v 4 Someone told us where the believers in Tyre lived, so we went and stayed with them for seven days. Because God's Spirit revealed to them that people would cause Paul to suffer in Jerusalem, they told Paul that he should not go there.
\s5
\v 5 But when it was time for the ship to leave again, we prepared to continue on our way to Jerusalem. When we left Tyre, all the men and their wives and children went with us to the edge of the sea. We all knelt down there on the sand and prayed.
\v 6 After we all said goodbye, Paul and we his companions got on the ship, and the other believers returned to their own homes.
\s5
\p
\v 7 After we left Tyre, we continued on that ship to the city of Ptolemais. There were believers there, and we greeted them and stayed with them that night.
\v 8 The next day we left Ptolemais and sailed to the city of Caesarea, where we stayed in the home of Philip, who spent his time telling others how to become followers of Jesus. He was one of the seven men whom the believers in Jerusalem had chosen to care for the widows.
\v 9 He had four daughters who were not married. Each of them frequently spoke messages that the Holy Spirit had told them.
\s5
\p
\v 10 After we had been in Philip's house for several days, a believer whose name was Agabus came down from the district of Judea and arrived in Caesarea. He frequently spoke messages that the Holy Spirit had told him.
\v 11 Coming over to where we were, he took off Paul's belt. Then he tied his own feet and hands with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'The Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will tie up the hands and feet of the owner of this belt, like this, and they will put him in the hands of non-Jewish people as a prisoner.'"
\s5
\v 12 When the rest of us heard that, we and the other believers there asked Paul, "Please do not go up to Jerusalem!"
\v 13 But Paul replied, "Please stop crying and trying to discourage me from going! Why are you crying and trying to discourage me from going? I am willing to go to prison and also to die in Jerusalem because I serve the Lord Jesus."
\v 14 When we realized that he would go to Jerusalem, we did not try any longer to stop him. We said, "May the Lord's will be done!"
\s5
\p
\v 15 After those days in Caesarea, we prepared our possessions and left to go by land up to Jerusalem.
\v 16 Some of the believers from Caesarea also went with us. They took us to stay in the house of a man whose name was Mnason. He was from the Island of Cyprus, and he had believed in Jesus when people were first beginning to hear the message about him.
\s5
\p
\v 17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, a group of the believers greeted us happily.
\v 18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to speak with James, who was the leader of the church there. All of the other leaders of the church in Jerusalem were also there.
\v 19 Paul greeted them, and then he told them all of the things that God had enabled him to do among the non-Jewish people.
\s5
\v 20 When they heard that, James and the other elders thanked God. Then one of them said to Paul, "Brother, you know that there are very many thousands of us Jewish people here who have believed in the Lord Jesus. Also, you know that we all continue very carefully to obey the laws that Moses gave us.
\v 21 But our fellow Jewish believers have been told that when you are among non-Jews, you tell the Jewish believers who live there that they should stop obeying the laws of Moses. People say that you tell those Jewish believers not to circumcise their sons and not to practice our other customs. We do not believe that they are telling the truth about you.
\s5
\v 22 But our fellow Jewish believers will hear that you have come, and they will be angry with you. So you need to do something to show them that what they heard about you is not true.
\v 23 So please do what we suggest to you. There are four men among us who have made a vow to God.
\v 24 Go with these men to the temple and do the ceremonies there necessary for you and them to be able to worship in the temple. Then, when it is time for them to offer the sacrifices, pay for what they offer. After that, they can shave their heads to show that they have done what they said they would do. When people see you in the courts of the temple with those men, they will know that what they have been told about you is not true. Instead, all of them will know that you obey all our Jewish laws.
\s5
\v 25 As for the non-Jewish believers, we elders here in Jerusalem have talked about which of our laws they should obey, and we wrote them a letter, telling them what we decided. We wrote that they should not eat meat that people have offered as a sacrifice to any idol, that they should not eat blood from animals, and that they should not eat meat from animals that people have killed by strangling them. We also told them that they should not sleep with someone to whom they are not married."
\v 26 So Paul agreed to do what they asked, and the next day he took the four men, and together they purified themselves. After that, Paul went to the temple courts and told the priest what day they would finish purifying themselves and when they would offer the animals as sacrifices for each of them.
\s5
\p
\v 27 When the seven days for purifying themselves were nearly finished, Paul returned to the temple courtyard. Some Jews from Asia saw him there, and they were very angry at him. They called out to many other Jews who were in the temple courtyard to help them take hold of Paul.
\v 28 They shouted, "Fellow Israelites, come and help us to punish this man! This is the one who is teaching people wherever he goes that they should despise the Jewish people. He teaches people that they should no longer obey the laws of Moses nor respect this holy temple. He has even brought non-Jews here into the court of our temple, causing this place to become polluted!"
\v 29 They said these because they had seen Paul walking around in Jerusalem with Trophimus, who was a non-Jew. Their laws did not permit non-Jews to be in the temple, and they thought that Paul had brought Trophimus into the temple courtyard that day.
\s5
\v 30 People all over the city heard that there was trouble at the temple courtyard, and they came running there. They caught Paul and dragged him outside of the temple area. The gates to the temple courtyard were shut, so that the people would not riot inside the temple area.
\p
\v 31 While they were trying to kill Paul, someone ran to the fortress near the temple and told the Roman commander that many people in Jerusalem were rioting at the temple.
\s5
\v 32 The commander quickly took some officers and a large group of soldiers and ran to the temple area where the crowd was. When the crowd of people who were yelling and beating Paul saw the commander and the soldiers coming, they stopped beating him.
\p
\v 33 The commander came to where Paul was and took hold of him. He commanded soldiers to fasten a chain to each of Paul's arms. Then he asked the people in the crowd, "Who is this man, and what has he done?"
\s5
\v 34 Some of the many people there were shouting one thing, and some were shouting something else. Because they continued shouting so loudly, the commander could not understand what they were saying. So he commanded that Paul be taken into the fortress so that he could question him there.
\v 35 The soldiers led Paul to the steps of the fortress, but many people continued to follow them, trying to kill Paul. So the commander told the soldiers to carry Paul up the steps into the fortress.
\v 36 The crowd that followed kept shouting, "Kill him! Kill him!"
\s5
\p
\v 37 As Paul was about to be taken into the fortress, he said in Greek to the commander, "May I speak to you?" The commander said, "I am surprised that you can speak Greek!
\v 38 I thought that you were that fellow from Egypt who wanted to rebel against the government not long ago, and who took four thousand violent men with him out into the desert, so that we could not catch him."
\s5
\v 39 Paul answered, "No, I am not! I am a Jew. I was born in Tarsus, which is an important city in the province of Cilicia. I request that you let me speak to the people."
\v 40 Then the commander permitted Paul to speak. So Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand for the crowd to be quiet. And after the people in the crowd became quiet, Paul spoke to them in their own Hebrew language.
\s5
@ -1933,152 +1933,152 @@ y
\s5
\c 23
\p
\v 1 Paul looked at the Jewish council members and said: "My fellow Jews, all my life I have lived respecting our God, and I do not know of anything that I have done that I knew was wrong."
\v 2 When Ananias the high priest heard what Paul said, he told the men who were standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth.
\v 3 Then Paul said to Ananias, "God will punish you for that, you hypocrite! You sit there and judge me, using the laws that God gave Moses. But you yourself disobey those laws, because you commanded me to be struck without having proved that I have done anything that is wrong!"
\s5
\v 4 The men who were standing near Paul said to him, "You should not speak badly to God's servant, our high priest!"
\v 5 Paul replied, "My fellow Jews, I am sorry that I said that. I did not know that the man who told one of you to hit me is the high priest. If I had known that, I would not have talked badly about our high priest, because I know that it is written in our Jewish law, 'Do not speak evil of any of your rulers!'"
\s5
\p
\v 6 Paul knew that some of the council members were Sadducees and others were Pharisees. So he called out in the council hall, "My fellow Jews, I am a Pharisee, and all in my family were Pharisees, as well. I have been put on trial here because I am sure that one day God will cause those who have died to become alive again."
\v 7 When he said that, the Pharisees and Sadducees started to argue with one another about whether or not people who have died will become alive again, and each of them were arguing with the other.
\v 8 The Sadducees believe that after people die, they will not become alive again. They also believe that there are no angels and no other kinds of spirits. But the Pharisees believe all these things.
\s5
\v 9 They began shouting at one another as they argued. Some of the teachers of the laws who were Pharisees stood up. One of them said, "We think that this man has done nothing wrong. Maybe an angel or some other spirit spoke to him and what he says is true."
\v 10 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees became violent with one another. So the commander was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. He told soldiers to go down from the prison and take Paul away from the council members and bring him up into the barracks.
\s5
\p
\v 11 That night, Paul saw the Lord Jesus come and stand near him. The Lord said to him, "Have courage! You have told people here in Jerusalem about me, and you must tell people in Rome about me too."
\s5
\p
\v 12 The next morning some of the Jews who hated Paul met and talked about how to kill him. They told themselves that they would not eat or drink anything until he was dead. They asked God to curse them if they did not do what they promised.
\v 13 There were more than forty men who wanted to kill Paul.
\s5
\v 14 They went to the chief priests and Jewish elders and told them, "God has heard us promise that we will not eat or drink anything until we have killed Paul.
\v 15 So we request that you go to the commander and ask him, on behalf of the whole Jewish council, to bring Paul down to us. Tell the commander that you want to talk to Paul some more. We will be waiting to kill Paul while he is on the way here."
\s5
\p
\v 16 But the son of Paul's sister heard what they were planning to do, so he went into the fortress and told Paul.
\v 17 When Paul heard that, he called one of the officers and said to him, "Please take this young man to the commander, because he needs to tell him something."
\s5
\v 18 So the officer took the young man to the commander. The officer said to the commander, "The prisoner Paul called me and said, 'Please take this young man to the commander, because he needs to tell him something.'"
\v 19 The commander took the young man by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, "What do you need to tell me?"
\s5
\v 20 He said, "There are some Jews who want to bring Paul before their council tomorrow. They will say that they want to ask him some more questions. But that is not true.
\v 21 Do not do what they ask you to do, because there are more than forty Jewish men who will be hiding and waiting to kill Paul when he passes by on the way to the council. They even promised to God that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed Paul. They are ready to do it, and right now they are waiting for you to agree to do what they are asking you to do."
\s5
\v 22 The commander said to the young man, "Do not tell anyone that you have told me about their plan." Then he sent the young man away.
\p
\v 23 Then the commander called two of his officers and told them, "Get a group of two hundred soldiers ready to travel. Take along seventy soldiers riding horses, and two hundred other soldiers carrying spears. All of you must be ready to leave at nine o'clock tonight, to go down to the city of Caesarea.
\v 24 And take along horses for Paul to ride, and escort him to the palace of Governor Felix."
\s5
\v 25 Then the commander wrote a letter to send to the governor. This is what he wrote:
\v 26 "I am Claudius Lysias writing to you. You, Felix, are our governor whom we honor, and I send you my greetings.
\v 27 I have sent you this man, Paul, because certain Jews seized him and were about to kill him. But I heard someone tell me that he is a Roman citizen, so I and my soldiers went and rescued him.
\s5
\v 28 I wanted to know what those Jews were saying that he had done wrong, so I took him to their Jewish council.
\v 29 I listened while they asked this man questions and he answered them. The things they accused him about had to do with their Jewish laws. But Paul has not disobeyed any of our Roman laws. So our officials should not execute him or even put him in prison.
\v 30 Someone told me that some Jews were planning to kill this man, so I sent him to you, so that you may give him a fair trial there. I have also commanded the Jews who have accused him to go there to Caesarea and tell you what they are accusing him about. Goodbye."
\s5
\p
\v 31 So the soldiers did what the commander told them. They got Paul and took him with them during the night down to Antipatris.
\v 32 The next day, the foot soldiers returned to Jerusalem, and the soldiers who rode horses went on with Paul.
\v 33 When they arrived in the city of Caesarea, they gave the letter to the governor, and they placed Paul before him.
\s5
\v 34 The governor read the letter and then he said to Paul, "What province are you from?" Paul answered, "I am from Cilicia."
\v 35 Then the governor said, "When the people who have accused you arrive, I will listen to what each of you says and then I will judge your case." Then he commanded that Paul be guarded in the palace that King Herod the Great had built.
\s5
\c 24
\p
\v 1 Five days later Ananias the high priest went down there from Jerusalem, along with some other Jewish elders and a speechmaker whose name was Tertullus. There they told the governor what Paul had done that they thought was wrong.
\v 2 The governor commanded Paul to be brought in. When Paul arrived, Tertullus began to accuse him. He said to the governor, "Honorable Governor Felix, during the many years that you have ruled us, we have lived well. By planning wisely, you have improved many things in this province.
\v 3 Therefore, Governor Felix, we always thank you for everything that you have done for all of us, wherever you have done those things.
\s5
\v 4 But, so that I will not take up too much of your time, I ask that you kindly listen to what I have to say.
\v 5 We have observed that this man, wherever he goes, causes trouble with the Jews. He also leads the entire group whom people call the followers of the Nazarene.
\v 6 He even tried to do things in the temple in Jerusalem that would pollute it, so we arrested him. \f + \ft the best ancient copies omit the second part of 24:6 \fqa And we wanted to judge him according to our law \f*
\s5
\v 7 \f + \ft The best ancient copies omit vs 7, \fqa But Lysias, the commander of the Roman fortress, came with his soldiers and took him away from us. \f*
\v 8 \f + \ft The best ancient copies omit the first part of vs 8, \fqa sending us to you. \f* If you question him yourself, you will be able to learn that all these things about which we are accusing him are true.
\v 9 Then the Jewish leaders there told the governor that what Tertullus had said was true.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then the governor motioned with his hand to Paul that he should speak. So Paul replied, and said, "Governor Felix, I know that you have judged this Jewish province for many years. Therefore I gladly defend myself. I know that you will listen to me and will judge me fairly.
\v 11 You know that it has not been more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship God.
\v 12 No one can say that they saw me arguing with anyone in the temple courts because I did not do that. No one can say that they saw me causing people to riot in any Jewish synagogue or causing trouble anywhere else in Jerusalem, because I did not do that.
\v 13 So they cannot prove to you the things about which they are now accusing me.
\s5
\v 14 But I admit to you that this is true: I do worship the God that our ancestors worshiped. It is true that I follow the way that Jesus taught us. I also believe everything that Moses wrote in the laws that God gave him and everything that the other prophets wrote in their books.
\v 15 I believe, just like these men also believe, that some day God will cause everyone who has died to become alive again, both those who were good and those who were wicked.
\v 16 Because I believe that day will come, I always try to do what pleases God and what other people think is right.
\s5
\v 17 After I had been in other places for several years, I returned to Jerusalem to bring some money to my fellow Jews who are poor.
\v 18 Some Jews from Asia saw me in the temple courts after I had completed the ritual that allows one to worship God. There was no crowd with me, and I was not causing people to riot.
\v 19 But it was those Jews who caused the people to riot. They should be here in front of you to accuse me, if they think that I did something wrong.
\s5
\v 20 But if they do not want to do that, these Jewish men who are here should tell you what they think I did that was wrong when I defended myself in their council.
\v 21 They might say that I did something wrong when I shouted, 'You are judging me today because I believe that God will cause all people who have died to become alive again.'"
\s5
\p
\v 22 Felix already knew much about what people called the Way, and so he stopped the trial. He said to them, "Later, when Commander Lysias comes down here, I will decide this case."
\v 23 Then he told the officer who was guarding Paul to take Paul back to the prison and make sure that Paul was guarded all the time. But he said that Paul was not to be chained, and if his friends came to visit him, the officer should allow them to help Paul in any way that they wanted to.
\s5
\p
\v 24 Several days later Felix came back with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, and called for Paul to speak with him. Felix listened to what Paul said to him about trusting in Jesus Christ.
\v 25 Paul talked to him about what God wants people to do in order to please him. He also explained how people should control how they act and that there would be a time when God will judge all people. Felix became afraid after hearing those things, so he said to Paul, "That is all I want to hear now. When I have time, I will ask you to come to me again."
\s5
\v 26 Felix was hoping that Paul would give him some money, so he sent for Paul to come to him many times. Paul talked with Felix many times, but he did not give Felix any money, and Felix did not tell his soldiers to release Paul from prison.
\p
\v 27 When two years had passed, Porcius Festus became governor in place of Felix. Felix let Paul remain in prison because he wanted to please the Jewish leaders.
\s5
\c 23
\p
\v 1 Paul looked at the Jewish council members and said: "My fellow Jews, all my life I have lived respecting our God, and I do not know of anything that I have done that I knew was wrong."
\v 2 When Ananias the high priest heard what Paul said, he told the men who were standing near Paul to hit him on the mouth.
\v 3 Then Paul said to Ananias, "God will punish you for that, you hypocrite! You sit there and judge me, using the laws that God gave Moses. But you yourself disobey those laws, because you commanded me to be struck without having proved that I have done anything that is wrong!"
\s5
\v 4 The men who were standing near Paul said to him, "You should not speak badly to God's servant, our high priest!"
\v 5 Paul replied, "My fellow Jews, I am sorry that I said that. I did not know that the man who told one of you to hit me is the high priest. If I had known that, I would not have talked badly about our high priest, because I know that it is written in our Jewish law, 'Do not speak evil of any of your rulers!'"
\s5
\p
\v 6 Paul knew that some of the council members were Sadducees and others were Pharisees. So he called out in the council hall, "My fellow Jews, I am a Pharisee, and all in my family were Pharisees, as well. I have been put on trial here because I am sure that one day God will cause those who have died to become alive again."
\v 7 When he said that, the Pharisees and Sadducees started to argue with one another about whether or not people who have died will become alive again, and each of them were arguing with the other.
\v 8 The Sadducees believe that after people die, they will not become alive again. They also believe that there are no angels and no other kinds of spirits. But the Pharisees believe all these things.
\s5
\v 9 They began shouting at one another as they argued. Some of the teachers of the laws who were Pharisees stood up. One of them said, "We think that this man has done nothing wrong. Maybe an angel or some other spirit spoke to him and what he says is true."
\v 10 Then the Pharisees and Sadducees became violent with one another. So the commander was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces. He told soldiers to go down from the prison and take Paul away from the council members and bring him up into the barracks.
\s5
\p
\v 11 That night, Paul saw the Lord Jesus come and stand near him. The Lord said to him, "Have courage! You have told people here in Jerusalem about me, and you must tell people in Rome about me too."
\s5
\p
\v 12 The next morning some of the Jews who hated Paul met and talked about how to kill him. They told themselves that they would not eat or drink anything until he was dead. They asked God to curse them if they did not do what they promised.
\v 13 There were more than forty men who wanted to kill Paul.
\s5
\v 14 They went to the chief priests and Jewish elders and told them, "God has heard us promise that we will not eat or drink anything until we have killed Paul.
\v 15 So we request that you go to the commander and ask him, on behalf of the whole Jewish council, to bring Paul down to us. Tell the commander that you want to talk to Paul some more. We will be waiting to kill Paul while he is on the way here."
\s5
\p
\v 16 But the son of Paul's sister heard what they were planning to do, so he went into the fortress and told Paul.
\v 17 When Paul heard that, he called one of the officers and said to him, "Please take this young man to the commander, because he needs to tell him something."
\s5
\v 18 So the officer took the young man to the commander. The officer said to the commander, "The prisoner Paul called me and said, 'Please take this young man to the commander, because he needs to tell him something.'"
\v 19 The commander took the young man by the hand, led him off by himself, and asked him, "What do you need to tell me?"
\s5
\v 20 He said, "There are some Jews who want to bring Paul before their council tomorrow. They will say that they want to ask him some more questions. But that is not true.
\v 21 Do not do what they ask you to do, because there are more than forty Jewish men who will be hiding and waiting to kill Paul when he passes by on the way to the council. They even promised to God that they will not eat or drink anything until they have killed Paul. They are ready to do it, and right now they are waiting for you to agree to do what they are asking you to do."
\s5
\v 22 The commander said to the young man, "Do not tell anyone that you have told me about their plan." Then he sent the young man away.
\p
\v 23 Then the commander called two of his officers and told them, "Get a group of two hundred soldiers ready to travel. Take along seventy soldiers riding horses, and two hundred other soldiers carrying spears. All of you must be ready to leave at nine o'clock tonight, to go down to the city of Caesarea.
\v 24 And take along horses for Paul to ride, and escort him to the palace of Governor Felix."
\s5
\v 25 Then the commander wrote a letter to send to the governor. This is what he wrote:
\v 26 "I am Claudius Lysias writing to you. You, Felix, are our governor whom we honor, and I send you my greetings.
\v 27 I have sent you this man, Paul, because certain Jews seized him and were about to kill him. But I heard someone tell me that he is a Roman citizen, so I and my soldiers went and rescued him.
\s5
\v 28 I wanted to know what those Jews were saying that he had done wrong, so I took him to their Jewish council.
\v 29 I listened while they asked this man questions and he answered them. The things they accused him about had to do with their Jewish laws. But Paul has not disobeyed any of our Roman laws. So our officials should not execute him or even put him in prison.
\v 30 Someone told me that some Jews were planning to kill this man, so I sent him to you, so that you may give him a fair trial there. I have also commanded the Jews who have accused him to go there to Caesarea and tell you what they are accusing him about. Goodbye."
\s5
\p
\v 31 So the soldiers did what the commander told them. They got Paul and took him with them during the night down to Antipatris.
\v 32 The next day, the foot soldiers returned to Jerusalem, and the soldiers who rode horses went on with Paul.
\v 33 When they arrived in the city of Caesarea, they gave the letter to the governor, and they placed Paul before him.
\s5
\v 34 The governor read the letter and then he said to Paul, "What province are you from?" Paul answered, "I am from Cilicia."
\v 35 Then the governor said, "When the people who have accused you arrive, I will listen to what each of you says and then I will judge your case." Then he commanded that Paul be guarded in the palace that King Herod the Great had built.
\s5
\c 24
\p
\v 1 Five days later Ananias the high priest went down there from Jerusalem, along with some other Jewish elders and a speechmaker whose name was Tertullus. There they told the governor what Paul had done that they thought was wrong.
\v 2 The governor commanded Paul to be brought in. When Paul arrived, Tertullus began to accuse him. He said to the governor, "Honorable Governor Felix, during the many years that you have ruled us, we have lived well. By planning wisely, you have improved many things in this province.
\v 3 Therefore, Governor Felix, we always thank you for everything that you have done for all of us, wherever you have done those things.
\s5
\v 4 But, so that I will not take up too much of your time, I ask that you kindly listen to what I have to say.
\v 5 We have observed that this man, wherever he goes, causes trouble with the Jews. He also leads the entire group whom people call the followers of the Nazarene.
\v 6 He even tried to do things in the temple in Jerusalem that would pollute it, so we arrested him. \f + \ft the best ancient copies omit the second part of 24:6 \fqa And we wanted to judge him according to our law \f*
\s5
\v 7 \f + \ft The best ancient copies omit vs 7, \fqa But Lysias, the commander of the Roman fortress, came with his soldiers and took him away from us. \f*
\v 8 \f + \ft The best ancient copies omit the first part of vs 8, \fqa sending us to you. \f* If you question him yourself, you will be able to learn that all these things about which we are accusing him are true.
\v 9 Then the Jewish leaders there told the governor that what Tertullus had said was true.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Then the governor motioned with his hand to Paul that he should speak. So Paul replied, and said, "Governor Felix, I know that you have judged this Jewish province for many years. Therefore I gladly defend myself. I know that you will listen to me and will judge me fairly.
\v 11 You know that it has not been more than twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem to worship God.
\v 12 No one can say that they saw me arguing with anyone in the temple courts because I did not do that. No one can say that they saw me causing people to riot in any Jewish synagogue or causing trouble anywhere else in Jerusalem, because I did not do that.
\v 13 So they cannot prove to you the things about which they are now accusing me.
\s5
\v 14 But I admit to you that this is true: I do worship the God that our ancestors worshiped. It is true that I follow the way that Jesus taught us. I also believe everything that Moses wrote in the laws that God gave him and everything that the other prophets wrote in their books.
\v 15 I believe, just like these men also believe, that some day God will cause everyone who has died to become alive again, both those who were good and those who were wicked.
\v 16 Because I believe that day will come, I always try to do what pleases God and what other people think is right.
\s5
\v 17 After I had been in other places for several years, I returned to Jerusalem to bring some money to my fellow Jews who are poor.
\v 18 Some Jews from Asia saw me in the temple courts after I had completed the ritual that allows one to worship God. There was no crowd with me, and I was not causing people to riot.
\v 19 But it was those Jews who caused the people to riot. They should be here in front of you to accuse me, if they think that I did something wrong.
\s5
\v 20 But if they do not want to do that, these Jewish men who are here should tell you what they think I did that was wrong when I defended myself in their council.
\v 21 They might say that I did something wrong when I shouted, 'You are judging me today because I believe that God will cause all people who have died to become alive again.'"
\s5
\p
\v 22 Felix already knew much about what people called the Way, and so he stopped the trial. He said to them, "Later, when Commander Lysias comes down here, I will decide this case."
\v 23 Then he told the officer who was guarding Paul to take Paul back to the prison and make sure that Paul was guarded all the time. But he said that Paul was not to be chained, and if his friends came to visit him, the officer should allow them to help Paul in any way that they wanted to.
\s5
\p
\v 24 Several days later Felix came back with his wife Drusilla, who was a Jew, and called for Paul to speak with him. Felix listened to what Paul said to him about trusting in Jesus Christ.
\v 25 Paul talked to him about what God wants people to do in order to please him. He also explained how people should control how they act and that there would be a time when God will judge all people. Felix became afraid after hearing those things, so he said to Paul, "That is all I want to hear now. When I have time, I will ask you to come to me again."
\s5
\v 26 Felix was hoping that Paul would give him some money, so he sent for Paul to come to him many times. Paul talked with Felix many times, but he did not give Felix any money, and Felix did not tell his soldiers to release Paul from prison.
\p
\v 27 When two years had passed, Porcius Festus became governor in place of Felix. Felix let Paul remain in prison because he wanted to please the Jewish leaders.
\s5

View File

@ -157,88 +157,88 @@
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 Someone might say then, "If that is true, then it appears that there is no advantage to be a Jew over a non-Jew, and being circumcised does not benefit us Jews at all."
\v 2 But I tell you that being Jews has many benefits. First of all because it was to their ancestors that God spoke his words, words that show us who he is.
\s5
\v 3 Does the Jews not being faithful mean that God will not bless as he promised that he would?
\v 4 No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does what he has promised, even though people do not. All those who accuse God of not keeping his promises to us Jews are very mistaken. King David wrote about this:
"So everyone must acknowledge that what you have said about them is true, and that you will always win the case when anyone accuses you of doing wrong."
\s5
\p
\v 5 So if God did not bless because we were wicked, can we say that he acted unfairly? That he was wrong to punish us out of anger? (I am speaking as ordinary humans speak.)
\v 6 We should certainly not conclude that God should not judge, because if God did not judge, it could not possibly be right for him to judge the world!
\s5
\v 7 But someone might answer, "The fact that God truly keeps his promises becomes very clear because for example, I told a lie and the result is that people praise God because he has mercy! So God should no longer say that I should be punished on account of my having sinned, since people are praising him because of it!
\v 8 If what you, Paul, say is true, then we might as well do evil things in order that good things like that will result!" Some people speak evil about me because they accuse me of speaking like this. God will punish people who say such things about me, and they will deserve for him to punish them!
\s5
\p
\v 9 Shall we conclude that God will treat us more favorably and will treat the non-Jews less favorably? We can certainly not conclude that! The Jews and also the non-Jews have sinned and so they deserve for God to punish them.
\v 10 The following words that are written in the scriptures support this,
\s5
\p No person is righteous. There is not even one righteous person!
\v 11 There is no one who understands how to live properly. There is no one who seeks to know God!
\p
\v 12 Absolutely everyone has turned away from God. God considers them depraved. There is no one who acts righteously; no, there is not even one!
\q
\s5
\v 13 What people say is foul, like the smell that comes from a grave that has been opened. By what people say, they deceive people.
\q By what they say they injure people, just like the poison of snakes injures people.
\q
\v 14 They are continually cursing others and saying cruel things.
\q
\s5
\v 15 They go quickly to murder people.
\q
\v 16 Wherever they go they ruin everything and make people miserable.
\q
\v 17 They have not known how to live peacefully with other people.
\q
\v 18 They absolutely refuse to honor God!
\s5
\p
\v 19 We know that whatever these laws command is to those who are required to obey. This means that Jews or non-Jews are not able to say anything contrary when God demands an answer for having sinned.
\v 20 It is not because people have done the things that God's laws require that God will erase the record of their sins because no one has done those things completely. In fact, the result of our knowing God's laws is that we know clearly that we have sinned.
\s5
\p
\v 21 When God declares us right with him it does not depend on our obeying the law that he gave Moses. It was written about in the laws and by the prophets that Goe forgives our sins by a different way.
\v 22 God erases the record of our sins because we trust in what Jesus Christ has done for us. God does this for every person who trusts in Christ, because he considers that there is no difference between Jews and non-Jews.
\s5
\v 23 All people have done evil, and everyone has failed to accomplish the glorious goals that God set for them.
\v 24 Our record of sins has been erased by his acting kindly to forgive our sins, without our doing anything to earn it. Christ Jesus accomplished this by redeeming us.
\s5
\v 25 God showed that Christ turned away his anger by shedding his blood when he died, and we must believe in what he did for us. The sacrifice of Christ shows that God acted in a just manner. Otherwise, one might not have thought he was just, because he had overlooked sins that people had previously committed, for he is patient.
\v 26 God appointed Christ to die for us. By doing that, he now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts in Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 27 It is not at all because we obey the laws of Moses that God erases the record of our sins. So there is no way that we can boast that God favors us because we obeyed those laws. Instead, it is because we believe in Christ that God erases the record of our sins.
\v 28 So it is clear that God makes someone right with himself if that person trusts in Christ—not if that person obeys the law.
\s5
\v 29 You who are Jews certainly should not think that you are the only ones whom God will accept! You certainly should realize that he will accept non-Jews, too. Of course, he will accept non-Jews,
\v 30 because, as you firmly believe, there is only one God. It is this same God who will make Jews—who have been circumcised—right with himself because they trust in Christ, and it is also God who will make non-Jews—who have not been circumcised—right with himself, because they also trust in Christ.
\s5
\v 31 If you say that God makes us right with himself because we trust in Christ, does that mean that the law is now useless? Certainly not. Instead, that law is truly valid.
\s5
\c 3
\p
\v 1 Someone might say then, "If that is true, then it appears that there is no advantage to be a Jew over a non-Jew, and being circumcised does not benefit us Jews at all."
\v 2 But I tell you that being Jews has many benefits. First of all because it was to their ancestors that God spoke his words, words that show us who he is.
\s5
\v 3 Does the Jews not being faithful mean that God will not bless as he promised that he would?
\v 4 No, it certainly does not mean that! God always does what he has promised, even though people do not. All those who accuse God of not keeping his promises to us Jews are very mistaken. King David wrote about this:
"So everyone must acknowledge that what you have said about them is true, and that you will always win the case when anyone accuses you of doing wrong."
\s5
\p
\v 5 So if God did not bless because we were wicked, can we say that he acted unfairly? That he was wrong to punish us out of anger? (I am speaking as ordinary humans speak.)
\v 6 We should certainly not conclude that God should not judge, because if God did not judge, it could not possibly be right for him to judge the world!
\s5
\v 7 But someone might answer, "The fact that God truly keeps his promises becomes very clear because for example, I told a lie and the result is that people praise God because he has mercy! So God should no longer say that I should be punished on account of my having sinned, since people are praising him because of it!
\v 8 If what you, Paul, say is true, then we might as well do evil things in order that good things like that will result!" Some people speak evil about me because they accuse me of speaking like this. God will punish people who say such things about me, and they will deserve for him to punish them!
\s5
\p
\v 9 Shall we conclude that God will treat us more favorably and will treat the non-Jews less favorably? We can certainly not conclude that! The Jews and also the non-Jews have sinned and so they deserve for God to punish them.
\v 10 The following words that are written in the scriptures support this,
\s5
\p No person is righteous. There is not even one righteous person!
\v 11 There is no one who understands how to live properly. There is no one who seeks to know God!
\p
\v 12 Absolutely everyone has turned away from God. God considers them depraved. There is no one who acts righteously; no, there is not even one!
\q
\s5
\v 13 What people say is foul, like the smell that comes from a grave that has been opened. By what people say, they deceive people.
\q By what they say they injure people, just like the poison of snakes injures people.
\q
\v 14 They are continually cursing others and saying cruel things.
\q
\s5
\v 15 They go quickly to murder people.
\q
\v 16 Wherever they go they ruin everything and make people miserable.
\q
\v 17 They have not known how to live peacefully with other people.
\q
\v 18 They absolutely refuse to honor God!
\s5
\p
\v 19 We know that whatever these laws command is to those who are required to obey. This means that Jews or non-Jews are not able to say anything contrary when God demands an answer for having sinned.
\v 20 It is not because people have done the things that God's laws require that God will erase the record of their sins because no one has done those things completely. In fact, the result of our knowing God's laws is that we know clearly that we have sinned.
\s5
\p
\v 21 When God declares us right with him it does not depend on our obeying the law that he gave Moses. It was written about in the laws and by the prophets that Goe forgives our sins by a different way.
\v 22 God erases the record of our sins because we trust in what Jesus Christ has done for us. God does this for every person who trusts in Christ, because he considers that there is no difference between Jews and non-Jews.
\s5
\v 23 All people have done evil, and everyone has failed to accomplish the glorious goals that God set for them.
\v 24 Our record of sins has been erased by his acting kindly to forgive our sins, without our doing anything to earn it. Christ Jesus accomplished this by redeeming us.
\s5
\v 25 God showed that Christ turned away his anger by shedding his blood when he died, and we must believe in what he did for us. The sacrifice of Christ shows that God acted in a just manner. Otherwise, one might not have thought he was just, because he had overlooked sins that people had previously committed, for he is patient.
\v 26 God appointed Christ to die for us. By doing that, he now shows that he is just, and he shows that he is justly able to erase the record of sins for everyone who trusts in Jesus.
\s5
\p
\v 27 It is not at all because we obey the laws of Moses that God erases the record of our sins. So there is no way that we can boast that God favors us because we obeyed those laws. Instead, it is because we believe in Christ that God erases the record of our sins.
\v 28 So it is clear that God makes someone right with himself if that person trusts in Christ—not if that person obeys the law.
\s5
\v 29 You who are Jews certainly should not think that you are the only ones whom God will accept! You certainly should realize that he will accept non-Jews, too. Of course, he will accept non-Jews,
\v 30 because, as you firmly believe, there is only one God. It is this same God who will make Jews—who have been circumcised—right with himself because they trust in Christ, and it is also God who will make non-Jews—who have not been circumcised—right with himself, because they also trust in Christ.
\s5
\v 31 If you say that God makes us right with himself because we trust in Christ, does that mean that the law is now useless? Certainly not. Instead, that law is truly valid.
\s5
@ -364,64 +364,64 @@
\v 21 He did that in order that, unlike people die because they sin, his kind gift might put them right with himself. Then they can live forever because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for them.
\s5
\c 6
\p
\v 1 Someone might say in reply to what I have written that since God has acted kindly toward us, perhaps we should continue to sin in order that his kindness would be the greater.
\v 2 No, certainly not! We are like people who have died, who can no longer do anything evil. So we should not continue to sin.
\v 3 When we were baptized in union with Christ Jesus, God viewed us as dying with Christ on his cross. Do you not know this?
\s5
\v 4 So, when we were baptized, God viewed us also as being with Christ in his tomb. God the Father used his power to raise Christ from the dead; in the same way, he made it possible for us to live life in a new way.
\v 5 Since God views us as joining with Christ when he died, he will also make us rise with him from the dead.
\s5
\v 6 God views us sinners as having died on the cross with Christ, in order to put an end to our sinful nature. As a result, we no longer have to sin.
\v 7 For whoever has died no longer has to sin.
\s5
\v 8 Since God views us as having died together with Christ when he died, we believe that we will also live with him.
\v 9 We know that since God enabled Christ to live again after he died, Christ will never die again. Nothing will ever be able to make him die again.
\s5
\v 10 When he died, he went free from our sinful world, and he will never die again; but because he lives again, he lives in order to serve God.
\v 11 In the same way, you must view yourselves as God views you: You are dead people, unable to sin any longer; but you are also living people, living to serve God and joined to Christ Jesus.
\s5
\v 12 So when you want to sin, do not allow yourselves to do what you want. Remember that your body will die one day.
\v 13 Do not use any part of your body to do anything wicked. Instead, present yourselves to God as people who are now alive after belonging to the realm of the dead. Use every part of your body for God. Allow him to use you to do righteous things.
\v 14 When you desire to sin, do not do it! The laws that God gave Moses did not enable you to stop sinning. But now God controls you and kindly helps you not to sin.
\s5
\p
\v 15 We might think from this that because the laws God gave Moses did not enable us to stop sinning and God is now treating us kindly anyway, that God permits us to continue sinning. Absolutely not!
\v 16 If you offer to obey someone, you become his slaves. If you obey when you wish to sin, then you become the slaves of sin and die as a result. But if you obey God, then you become his slaves and, as a result, will do the right things that God wants you to do.
\s5
\v 17 In the past you sinned in whatever way you wanted to sin—you were slaves of sin. But then you began to sincerely obey what Christ taught you. I thank God for that.
\v 18 So now you do not have to sin any longer; sin is no longer your master. Instead, you are slaves of God, who is righteous.
\s5
\v 19 I am writing to you in a way that ordinary people can understand. In the past you were slaves to your desires so you did all kinds of impure and evil things. But now act justly as God acts, so that he will set you apart for himself as his people.
\v 20 It is true that in the past, you behaved as people who were free from God's power and righteousness (because you did whatever your evil minds told you to do). You did not have to do things that were right.
\v 21 But what good was that freedom to you? Doing those things that you are now ashamed of just meant you would have to be apart from God forever.
\s5
\v 22 But now you do not have to sin any longer. You are no longer slaves like that. Instead, you have become slaves of God. In return, he has set you apart as his own people, and he will allow you to live forever, with him.
\v 23 All who do what their evil minds tells them to do receive payment, too, but that payment is death. They will be apart from God forever. But as for God, he pays no wages to his slaves at all. Instead, he gives us a free gift: He allows us to live forever with him, joined to Christ Jesus our Lord.
\s5
\c 6
\p
\v 1 Someone might say in reply to what I have written that since God has acted kindly toward us, perhaps we should continue to sin in order that his kindness would be the greater.
\v 2 No, certainly not! We are like people who have died, who can no longer do anything evil. So we should not continue to sin.
\v 3 When we were baptized in union with Christ Jesus, God viewed us as dying with Christ on his cross. Do you not know this?
\s5
\v 4 So, when we were baptized, God viewed us also as being with Christ in his tomb. God the Father used his power to raise Christ from the dead; in the same way, he made it possible for us to live life in a new way.
\v 5 Since God views us as joining with Christ when he died, he will also make us rise with him from the dead.
\s5
\v 6 God views us sinners as having died on the cross with Christ, in order to put an end to our sinful nature. As a result, we no longer have to sin.
\v 7 For whoever has died no longer has to sin.
\s5
\v 8 Since God views us as having died together with Christ when he died, we believe that we will also live with him.
\v 9 We know that since God enabled Christ to live again after he died, Christ will never die again. Nothing will ever be able to make him die again.
\s5
\v 10 When he died, he went free from our sinful world, and he will never die again; but because he lives again, he lives in order to serve God.
\v 11 In the same way, you must view yourselves as God views you: You are dead people, unable to sin any longer; but you are also living people, living to serve God and joined to Christ Jesus.
\s5
\v 12 So when you want to sin, do not allow yourselves to do what you want. Remember that your body will die one day.
\v 13 Do not use any part of your body to do anything wicked. Instead, present yourselves to God as people who are now alive after belonging to the realm of the dead. Use every part of your body for God. Allow him to use you to do righteous things.
\v 14 When you desire to sin, do not do it! The laws that God gave Moses did not enable you to stop sinning. But now God controls you and kindly helps you not to sin.
\s5
\p
\v 15 We might think from this that because the laws God gave Moses did not enable us to stop sinning and God is now treating us kindly anyway, that God permits us to continue sinning. Absolutely not!
\v 16 If you offer to obey someone, you become his slaves. If you obey when you wish to sin, then you become the slaves of sin and die as a result. But if you obey God, then you become his slaves and, as a result, will do the right things that God wants you to do.
\s5
\v 17 In the past you sinned in whatever way you wanted to sin—you were slaves of sin. But then you began to sincerely obey what Christ taught you. I thank God for that.
\v 18 So now you do not have to sin any longer; sin is no longer your master. Instead, you are slaves of God, who is righteous.
\s5
\v 19 I am writing to you in a way that ordinary people can understand. In the past you were slaves to your desires so you did all kinds of impure and evil things. But now act justly as God acts, so that he will set you apart for himself as his people.
\v 20 It is true that in the past, you behaved as people who were free from God's power and righteousness (because you did whatever your evil minds told you to do). You did not have to do things that were right.
\v 21 But what good was that freedom to you? Doing those things that you are now ashamed of just meant you would have to be apart from God forever.
\s5
\v 22 But now you do not have to sin any longer. You are no longer slaves like that. Instead, you have become slaves of God. In return, he has set you apart as his own people, and he will allow you to live forever, with him.
\v 23 All who do what their evil minds tells them to do receive payment, too, but that payment is death. They will be apart from God forever. But as for God, he pays no wages to his slaves at all. Instead, he gives us a free gift: He allows us to live forever with him, joined to Christ Jesus our Lord.
\s5
@ -491,383 +491,383 @@
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 So God will not condemn and punish those who are joined to Christ Jesus.
\v 2 God's Spirit causes us to live in a new way because we are joined to Christ Jesus. In this way, I no longer have to sin when I think about sinning, and I will no more be separated from God.
\s5
\v 3 We tried to obey God's law in order to live with God, but it was useless to think that we could—we could not stop sinning. So God helped us instead: He sent his own Son into the world in order that his Son might atone for our sin. His Son came having a body that was like the body of us who sin. His Son came to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sin. When he did this, he also showed that our sins are truly wicked, and that anyone who sins deserves to be punished.
\v 4 So we can now fulfill all that God required in his law. We do this, not by our acting the way our old evil attitude desires, but instead by living as God's Spirit desires us to live.
\v 5 People who live by their evil attitudes think about pay attention to those attitudes. But people who live by what God's Spirit wants think about the things of the Spirit instead.
\s5
\v 6 Those who think about and are concerned about what their evil attitude desires will not live forever. But those who want what God's Spirit desires will live forever and have peace.
\v 7 Let me explain this. To the extent that people want what their evil attitude desires, they are acting contrary to God. They do not obey his law. In fact, they are not even able to obey his law.
\v 8 The people who do what their evil attitude tells them cannot please God.
\s5
\v 9 But we do not have to let our old evil nature control us. Instead, we can let God's Spirit control us, because he lives within us. If the Spirit who comes from Christ does not live in people, they do not belong to Christ.
\v 10 But since Christ is living in you by his Spirit, God views your bodies as dead, so you no longer have to sin. And he views your spirits as alive, because he has put you right with himself.
\s5
\v 11 God caused Jesus to live again after he died. And because his Spirit lives in you, God will also make your bodies, which now are sure to die, live again. He caused Christ to live again after he died, and he will make you live again by causing his Spirit to do it.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Therefore, my fellow believers, we are obligated live as the Spirit directs us. What we are not obligated to live as our old evil nature wants us to.
\v 13 If you do what your old evil nature wants, you will surely not live forever with God. But if the Spirit stops you from doing those things, then you will live forever.
\s5
\p
\v 14 We who obey the Spirit of God are God's children.
\v 15 This is because you have not received a spirit who makes you live in fear. You are not like slaves who fear their masters. On the contrary, God has give you his Spirit, and his Spirit has made us God's children. The Spirit now enables us to cry out to God, "You are my Father!"
\s5
\v 16 The Spirit himself confirms what our spirits say, that we are God's children.
\v 17 Because we are God's children, we also will one day receive what God has promised us. And we will receive this together with Christ. But we must suffer for doing good as Christ did, in order that God may honor us.
\s5
\p
\v 18 I think that what we suffer during the present time is not worth paying attention to, because the future splendor that God will reveal to us will be so great.
\v 19 The things that God has created are very eagerly waiting for the time when he will reveal who his true children are.
\s5
\v 20 God caused the things that he created to be unable to achieve what he had intended. That was not because they wanted to fail. On the contrary, God made them that way because he was certain
\v 21 that the things he created will one day no longer die, decay, and fall apart. He will free these things from that, in order that he can do the same wonderful things for these things that he will do for his children.
\v 22 We know that until now it is as though all things that God created have been groaning together, and they want him to do those same wonderful things for them. But now it is just like a woman who is having the pains that come before she gives birth to a child.
\s5
\v 23 Not only do those things groan, but we ourselves also groan inwardly. We who have God's Spirit, who is like a partial gift we have received as we wait for everything that God will give us, we groan inwardly. We groan while we wait eagerly for the time when we will receive our full rights as God's adopted children. That will include his freeing our bodies from the things that hinder us on earth. He will do this by giving us new bodies.
\v 24 For God saved us because we had confidence in him. If we had now the things for which we have been waiting, we would not need to wait for them any longer. After all, if you possess something that you have been expecting to get, you certainly do not need to wait for it any longer.
\v 25 But because we keep waiting expectantly to receive what we do not yet have, we wait for it eagerly and patiently.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Similarly, God's Spirit helps us when we are weak. We do not know what is proper for us to pray. But God's Spirit knows; as he prays for us, he groans in a way that cannot be expressed in words.
\v 27 God, who examines our inner attitude and mind, understands what his Spirit desires. His Spirit prays for us who belong to God exactly as God wants him to pray.
\s5
\p
\v 28 And we know that for those who love God, he works out all things that happen to them in a way that does us good. He does this for those whom he has chosen, because that was what he planned to do.
\v 29 God knew previously that we would believe in him. We are those who God also decided previously would have a character like his Son's character. The result is that Christ is God's firstborn Son, and those who are God's children are the many younger brothers of Jesus.
\v 30 And the ones God decided previously who would be like his Son, he also called them to be with him. And the ones he called to be with him, he also made them to be right with himself. And to the ones whom he has put right with himself, he also will give them honor.
\s5
\p
\v 31 So I will tell you what we must learn from all these things that God does for us. Because God is acting on our behalf, no one can win against us!
\v 32 God did not spare even his very own Son. Instead, he turned him over to others to cruelly kill him in order that all we who believe in him may benefit from his dying for us. Because God did that, he will also certainly give us freely everything that we need to live for him.
\s5
\v 33 No one can accuse us before God of doing wrong, for he has chosen us to belong to him. He is the one who has put us right with himself.
\v 34 No one can condemn us any longer. Christ is the one who died for us—and more than that, he also was raised from the dead—and he is ruling with God in the place of honor, and he is the one who is pleading for us.
\s5
\v 35 Absolutely no one and nothing can cause Christ to stop loving us! Even if someone afflicts us, or even someone harms us, or even if we have nothing to eat, or even if we do not have enough clothes, or even if we live in a dangerous situation, or even if someone will kill us.
\v 36 Such things may happen to us, just as it is written that David said to God, "Because we are your people, others repeatedly attempt to kill us. They consider that we are only people to be killed, like a butcher considers that sheep are only animals to be slaughtered."
\s5
\v 37 But even though all these bad things happen to us, we win completely over these things because Christ, who loves us, helps us.
\v 38 I am completely convinced that neither anything from the realm of the dead, nor what happens to us while we live, nor angels, nor demons, nor present events, nor future events, nor powerful beings,
\v 39 nor powerful beings in the sky or below it, nor anything else that God has created can cause God to stop loving us. God showed us that he loves us by sending Jesus Christ our Lord to die for us.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Because I am joined to Christ, I will tell you the truth. I am not lying! My conscience confirms what I say because the Holy Spirit controls me.
\v 2 I tell you that I grieve very greatly and deeply about my fellow Israelites.
\s5
\v 3 I personally would be willing to let God curse me and, keep me apart from Christ forever if that would help my fellow Israelites, my natural kinsmen, to believe in Christ.
\v 4 They, like me, are Israelites. God chose them to be his children. It is to them that he showed how wonderful he is. It is with them that he made the covenants. It is to them that he gave the law. They are the ones who have the worship of God. They are the ones to whom God promised many things.
\v 5 It was our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose to begin our nation. And, most importantly, it was from us Israelites that the Christ was born as a human being. He is God, the one who is worthy that we praise him forever! This is true!
\s5
\p
\v 6 God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would all inherit his blessings. But although most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ, that does not prove that God has failed to do the things that he promised. For it is not all people who are descended from Jacob and who call themselves the people of Israel whom God considers to be truly his people.
\v 7 And it is also not all of Abraham's natural descendants that God considers to be Abraham's true descendants. Instead, God considers only some of them to be Abraham's true descendants. This agrees with what he told Abraham: "It is Isaac, not any of your other sons, whom I will consider to be the true father of your descendants."
\s5
\v 8 What I mean is, not all of Abraham's descendants are the people that God accepts as his own children. Instead, only the people that God had in mind when he promised to give Abraham descendants—it is these people whom he considers to be Abraham's true descendants and his own children.
\v 9 This is what God promised Abraham: "About this time next year I will come back to you, and Sarah your wife will bear a son." God promised this, and he made it happen.
\s5
\v 10 It was similar with Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, Abraham's son, when Rebecca conceived twins.
\v 11 Before the twins, Jacob and Esau, were born,
\v 12 the children had not yet done anything good or bad, God said to Rebecca, "The older one will serve the younger one, contrary to normal custom." God said this in order that we might know this: That when he plans to do something, he chooses the people because he wants to choose them, not because they have done anything for him.
\v 13 It is just what God said in the scriptures: "I chose Jacob, the younger son. I rejected Esau, the older son."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Someone might ask me, "Is God unjust by choosing only certain people?" I would reply, "He is certainly not unjust!"
\v 15 God told Moses, "I will pity and help anyone whom I choose!"
\v 16 So God chooses people, not because they want God to choose them or because they try hard to please him. Instead, he chooses people because he himself has mercy on undeserving ones.
\s5
\v 17 Moses recorded that God had told Pharaoh, "This is why I made you king of Egypt: It was so I might fight against you and everyone in the world will help others respect my reputation."
\v 18 So we know that God kindly helps the ones he wants to act kindly toward. And we also know that he makes stubborn anyone who he wants to be stubborn, such as Pharaoh.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Maybe one of you will say to me, "Because God determines ahead of time everything that people do and no one can resist what God has wished, it is not right for God to punish those who sin."
\v 20 I would reply, "You are only a human being, so you have no right to criticize God! He is like a man who makes clay pots. A pot has no right to ask its maker, "Why did you make me like this?"
\v 21 Instead, the potter certainly has the right to take a lump of clay and use part of it to make a beautiful pot that people will value highly—and then use the rest of the clay for a pot that someone will use every day. Certainly God has the same right.
\s5
\v 22 Although God desires to show that he is angry about sin, and although he desires to make clear that he can powerfully punish people who have sinned, he tolerated very patiently the people who caused him to be angry and who deserved to be destroyed.
\v 23 God has been patient in order that he might make clear how very wonderfully he acts toward those upon whom he has mercy, whom he prepared ahead of time in order that they might live with him.
\v 24 That means us whom he chose—not only us Jews, but also non-Jews.
\s5
\v 25 God has the right to choose from among both Jews and non-Jews, as the prophet Hosea wrote:
\q "Many people who were not my people—I will say they are my people.
\q Many people whom I did not love before, I will say that I now love them."
\p
\v 26 And another prophet wrote:
"Where God told them before, 'You are not my people,'
\q
in those same places they are told that they will become children of the true God."
\p
\s5
\v 27 Isaiah also exclaimed concerning the Israelites:
"Even though the Israelites are so many that no one can count them, like sand particles beside the ocean, only a small part of them will be saved,
\v 28 because the Lord will punish completely and speedily the people who live in that land, as he said that he would do."
\p
\v 29 Isaiah also wrote,
"If the Lord of the heavenly armies had not mercifully allowed some of our descendants to survive, we would have become like the people of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, whom he completely destroyed."
\s5
\p
\v 30 We must conclude this: Although the non-Jews were not trying to be holy, they discovered that God would put them right with himself if they trusted in Christ.
\v 31 But the people of Israel did indeed try to be holy by obeying God's law, but they were not able to.
\s5
\v 32 They were not able to, because they tried to do things to please God. They lost their balance when they refused to trust God to forgive them by putting their trust in Christ.
\v 33 This is what a prophet said would happen:
"Listen! I am placing in Israel one who is like a stone on which people will stumble. What he does will make people angry. Nevertheless, those who believe in him will not be ashamed."
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 My fellow believers, what I greatly desire and what I pray to God earnestly for is that he will save my own people, the Jews.
\v 2 I declare truthfully about them that although they earnestly go after God, they do not understand how to go after him in the right way.
\v 3 They do not know how God puts people right with himself. They want to put themselves right with God, so they do not accept what God wishes to do for them.
\s5
\v 4 Christ has perfectly obeyed the law in order to put everyone who believes in him right with God. So the law is no longer necessary.
\p
\v 5 Moses wrote about people who tried to obey all of God's laws: "It is the people who have done perfectly the things that the law requires who will live forever."
\s5
\v 6 But those whom God puts right with himself because they trust in Christ—to them Moses says, "No one should try to go to heaven," that is, in order to bring Christ down to us.
\v 7 Moses also says this to them: "No one should try to go down to where the dead are," that is, in order to bring Christ back from the dead for us.
\s5
\v 8 But instead, those who believe in Christ can say what Moses wrote: "You can find out about God's message very easily. You can speak about it and think about it." This is the message that we proclaim: People must believe in Christ.
\v 9 This message is that if anyone of you confirms that Jesus is Lord, and if you truly believe that God raised him from the dead, he will save you.
\v 10 If people believe these things, God will put them right with himself. And for those who state publicly that Jesus is Lord—God will save them.
\s5
\v 11 It is written in the scriptures about the Christ, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed or ashamed."
\v 12 In this way, God treats the Jews and the non-Jews the same. Because he is the same Lord for all people who believe in him, he greatly helps all who ask him to help them.
\v 13 This is just like what the scriptures say: "The Lord God will save all those who ask him."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Most people have certainly not believed in Christ, and some people might try to explain why they have not done so. They might say, "People certainly cannot ask Christ to help them if they have not first believed in him! And they certainly cannot believe in him if they have not heard about him! And they certainly cannot hear about him if someone does not preach to them about him!
\v 15 And those who could preach to them about Christ, certainly cannot do so if God does not send them. But if some believers preached to them, it would be just like the scriptures say: 'It is wonderful when people come and bring good news!'"
\s5
\v 16 I would reply in this way to those who say such things: God has indeed sent people to preach the message about Christ. But not all the people of Israel have paid attention to the good news! It is like what Isaiah said when he felt very discouraged: "Lord, it seems as if hardly anyone believed what they heard us preach!"
\v 17 So then, I tell you that people are believing in Christ because they hear about him, and people are hearing the message because others are preaching about Christ!
\s5
\p
\v 18 But if someone said to those people, "Of course the Israelites have heard this message," I would say, "Yes, indeed! It is like what the scriptures say:
\q
"The people living all over the world have seen the creation, and what it proves about who God is—even the people living in the most remote places in the world have understood this!"
\s5
\p
\v 19 Furthermore, it is true that the Israelites really did hear this message. They understood it, too, but they refused to believe it. Remember that Moses was the first one to warn the people like this. He told them that God said,
"You think that the non-Jewish nations are not real nations at all. But some of them will believe in me, and I will bless them. Then you will envy them and be angry at them, people who you do not think understand me."
\s5
\v 20 Remember also that God said very boldly through Isaiah, "The non-Jews who did not try to know me will surely find me! I will surely reveal what I am like to those who did not ask for me!"
\p
\v 21 But God also speaks about the Israelites. He says,
"For a long time I have held out my arms to the people who disobeyed and rebelled against me, in order to invite them to return to me."
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 If I should ask, "Has God rejected his people the Jews?" The answer would be, "Certainly not! Remember that I also belong to the people of Israel. I am a descendant of Abraham, and I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, but God has not rejected me!
\v 2 No, God has not rejected his people, whom he chose long ago to be people whom he would bless in a special way. Remember that Elijah mistakenly complained to God about the people of Israel, as the scriptures say:
\v 3 "Lord, they have killed the rest of your prophets, and they have destroyed your altars. I am the only one who believes in you who remains alive, and now they are trying to kill me!"
\s5
\v 4 God answered him like this: "You are not the only one left who is faithful to me. I have taken care to keep for myself seven thousand men in Israel, men who have not worshiped the false god Baal."
\v 5 So, similarly, there is also at this time a leftover group of us Jews who have become believers. God has chosen us to become believers only because he acts kindly toward us, in ways that we do not deserve.
\s5
\v 6 Since it is because he acts kindly toward those whom he chooses, it is not because they have done good things that he has chosen them. If God chose people because they did good deeds, then he would not need to act kindly toward them.
\p
\v 7 Since God chose only some people of Israel, this makes us know that most of the Jews failed to get what they were looking for—(although the Jews whom God chose did get it). Most of the Jews remained unwilling to understand what God was telling them.
\v 8 This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah had written about: "God caused them to be stubborn. They should be able to understand the truth about Christ, but they cannot. They should obey God when he speaks, but they do not. It is like that to this very day."
\s5
\v 9 The Jews remind me of what King David said, when he asked God to cause his enemies' senses to be dull:
"Make them stupid, like animals that fall into nets or traps! May they feel as safe as if they were at their banquets, but let those feasts be times when you will catch them, and they will sin, with the result that you will destroy them.
\q
\v 10 May they not see the danger when it comes to them. May you always make them suffer because of their troubles."
\s5
\p
\v 11 If I should ask, "When the Jews sinned by not believing in Christ, did that mean they will always be apart from God?" I would reply, "No, they have certainly not separated themselves from God permanently! Instead, because they sinned, God is saving non-Jews in order to cause the Jews to envy the way he blesses non-Jews, so that they will ask Christ to save them."
\v 12 When the Jews rejected Christ, the result was that God abundantly blessed the other people in the world by offering them the opportunity to believe. And when the Jews failed spiritually, the result was that God abundantly blessed the non-Jews. Since that is true, think how wonderful it will be when the complete number of the Jews whom God has chosen will believe in Christ !
\s5
\p
\v 13 Now it is to you non-Jews that I am saying what follows. I am the one who is the apostle to non-Jews such as you, and I highly value this work that God appointed me to do.
\v 14 But I also hope that by my labors I will make my fellow Jews jealous, with the result that some of them will believe and thus be saved.
\s5
\v 15 God has rejected most of my fellow Jews because they refused to believe, with the result that he made peace between himself and other people in the world. If that is what happened after most of the Jews rejected Christ, think about the excellent things that will happen after they trust in him. It will be like they have risen from the realm of the dead!
\v 16 Just like the whole lump of dough will belong to God if people offer to God the bread baked from the first part of it, so the Jews will belong to God because their ancestors belonged to God. And just like the branches of a tree will belong to God if the root belongs to God, so the descendants of our great Jewish ancestors who belonged to God will also some day belong to God.
\s5
\p
\v 17 God has rejected many of the Jews, like people break off dead branches of a tree. And each of you non-Jews whom God has accepted is like a branch of a uncultivated olive tree that someone spliced into the trunk of a cultivated olive tree. God has caused you to benefit from how he blessed our first Jewish ancestors, just as branches benefit from the sap from the root of a cultivated olive tree.
\v 18 However, you non-Jews must not despise the Jews whom God rejected, even though they are like the branches that someone breaks off from the tree! If you want to boast because of how God has saved you, remember this: Branches do not feed a root. Instead, the root feeds the branches. Similarly, God has helped you because of what you have received from the Jews! You have given the Jews nothing that helps them.
\s5
\v 19 Maybe you will say to me, "God rejected the Jews like people break bad branches off a tree and throw them away, and he has done this in order that he might accept us non-Jews, just like people put branches of a wild olive tree into the trunk of a good tree."
\v 20 I would reply that this is true. However, it is because the Jews did not believe in Christ, God rejected them. As for you, it is only because you believe in Christ that you stand strong! So do not become proud, but instead be filled with awe!
\v 21 Since God did not spare those unbelieving Jews, who grew up like a tree's natural branches that came from the root, then know, if you do not believe, he will not spare you either!
\s5
\p
\v 22 Note then, that God acts kindly, but he also acts severely. He has acted severely toward the Jews who have refused to trust in Christ. God has acted kindly toward you, but he will act severely if you do not keep trusting in Christ.
\s5
\v 23 And if the Jews believe in Christ, God will also put them back into the tree again, because God is able to do that.
\v 24 You non-Jews who were previously apart from God have benefited from the ways in which God blessed the Jews. That is like taking branches that someone has cut from a wild olive tree—a tree that just grew without anyone planting it— and, contrary to what people usually do, splicing them into a cultivated olive tree. So God will much more readily receive back the Jews because they belonged to him before! That will be like putting the original branches that someone cut off, back into the olive tree to which they originally belonged!
\s5
\p
\v 25 My non-Jewish fellow believers, I certainly want you to understand this secret truth, so that you do not think you know everything: Many people of Israel will continue to be stubborn until all the non-Jews whom God has chosen have believed in Jesus.
\s5
\v 26 And then God will save all of Israel. Then these words in the scriptures will become true:
\p "The one who sets his people free will come from where God is among the Jews. He will forgive the sins of the Israelite people."
\p
\v 27 And as God says,
\p "The covenant that I will make with them is one by which I will forgive their sins."
\s5
\p
\v 28 The Jews rejected the good news about Christ and now God treats them as his enemies. But that has helped you non-Jews. But because they are the people whom God chose, God still loves them because of what he promised to do for their ancestors.
\v 29 He still loves them, because he never changed his mind about what he has promised to give them, and about how he has called them to be his own people.
\s5
\v 30 You non-Jews once disobeyed God, but now he has acted mercifully toward you because the Jews disobeyed him.
\v 31 Similarly, now they have disobeyed God. The result is that in the very same way in which he acted mercifully toward you, he will act mercifully toward them again.
\v 32 God has declared and proved that all people, both Jews and non-Jews, have been disobedient to him. He has declared that because he wants to act mercifully toward us all.
\s5
\p
\v 33 I marvel how great are the wise things that God has done and what he has always known! No one can understand them or know them fully.
\v 34 I remember the scriptures that say, "No one has ever known what the Lord thinks. No one has ever been able to give him advice."
\s5
\v 35 And, "No one has given anything to God in a way that God had to reward him."
\p
\v 36 God is the one who created all things. He is also the one who sustains all things. The reason that he created them was that they might praise him. May all people honor him forever! May it be so!
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 My fellow believers, since God has acted mercifully toward you in so many ways, I appeal to all of you that you present yourselves like a sacrifice that is alive, a sacrifice that you give to God alone and that pleases him. This is the only right way to worship him.
\v 2 Do not let unbelievers guide you in how you behave. Instead, let God change your way of thinking and make it new, in order that you may know what he wants you to do, so you may know how to act in ways that please him, the ways in which he himself acts.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Because God has kindly appointed me to be his apostle, which I did not deserve, I say this to every one of you: Do not think you are better than you really are. Instead, think about yourselves in a sensible way, a way that is the same as the way in which God has allowed you to trust in him.
\s5
\v 4 Although a person has one body, it consists of many parts. All of the parts are necessary for the body, but they do not all function the same way.
\v 5 Similarly, we, although we are many, are united into one group because we are joined to Christ, and we belong to one another. So no one should act as though he is more important than the others!
\s5
\v 6 Instead, since each one of us can do different things because God makes us different from each other, we should do them eagerly and cheerfully! Those of us to whom God gives messages for others should speak in a way that fits our trust in God.
\v 7 Those whom God has enabled to serve others should do that. Those whom God has enabled to teach his truth should do that.
\v 8 Those whom God has enabled to encourage others should do it wholeheartedly. Those whom God has enabled to give things to others, should do so without holding back. Those whom God has enabled to manage others should do it, and do it with care. Those whom God has enabled to help the needy should do it cheerfully.
\s5
\p
\v 9 The way you must love people is to love them sincerely! Hate what is evil! Continue to eagerly do what God considers to be good!
\v 10 Love one another as members of the same family do; and in regard to honoring one another, you should be the first ones to do it!
\s5
\v 11 Do not be lazy. Instead, be eager to serve God! Be enthusiastic as you serve the Lord!
\v 12 Rejoice because you are confidently awaiting what God will do for you! When you suffer, be patient! Keep praying and never give up!
\v 13 If any of God's people lacks anything, share with them what you have! Be creative in hosting others!
\s5
\v 14 Ask God to be kind to those who persecute you because you believe in Jesus! Ask him to be kind to them; do not ask him to cause bad things to happen to them.
\v 15 If they are joyful, you should rejoice with them! If they are sad, you should be sad with them!
\v 16 Desire for others what you desire for yourselves. Do not be proud in how you think; instead, be friends with people who seem unimportant. Do not consider yourselves wise.
\s5
\v 17 Do not do evil deeds to anyone who has done evil to you. Act in a way that all people will know is good!
\v 18 Live peacefully with other people whenever it is possible, to the extent that you can control the situation.
\s5
\p
\v 19 My fellow believers whom I love, do not do evil in return when people do evil to you! Instead, allow God to punish them. The scriptures say, "'I will pay back those who do evil. It is my right to pay them back,' says the Lord."
\v 20 Instead of doing evil to those who have done evil to you, do as the scriptures teach: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them! If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing that, you will cause them to feel the pain of shame and perhaps they will change their attitude toward you."
\v 21 Do not let evil deeds that others have done to you overcome you. Instead, do for them better than what they have done to you!
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 So God will not condemn and punish those who are joined to Christ Jesus.
\v 2 God's Spirit causes us to live in a new way because we are joined to Christ Jesus. In this way, I no longer have to sin when I think about sinning, and I will no more be separated from God.
\s5
\v 3 We tried to obey God's law in order to live with God, but it was useless to think that we could—we could not stop sinning. So God helped us instead: He sent his own Son into the world in order that his Son might atone for our sin. His Son came having a body that was like the body of us who sin. His Son came to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sin. When he did this, he also showed that our sins are truly wicked, and that anyone who sins deserves to be punished.
\v 4 So we can now fulfill all that God required in his law. We do this, not by our acting the way our old evil attitude desires, but instead by living as God's Spirit desires us to live.
\v 5 People who live by their evil attitudes think about pay attention to those attitudes. But people who live by what God's Spirit wants think about the things of the Spirit instead.
\s5
\v 6 Those who think about and are concerned about what their evil attitude desires will not live forever. But those who want what God's Spirit desires will live forever and have peace.
\v 7 Let me explain this. To the extent that people want what their evil attitude desires, they are acting contrary to God. They do not obey his law. In fact, they are not even able to obey his law.
\v 8 The people who do what their evil attitude tells them cannot please God.
\s5
\v 9 But we do not have to let our old evil nature control us. Instead, we can let God's Spirit control us, because he lives within us. If the Spirit who comes from Christ does not live in people, they do not belong to Christ.
\v 10 But since Christ is living in you by his Spirit, God views your bodies as dead, so you no longer have to sin. And he views your spirits as alive, because he has put you right with himself.
\s5
\v 11 God caused Jesus to live again after he died. And because his Spirit lives in you, God will also make your bodies, which now are sure to die, live again. He caused Christ to live again after he died, and he will make you live again by causing his Spirit to do it.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Therefore, my fellow believers, we are obligated live as the Spirit directs us. What we are not obligated to live as our old evil nature wants us to.
\v 13 If you do what your old evil nature wants, you will surely not live forever with God. But if the Spirit stops you from doing those things, then you will live forever.
\s5
\p
\v 14 We who obey the Spirit of God are God's children.
\v 15 This is because you have not received a spirit who makes you live in fear. You are not like slaves who fear their masters. On the contrary, God has give you his Spirit, and his Spirit has made us God's children. The Spirit now enables us to cry out to God, "You are my Father!"
\s5
\v 16 The Spirit himself confirms what our spirits say, that we are God's children.
\v 17 Because we are God's children, we also will one day receive what God has promised us. And we will receive this together with Christ. But we must suffer for doing good as Christ did, in order that God may honor us.
\s5
\p
\v 18 I think that what we suffer during the present time is not worth paying attention to, because the future splendor that God will reveal to us will be so great.
\v 19 The things that God has created are very eagerly waiting for the time when he will reveal who his true children are.
\s5
\v 20 God caused the things that he created to be unable to achieve what he had intended. That was not because they wanted to fail. On the contrary, God made them that way because he was certain
\v 21 that the things he created will one day no longer die, decay, and fall apart. He will free these things from that, in order that he can do the same wonderful things for these things that he will do for his children.
\v 22 We know that until now it is as though all things that God created have been groaning together, and they want him to do those same wonderful things for them. But now it is just like a woman who is having the pains that come before she gives birth to a child.
\s5
\v 23 Not only do those things groan, but we ourselves also groan inwardly. We who have God's Spirit, who is like a partial gift we have received as we wait for everything that God will give us, we groan inwardly. We groan while we wait eagerly for the time when we will receive our full rights as God's adopted children. That will include his freeing our bodies from the things that hinder us on earth. He will do this by giving us new bodies.
\v 24 For God saved us because we had confidence in him. If we had now the things for which we have been waiting, we would not need to wait for them any longer. After all, if you possess something that you have been expecting to get, you certainly do not need to wait for it any longer.
\v 25 But because we keep waiting expectantly to receive what we do not yet have, we wait for it eagerly and patiently.
\s5
\p
\v 26 Similarly, God's Spirit helps us when we are weak. We do not know what is proper for us to pray. But God's Spirit knows; as he prays for us, he groans in a way that cannot be expressed in words.
\v 27 God, who examines our inner attitude and mind, understands what his Spirit desires. His Spirit prays for us who belong to God exactly as God wants him to pray.
\s5
\p
\v 28 And we know that for those who love God, he works out all things that happen to them in a way that does us good. He does this for those whom he has chosen, because that was what he planned to do.
\v 29 God knew previously that we would believe in him. We are those who God also decided previously would have a character like his Son's character. The result is that Christ is God's firstborn Son, and those who are God's children are the many younger brothers of Jesus.
\v 30 And the ones God decided previously who would be like his Son, he also called them to be with him. And the ones he called to be with him, he also made them to be right with himself. And to the ones whom he has put right with himself, he also will give them honor.
\s5
\p
\v 31 So I will tell you what we must learn from all these things that God does for us. Because God is acting on our behalf, no one can win against us!
\v 32 God did not spare even his very own Son. Instead, he turned him over to others to cruelly kill him in order that all we who believe in him may benefit from his dying for us. Because God did that, he will also certainly give us freely everything that we need to live for him.
\s5
\v 33 No one can accuse us before God of doing wrong, for he has chosen us to belong to him. He is the one who has put us right with himself.
\v 34 No one can condemn us any longer. Christ is the one who died for us—and more than that, he also was raised from the dead—and he is ruling with God in the place of honor, and he is the one who is pleading for us.
\s5
\v 35 Absolutely no one and nothing can cause Christ to stop loving us! Even if someone afflicts us, or even someone harms us, or even if we have nothing to eat, or even if we do not have enough clothes, or even if we live in a dangerous situation, or even if someone will kill us.
\v 36 Such things may happen to us, just as it is written that David said to God, "Because we are your people, others repeatedly attempt to kill us. They consider that we are only people to be killed, like a butcher considers that sheep are only animals to be slaughtered."
\s5
\v 37 But even though all these bad things happen to us, we win completely over these things because Christ, who loves us, helps us.
\v 38 I am completely convinced that neither anything from the realm of the dead, nor what happens to us while we live, nor angels, nor demons, nor present events, nor future events, nor powerful beings,
\v 39 nor powerful beings in the sky or below it, nor anything else that God has created can cause God to stop loving us. God showed us that he loves us by sending Jesus Christ our Lord to die for us.
\s5
\c 9
\p
\v 1 Because I am joined to Christ, I will tell you the truth. I am not lying! My conscience confirms what I say because the Holy Spirit controls me.
\v 2 I tell you that I grieve very greatly and deeply about my fellow Israelites.
\s5
\v 3 I personally would be willing to let God curse me and, keep me apart from Christ forever if that would help my fellow Israelites, my natural kinsmen, to believe in Christ.
\v 4 They, like me, are Israelites. God chose them to be his children. It is to them that he showed how wonderful he is. It is with them that he made the covenants. It is to them that he gave the law. They are the ones who have the worship of God. They are the ones to whom God promised many things.
\v 5 It was our ancestors, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom God chose to begin our nation. And, most importantly, it was from us Israelites that the Christ was born as a human being. He is God, the one who is worthy that we praise him forever! This is true!
\s5
\p
\v 6 God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob that their descendants would all inherit his blessings. But although most of my fellow Israelites have rejected Christ, that does not prove that God has failed to do the things that he promised. For it is not all people who are descended from Jacob and who call themselves the people of Israel whom God considers to be truly his people.
\v 7 And it is also not all of Abraham's natural descendants that God considers to be Abraham's true descendants. Instead, God considers only some of them to be Abraham's true descendants. This agrees with what he told Abraham: "It is Isaac, not any of your other sons, whom I will consider to be the true father of your descendants."
\s5
\v 8 What I mean is, not all of Abraham's descendants are the people that God accepts as his own children. Instead, only the people that God had in mind when he promised to give Abraham descendants—it is these people whom he considers to be Abraham's true descendants and his own children.
\v 9 This is what God promised Abraham: "About this time next year I will come back to you, and Sarah your wife will bear a son." God promised this, and he made it happen.
\s5
\v 10 It was similar with Rebecca, the wife of Isaac, Abraham's son, when Rebecca conceived twins.
\v 11 Before the twins, Jacob and Esau, were born,
\v 12 the children had not yet done anything good or bad, God said to Rebecca, "The older one will serve the younger one, contrary to normal custom." God said this in order that we might know this: That when he plans to do something, he chooses the people because he wants to choose them, not because they have done anything for him.
\v 13 It is just what God said in the scriptures: "I chose Jacob, the younger son. I rejected Esau, the older son."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Someone might ask me, "Is God unjust by choosing only certain people?" I would reply, "He is certainly not unjust!"
\v 15 God told Moses, "I will pity and help anyone whom I choose!"
\v 16 So God chooses people, not because they want God to choose them or because they try hard to please him. Instead, he chooses people because he himself has mercy on undeserving ones.
\s5
\v 17 Moses recorded that God had told Pharaoh, "This is why I made you king of Egypt: It was so I might fight against you and everyone in the world will help others respect my reputation."
\v 18 So we know that God kindly helps the ones he wants to act kindly toward. And we also know that he makes stubborn anyone who he wants to be stubborn, such as Pharaoh.
\s5
\p
\v 19 Maybe one of you will say to me, "Because God determines ahead of time everything that people do and no one can resist what God has wished, it is not right for God to punish those who sin."
\v 20 I would reply, "You are only a human being, so you have no right to criticize God! He is like a man who makes clay pots. A pot has no right to ask its maker, "Why did you make me like this?"
\v 21 Instead, the potter certainly has the right to take a lump of clay and use part of it to make a beautiful pot that people will value highly—and then use the rest of the clay for a pot that someone will use every day. Certainly God has the same right.
\s5
\v 22 Although God desires to show that he is angry about sin, and although he desires to make clear that he can powerfully punish people who have sinned, he tolerated very patiently the people who caused him to be angry and who deserved to be destroyed.
\v 23 God has been patient in order that he might make clear how very wonderfully he acts toward those upon whom he has mercy, whom he prepared ahead of time in order that they might live with him.
\v 24 That means us whom he chose—not only us Jews, but also non-Jews.
\s5
\v 25 God has the right to choose from among both Jews and non-Jews, as the prophet Hosea wrote:
\q "Many people who were not my people—I will say they are my people.
\q Many people whom I did not love before, I will say that I now love them."
\p
\v 26 And another prophet wrote:
"Where God told them before, 'You are not my people,'
\q
in those same places they are told that they will become children of the true God."
\p
\s5
\v 27 Isaiah also exclaimed concerning the Israelites:
"Even though the Israelites are so many that no one can count them, like sand particles beside the ocean, only a small part of them will be saved,
\v 28 because the Lord will punish completely and speedily the people who live in that land, as he said that he would do."
\p
\v 29 Isaiah also wrote,
"If the Lord of the heavenly armies had not mercifully allowed some of our descendants to survive, we would have become like the people of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, whom he completely destroyed."
\s5
\p
\v 30 We must conclude this: Although the non-Jews were not trying to be holy, they discovered that God would put them right with himself if they trusted in Christ.
\v 31 But the people of Israel did indeed try to be holy by obeying God's law, but they were not able to.
\s5
\v 32 They were not able to, because they tried to do things to please God. They lost their balance when they refused to trust God to forgive them by putting their trust in Christ.
\v 33 This is what a prophet said would happen:
"Listen! I am placing in Israel one who is like a stone on which people will stumble. What he does will make people angry. Nevertheless, those who believe in him will not be ashamed."
\s5
\c 10
\p
\v 1 My fellow believers, what I greatly desire and what I pray to God earnestly for is that he will save my own people, the Jews.
\v 2 I declare truthfully about them that although they earnestly go after God, they do not understand how to go after him in the right way.
\v 3 They do not know how God puts people right with himself. They want to put themselves right with God, so they do not accept what God wishes to do for them.
\s5
\v 4 Christ has perfectly obeyed the law in order to put everyone who believes in him right with God. So the law is no longer necessary.
\p
\v 5 Moses wrote about people who tried to obey all of God's laws: "It is the people who have done perfectly the things that the law requires who will live forever."
\s5
\v 6 But those whom God puts right with himself because they trust in Christ—to them Moses says, "No one should try to go to heaven," that is, in order to bring Christ down to us.
\v 7 Moses also says this to them: "No one should try to go down to where the dead are," that is, in order to bring Christ back from the dead for us.
\s5
\v 8 But instead, those who believe in Christ can say what Moses wrote: "You can find out about God's message very easily. You can speak about it and think about it." This is the message that we proclaim: People must believe in Christ.
\v 9 This message is that if anyone of you confirms that Jesus is Lord, and if you truly believe that God raised him from the dead, he will save you.
\v 10 If people believe these things, God will put them right with himself. And for those who state publicly that Jesus is Lord—God will save them.
\s5
\v 11 It is written in the scriptures about the Christ, "Whoever believes in him will not be disappointed or ashamed."
\v 12 In this way, God treats the Jews and the non-Jews the same. Because he is the same Lord for all people who believe in him, he greatly helps all who ask him to help them.
\v 13 This is just like what the scriptures say: "The Lord God will save all those who ask him."
\s5
\p
\v 14 Most people have certainly not believed in Christ, and some people might try to explain why they have not done so. They might say, "People certainly cannot ask Christ to help them if they have not first believed in him! And they certainly cannot believe in him if they have not heard about him! And they certainly cannot hear about him if someone does not preach to them about him!
\v 15 And those who could preach to them about Christ, certainly cannot do so if God does not send them. But if some believers preached to them, it would be just like the scriptures say: 'It is wonderful when people come and bring good news!'"
\s5
\v 16 I would reply in this way to those who say such things: God has indeed sent people to preach the message about Christ. But not all the people of Israel have paid attention to the good news! It is like what Isaiah said when he felt very discouraged: "Lord, it seems as if hardly anyone believed what they heard us preach!"
\v 17 So then, I tell you that people are believing in Christ because they hear about him, and people are hearing the message because others are preaching about Christ!
\s5
\p
\v 18 But if someone said to those people, "Of course the Israelites have heard this message," I would say, "Yes, indeed! It is like what the scriptures say:
\q
"The people living all over the world have seen the creation, and what it proves about who God is—even the people living in the most remote places in the world have understood this!"
\s5
\p
\v 19 Furthermore, it is true that the Israelites really did hear this message. They understood it, too, but they refused to believe it. Remember that Moses was the first one to warn the people like this. He told them that God said,
"You think that the non-Jewish nations are not real nations at all. But some of them will believe in me, and I will bless them. Then you will envy them and be angry at them, people who you do not think understand me."
\s5
\v 20 Remember also that God said very boldly through Isaiah, "The non-Jews who did not try to know me will surely find me! I will surely reveal what I am like to those who did not ask for me!"
\p
\v 21 But God also speaks about the Israelites. He says,
"For a long time I have held out my arms to the people who disobeyed and rebelled against me, in order to invite them to return to me."
\s5
\c 11
\p
\v 1 If I should ask, "Has God rejected his people the Jews?" The answer would be, "Certainly not! Remember that I also belong to the people of Israel. I am a descendant of Abraham, and I belong to the tribe of Benjamin, but God has not rejected me!
\v 2 No, God has not rejected his people, whom he chose long ago to be people whom he would bless in a special way. Remember that Elijah mistakenly complained to God about the people of Israel, as the scriptures say:
\v 3 "Lord, they have killed the rest of your prophets, and they have destroyed your altars. I am the only one who believes in you who remains alive, and now they are trying to kill me!"
\s5
\v 4 God answered him like this: "You are not the only one left who is faithful to me. I have taken care to keep for myself seven thousand men in Israel, men who have not worshiped the false god Baal."
\v 5 So, similarly, there is also at this time a leftover group of us Jews who have become believers. God has chosen us to become believers only because he acts kindly toward us, in ways that we do not deserve.
\s5
\v 6 Since it is because he acts kindly toward those whom he chooses, it is not because they have done good things that he has chosen them. If God chose people because they did good deeds, then he would not need to act kindly toward them.
\p
\v 7 Since God chose only some people of Israel, this makes us know that most of the Jews failed to get what they were looking for—(although the Jews whom God chose did get it). Most of the Jews remained unwilling to understand what God was telling them.
\v 8 This is exactly what the prophet Isaiah had written about: "God caused them to be stubborn. They should be able to understand the truth about Christ, but they cannot. They should obey God when he speaks, but they do not. It is like that to this very day."
\s5
\v 9 The Jews remind me of what King David said, when he asked God to cause his enemies' senses to be dull:
"Make them stupid, like animals that fall into nets or traps! May they feel as safe as if they were at their banquets, but let those feasts be times when you will catch them, and they will sin, with the result that you will destroy them.
\q
\v 10 May they not see the danger when it comes to them. May you always make them suffer because of their troubles."
\s5
\p
\v 11 If I should ask, "When the Jews sinned by not believing in Christ, did that mean they will always be apart from God?" I would reply, "No, they have certainly not separated themselves from God permanently! Instead, because they sinned, God is saving non-Jews in order to cause the Jews to envy the way he blesses non-Jews, so that they will ask Christ to save them."
\v 12 When the Jews rejected Christ, the result was that God abundantly blessed the other people in the world by offering them the opportunity to believe. And when the Jews failed spiritually, the result was that God abundantly blessed the non-Jews. Since that is true, think how wonderful it will be when the complete number of the Jews whom God has chosen will believe in Christ !
\s5
\p
\v 13 Now it is to you non-Jews that I am saying what follows. I am the one who is the apostle to non-Jews such as you, and I highly value this work that God appointed me to do.
\v 14 But I also hope that by my labors I will make my fellow Jews jealous, with the result that some of them will believe and thus be saved.
\s5
\v 15 God has rejected most of my fellow Jews because they refused to believe, with the result that he made peace between himself and other people in the world. If that is what happened after most of the Jews rejected Christ, think about the excellent things that will happen after they trust in him. It will be like they have risen from the realm of the dead!
\v 16 Just like the whole lump of dough will belong to God if people offer to God the bread baked from the first part of it, so the Jews will belong to God because their ancestors belonged to God. And just like the branches of a tree will belong to God if the root belongs to God, so the descendants of our great Jewish ancestors who belonged to God will also some day belong to God.
\s5
\p
\v 17 God has rejected many of the Jews, like people break off dead branches of a tree. And each of you non-Jews whom God has accepted is like a branch of a uncultivated olive tree that someone spliced into the trunk of a cultivated olive tree. God has caused you to benefit from how he blessed our first Jewish ancestors, just as branches benefit from the sap from the root of a cultivated olive tree.
\v 18 However, you non-Jews must not despise the Jews whom God rejected, even though they are like the branches that someone breaks off from the tree! If you want to boast because of how God has saved you, remember this: Branches do not feed a root. Instead, the root feeds the branches. Similarly, God has helped you because of what you have received from the Jews! You have given the Jews nothing that helps them.
\s5
\v 19 Maybe you will say to me, "God rejected the Jews like people break bad branches off a tree and throw them away, and he has done this in order that he might accept us non-Jews, just like people put branches of a wild olive tree into the trunk of a good tree."
\v 20 I would reply that this is true. However, it is because the Jews did not believe in Christ, God rejected them. As for you, it is only because you believe in Christ that you stand strong! So do not become proud, but instead be filled with awe!
\v 21 Since God did not spare those unbelieving Jews, who grew up like a tree's natural branches that came from the root, then know, if you do not believe, he will not spare you either!
\s5
\p
\v 22 Note then, that God acts kindly, but he also acts severely. He has acted severely toward the Jews who have refused to trust in Christ. God has acted kindly toward you, but he will act severely if you do not keep trusting in Christ.
\s5
\v 23 And if the Jews believe in Christ, God will also put them back into the tree again, because God is able to do that.
\v 24 You non-Jews who were previously apart from God have benefited from the ways in which God blessed the Jews. That is like taking branches that someone has cut from a wild olive tree—a tree that just grew without anyone planting it— and, contrary to what people usually do, splicing them into a cultivated olive tree. So God will much more readily receive back the Jews because they belonged to him before! That will be like putting the original branches that someone cut off, back into the olive tree to which they originally belonged!
\s5
\p
\v 25 My non-Jewish fellow believers, I certainly want you to understand this secret truth, so that you do not think you know everything: Many people of Israel will continue to be stubborn until all the non-Jews whom God has chosen have believed in Jesus.
\s5
\v 26 And then God will save all of Israel. Then these words in the scriptures will become true:
\p "The one who sets his people free will come from where God is among the Jews. He will forgive the sins of the Israelite people."
\p
\v 27 And as God says,
\p "The covenant that I will make with them is one by which I will forgive their sins."
\s5
\p
\v 28 The Jews rejected the good news about Christ and now God treats them as his enemies. But that has helped you non-Jews. But because they are the people whom God chose, God still loves them because of what he promised to do for their ancestors.
\v 29 He still loves them, because he never changed his mind about what he has promised to give them, and about how he has called them to be his own people.
\s5
\v 30 You non-Jews once disobeyed God, but now he has acted mercifully toward you because the Jews disobeyed him.
\v 31 Similarly, now they have disobeyed God. The result is that in the very same way in which he acted mercifully toward you, he will act mercifully toward them again.
\v 32 God has declared and proved that all people, both Jews and non-Jews, have been disobedient to him. He has declared that because he wants to act mercifully toward us all.
\s5
\p
\v 33 I marvel how great are the wise things that God has done and what he has always known! No one can understand them or know them fully.
\v 34 I remember the scriptures that say, "No one has ever known what the Lord thinks. No one has ever been able to give him advice."
\s5
\v 35 And, "No one has given anything to God in a way that God had to reward him."
\p
\v 36 God is the one who created all things. He is also the one who sustains all things. The reason that he created them was that they might praise him. May all people honor him forever! May it be so!
\s5
\c 12
\p
\v 1 My fellow believers, since God has acted mercifully toward you in so many ways, I appeal to all of you that you present yourselves like a sacrifice that is alive, a sacrifice that you give to God alone and that pleases him. This is the only right way to worship him.
\v 2 Do not let unbelievers guide you in how you behave. Instead, let God change your way of thinking and make it new, in order that you may know what he wants you to do, so you may know how to act in ways that please him, the ways in which he himself acts.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Because God has kindly appointed me to be his apostle, which I did not deserve, I say this to every one of you: Do not think you are better than you really are. Instead, think about yourselves in a sensible way, a way that is the same as the way in which God has allowed you to trust in him.
\s5
\v 4 Although a person has one body, it consists of many parts. All of the parts are necessary for the body, but they do not all function the same way.
\v 5 Similarly, we, although we are many, are united into one group because we are joined to Christ, and we belong to one another. So no one should act as though he is more important than the others!
\s5
\v 6 Instead, since each one of us can do different things because God makes us different from each other, we should do them eagerly and cheerfully! Those of us to whom God gives messages for others should speak in a way that fits our trust in God.
\v 7 Those whom God has enabled to serve others should do that. Those whom God has enabled to teach his truth should do that.
\v 8 Those whom God has enabled to encourage others should do it wholeheartedly. Those whom God has enabled to give things to others, should do so without holding back. Those whom God has enabled to manage others should do it, and do it with care. Those whom God has enabled to help the needy should do it cheerfully.
\s5
\p
\v 9 The way you must love people is to love them sincerely! Hate what is evil! Continue to eagerly do what God considers to be good!
\v 10 Love one another as members of the same family do; and in regard to honoring one another, you should be the first ones to do it!
\s5
\v 11 Do not be lazy. Instead, be eager to serve God! Be enthusiastic as you serve the Lord!
\v 12 Rejoice because you are confidently awaiting what God will do for you! When you suffer, be patient! Keep praying and never give up!
\v 13 If any of God's people lacks anything, share with them what you have! Be creative in hosting others!
\s5
\v 14 Ask God to be kind to those who persecute you because you believe in Jesus! Ask him to be kind to them; do not ask him to cause bad things to happen to them.
\v 15 If they are joyful, you should rejoice with them! If they are sad, you should be sad with them!
\v 16 Desire for others what you desire for yourselves. Do not be proud in how you think; instead, be friends with people who seem unimportant. Do not consider yourselves wise.
\s5
\v 17 Do not do evil deeds to anyone who has done evil to you. Act in a way that all people will know is good!
\v 18 Live peacefully with other people whenever it is possible, to the extent that you can control the situation.
\s5
\p
\v 19 My fellow believers whom I love, do not do evil in return when people do evil to you! Instead, allow God to punish them. The scriptures say, "'I will pay back those who do evil. It is my right to pay them back,' says the Lord."
\v 20 Instead of doing evil to those who have done evil to you, do as the scriptures teach: "If your enemies are hungry, feed them! If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. By doing that, you will cause them to feel the pain of shame and perhaps they will change their attitude toward you."
\v 21 Do not let evil deeds that others have done to you overcome you. Instead, do for them better than what they have done to you!
\s5

View File

@ -148,79 +148,79 @@
\v 27 All of you who trust in Christ and were baptized so that you are joined to him, have taken on the characteristics of Christ's life.
\v 28 If you are believers, it does not matter to God if you are Jews or non-Jews, slaves or free persons, males or females, because all of you are together joined to Christ Jesus.
\v 29 Furthermore, since you belong to Christ, he makes you into descendants of Abraham, and you will receive everything that God has promised him and us.
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Now, I will further discuss children and heirs. An heir is a son who will later possess all that his father has. But as long as that heir is a child, he is like a slave whom others control.
\v 2 Until the day that his father has previously determined, other persons supervise the child and manage his property.
\s5
\v 3 Likewise, when we were like young children, we were under the evil rules that everyone in this world lives by. Those rules controlled us like masters control their slaves.
\v 4 But when the time that God had determined arrived, he sent Jesus, his Son, into the world. Jesus was born to a human mother, and he had to obey the law.
\v 5 God sent Jesus to rescue us from the law controlling us. He did this to adopt us as his own children.
\s5
\v 6 Because you are now God's sons, he sent the Spirit of his Son to live in each of us. It is his Spirit who enables us to call God, "Father, our dear Father!" This shows that we are God's sons.
\v 7 So, because of what God has done, no longer is each of you like a slave. Instead, each of you is a child of God. Since each of you is now God's child, God will also give you all that he has promised. God himself will do it!
\s5
\p
\v 8 When you did not know God, you worshiped gods that really did not really exist. You were their slaves.
\v 9 But now you do know God as your God. Perhaps it would be better, however, to say that now God knows each of you. So why are you returning again to follow the weak and worthless evil rules of this world? You do not really want to become their slaves all over again, do you?
\s5
\v 10 It actually seems that you do! You are once more obeying what others insist you should do on certain special days and at special times in certain months, seasons, and years.
\v 11 I worry about you! I worked so hard for you, but it seems that it was all for nothing.
\s5
\v 12 My fellow believers, I strongly urge you to become like me, because I do not let the law control me. I became like you non-Jews when I became free from the law, so you too should free yourselves from the gods. When I first went to you, you did not harm me at all, but now you are making me worry about you very much.
\p
\v 13 You remember that the first time I told you the good news, I did it because I was sick.
\v 14 Although you might have despised me because I was sick, you did not reject me. Instead, you welcomed me like you would welcome an angel that came from God. You welcomed me like you would welcome Christ Jesus himself!
\s5
\v 15 But now you are no longer happy! I know for certain that you would have done anything to help me. You would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me, if that would have helped me!
\v 16 That is why I have become so sad now. You seem to think that I have become your enemy because I have continued to tell the truth about Christ to you.
\s5
\v 17 Those who are insisting on obeying the Jewish laws are trying to get you to follow them, but they are not doing it for your good. They want to keep you away from me, because they want you to follow them, not me.
\v 18 Well, it is good to insist on doing the right things; you should do this always, and not only when I am with you. But make sure it is the right people who are teaching you what to do!
\s5
\v 19 You who are like my children, once again I am very worried about you, and I will continue to be worried until you become like Christ.
\v 20 But I do wish that I could be with you now and that I might talk more gently with you, because right now I do not know what to do about you.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Let me try to explain this again. Some of you desire to obey all the law of God, but do you really pay attention to what the law says?
\v 22 In the law we read that Abraham became the father of two sons. His female slave, Hagar, bore one son, and his wife Sarah, who was not a slave, bore the other.
\v 23 Ishmael, the son born by Hagar, the female slave, was conceived naturally. But Isaac, the son born by Sarah, who was not a slave, was conceived miraculously because God had promised Abraham that he would have a son.
\s5
\v 24 Now these two women symbolize two covenants. God made the first covenant with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. That covenant requires the Israelites to live like a slave to the law. So Hagar, the female slave, symbolizes this covenant.
\v 25 So Hagar symbolizes Mount Sinai, in the land of Arabia. But Hagar also symbolizes the city of Jerusalem as it is today. This is because Jerusalem is like a slave mother: She and all her children—that is, her people—are like slaves, because they all must obey the law that God gave to Israel at Mount Sinai.
\s5
\v 26 But there is a new Jerusalem in heaven, and that city is like a mother of all us who believe in Christ, and that city is free!
\v 27 That new Jerusalem will have many more people than the old Jerusalem. This is because the prophet Isaiah wrote,
\q "You who live in Jerusalem, you must rejoice!
\q Now you have no children,
\q2 like a woman who cannot have children!
\q But one day you will shout with joy
\q2 even though you have no children now.
\q Like a woman who cannot give birth to children,
\q2 and you feel deserted.
\q You will have more children than
\q2 any woman with a husband could have borne."
\s5
\p
\v 28 Now, my fellow believers, you have become children of God because you believed in what God promised to give to us. You are like Isaac, who was born because Abraham had believed in what God promised to give to him.
\v 29 But long ago Abraham's son Ishmael, who was born naturally, caused trouble for Abraham's son Isaac, who was born because the Holy Spirit made it happen. It is the same way now. The people who are slaves to God's law persecute those of us who trust in what Christ has promised to give us.
\s5
\v 30 But these are the words in the scriptures: "The son of the woman who was not a slave will inherit what his father owns. The slave boy will inherit nothing. So send away from this place the female slave and her son!"
\s5
\c 4
\p
\v 1 Now, I will further discuss children and heirs. An heir is a son who will later possess all that his father has. But as long as that heir is a child, he is like a slave whom others control.
\v 2 Until the day that his father has previously determined, other persons supervise the child and manage his property.
\s5
\v 3 Likewise, when we were like young children, we were under the evil rules that everyone in this world lives by. Those rules controlled us like masters control their slaves.
\v 4 But when the time that God had determined arrived, he sent Jesus, his Son, into the world. Jesus was born to a human mother, and he had to obey the law.
\v 5 God sent Jesus to rescue us from the law controlling us. He did this to adopt us as his own children.
\s5
\v 6 Because you are now God's sons, he sent the Spirit of his Son to live in each of us. It is his Spirit who enables us to call God, "Father, our dear Father!" This shows that we are God's sons.
\v 7 So, because of what God has done, no longer is each of you like a slave. Instead, each of you is a child of God. Since each of you is now God's child, God will also give you all that he has promised. God himself will do it!
\s5
\p
\v 8 When you did not know God, you worshiped gods that really did not really exist. You were their slaves.
\v 9 But now you do know God as your God. Perhaps it would be better, however, to say that now God knows each of you. So why are you returning again to follow the weak and worthless evil rules of this world? You do not really want to become their slaves all over again, do you?
\s5
\v 10 It actually seems that you do! You are once more obeying what others insist you should do on certain special days and at special times in certain months, seasons, and years.
\v 11 I worry about you! I worked so hard for you, but it seems that it was all for nothing.
\s5
\v 12 My fellow believers, I strongly urge you to become like me, because I do not let the law control me. I became like you non-Jews when I became free from the law, so you too should free yourselves from the gods. When I first went to you, you did not harm me at all, but now you are making me worry about you very much.
\p
\v 13 You remember that the first time I told you the good news, I did it because I was sick.
\v 14 Although you might have despised me because I was sick, you did not reject me. Instead, you welcomed me like you would welcome an angel that came from God. You welcomed me like you would welcome Christ Jesus himself!
\s5
\v 15 But now you are no longer happy! I know for certain that you would have done anything to help me. You would have torn out your own eyes and given them to me, if that would have helped me!
\v 16 That is why I have become so sad now. You seem to think that I have become your enemy because I have continued to tell the truth about Christ to you.
\s5
\v 17 Those who are insisting on obeying the Jewish laws are trying to get you to follow them, but they are not doing it for your good. They want to keep you away from me, because they want you to follow them, not me.
\v 18 Well, it is good to insist on doing the right things; you should do this always, and not only when I am with you. But make sure it is the right people who are teaching you what to do!
\s5
\v 19 You who are like my children, once again I am very worried about you, and I will continue to be worried until you become like Christ.
\v 20 But I do wish that I could be with you now and that I might talk more gently with you, because right now I do not know what to do about you.
\s5
\p
\v 21 Let me try to explain this again. Some of you desire to obey all the law of God, but do you really pay attention to what the law says?
\v 22 In the law we read that Abraham became the father of two sons. His female slave, Hagar, bore one son, and his wife Sarah, who was not a slave, bore the other.
\v 23 Ishmael, the son born by Hagar, the female slave, was conceived naturally. But Isaac, the son born by Sarah, who was not a slave, was conceived miraculously because God had promised Abraham that he would have a son.
\s5
\v 24 Now these two women symbolize two covenants. God made the first covenant with the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. That covenant requires the Israelites to live like a slave to the law. So Hagar, the female slave, symbolizes this covenant.
\v 25 So Hagar symbolizes Mount Sinai, in the land of Arabia. But Hagar also symbolizes the city of Jerusalem as it is today. This is because Jerusalem is like a slave mother: She and all her children—that is, her people—are like slaves, because they all must obey the law that God gave to Israel at Mount Sinai.
\s5
\v 26 But there is a new Jerusalem in heaven, and that city is like a mother of all us who believe in Christ, and that city is free!
\v 27 That new Jerusalem will have many more people than the old Jerusalem. This is because the prophet Isaiah wrote,
\q "You who live in Jerusalem, you must rejoice!
\q Now you have no children,
\q2 like a woman who cannot have children!
\q But one day you will shout with joy
\q2 even though you have no children now.
\q Like a woman who cannot give birth to children,
\q2 and you feel deserted.
\q You will have more children than
\q2 any woman with a husband could have borne."
\s5
\p
\v 28 Now, my fellow believers, you have become children of God because you believed in what God promised to give to us. You are like Isaac, who was born because Abraham had believed in what God promised to give to him.
\v 29 But long ago Abraham's son Ishmael, who was born naturally, caused trouble for Abraham's son Isaac, who was born because the Holy Spirit made it happen. It is the same way now. The people who are slaves to God's law persecute those of us who trust in what Christ has promised to give us.
\s5
\v 30 But these are the words in the scriptures: "The son of the woman who was not a slave will inherit what his father owns. The slave boy will inherit nothing. So send away from this place the female slave and her son!"
\v 31 My fellow believers, we are not children who have a slave woman as our mother, but we are the children who are born from a woman who was free, and so are we are free too!
\s5
\c 5

View File

@ -4,44 +4,44 @@
\toc1 The Letter to Titus
\toc2 Titus
\toc3 Tit
\mt1 Titus
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 I, Paul, write this letter.
\p This is Paul, who is a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I work to help God's people trust him more. God chose us to be his people and I work to help them truly know how to live in a way that pleases God.
\v 2 His people can learn how to live like this, because they are confident that God will cause them to live forever. God tells no lies. Even before the world began, he promised to cause us to live forever.
\v 3 Then, at the right time, he communicated his plan through this message that he trusted me to preach. I do this in order to obey the command of God, who saves us.
\s5
\v 4 I am writing to you, Titus, because you are like a son to me because we both believe in Jesus Christ. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior continue to be kind to you and to give you peace.
\v 5 I left you on the Island of Crete for this reason: that you do the work that has been unfinished and also appoint elders for the group of believers in every city, just as I told you to do.
\s5
\v 6 Now every elder must be someone who no one can criticize. He must also have just one wife, his children must trust in God, and people must not consider his children to be wicked or disobedient.
\v 7 Everyone who leads God's people is like someone who manages God's house. So it is necessary for this person to have a good reputation. He should not be proud, he must not get angry quickly, and must not stay angry for any reason. He must not be an alcoholic, not someone who likes to fight and argue, and not a greedy man.
\s5
\v 8 Rather than that, he must welcome strangers and love the things that are good. He must always control himself and be honest, always tell the truth, and treat other people in a fair manner. He must always think about God when he thinks or does anything, and he must avoid sinning.
\v 9 He must always believe the true things we have taught him, and he must live according to them. He must do this in order to persuade people to live like this too, and in order to correct people if they do not want to live like this.
\p
\s5
\v 10 I tell you these things, because there are many people who do not want anyone to control them, especially the people who tell all followers of Christ to become circumcised. What they say has no value. They fool people and persuade them to believe wrong things.
\v 11 You and the leaders whom you appoint should prevent such people from teaching the believers. They have no right to teach what they do. They teach these things so that people will give them money. This is very shameful! They also cause entire families to believe wrong things.
\s5
\v 12 One man of Crete, someone his people thought was a prophet, said, "Cretans are always lying to one another! They are like dangerous wild animals! They are lazy and always eat too much food."
\v 13 What he said is true, so correct them forcefully so that they may believe and teach correct things about God.
\s5
\v 14 These people should not waste time on senseless Jewish stories and commandments that came from people, not from God. These people have stopped obeying what is true.
\s5
\v 15 If someone does not have sinful thoughts or desires, then he views all things as good. But if anyone is wicked and does not believe in Christ Jesus, everything makes him unclean. These people think in dirty ways, and they decide to act in evil ways.
\v 16 Even though they claim to know God, what they do shows that they do not know him. Other people find them disgusting. They disobey God and can do nothing good for him.
\mt1 Titus
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 I, Paul, write this letter.
\p This is Paul, who is a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ. I work to help God's people trust him more. God chose us to be his people and I work to help them truly know how to live in a way that pleases God.
\v 2 His people can learn how to live like this, because they are confident that God will cause them to live forever. God tells no lies. Even before the world began, he promised to cause us to live forever.
\v 3 Then, at the right time, he communicated his plan through this message that he trusted me to preach. I do this in order to obey the command of God, who saves us.
\s5
\v 4 I am writing to you, Titus, because you are like a son to me because we both believe in Jesus Christ. May God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior continue to be kind to you and to give you peace.
\v 5 I left you on the Island of Crete for this reason: that you do the work that has been unfinished and also appoint elders for the group of believers in every city, just as I told you to do.
\s5
\v 6 Now every elder must be someone who no one can criticize. He must also have just one wife, his children must trust in God, and people must not consider his children to be wicked or disobedient.
\v 7 Everyone who leads God's people is like someone who manages God's house. So it is necessary for this person to have a good reputation. He should not be proud, he must not get angry quickly, and must not stay angry for any reason. He must not be an alcoholic, not someone who likes to fight and argue, and not a greedy man.
\s5
\v 8 Rather than that, he must welcome strangers and love the things that are good. He must always control himself and be honest, always tell the truth, and treat other people in a fair manner. He must always think about God when he thinks or does anything, and he must avoid sinning.
\v 9 He must always believe the true things we have taught him, and he must live according to them. He must do this in order to persuade people to live like this too, and in order to correct people if they do not want to live like this.
\p
\s5
\v 10 I tell you these things, because there are many people who do not want anyone to control them, especially the people who tell all followers of Christ to become circumcised. What they say has no value. They fool people and persuade them to believe wrong things.
\v 11 You and the leaders whom you appoint should prevent such people from teaching the believers. They have no right to teach what they do. They teach these things so that people will give them money. This is very shameful! They also cause entire families to believe wrong things.
\s5
\v 12 One man of Crete, someone his people thought was a prophet, said, "Cretans are always lying to one another! They are like dangerous wild animals! They are lazy and always eat too much food."
\v 13 What he said is true, so correct them forcefully so that they may believe and teach correct things about God.
\s5
\v 14 These people should not waste time on senseless Jewish stories and commandments that came from people, not from God. These people have stopped obeying what is true.
\s5
\v 15 If someone does not have sinful thoughts or desires, then he views all things as good. But if anyone is wicked and does not believe in Christ Jesus, everything makes him unclean. These people think in dirty ways, and they decide to act in evil ways.
\v 16 Even though they claim to know God, what they do shows that they do not know him. Other people find them disgusting. They disobey God and can do nothing good for him.
\s5

View File

@ -381,61 +381,61 @@
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 The most important part of everything that I have written is that we have a high priest who has sat down to rule in the place of greatest honor in heaven, beside God himself.
\v 2 He serves in the sanctuary, that is, in the true place of worship in heaven. That is the true sacred tent, for the Lord set it up, not Moses.
\s5
\p
\v 3 God appoints every high priest to offer gifts and sacrifices for the people's sins. So since Christ became a high priest, he also had to offer something.
\v 4 Since there are already priests who offer gifts as God's law requires, if Christ were now living on the earth, he would not be a high priest at all.
\v 5 The priests in Jerusalem perform rituals that are only a copy of what Christ does in heaven. This is because when Moses was about to set up the sacred tent, God told him, "Be sure that you make everything according to what I showed you on Mount Sinai!"
\s5
\v 6 But now Christ serves in a much better way than the Jewish priests do. In the same way, the new covenant that he established between God and people is better than the old one. When he established the new covenant, he promised us better things than the laws that God gave Moses.
\p
\v 7 God needed to make this new covenant, because the first covenant had not done everything well.
\s5
\v 8 Because God declared that the Israelites were guilty of not obeying the first covenant, he wanted a new covenant. This is what a prophet wrote about that:
\q "The Lord says, 'Listen! There will soon be a time
\q when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah.
\q
\v 9 That covenant will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
\q when I led them out of Egypt like a father leads his young child.
\q They did not continue to obey my covenant,
\q so I let them alone,' says the Lord.
\q
\s5
\v 10 'This is the covenant that I will make with the Israelites,
\q after the first covenant has ended,' says the Lord:
\q 'I will enable them to understand my laws,
\q and I will enable them to obey them sincerely from their hearts.
\q I will be their God, and they will be my people.
\q
\s5
\v 11 No one will need to teach a fellow citizen
\q or tell his fellow kinsmen, 'You acknowledge that the Lord is God,'
\q because all my people will acknowledge me.
\q Everyone among my people, from the least important to the most important, will know me.
\q
\v 12 I will mercifully forgive them for the wicked things they have done.
\q I will no longer consider that they are guilty for their sins."
\s5
\p
\v 13 Since God said that he was making a new covenant, we know that he considered that the first covenant was no longer in use, and that it would soon disappear.
\s5
\c 8
\p
\v 1 The most important part of everything that I have written is that we have a high priest who has sat down to rule in the place of greatest honor in heaven, beside God himself.
\v 2 He serves in the sanctuary, that is, in the true place of worship in heaven. That is the true sacred tent, for the Lord set it up, not Moses.
\s5
\p
\v 3 God appoints every high priest to offer gifts and sacrifices for the people's sins. So since Christ became a high priest, he also had to offer something.
\v 4 Since there are already priests who offer gifts as God's law requires, if Christ were now living on the earth, he would not be a high priest at all.
\v 5 The priests in Jerusalem perform rituals that are only a copy of what Christ does in heaven. This is because when Moses was about to set up the sacred tent, God told him, "Be sure that you make everything according to what I showed you on Mount Sinai!"
\s5
\v 6 But now Christ serves in a much better way than the Jewish priests do. In the same way, the new covenant that he established between God and people is better than the old one. When he established the new covenant, he promised us better things than the laws that God gave Moses.
\p
\v 7 God needed to make this new covenant, because the first covenant had not done everything well.
\s5
\v 8 Because God declared that the Israelites were guilty of not obeying the first covenant, he wanted a new covenant. This is what a prophet wrote about that:
\q "The Lord says, 'Listen! There will soon be a time
\q when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and the people of Judah.
\q
\v 9 That covenant will not be like the covenant that I made with their ancestors
\q when I led them out of Egypt like a father leads his young child.
\q They did not continue to obey my covenant,
\q so I let them alone,' says the Lord.
\q
\s5
\v 10 'This is the covenant that I will make with the Israelites,
\q after the first covenant has ended,' says the Lord:
\q 'I will enable them to understand my laws,
\q and I will enable them to obey them sincerely from their hearts.
\q I will be their God, and they will be my people.
\q
\s5
\v 11 No one will need to teach a fellow citizen
\q or tell his fellow kinsmen, 'You acknowledge that the Lord is God,'
\q because all my people will acknowledge me.
\q Everyone among my people, from the least important to the most important, will know me.
\q
\v 12 I will mercifully forgive them for the wicked things they have done.
\q I will no longer consider that they are guilty for their sins."
\s5
\p
\v 13 Since God said that he was making a new covenant, we know that he considered that the first covenant was no longer in use, and that it would soon disappear.
\s5

View File

@ -85,76 +85,76 @@ Then, when evil desires come together, sin is born, which means the person commi
\s5
\c 2
\p
\v 1 My brothers and sisters, do not think of honoring some people more than others as you at the same time trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is greater than anything.
\v 2 For example, suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby clothes also comes in.
\v 3 And suppose that you show special attention to the one dressed in fine clothes by saying, "Please sit here in this nice seat!" and you say to the poor one, "You stand over there or sit on the floor!"
\v 4 You have then judged one another for wrong reasons.
\s5
\v 5 Listen to me, my brothers and sisters whom I love. God has chosen poor people who seem to have nothing of value, to trust in him very much. So he will give them great things when he rules everyone everywhere. This is what he has promised to do for everyone who loves him.
\v 6 But you dishonor the poor people. Think about it! It is the rich people, not the poor people, who are causing you to suffer! It is the rich people who forcibly take you to court to accuse you in front of judges!
\v 7 And they are the ones who speak evil against the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy of praise, to whom you belong!
\s5
\v 8 If you follow the royal law, as they are written in the scriptures, you will see the command, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you love others, you are doing what is right.
\v 9 But if you honor some people more than others, you are doing wrong. And because you do not do what God commanded us to do, he condemns you because you disobey his laws.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Those who disobey only one of God's laws, even if they obey all his other laws, God considers to be as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed all of his laws.
\v 11 For example, God said, "Do not commit adultery," but he also said, "Do not murder anyone." So if you do not commit adultery but you murder someone, you have become a person who disobeys God's laws.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Always speak and act toward others as people should whom God will judge using the law that frees us from being punished for our sins.
\v 13 Because when God judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But if we are merciful to others, then we will not fear God when he judges us.
\s5
\p
\v 14 My brothers and sisters, some people say, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," but they do not do good things. What they say will do them no good. If they only believe with words, God will certainly not save them.
\v 15 To illustrate, suppose that a brother or sister is continually lacking clothes or food for each day.
\v 16 And suppose one of you says to them, "Do not worry, go away, get warm, and find the food you need!" But if you do not give them the things that they need for their bodies, then that will be no help to them!
\v 17 Similarly, if you do not do good deeds to help others, what you say about believing in Christ is as useless as a dead person! You do not really believe in Christ.
\s5
\p
\v 18 But someone may say to me, "God saves some people only because they trust in him, and he saves others because they do good deeds for people." I would answer that person, "You cannot prove to me that people truly trust in God if they do not do good deeds for others! But by doing good deeds for others I will prove to you that I truly trust in God!
\v 19 Think about it! You believe that there is only one real God who truly lives, and you are right to believe that. But the demons also believe that, and they tremble because they also know that God truly lives, and that He will punish them.
\v 20 Also, you foolish person, I will give you proof that if someone says, "I trust in God," but does not do good deeds, what that person says does not help him in any way.
\s5
\v 21 We all honor Abraham, our ancestor. He tried to obey what God told him to do; he tried to give his son Isaac to God on the altar. God considered Abraham to be a righteous person for trying to obey him.
\v 22 In this way, Abraham trusted in God and obeyed him. When he obeyed him, he finished doing what he was trusting God for.
\v 23 And so it happened as it is written in the scriptures, "Because Abraham truly trusted in God, God viewed him as someone who did the right thing." God also said about Abraham, "He is my friend."
\v 24 From the example of Abraham you can realize that it is because people do good deeds that God considers them to be righteous, and not only because they trust in him.
\s5
\v 25 Similarly, it was certainly because of what Rahab did that God considered her to be good. Rahab had been a prostitute, but she cared for the messengers who came to spy out the land, and she helped them to escape by sending them home on a different road from the one that they came on.
\p
\v 26 Just as when a person no longer breathing is dead and his body is useless, in the same way, someone who says he trusts in God but does nothing good trusts in God uselessly.
\s5
\c 2
\p
\v 1 My brothers and sisters, do not think of honoring some people more than others as you at the same time trust in our Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is greater than anything.
\v 2 For example, suppose that a person who wears gold rings and fine clothes enters your meeting place. Then suppose that a poor person who wears shabby clothes also comes in.
\v 3 And suppose that you show special attention to the one dressed in fine clothes by saying, "Please sit here in this nice seat!" and you say to the poor one, "You stand over there or sit on the floor!"
\v 4 You have then judged one another for wrong reasons.
\s5
\v 5 Listen to me, my brothers and sisters whom I love. God has chosen poor people who seem to have nothing of value, to trust in him very much. So he will give them great things when he rules everyone everywhere. This is what he has promised to do for everyone who loves him.
\v 6 But you dishonor the poor people. Think about it! It is the rich people, not the poor people, who are causing you to suffer! It is the rich people who forcibly take you to court to accuse you in front of judges!
\v 7 And they are the ones who speak evil against the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who is worthy of praise, to whom you belong!
\s5
\v 8 If you follow the royal law, as they are written in the scriptures, you will see the command, "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." If you love others, you are doing what is right.
\v 9 But if you honor some people more than others, you are doing wrong. And because you do not do what God commanded us to do, he condemns you because you disobey his laws.
\s5
\p
\v 10 Those who disobey only one of God's laws, even if they obey all his other laws, God considers to be as guilty as anyone who has disobeyed all of his laws.
\v 11 For example, God said, "Do not commit adultery," but he also said, "Do not murder anyone." So if you do not commit adultery but you murder someone, you have become a person who disobeys God's laws.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Always speak and act toward others as people should whom God will judge using the law that frees us from being punished for our sins.
\v 13 Because when God judges us, he will not act mercifully toward those who do not act mercifully toward others. But if we are merciful to others, then we will not fear God when he judges us.
\s5
\p
\v 14 My brothers and sisters, some people say, "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ," but they do not do good things. What they say will do them no good. If they only believe with words, God will certainly not save them.
\v 15 To illustrate, suppose that a brother or sister is continually lacking clothes or food for each day.
\v 16 And suppose one of you says to them, "Do not worry, go away, get warm, and find the food you need!" But if you do not give them the things that they need for their bodies, then that will be no help to them!
\v 17 Similarly, if you do not do good deeds to help others, what you say about believing in Christ is as useless as a dead person! You do not really believe in Christ.
\s5
\p
\v 18 But someone may say to me, "God saves some people only because they trust in him, and he saves others because they do good deeds for people." I would answer that person, "You cannot prove to me that people truly trust in God if they do not do good deeds for others! But by doing good deeds for others I will prove to you that I truly trust in God!
\v 19 Think about it! You believe that there is only one real God who truly lives, and you are right to believe that. But the demons also believe that, and they tremble because they also know that God truly lives, and that He will punish them.
\v 20 Also, you foolish person, I will give you proof that if someone says, "I trust in God," but does not do good deeds, what that person says does not help him in any way.
\s5
\v 21 We all honor Abraham, our ancestor. He tried to obey what God told him to do; he tried to give his son Isaac to God on the altar. God considered Abraham to be a righteous person for trying to obey him.
\v 22 In this way, Abraham trusted in God and obeyed him. When he obeyed him, he finished doing what he was trusting God for.
\v 23 And so it happened as it is written in the scriptures, "Because Abraham truly trusted in God, God viewed him as someone who did the right thing." God also said about Abraham, "He is my friend."
\v 24 From the example of Abraham you can realize that it is because people do good deeds that God considers them to be righteous, and not only because they trust in him.
\s5
\v 25 Similarly, it was certainly because of what Rahab did that God considered her to be good. Rahab had been a prostitute, but she cared for the messengers who came to spy out the land, and she helped them to escape by sending them home on a different road from the one that they came on.
\p
\v 26 Just as when a person no longer breathing is dead and his body is useless, in the same way, someone who says he trusts in God but does nothing good trusts in God uselessly.
\s5
@ -237,48 +237,48 @@ Then, when evil desires come together, sin is born, which means the person commi
\v 16 But what you are doing is boasting about all the things that you plan to do. Your boasting like that is evil.
\p
\v 17 So if anyone knows the right thing that he should do, but he does not do it, he is sinning.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 Now I have something to say to you rich people who say you believe in Christ. Listen to me! You should weep and wail loudly because you will experience terrible troubles!
\v 2 Your wealth is worthless, as though it were rotted. Your fine clothes are worthless, as though moths had ruined them.
\v 3 Your gold and silver are worthless, as though they were corroded. When God judges you, this worthless wealth of yours will be evidence that you are guilty of being greedy, and as rust and fire destroy things, God will severely punish you. You have in vain stored up wealth in a time when God is about to judge you.
\s5
\v 4 Think about what you have done. You did not pay the wages you promised to the workmen who harvested your fields for you. The pay you kept for yourself shows me your guilt and how unfair you were to them. The workers cry out to God because of the way you treat them. And the Lord God of the angel armies listens to their loud cries.
\v 5 You have bought anything you wanted so you could live like kings. Just like cattle fatten themselves, not realizing that they will be slaughtered, you have lived just to enjoy things, not realizing that God will severely punish you.
\v 6 You have arranged for others to condemn innocent people. You have arranged for others to kill people, even though those people had not done anything wrong. They were not able to defend themselves against you. My brothers and sisters, that is what I say to the rich people who oppress you.
\s5
\p
\v 7 So, my brothers and sisters, although rich people cause you to suffer, be patient until the Lord Jesus Christ comes back. Remember that when farmers plant a field, they wait for their valuable crops to grow. They must wait patiently for the rain that comes at the planting season and for more rain that comes just before the harvest season. They wait for the crops to grow and mature before they can harvest them.
\v 8 Similarly, you also should wait patiently and trust the Lord Jesus firmly, because he is coming back soon and will judge all people fairly.
\s5
\v 9 My brothers and sisters, do not complain against each other, in order that the Lord Jesus may not condemn and punish you. It is he who will judge us, and he is ready to appear.
\v 10 My brothers and sisters, as an example of how to be patient, consider the prophets whom the Lord God sent long ago to speak his messages. Although people caused them to suffer much, they endured it patiently.
\v 11 We know that God honors and helps those who endure suffering for him. You have also heard about Job. You know that although he suffered much, the Lord God planned to bring good to Job because he endured that suffering. And from that we know that the Lord is very compassionate and kind.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Also, my brothers and sisters, I want to say something important about how you talk. You must not take an oath by calling on heaven or by calling on the earth to stand as a witness for the promise you make. All you need to say is "Yes" or "No." God will judge you when you say more than that.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Whoever among you is experiencing trouble should pray that God would help him. Whoever is cheerful should sing songs of praise to God.
\v 14 Whoever among you is sick should call the leaders of the congregation to come to pray for him. They should put olive oil on him and, with the Lord's authority, pray.
\v 15 The prayer that is offered to God with faith will heal the person who is sick, and the Lord will restore his health. If that person has sinned, God will forgive him.
\s5
\v 16 So, because the Lord is able to heal the sick and to forgive sins, tell each other the sinful things that you have done, and pray for each other in order that you may be healed. If righteous people pray and ask fervently for God to do something, God will act powerfully and will certainly do it.
\v 17 Although the prophet Elijah was an ordinary person like us, he earnestly prayed that it would not rain. And it did not rain for three and a half years.
\v 18 Then he prayed again, asking God to send rain, and God sent rain, and plants grew and produced crops again.
\s5
\p
\v 19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone of you stops obeying the true message from God, some other person among you should persuade that person to once again do what God has told us to do. If he stops doing what is wrong,
\v 20 all of you should remember that because of that other person, God will save the sinner from spiritual death and will forgive his many sins.
\s5
\c 5
\p
\v 1 Now I have something to say to you rich people who say you believe in Christ. Listen to me! You should weep and wail loudly because you will experience terrible troubles!
\v 2 Your wealth is worthless, as though it were rotted. Your fine clothes are worthless, as though moths had ruined them.
\v 3 Your gold and silver are worthless, as though they were corroded. When God judges you, this worthless wealth of yours will be evidence that you are guilty of being greedy, and as rust and fire destroy things, God will severely punish you. You have in vain stored up wealth in a time when God is about to judge you.
\s5
\v 4 Think about what you have done. You did not pay the wages you promised to the workmen who harvested your fields for you. The pay you kept for yourself shows me your guilt and how unfair you were to them. The workers cry out to God because of the way you treat them. And the Lord God of the angel armies listens to their loud cries.
\v 5 You have bought anything you wanted so you could live like kings. Just like cattle fatten themselves, not realizing that they will be slaughtered, you have lived just to enjoy things, not realizing that God will severely punish you.
\v 6 You have arranged for others to condemn innocent people. You have arranged for others to kill people, even though those people had not done anything wrong. They were not able to defend themselves against you. My brothers and sisters, that is what I say to the rich people who oppress you.
\s5
\p
\v 7 So, my brothers and sisters, although rich people cause you to suffer, be patient until the Lord Jesus Christ comes back. Remember that when farmers plant a field, they wait for their valuable crops to grow. They must wait patiently for the rain that comes at the planting season and for more rain that comes just before the harvest season. They wait for the crops to grow and mature before they can harvest them.
\v 8 Similarly, you also should wait patiently and trust the Lord Jesus firmly, because he is coming back soon and will judge all people fairly.
\s5
\v 9 My brothers and sisters, do not complain against each other, in order that the Lord Jesus may not condemn and punish you. It is he who will judge us, and he is ready to appear.
\v 10 My brothers and sisters, as an example of how to be patient, consider the prophets whom the Lord God sent long ago to speak his messages. Although people caused them to suffer much, they endured it patiently.
\v 11 We know that God honors and helps those who endure suffering for him. You have also heard about Job. You know that although he suffered much, the Lord God planned to bring good to Job because he endured that suffering. And from that we know that the Lord is very compassionate and kind.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Also, my brothers and sisters, I want to say something important about how you talk. You must not take an oath by calling on heaven or by calling on the earth to stand as a witness for the promise you make. All you need to say is "Yes" or "No." God will judge you when you say more than that.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Whoever among you is experiencing trouble should pray that God would help him. Whoever is cheerful should sing songs of praise to God.
\v 14 Whoever among you is sick should call the leaders of the congregation to come to pray for him. They should put olive oil on him and, with the Lord's authority, pray.
\v 15 The prayer that is offered to God with faith will heal the person who is sick, and the Lord will restore his health. If that person has sinned, God will forgive him.
\s5
\v 16 So, because the Lord is able to heal the sick and to forgive sins, tell each other the sinful things that you have done, and pray for each other in order that you may be healed. If righteous people pray and ask fervently for God to do something, God will act powerfully and will certainly do it.
\v 17 Although the prophet Elijah was an ordinary person like us, he earnestly prayed that it would not rain. And it did not rain for three and a half years.
\v 18 Then he prayed again, asking God to send rain, and God sent rain, and plants grew and produced crops again.
\s5
\p
\v 19 My brothers and sisters, if anyone of you stops obeying the true message from God, some other person among you should persuade that person to once again do what God has told us to do. If he stops doing what is wrong,
\v 20 all of you should remember that because of that other person, God will save the sinner from spiritual death and will forgive his many sins.

View File

@ -4,73 +4,73 @@
\toc1 The First Letter of Peter
\toc2 First Peter
\toc3 1Pe
\mt1 1 Peter
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 I, Peter, whom Jesus Christ made an apostle, am writing this letter to you who believe in him, you whom God has chosen to belong to himself. I am writing to you who live in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, far away from your true home in heaven.
\v 2 God our Father chose you as he himself decided previously, and his Spirit has set you apart in order that you may obey Jesus Christ, and in order that his blood may make you acceptable to God. May God act very kindly to you, and may he make you live more and more peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Praise God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is because he is kind to us and he has shown us great mercy, by causing us to experience the new birth that gives us a living hope, and we receive the new life because God raised Jesus Christ to life from the dead ones.
\v 4 He has enabled us to expect to receive things that he has kept for us in heaven, things that will last forever.
\v 5 God, by his mighty power, is guarding you as you trust in Jesus. He is guarding you so that he may, at the end of the time in which we now live, completely rescue you from Satan's power.
\s5
\v 6 You rejoice because of what will happen then, but now you are grieving for a short time while you suffer many different hardships.
God is allowing you to be tested, as precious metals are tested to see if they are pure. These trials that you are experiencing are necessary.
\v 7 These hardships happen in order to prove that you really do trust in Jesus. This means more to God than all the gold in the world, which fire can destroy. Because you trust in Jesus, God will honor you very highly when Jesus Christ comes again.
\s5
\v 8 You love Jesus, although you have not seen him. Although you do not see him now, you rejoice very much;
\v 9 because you trust in him, God is saving you from the guilt of your sins.
\p
\v 10 Long ago prophets spoke messages that God had shown them about how he would one day save you. They investigated very carefully these things.
\s5
\v 11 They wanted to know whom the Spirit of Christ that was in them was referring to. They also wanted to know what time he was talking about. This was because the Spirit was telling them beforehand that the Christ would suffer and die, and that glorious things would happen to him afterwards.
\v 12 God told them that it was not for their own sake that he was revealing these things to them, but that it was for your sake. They proclaimed them to you because the Holy Spirit whom God sent from heaven enabled them to do that. And even angels would like to know more about these truths about how God saves us.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Therefore, prepare your minds to obey God. What I mean is that you should discipline your minds. Be confident that you will receive the good things that God will kindly do for you when Jesus Christ returns from heaven.
\v 14 And because you should obey your heavenly Father, just as children ought to obey their fathers here on earth, do not do the evil deeds that you previously wished to do, when you did not know the truth about God.
\s5
\v 15 Instead, just like God, the one who chose you to belong to him, is holy, you also must be holy in everything that you do.
\v 16 Be holy, because it is written in the scriptures that God said, "You must be holy because I am holy."
\p
\v 17 God is the one who judges what each one does, and he does this very fairly. Since you call him 'Father,' behave in a right way while you are living here on earth. You are like people whom others have driven from their homes, because you are living away from heaven, your true home.
\s5
\v 18 Live reverently because you know that it was not with things like gold and silver—things that will not last forever—that God bought you, so you could stop behaving foolishly, as you learned to do from your ancestors.
\v 19 Instead, it was with the precious blood of Christ that flowed from his body when he died that God bought you. Christ was a like the lambs that the Jewish priests sacrificed: Perfect, without any blemishes or spots.
\s5
\v 20 God chose him to do this before he created the world. But it was not until now, when the world will soon end, that God revealed him to you.
\v 21 Because of what Christ has done, you are trusting in God, who caused him to become alive again after he died, and who greatly honored him. As a result, God is the one in whom you are trusting and expecting that he will do great things for you.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Because you have obeyed the truth about God and have allowed him to make you pure and to love our fellow believers, continue to love each other earnestly and sincerely.
\v 23 I ask you to do this, because you now are living a new life. It was not by means of something that will perish that you received this new life. Instead, it was by means of something that will last forever: The promises of God, which you have believed.
\s5
\v 24 We know that this is true because, as the prophet Isaiah wrote,
\q "All people will perish like grass perishes. And all the greatness that people have will not last forever,
\q like the flowers in the grass do not last long.
\q The grass withers and the flowers die,
\q
\v 25 but God's message endures forever."
\m
This message that endures is the message about Christ that we proclaimed to you.
\mt1 1 Peter
\s5
\c 1
\p
\v 1 I, Peter, whom Jesus Christ made an apostle, am writing this letter to you who believe in him, you whom God has chosen to belong to himself. I am writing to you who live in the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, far away from your true home in heaven.
\v 2 God our Father chose you as he himself decided previously, and his Spirit has set you apart in order that you may obey Jesus Christ, and in order that his blood may make you acceptable to God. May God act very kindly to you, and may he make you live more and more peacefully.
\s5
\p
\v 3 Praise God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! It is because he is kind to us and he has shown us great mercy, by causing us to experience the new birth that gives us a living hope, and we receive the new life because God raised Jesus Christ to life from the dead ones.
\v 4 He has enabled us to expect to receive things that he has kept for us in heaven, things that will last forever.
\v 5 God, by his mighty power, is guarding you as you trust in Jesus. He is guarding you so that he may, at the end of the time in which we now live, completely rescue you from Satan's power.
\s5
\v 6 You rejoice because of what will happen then, but now you are grieving for a short time while you suffer many different hardships.
God is allowing you to be tested, as precious metals are tested to see if they are pure. These trials that you are experiencing are necessary.
\v 7 These hardships happen in order to prove that you really do trust in Jesus. This means more to God than all the gold in the world, which fire can destroy. Because you trust in Jesus, God will honor you very highly when Jesus Christ comes again.
\s5
\v 8 You love Jesus, although you have not seen him. Although you do not see him now, you rejoice very much;
\v 9 because you trust in him, God is saving you from the guilt of your sins.
\p
\v 10 Long ago prophets spoke messages that God had shown them about how he would one day save you. They investigated very carefully these things.
\s5
\v 11 They wanted to know whom the Spirit of Christ that was in them was referring to. They also wanted to know what time he was talking about. This was because the Spirit was telling them beforehand that the Christ would suffer and die, and that glorious things would happen to him afterwards.
\v 12 God told them that it was not for their own sake that he was revealing these things to them, but that it was for your sake. They proclaimed them to you because the Holy Spirit whom God sent from heaven enabled them to do that. And even angels would like to know more about these truths about how God saves us.
\s5
\p
\v 13 Therefore, prepare your minds to obey God. What I mean is that you should discipline your minds. Be confident that you will receive the good things that God will kindly do for you when Jesus Christ returns from heaven.
\v 14 And because you should obey your heavenly Father, just as children ought to obey their fathers here on earth, do not do the evil deeds that you previously wished to do, when you did not know the truth about God.
\s5
\v 15 Instead, just like God, the one who chose you to belong to him, is holy, you also must be holy in everything that you do.
\v 16 Be holy, because it is written in the scriptures that God said, "You must be holy because I am holy."
\p
\v 17 God is the one who judges what each one does, and he does this very fairly. Since you call him 'Father,' behave in a right way while you are living here on earth. You are like people whom others have driven from their homes, because you are living away from heaven, your true home.
\s5
\v 18 Live reverently because you know that it was not with things like gold and silver—things that will not last forever—that God bought you, so you could stop behaving foolishly, as you learned to do from your ancestors.
\v 19 Instead, it was with the precious blood of Christ that flowed from his body when he died that God bought you. Christ was a like the lambs that the Jewish priests sacrificed: Perfect, without any blemishes or spots.
\s5
\v 20 God chose him to do this before he created the world. But it was not until now, when the world will soon end, that God revealed him to you.
\v 21 Because of what Christ has done, you are trusting in God, who caused him to become alive again after he died, and who greatly honored him. As a result, God is the one in whom you are trusting and expecting that he will do great things for you.
\s5
\p
\v 22 Because you have obeyed the truth about God and have allowed him to make you pure and to love our fellow believers, continue to love each other earnestly and sincerely.
\v 23 I ask you to do this, because you now are living a new life. It was not by means of something that will perish that you received this new life. Instead, it was by means of something that will last forever: The promises of God, which you have believed.
\s5
\v 24 We know that this is true because, as the prophet Isaiah wrote,
\q "All people will perish like grass perishes. And all the greatness that people have will not last forever,
\q like the flowers in the grass do not last long.
\q The grass withers and the flowers die,
\q
\v 25 but God's message endures forever."
\m
This message that endures is the message about Christ that we proclaimed to you.
\s5
\c 2

View File

@ -245,89 +245,89 @@ curse you and say terrible things about you because you follow Christ. Those Jew
\s5
\c 6
\p
\v 1 I saw the Lamb open the first of the seven seals of the scroll. Then one of the four living creatures said in a voice as loud as thunder, "Come!"
\v 2 and a white horse appeared. There was someone riding it, and he had a bow and arrows. God gave him a wreath of leaves to wear on his head to show that he was to conquer evil. He went out to continue to do battle and to win.
\s5
\v 3 Then the one looking like a Lamb opened the second seal, and I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"
\v 4 When he said that, a red horse appeared. There was also someone riding it, and God had given him the power to cause people to no longer live peacefully, but instead to kill each other. For this purpose he carried a large sword.
\s5
\v 5 Then the Lamb opened the third seal, and I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" This time, I saw a black horse appear. There was someone riding it, and he had a pair of balance scales in his hand.
\v 6 Then I heard a voice that sounded like it was coming from among the four living creatures. It said to the person on the horse, "Make it happen that one liter of wheat will cost so much that a man must work a whole day to earn enough money to buy it. Also make it happen that three liters of barley will sell for the same price. But do not reduce the supply of olive oil or wine."
\s5
\v 7 Then the Lamb opened the fourth seal, and I heard the fourth living creature say, "Come!"
\v 8 This time I saw a pale horse appear. Someone was riding it; his name was "The one who causes people to die." Someone else was following him; this person's name was "The place where dead people go." God gave these two persons power to kill one-fourth of all people on earth. They could kill them with weapons, or with famine, or with sickness, or with wild animals.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then the Lamb opened the fifth seal, and I saw under the altar in heaven the spirits of God's servants whom others had killed because these servants had believed God's message, the message to which God himself bore witness.
\v 10 They loudly asked God, "Sovereign Lord, you are holy and true. How long will it be before you condemn and punish the people on earth who murdered us?"
\v 11 Then God gave to each of them a white robe, and he told them to be patient a little longer. They should be patient until the number of those who also served the Lord with them—who were their brothers and sisters in Christ—would be killed just like they themselves had been killed because of their faith.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, and the earth shook violently. The sun became as black as cloth made of black wool. The whole moon became red like blood.
\v 13 Stars fell to the earth in great numbers, just as immature figs fall when a fig tree shakes in a strong wind.
\v 14 The sky split open and rolled up on either side just as an old scroll rolls up when it is split in two. Every mountain and island was shaken out of its place.
\s5
\v 15 As a result, all the people on earth, including kings, high-ranking people, generals, rich people, powerful people, along with everybody else, both slave and free, hid in caves and between the mountain rocks.
\v 16 They shouted to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us so that the one who sits on the throne will not be able to see us, and so that the Lamb will not be able to punish us!
\v 17 This is the terrible day on which they will punish us. No one will be able to survive!"
\s5
\c 7
\p
\v 1 After this I saw four angels standing on the earth. One was standing at the north, one at the east, one at the south, and one at the west. They were keeping back the winds from blowing and destroying things on the earth, on the ocean, or even on any tree.
\v 2 Then I saw another angel come up from the east. He was carrying God's seal. With this seal God, who is all-powerful, marks his own people to protect them. This angel called out with a loud voice to the four angels whom God had told to harm the earth and the ocean.
\v 3 He said to them, "Do not harm the earth or the ocean or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God on their foreheads."
\s5
\v 4 Then the angel and his fellow angels marked all God's servants. I heard the number of people whom they marked. The number was 144,000. They were people from every tribe of Israel.
\v 5 The angels marked twelve thousand people from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,
\v 6 twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, and twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh.
\s5
\v 7 In addition, there were twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,
\v 8 twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin.
\s5
\p
\v 9 After these things happened, I saw a huge crowd. There were so many people that no one could count them. They were from every nation, every tribe, every people group, and every language. They were standing before the throne and before the lamb. They were wearing white robes and held palm branches to wave with their hands in order to celebrate.
\v 10 They shouted loudly, "Our God, the one who sits on the throne, and the Lamb have rescued us from Satan's power!"
\s5
\v 11 All the angels were standing around the throne, around the elders, and around the four living creatures. They all lay before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God.
\v 12 They said, "Yes, it is so! We praise, thank, and honor you, our God, forever! We acknowledge that you are completely wise, the powerful one, who is able to do all things forever! It is so!"
\s5
\p
\v 13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These people who are wearing white robes, do you know who they are and from where they come?"
\v 14 I answered him, "Sir, I do not know. Surely you know who they are!" He said to me, "These are the people have come through the great tribulation. The Lamb died for them, and God has forgiven them for their sins. It is as if they have washed their robes in his blood and made them clean.
\s5
\v 15 Because of this, they are in front of God's throne, and they worship him day and night in his temple. God, the one who sits on the throne, will protect them.
\v 16 As a result, they will never again be hungry. They will never again be thirsty. The sun will never again beat on them, nor will any heat scorch them.
\v 17 This is because the Lamb who is at the throne will take care of them, just as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. He will guide them to the source of eternal life, just as a shepherd leads his sheep to springs of water. God will cause them to no longer be sad. It will be as if he were wiping away all tears from their eyes."
\s5
\c 6
\p
\v 1 I saw the Lamb open the first of the seven seals of the scroll. Then one of the four living creatures said in a voice as loud as thunder, "Come!"
\v 2 and a white horse appeared. There was someone riding it, and he had a bow and arrows. God gave him a wreath of leaves to wear on his head to show that he was to conquer evil. He went out to continue to do battle and to win.
\s5
\v 3 Then the one looking like a Lamb opened the second seal, and I heard the second living creature say, "Come!"
\v 4 When he said that, a red horse appeared. There was also someone riding it, and God had given him the power to cause people to no longer live peacefully, but instead to kill each other. For this purpose he carried a large sword.
\s5
\v 5 Then the Lamb opened the third seal, and I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" This time, I saw a black horse appear. There was someone riding it, and he had a pair of balance scales in his hand.
\v 6 Then I heard a voice that sounded like it was coming from among the four living creatures. It said to the person on the horse, "Make it happen that one liter of wheat will cost so much that a man must work a whole day to earn enough money to buy it. Also make it happen that three liters of barley will sell for the same price. But do not reduce the supply of olive oil or wine."
\s5
\v 7 Then the Lamb opened the fourth seal, and I heard the fourth living creature say, "Come!"
\v 8 This time I saw a pale horse appear. Someone was riding it; his name was "The one who causes people to die." Someone else was following him; this person's name was "The place where dead people go." God gave these two persons power to kill one-fourth of all people on earth. They could kill them with weapons, or with famine, or with sickness, or with wild animals.
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then the Lamb opened the fifth seal, and I saw under the altar in heaven the spirits of God's servants whom others had killed because these servants had believed God's message, the message to which God himself bore witness.
\v 10 They loudly asked God, "Sovereign Lord, you are holy and true. How long will it be before you condemn and punish the people on earth who murdered us?"
\v 11 Then God gave to each of them a white robe, and he told them to be patient a little longer. They should be patient until the number of those who also served the Lord with them—who were their brothers and sisters in Christ—would be killed just like they themselves had been killed because of their faith.
\s5
\p
\v 12 Then I saw the Lamb open the sixth seal, and the earth shook violently. The sun became as black as cloth made of black wool. The whole moon became red like blood.
\v 13 Stars fell to the earth in great numbers, just as immature figs fall when a fig tree shakes in a strong wind.
\v 14 The sky split open and rolled up on either side just as an old scroll rolls up when it is split in two. Every mountain and island was shaken out of its place.
\s5
\v 15 As a result, all the people on earth, including kings, high-ranking people, generals, rich people, powerful people, along with everybody else, both slave and free, hid in caves and between the mountain rocks.
\v 16 They shouted to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us so that the one who sits on the throne will not be able to see us, and so that the Lamb will not be able to punish us!
\v 17 This is the terrible day on which they will punish us. No one will be able to survive!"
\s5
\c 7
\p
\v 1 After this I saw four angels standing on the earth. One was standing at the north, one at the east, one at the south, and one at the west. They were keeping back the winds from blowing and destroying things on the earth, on the ocean, or even on any tree.
\v 2 Then I saw another angel come up from the east. He was carrying God's seal. With this seal God, who is all-powerful, marks his own people to protect them. This angel called out with a loud voice to the four angels whom God had told to harm the earth and the ocean.
\v 3 He said to them, "Do not harm the earth or the ocean or the trees until we have marked the servants of our God on their foreheads."
\s5
\v 4 Then the angel and his fellow angels marked all God's servants. I heard the number of people whom they marked. The number was 144,000. They were people from every tribe of Israel.
\v 5 The angels marked twelve thousand people from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand from the tribe of Gad,
\v 6 twelve thousand from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand from the tribe of Naphtali, and twelve thousand from the tribe of Manasseh.
\s5
\v 7 In addition, there were twelve thousand from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand from the tribe of Issachar,
\v 8 twelve thousand from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand from the tribe of Joseph, and twelve thousand from the tribe of Benjamin.
\s5
\p
\v 9 After these things happened, I saw a huge crowd. There were so many people that no one could count them. They were from every nation, every tribe, every people group, and every language. They were standing before the throne and before the lamb. They were wearing white robes and held palm branches to wave with their hands in order to celebrate.
\v 10 They shouted loudly, "Our God, the one who sits on the throne, and the Lamb have rescued us from Satan's power!"
\s5
\v 11 All the angels were standing around the throne, around the elders, and around the four living creatures. They all lay before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God.
\v 12 They said, "Yes, it is so! We praise, thank, and honor you, our God, forever! We acknowledge that you are completely wise, the powerful one, who is able to do all things forever! It is so!"
\s5
\p
\v 13 Then one of the elders asked me, "These people who are wearing white robes, do you know who they are and from where they come?"
\v 14 I answered him, "Sir, I do not know. Surely you know who they are!" He said to me, "These are the people have come through the great tribulation. The Lamb died for them, and God has forgiven them for their sins. It is as if they have washed their robes in his blood and made them clean.
\s5
\v 15 Because of this, they are in front of God's throne, and they worship him day and night in his temple. God, the one who sits on the throne, will protect them.
\v 16 As a result, they will never again be hungry. They will never again be thirsty. The sun will never again beat on them, nor will any heat scorch them.
\v 17 This is because the Lamb who is at the throne will take care of them, just as a shepherd takes care of his sheep. He will guide them to the source of eternal life, just as a shepherd leads his sheep to springs of water. God will cause them to no longer be sad. It will be as if he were wiping away all tears from their eyes."
\s5
@ -767,58 +767,58 @@ curse you and say terrible things about you because you follow Christ. Those Jew
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 After this I saw another angel, one who had great authority, coming down from heaven. The earth became bright because he was shining so intensely.
\v 2 He shouted with a very loud voice, "God is about to completely destroy the very evil city of Babylon. As a result, all kinds of evil spirits will live there, and all kinds of foul and detestable birds will live there. Babylon is like a prostitute
\v 3 with whom all the people groups engaged with her in the passion of sexual immorality, which is like getting drunk on too much wine. Yes, and the kings of the earth have done the same things with her. The world's merchants became rich because she wanted to commit so much sexual immorality."
\s5
\p
\v 4 I heard Jesus speak from heaven. He said, "My people, flee from that Babylon in order that you do not sin as those people do. If you sin as they do, I will punish you in those seven different ways, just as I will punish them.
\v 5 It is as though their sins have been piled up to heaven and God remembers them, so now he will punish them."
\p
\v 6 To the angels whom God assigned to punish Babylon, Jesus said, "Pay back the people of that city to the same extent that they harmed other people. Cause them to suffer twice as much as they caused other people to suffer.
\s5
\v 7 To the same extent that Babylon, like a woman, has honored herself and done the things she wanted to do, to that extent torment her and cause her to grieve. Do that because in her mind she thought, 'I rule as a queen! I am not a widow, and I will never mourn as widows do!'
\v 8 So in one day, terrible calamities will come upon her. The people in that city will die, others will mourn for them, people will be hungry because there will be no food, and the city will burn up. The Lord God is able to punish her because he is mighty."
\s5
\p
\v 9 The kings on earth who have acted immorally with her and have done just what they wanted to do with her will weep and mourn for her when they see the smoke of the fire that will burn there.
\v 10 They will stand far away from Babylon because they will be afraid that they will suffer just as she does. They will say, "How terrible it is for Babylon, that strong city! God is punishing her suddenly and swiftly!"
\s5
\v 11 The merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn for her because no one in her will ever again buy the things that they have to sell.
\v 12-13 They sell ornaments made of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. They sell expensive cloth made of fine linen and silk, expensive cloth that is dyed purple and crimson. They sell all kinds of rare wood, all kinds of items made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble. They sell cinnamon, spice, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain. They sell cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. They even sell human beings as slaves.
\s5
\v 14 The good things you people longed to have are gone! All your luxurious and splendid possessions have vanished! They will be gone forever!
\s5
\v 15 The merchants who sold these things and who had become rich will stand far away because they will be afraid that they will suffer just as the city has. They will weep and mourn,
\v 16 and they will say, "Terrible things have happened to that great city! That city was like a woman, dressed in clothes made of fine linen cloth and expensive cloth dyed purple and crimson, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
\v 17 But suddenly and swiftly God has destroyed all these expensive things."
\p Every ship's captain, all people who travel by ship, all sailors, and all others who earn their living by traveling on the ocean will stand far away from the city."
\s5
\v 18 When they see the smoke of the fire that is burning there, they will shout, "No other city has ever been like that great city!"
\v 19 They will throw dust on their heads to show that they are sad, and they will shout, weep, and mourn. They will say, "Terrible things have happened to Babylon. That city made many people rich, the people who had ships that sail on the ocean in order to sell their expensive things. God has suddenly and swiftly destroyed that city!"
\p
\v 20 Then someone spoke from heaven saying, "You who live in heaven, rejoice over what has happened to Babylon! You who are God's people, including you apostles and prophets, rejoice. You must rejoice; God has justly punished the people there because they acted so terribly toward you!"
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large stone for grinding grain, and he threw it into the ocean. Then he said, "You people in the great city of Babylon, God will throw down your city so that it will disappear just as that stone disappeared in the ocean! Your city will be gone forever!
\v 22 In your city, there will never again be anyone playing harps, singing, playing flutes, or blowing trumpets. There will no longer be any skilled workers making things. There will never again be people grinding grain at the mills.
\s5
\v 23 No lamp will ever again shine there. There will never again be the happy voices of any bridegroom and his bride. God will destroy your city because your merchants were the most important men in the world. You used witchcraft to deceive people of all people-groups.
\v 24 You are also responsible for killing the prophets and others of God's people. Indeed, you are guilty of every murder committed on the earth!"
\s5
\c 18
\p
\v 1 After this I saw another angel, one who had great authority, coming down from heaven. The earth became bright because he was shining so intensely.
\v 2 He shouted with a very loud voice, "God is about to completely destroy the very evil city of Babylon. As a result, all kinds of evil spirits will live there, and all kinds of foul and detestable birds will live there. Babylon is like a prostitute
\v 3 with whom all the people groups engaged with her in the passion of sexual immorality, which is like getting drunk on too much wine. Yes, and the kings of the earth have done the same things with her. The world's merchants became rich because she wanted to commit so much sexual immorality."
\s5
\p
\v 4 I heard Jesus speak from heaven. He said, "My people, flee from that Babylon in order that you do not sin as those people do. If you sin as they do, I will punish you in those seven different ways, just as I will punish them.
\v 5 It is as though their sins have been piled up to heaven and God remembers them, so now he will punish them."
\p
\v 6 To the angels whom God assigned to punish Babylon, Jesus said, "Pay back the people of that city to the same extent that they harmed other people. Cause them to suffer twice as much as they caused other people to suffer.
\s5
\v 7 To the same extent that Babylon, like a woman, has honored herself and done the things she wanted to do, to that extent torment her and cause her to grieve. Do that because in her mind she thought, 'I rule as a queen! I am not a widow, and I will never mourn as widows do!'
\v 8 So in one day, terrible calamities will come upon her. The people in that city will die, others will mourn for them, people will be hungry because there will be no food, and the city will burn up. The Lord God is able to punish her because he is mighty."
\s5
\p
\v 9 The kings on earth who have acted immorally with her and have done just what they wanted to do with her will weep and mourn for her when they see the smoke of the fire that will burn there.
\v 10 They will stand far away from Babylon because they will be afraid that they will suffer just as she does. They will say, "How terrible it is for Babylon, that strong city! God is punishing her suddenly and swiftly!"
\s5
\v 11 The merchants of the earth will weep and will mourn for her because no one in her will ever again buy the things that they have to sell.
\v 12-13 They sell ornaments made of gold, silver, precious stones, and pearls. They sell expensive cloth made of fine linen and silk, expensive cloth that is dyed purple and crimson. They sell all kinds of rare wood, all kinds of items made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble. They sell cinnamon, spice, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil, fine flour, and grain. They sell cattle, sheep, horses, and chariots. They even sell human beings as slaves.
\s5
\v 14 The good things you people longed to have are gone! All your luxurious and splendid possessions have vanished! They will be gone forever!
\s5
\v 15 The merchants who sold these things and who had become rich will stand far away because they will be afraid that they will suffer just as the city has. They will weep and mourn,
\v 16 and they will say, "Terrible things have happened to that great city! That city was like a woman, dressed in clothes made of fine linen cloth and expensive cloth dyed purple and crimson, and adorned with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
\v 17 But suddenly and swiftly God has destroyed all these expensive things."
\p Every ship's captain, all people who travel by ship, all sailors, and all others who earn their living by traveling on the ocean will stand far away from the city."
\s5
\v 18 When they see the smoke of the fire that is burning there, they will shout, "No other city has ever been like that great city!"
\v 19 They will throw dust on their heads to show that they are sad, and they will shout, weep, and mourn. They will say, "Terrible things have happened to Babylon. That city made many people rich, the people who had ships that sail on the ocean in order to sell their expensive things. God has suddenly and swiftly destroyed that city!"
\p
\v 20 Then someone spoke from heaven saying, "You who live in heaven, rejoice over what has happened to Babylon! You who are God's people, including you apostles and prophets, rejoice. You must rejoice; God has justly punished the people there because they acted so terribly toward you!"
\s5
\p
\v 21 Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large stone for grinding grain, and he threw it into the ocean. Then he said, "You people in the great city of Babylon, God will throw down your city so that it will disappear just as that stone disappeared in the ocean! Your city will be gone forever!
\v 22 In your city, there will never again be anyone playing harps, singing, playing flutes, or blowing trumpets. There will no longer be any skilled workers making things. There will never again be people grinding grain at the mills.
\s5
\v 23 No lamp will ever again shine there. There will never again be the happy voices of any bridegroom and his bride. God will destroy your city because your merchants were the most important men in the world. You used witchcraft to deceive people of all people-groups.
\v 24 You are also responsible for killing the prophets and others of God's people. Indeed, you are guilty of every murder committed on the earth!"
\s5
\c 19
@ -923,134 +923,134 @@ curse you and say terrible things about you because you follow Christ. Those Jew
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the oceans no longer existed.
\v 2 I saw God's holy city, which is the new city of Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. God had prepared it and decorated it, just as women decorate a bride in order to marry a man.
\s5
\v 3 Then I heard a loud voice calling out from the throne of God saying, "Listen to this! Now God will live with people. He will live right in the midst of them! They will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.
\v 4 He will cause them to no longer be sad. He will stop them from weeping ever again. None of them will ever again die or mourn or cry or suffer pain because God has taken away those things and they are gone forever."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Then God, who sits on the throne, said, "Listen to this! I am now making everything new!" He said to me: "Write these things that I have told you because you can trust that I will certainly cause them to happen."
\v 6 He also said to me, "I have completed all these things! I am the one who began all things and the one who will cause all things to end. To everyone who wants it, I will freely give water from the spring that causes people to live forever.
\s5
\v 7 I will give this to all who are victorious over Satan. I will be their God, and they will be my children.
\v 8 But those who are cowardly, those who do not believe in me, those who do detestable things, those who murder people, those who sin sexually, those who do witchcraft, those who worship idols, and every liar will all suffer in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is what it means to die a second time."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of wine—the wine that caused the seven last ways of suffering—came and said to me, "Come with me and I will show you the people who have permanently united with the Lamb as a woman marries a man!"
\p
\v 10 Then God's Spirit took control of me, and the angel took me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me God's holy city, the new Jerusalem, which was coming down out of heaven from God.
\s5
\v 11 It was shining with the brilliant light that came from God himself. The city was shining as a very precious jasper stone shines, and it was clear like crystal.
\v 12 Around the city was a very high wall. The wall had twelve gates. An angel was at each gate. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written over the gates. Each gate had the name of one tribe.
\v 13 Three gates were on the east side, three gates were on the north side, three gates were on the south side, and three gates were on the west side.
\s5
\v 14 The city wall had twelve foundation stones. On each foundation stone was the name of one of the twelve apostles whom the Lamb had appointed.
\p
\v 15 The angel who was speaking to me carried a golden measuring rod, a rod that he used to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
\s5
\v 16 The city was square in shape; it was as long as it was wide. After the angel measured the city with his rod, he reported that it was 2,200 kilometers long, and that its width and height were each the same as its length.
\v 17 He measured its wall and reported that it was sixty-six meters thick. The angel used the measure that people normally use.
\s5
\p
\v 18 The city wall was made of something like the green stone that we call jasper. The city itself was made of pure gold that looked like clear glass.
\v 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were beautifully made with precious stones. The first foundation stone was jasper, the second foundation stone was sapphire, the third foundation stone was chalcedony, the fourth foundation stone was emerald,
\v 20 the fifth foundation stone was sardonyx, the sixth foundation stone was sardius, the seventh foundation stone was chrysolite, the eighth foundation stone was beryl, the ninth foundation stone was topaz, the tenth foundation stone was chrysoprase, the eleventh foundation stone was jacinth, and the twelfth foundation stone was amethyst.
\s5
\v 21 The twelve gates of the city were something like huge pearls. Each gate was like a single pearl. The city streets appeared to be pure gold that looked like clear glass.
\p
\v 22 There was no temple in the city. The Lord God himself, who rules over all, and the Lamb are there, so there was no need for a temple.
\s5
\v 23 The city will not need the sun or the moon to light the city because the light coming from God will light the city, and the Lamb will also be its light.
\v 24 The people groups will live with the light of the city shining on them. The kings of the earth will bring their wealth into the city to honor God and the lamb.
\v 25 The gates of the city will not be shut at the end of the day as they usually are shut because there will be no night there.
\s5
\v 26 The people of the world will also bring their wealth into the city.
\v 27 Nothing that is morally impure, no one who does deeds that God considers detestable, and no one who tells lies will ever enter that city. Only those people whose names are written in the book that belongs to the lamb, the book that has the names of people who have eternal life, will be there.
\s5
\c 22
\p
\v 1 Then the angel showed me the river that causes people who drink from it to live forever. The water was sparkling and clear like crystal. The river was flowing out from the throne where God and the Lamb were sitting.
\v 2 It flowed down through the middle of the main street of the city. On each side of the river were trees with fruit that causes people who eat it to live forever. The trees bear twelve kinds of fruit; they produce one crop each month. The people groups use the leaves of the trees as medicine in order that their wounds may heal.
\s5
\v 3 There will never be anyone or anything there that God will curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. God's servants will worship him there.
\v 4 They will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.
\v 5 There will never again be night. God's servants will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun because the Lord God will shine his light upon them. They will rule forever.
\s5
\p
\v 6 The angel said to me: "These things that God has shown you are true, and he will certainly make them happen. The Lord God who inspires the prophets sent his angel to show the people who serve him the events that must happen soon."
\v 7 Jesus says to all his people, "Listen to this! I am coming soon; God will abundantly bless everyone who obeys the message that has been written in this book."
\s5
\p
\v 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw in a vision these things that I have written down. When I had heard and seen them, I immediately lay down in front of the angel who had shown me these things in order to worship him.
\v 9 But he said to me, "Do not worship me! I am just a servant of God like you! I am also a servant like your fellow believers who are the prophets, and like those who obey the message in this book. Instead, worship God!"
\s5
\v 10 He also said to me, "Do not keep secret the message about what God has foretold in this book because it is almost time for him to fulfill this message.
\v 11 Since that time is near, if those who act in an evil manner want to continue to act that way, let them continue to do so. God will soon pay them back for that. If those who are vile want to continue to be vile, let them continue to do so. God will soon pay them back for that. Those who are acting righteously should continue to act righteously. Those who are perfect should continue to be perfect."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jesus says to all people: "Listen! I am coming soon! And I will pay back and punish or reward everyone according to what each one has done.
\v 13 I am the one who began all things and the one who will cause all things to end. I am before all things and I am at the end of all things.
\s5
\v 14 God is very pleased with the people who wash their robes and make them clean because they will be able to eat the fruit of the tree that enables people to live forever and because they will be able to enter the gates into the holy city.
\v 15 Outside are people who are unholy. They include people who practice witchcraft, people who sin sexually, people who murder others, idol worshipers, and all people who enjoy telling lies and are continual liars. They can never enter that city."
\s5
\p
\v 16 "I, Jesus, sent my angel in order that he might say to you people who are the groups of believers that all these things are true. I am the descendant of King David whom the prophets promised would come. I am the one who is like the bright morning star."
\s5
\p
\v 17 God's Spirit and his people, who are like the bride of Christ, say to each one who desires to believe, "Come!" Whoever hears this should also say to each one who desires to believe, "Come!" The people who want to come should come! Everyone who desires the water that enables people to live forever should take it as a free gift!
\s5
\p
\v 18 I, John, solemnly warn everyone who hears the message about what I have foretold in this book: If anyone adds anything to this message, God will punish him in the ways that this book tells about.
\v 19 If anyone takes away any of the message about what I have foretold in this book, God will take away that person's right to eat fruit from the tree that enables people to live forever. He will also take away that person's right to enter God's city. Both these things are described in this book.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Jesus, who says that all these things are true, says, "Certainly I am coming soon!" I, John, reply, "May it be so! Lord Jesus, come!"
\p
\v 21 I pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to act kindly to all of you who are God's people. Amen!
\s5
\c 21
\p
\v 1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth had disappeared, and the oceans no longer existed.
\v 2 I saw God's holy city, which is the new city of Jerusalem. It was coming down out of heaven from God. God had prepared it and decorated it, just as women decorate a bride in order to marry a man.
\s5
\v 3 Then I heard a loud voice calling out from the throne of God saying, "Listen to this! Now God will live with people. He will live right in the midst of them! They will be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God.
\v 4 He will cause them to no longer be sad. He will stop them from weeping ever again. None of them will ever again die or mourn or cry or suffer pain because God has taken away those things and they are gone forever."
\s5
\p
\v 5 Then God, who sits on the throne, said, "Listen to this! I am now making everything new!" He said to me: "Write these things that I have told you because you can trust that I will certainly cause them to happen."
\v 6 He also said to me, "I have completed all these things! I am the one who began all things and the one who will cause all things to end. To everyone who wants it, I will freely give water from the spring that causes people to live forever.
\s5
\v 7 I will give this to all who are victorious over Satan. I will be their God, and they will be my children.
\v 8 But those who are cowardly, those who do not believe in me, those who do detestable things, those who murder people, those who sin sexually, those who do witchcraft, those who worship idols, and every liar will all suffer in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is what it means to die a second time."
\s5
\p
\v 9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls of wine—the wine that caused the seven last ways of suffering—came and said to me, "Come with me and I will show you the people who have permanently united with the Lamb as a woman marries a man!"
\p
\v 10 Then God's Spirit took control of me, and the angel took me to the top of a very high mountain. He showed me God's holy city, the new Jerusalem, which was coming down out of heaven from God.
\s5
\v 11 It was shining with the brilliant light that came from God himself. The city was shining as a very precious jasper stone shines, and it was clear like crystal.
\v 12 Around the city was a very high wall. The wall had twelve gates. An angel was at each gate. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel were written over the gates. Each gate had the name of one tribe.
\v 13 Three gates were on the east side, three gates were on the north side, three gates were on the south side, and three gates were on the west side.
\s5
\v 14 The city wall had twelve foundation stones. On each foundation stone was the name of one of the twelve apostles whom the Lamb had appointed.
\p
\v 15 The angel who was speaking to me carried a golden measuring rod, a rod that he used to measure the city, its gates, and its wall.
\s5
\v 16 The city was square in shape; it was as long as it was wide. After the angel measured the city with his rod, he reported that it was 2,200 kilometers long, and that its width and height were each the same as its length.
\v 17 He measured its wall and reported that it was sixty-six meters thick. The angel used the measure that people normally use.
\s5
\p
\v 18 The city wall was made of something like the green stone that we call jasper. The city itself was made of pure gold that looked like clear glass.
\v 19 The foundations of the wall of the city were beautifully made with precious stones. The first foundation stone was jasper, the second foundation stone was sapphire, the third foundation stone was chalcedony, the fourth foundation stone was emerald,
\v 20 the fifth foundation stone was sardonyx, the sixth foundation stone was sardius, the seventh foundation stone was chrysolite, the eighth foundation stone was beryl, the ninth foundation stone was topaz, the tenth foundation stone was chrysoprase, the eleventh foundation stone was jacinth, and the twelfth foundation stone was amethyst.
\s5
\v 21 The twelve gates of the city were something like huge pearls. Each gate was like a single pearl. The city streets appeared to be pure gold that looked like clear glass.
\p
\v 22 There was no temple in the city. The Lord God himself, who rules over all, and the Lamb are there, so there was no need for a temple.
\s5
\v 23 The city will not need the sun or the moon to light the city because the light coming from God will light the city, and the Lamb will also be its light.
\v 24 The people groups will live with the light of the city shining on them. The kings of the earth will bring their wealth into the city to honor God and the lamb.
\v 25 The gates of the city will not be shut at the end of the day as they usually are shut because there will be no night there.
\s5
\v 26 The people of the world will also bring their wealth into the city.
\v 27 Nothing that is morally impure, no one who does deeds that God considers detestable, and no one who tells lies will ever enter that city. Only those people whose names are written in the book that belongs to the lamb, the book that has the names of people who have eternal life, will be there.
\s5
\c 22
\p
\v 1 Then the angel showed me the river that causes people who drink from it to live forever. The water was sparkling and clear like crystal. The river was flowing out from the throne where God and the Lamb were sitting.
\v 2 It flowed down through the middle of the main street of the city. On each side of the river were trees with fruit that causes people who eat it to live forever. The trees bear twelve kinds of fruit; they produce one crop each month. The people groups use the leaves of the trees as medicine in order that their wounds may heal.
\s5
\v 3 There will never be anyone or anything there that God will curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city. God's servants will worship him there.
\v 4 They will see him face to face, and his name will be written on their foreheads.
\v 5 There will never again be night. God's servants will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun because the Lord God will shine his light upon them. They will rule forever.
\s5
\p
\v 6 The angel said to me: "These things that God has shown you are true, and he will certainly make them happen. The Lord God who inspires the prophets sent his angel to show the people who serve him the events that must happen soon."
\v 7 Jesus says to all his people, "Listen to this! I am coming soon; God will abundantly bless everyone who obeys the message that has been written in this book."
\s5
\p
\v 8 I, John, am the one who heard and saw in a vision these things that I have written down. When I had heard and seen them, I immediately lay down in front of the angel who had shown me these things in order to worship him.
\v 9 But he said to me, "Do not worship me! I am just a servant of God like you! I am also a servant like your fellow believers who are the prophets, and like those who obey the message in this book. Instead, worship God!"
\s5
\v 10 He also said to me, "Do not keep secret the message about what God has foretold in this book because it is almost time for him to fulfill this message.
\v 11 Since that time is near, if those who act in an evil manner want to continue to act that way, let them continue to do so. God will soon pay them back for that. If those who are vile want to continue to be vile, let them continue to do so. God will soon pay them back for that. Those who are acting righteously should continue to act righteously. Those who are perfect should continue to be perfect."
\s5
\p
\v 12 Jesus says to all people: "Listen! I am coming soon! And I will pay back and punish or reward everyone according to what each one has done.
\v 13 I am the one who began all things and the one who will cause all things to end. I am before all things and I am at the end of all things.
\s5
\v 14 God is very pleased with the people who wash their robes and make them clean because they will be able to eat the fruit of the tree that enables people to live forever and because they will be able to enter the gates into the holy city.
\v 15 Outside are people who are unholy. They include people who practice witchcraft, people who sin sexually, people who murder others, idol worshipers, and all people who enjoy telling lies and are continual liars. They can never enter that city."
\s5
\p
\v 16 "I, Jesus, sent my angel in order that he might say to you people who are the groups of believers that all these things are true. I am the descendant of King David whom the prophets promised would come. I am the one who is like the bright morning star."
\s5
\p
\v 17 God's Spirit and his people, who are like the bride of Christ, say to each one who desires to believe, "Come!" Whoever hears this should also say to each one who desires to believe, "Come!" The people who want to come should come! Everyone who desires the water that enables people to live forever should take it as a free gift!
\s5
\p
\v 18 I, John, solemnly warn everyone who hears the message about what I have foretold in this book: If anyone adds anything to this message, God will punish him in the ways that this book tells about.
\v 19 If anyone takes away any of the message about what I have foretold in this book, God will take away that person's right to eat fruit from the tree that enables people to live forever. He will also take away that person's right to enter God's city. Both these things are described in this book.
\s5
\p
\v 20 Jesus, who says that all these things are true, says, "Certainly I am coming soon!" I, John, reply, "May it be so! Lord Jesus, come!"
\p
\v 21 I pray that our Lord Jesus will continue to act kindly to all of you who are God's people. Amen!