Bible verses about "self-defense" | EJ2000

¹ ¶ And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said, I have gained a man by the LORD. ² And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a pastor of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. ³ ¶ And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground a present unto the LORD. ⁴ And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD looked upon Abel and his present, ⁵ but he did not look upon Cain and his present. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. ⁶ ¶ Then the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? ⁷ If thou doest good, it shall certainly be accepted; and if thou doest not good, sin lies at the door. And his desire shall be unto thee, but thou must rule over him. ⁸ ¶ And Cain talked with Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and slew him. ⁹ ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not, Am I my brother’s keeper? ¹⁰ And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood cries unto me from the ground. ¹¹ And now thou art cursed from the earth, which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand; ¹² when thou tillest the ground, from now on it shall not yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth. ¹³ ¶ And Cain said unto the LORD, My iniquity is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴ Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I hide; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass that anyone that finds me shall slay me. ¹⁵ And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. ¹⁶ ¶ And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden. ¹⁷ And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch; and he built a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. ¹⁸ And unto Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methusael, and Methusael begat Lamech. ¹⁹ ¶ And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. ²⁰ And Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and of those who have cattle. ²¹ And his brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the harp and organ. ²² And Zillah also bore Tubalcain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah. ²³ ¶ And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech, for I shall slay a man for my wound and a young man for my hurt; ²⁴ if Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy times seven. ²⁵ ¶ And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth; for God, said she, has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. ²⁶ And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos. Then men began to call upon the name of the LORD.

¹ ¶ And God spoke all these words, saying, ² I am the LORD thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt out of the house of slavery. ³ Thou shalt have no other gods before me. ⁴ Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above or that is in the earth beneath nor that is in the water under the earth. ⁵ Thou shalt not bow down to them nor serve them; for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons unto the third and fourth generation of those that hate me ⁶ and showing mercy unto thousands of generations of those that love me and keep my commandments. ⁷ Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain for the LORD will not hold guiltless anyone that takes his name in vain. ⁸ Thou shalt remember the sabbath day, to sanctify it. ⁹ Six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work; ¹⁰ but the seventh day shall be the sabbath of the LORD thy God; in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manslave, nor thy maidslave, nor thy beast, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; ¹¹ for in six days the LORD made the heavens and earth, the sea, and all that is in them and rested the seventh day; therefore, the LORD blessed the sabbath day and sanctified it. ¹² ¶ Honour thy father and thy mother that thy days may be lengthened upon the land which the LORD thy God gives thee. ¹³ Thou shalt not murder. ¹⁴ Thou shalt not commit adultery. ¹⁵ Thou shalt not steal. ¹⁶ Thou shalt not give false testimony against thy neighbour. ¹⁷ Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manslave, nor his maidslave, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s. ¹⁸ ¶ And all the people saw the thunderings and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. ¹⁹ And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us lest we die. ²⁰ Then Moses said unto the people, Fear not, for God is come to prove you and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not. ²¹ Then the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was. ²² ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the sons of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven. ²³ Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. ²⁴ An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt offerings and thy peace offerings, thy sheep and thine oxen; in whatever place where I cause my name to be remembered, I will come unto thee, and I will bless thee. ²⁵ And if thou wilt make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stone; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it. ²⁶ Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto my altar that thy nakedness not be discovered thereon.

¹ ¶ Ye shall make no idols for yourselves nor graven image, neither shall you raise up a title, neither shall ye place any painted stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I AM your God. ² Keep my sabbaths and reverence my sanctuary: I am the LORD. ³ If ye walk in my statutes and keep my commandments and do them, ⁴ then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. ⁵ And your threshing shall last unto the vintage, and the vintage shall last unto the sowing time; and ye shall eat your bread to the full and dwell in your land safely. ⁶ For I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and no one shall make you afraid; and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. ⁷ And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. ⁸ And five of you shall chase one hundred, and one hundred of you shall put ten thousands to flight; and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. ⁹ For I will return unto you and make you fruitful and multiply you and establish my covenant with you. ¹⁰ And ye shall eat old store and bring forth the old because of the new. ¹¹ And I will set my dwelling among you, and my soul shall not abhor you. ¹² And I will walk among you and will be your God, and ye shall be my people. ¹³ I AM your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their slaves; and I have broken the bands of your yoke and made you walk with your faces uplifted. ¹⁴ ¶ But if ye will not hearken unto me and will not do all these my commandments; ¹⁵ and if ye shall despise my statutes or if your soul should abhor my rights so that ye will not do all my commandments but that ye break my covenant, ¹⁶ I also will do this unto you: I will even appoint over you terror, consumption, and the burning ague that shall consume the eyes and torment the soul, and ye shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it. ¹⁷ And I will place my wrath upon you, and ye shall be slain before your enemies; those that hate you shall reign over you; and ye shall flee when no one pursues you. ¹⁸ And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins. ¹⁹ And I will break the pride of your stronghold, and I will make your heaven as iron and your earth as bronze. ²⁰ And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits. ²¹ And if ye walk contrary unto me and will not hearken unto me; I will bring seven times more plagues upon you according to your sins. ²² I will also send wild beasts among you which shall rapture your children and destroy your animals and make you few in number, and your ways shall be desolate. ²³ And if ye will not be corrected by me by these things, but will walk contrary unto me, ²⁴ then will I also walk contrary unto you and will punish you yet seven times for your sins. ²⁵ And I will bring an avenging sword upon you, in vindication of the covenant; and ye shall gather together within your cities; but I will send pestilence among you, and ye shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy. ²⁶ When I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight, and ye shall eat and not be satisfied. ²⁷ And if ye will not for all this hearken unto me but walk contrary unto me, ²⁸ then I will walk contrary unto you also in fury, and I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins. ²⁹ And ye shall eat the flesh of your sons, and the flesh of your daughters shall ye eat. ³⁰ And I will destroy your high places and cut down your images and cast your carcasses upon the carcasses of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. ³¹ And I will make your cities waste and bring your sanctuaries unto desolation, and I will not smell the aroma of your suave incense. ³² And I will bring the land into desolation, and your enemies who dwell therein shall be astonished at it. ³³ And I will scatter you among the Gentiles and will draw out a sword after you, and your land shall be desolate and your cities waste. ³⁴ Then shall the land rest for her sabbaths all the days that it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies’ land; even then shall the land rest and enjoy her sabbaths. ³⁵ All the time that it shall be desolate, it shall rest that which it did not rest in your sabbaths when ye dwelt upon it. ³⁶ And upon those that are left alive of you I will send such cowardice into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, that the sound of a shaken leaf shall chase them; and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword; and they shall fall when none pursue. ³⁷ And they shall fall one upon another, as it were before a sword, when none pursue; and ye shall have no power to stand before your enemies. ³⁸ And ye shall perish among the Gentiles, and the land of your enemies shall eat you up. ³⁹ And those that are left of you shall pine away for their iniquity in your enemies’ lands; and for the iniquities of their fathers shall they pine away with them. ⁴⁰ ¶ And they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers for their trespass which they trespassed against me and that also they have walked contrary unto me, ⁴¹ and that I also have walked contrary unto them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; and then their uncircumcised hearts shall be humbled, and they shall plead because of their iniquity; ⁴² and I will remember my covenant with Jacob and likewise my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember, and I will remember the land. ⁴³ That the land shall be without them and shall rest her sabbaths, being desolate because of them; and they shall plead because of their iniquity because they despised my rights and their soul abhorred my statutes. ⁴⁴ And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not cast them away, neither will I abhor them to destroy them utterly and to break my covenant with them; for I AM their God. ⁴⁵ But I will remember them because of the old covenant, when I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the Gentiles, that I might be their God: I am the LORD. ⁴⁶ These are the statutes and rights and laws, which the LORD established between him and the sons of Israel in Mount Sinai by the hand of Moses.

¹ ¶ And it shall come to pass if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God to keep and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all the Gentiles of the earth; ² and all these blessings shall come upon thee and overtake thee when thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. ³ Blessed shalt thou be in the city and blessed shalt thou be in the field. ⁴ Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy ground and the fruit of thy beasts, the increase of thy cows, and the flocks of thy sheep. ⁵ Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. ⁶ Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thou goest out. ⁷ The LORD shall cause thine enemies that rise up against thee to be smitten before thy face; they shall come out against thee one way and flee before thee seven ways. ⁸ The LORD shall command the blessing upon thee in thy storehouses and in all that thou settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the LORD thy God gives thee. ⁹ The LORD shall confirm thee as his holy people, as he has sworn unto thee, when thou shalt keep the commandments of the LORD thy God and walk in his ways. ¹⁰ And all people of the earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the LORD, and they shall be afraid of thee. ¹¹ And the LORD shall cause thee to have good in abundance in the fruit of thy body and in the fruit of thy beasts and in the fruit of thy ground, upon the land which the LORD swore unto thy fathers to give thee. ¹² The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven, to give the rain unto thy land in its season and to bless all the work of thine hand. And thou shalt lend unto many Gentiles, and thou shalt not borrow. ¹³ And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail, and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath, when thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to keep them and to fulfill them. ¹⁴ And thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them. ¹⁵ ¶ And it shall come to pass if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep, to do all his commandments and his statutes which I command thee today, that all these curses shall come upon thee and overtake thee. ¹⁶ Cursed shalt thou be in the city, and cursed shalt thou be in the field. ¹⁷ Cursed shall be thy basket and thy store. ¹⁸ Cursed shall be the fruit of thy body and the fruit of thy land, the increase of thy cows and the flocks of thy sheep. ¹⁹ Cursed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and cursed shalt thou be when thou goest out. ²⁰ The LORD shall send upon thee cursing, destruction and rebuke, in all that thou settest thine hand to do, until thou art destroyed and perish quickly because of the wickedness of thy doings, by which thou hast forsaken me. ²¹ The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee until he has consumed thee from off the land into which thou dost enter to inherit it. ²² The LORD shall smite thee with a consumption and with a fever and with an inflammation and with an extreme burning and with the sword and with blight and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish. ²³ And thy heavens which are over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. ²⁴ The LORD shall make the rain of thy land dust and ashes; from the heavens it shall come down upon thee, until thou art destroyed. ²⁵ The LORD shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies; thou shalt go out one way against them and flee seven ways before them and shalt be an object of trembling unto all the kingdoms of the earth. ²⁶ And thy carcase shall be food unto all fowls of the air and unto the beasts of the earth, and there shall be no one to frighten them away. ²⁷ The LORD will smite thee with the boil of Egypt and with the hemorrhoids and with the scab and with the itch, of which thou canst not be healed. ²⁸ The LORD shall smite thee with madness and blindness and astonishment of heart. ²⁹ And thou shalt grope at noonday as the blind grope in the darkness, and thou shalt not be prospered in thy ways; and thou shalt only be oppressed and spoiled all the days, and there shall be no one to save thee. ³⁰ Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her; thou shalt build a house, and thou shalt not dwell therein; thou shalt plant a vineyard and shalt not gather the grapes thereof. ³¹ Thine ox shall be slain before thine eyes, and thou shalt not eat thereof; thine ass shall be violently taken away from before thy face and shall not be restored to thee; thy sheep shall be given unto thine enemies, and thou shalt have no one to rescue them. ³² Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look and fail with longing for them all the day long; and there shall be no strength in thine hand. ³³ The fruit of thy land and all thy labours shall a people which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt only be oppressed and crushed all the days. ³⁴ So that thou shalt be mad for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see. ³⁵ The LORD shall smite thee in the knees and in the legs with an evil boil that cannot be healed, from the sole of thy foot unto the top of thy head. ³⁶ The LORD shall bring thee and thy king which thou shalt set over thee unto a nation which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, and there shalt thou serve other gods, even wood and stone. ³⁷ And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD shall carry thee away. ³⁸ Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field and shalt gather but little in, for the locust shall consume it. ³⁹ Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine nor gather the grapes, for the worms shall eat them. ⁴⁰ Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy borders, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall fall. ⁴¹ Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity. ⁴² All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. ⁴³ The stranger that is in the midst of thee shall get up above thee very high, and thou shalt come down very low. ⁴⁴ He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him; he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail. ⁴⁵ ¶ Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee and shall pursue thee and overtake thee until thou art destroyed because thou shalt not have attended unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee; ⁴⁶ and they shall be in thee for a sign and for a wonder, and in thy seed for ever. ⁴⁷ Because thou didst not serve the LORD thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; ⁴⁸ therefore, thou shalt serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in lack of all things; and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he has destroyed thee. ⁴⁹ The LORD shall bring a nation against thee from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand, ⁵⁰ a nation of fierce countenance, which shall not regard the person of the old nor show favour to the young; ⁵¹ and he shall eat the fruit of thy beast and the fruit of thy land until thou art destroyed, which also shall not leave thee either grain, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy cows or flocks of thy sheep until he has destroyed thee. ⁵² And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates until thy high and fenced walls come down, in which thou dost trust, throughout all thy land; and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the LORD thy God has given thee. ⁵³ And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God has given thee, in the siege and in the straitness with which thine enemies shall distress thee. ⁵⁴ The man that is tender among you and very delicate, his eye shall be evil toward his brother and toward the wife of his bosom and toward the remnant of his children which he shall leave, ⁵⁵ so that he will not give to any of them of the flesh of his children whom he shall eat, because he shall have nothing left him in the siege and in the straitness with which thine enemies shall distress thee in all thy gates. ⁵⁶ The tender and delicate woman among you who would not venture to set the sole of her foot upon the ground for delicateness and tenderness, her eye shall be evil toward the husband of her bosom and toward her son and toward her daughter ⁵⁷ and toward her young one that comes out from between her feet and toward her children which she shall bear, for she shall eat them for want of all things secretly in the siege and straitness with which thine enemy shall distress thee in thy gates, ⁵⁸ if thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book that thou may fear this glorious and fearful name; I AM thy God. ⁵⁹ Then the LORD will augment thy plagues wonderfully, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues and of long continuance, and evil sicknesses and of long continuance. ⁶⁰ Moreover, he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of, and they shall cleave unto thee. ⁶¹ Also every sickness and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, the LORD will bring upon thee until thou art destroyed. ⁶² And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude, because thou would not hear the voice of the LORD thy God. ⁶³ And it shall come to pass that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to cause you to perish and to destroy you; and ye shall be plucked from off the land into which thou dost enter in to inherit it. ⁶⁴ And the LORD shall scatter thee among all the peoples from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even wood and stone. ⁶⁵ Neither shalt thou find rest among these Gentiles, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest; but there the LORD shall give thee a trembling heart and failing of eyes and sorrow of soul; ⁶⁶ and thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night and shalt have no assurance of thy life. ⁶⁷ In the morning thou shalt say, I wish it were evening, and in the evening thou shalt say, I wish it were morning! For the fear of thine heart with which thou shalt fear and for that which thine eyes shall see. ⁶⁸ And the LORD shall bring thee into Egypt again in ships by the way of which I spoke unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again; and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for menslaves and womenslaves, and there shall be no one to buy you.

⁴⁷ Because thou didst not serve the LORD thy God with joyfulness and with gladness of heart, for the abundance of all things; ⁴⁸ therefore, thou shalt serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger and in thirst and in nakedness and in lack of all things; and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck until he has destroyed thee.

⁸ When they chose new gods, the war was at the gates. Was there a shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?

¹ ¶ And Jehoshaphat, his son, reigned in his stead and prevailed against Israel. ² And he placed forces in all the fenced cities of Judah and set garrisons in the land of Judah and likewise in the cities of Ephraim, which Asa, his father had taken. ³ And the LORD was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David and sought not unto the Baalim ⁴ but sought the LORD God of his father and walked in his commandments, and not after the doings of Israel. ⁵ Therefore, the LORD confirmed the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought Jehoshaphat presents, and he had riches and glory in abundance. ⁶ And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the LORD, and he took away the high places and groves out of Judah. ⁷ Also in the third year of his reign he sent his princes, Benhail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethaneel, and Michaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah. ⁸ And with them he sent the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah, Levites, and with them Elishama and Jehoram, priests. ⁹ And they taught in Judah and had the book of the law of the LORD with them and went about throughout all the cities of Judah and taught the people. ¹⁰ ¶ And the fear of the LORD fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they did not dare to make war against Jehoshaphat. ¹¹ And the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents and tribute of silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven thousand seven hundred rams and seven thousand seven hundred he goats. ¹² And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles and cities of store. ¹³ And he had many works in the cities of Judah and men of war, mighty men of valour, in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And these are the numbers of them according to the houses of their fathers: In Judah, princes of thousands; the prince Adnah and with him three hundred thousand mighty men of valour; ¹⁵ and after him, Prince Jehohanan and with him two hundred and eighty thousand; ¹⁶ after him, Amasiah the son of Zichri, who willingly offered himself unto the LORD and with him two hundred thousand mighty men of valour; ¹⁷ of Benjamin, Eliada, a mighty man of valour, and with him two hundred thousand armed with bow and shield; ¹⁸ after him, Jehozabad and with him one hundred and eighty thousand ready and prepared for the war. ¹⁹ These were servants of the king, besides those whom the king had put in the fenced cities throughout all Judah.

¹ To the Overcomer:
for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth. ¶ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in tribulation.

²⁶ ¶ A righteous man falling down before the wicked is as a troubled fountain and a corrupt spring.

¹ ¶ Then Jesus was led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. ² And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterwards he was hungry. ³ And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones be made into bread. ⁴ But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. ⁵ Then the devil took him up into the holy city and set him on a pinnacle of the temple ⁶ and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. ⁷ Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. ⁸ Again, the devil took him up into an exceeding high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them ⁹ and said unto him, All these things I will give thee if thou wilt fall down and worship me. ¹⁰ Then Jesus said unto him, Get thee hence, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. ¹¹ Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. ¹² ¶ Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he returned to Galilee; ¹³ and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali, ¹⁴ that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, ¹⁵ The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; ¹⁶ the people who sat in darkness saw great light, and to those who sat in the region and shadow of death, light is sprung up. ¹⁷ From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent, for the kingdom of the heavens is at hand. ¹⁸ ¶ And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishers. ¹⁹ And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. ²⁰ And they straightway left their nets and followed him. ²¹ And going on from there, he saw another two brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. ²² And they immediately left the ship and their father and followed him. ²³ ¶ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom and healing every sickness and every bodily weakness among the people. ²⁴ And his fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments and those who were possessed with devils and those who were lunatic and those that were paralyzed; and he healed them. ²⁵ And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, from Decapolis, from Jerusalem, from Judaea and from beyond Jordan.

¹ ¶ If a man shall steal an ox or a sheep and kill it or sell it he shall restore five oxen for an ox and four sheep for a sheep. ² If a thief is found breaking into a house and is smitten so he dies, he that killed him shall not be guilty of his blood. ³ If the sun is risen upon him, he that killed him is guilty of his blood; the thief should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft. ⁴ If he is found with the theft in his hand, whether it be ox or ass or sheep, he shall restore double. ⁵ If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten and shall put in his beast and shall feed in another man’s field; of the best of his own field and of the best of his own vineyard shall he make restitution. ⁶ When fires are lit and in burning the thorns burn also the stacks of sheaves or the standing grain, or the field is consumed; he that kindled the fire shall surely make restitution. ⁷ ¶ When a man shall deliver unto his neighbour money or stuff to keep, and it is stolen out of the man’s house; if the thief is found, let him pay double. ⁸ If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought unto the judges to see whether he has put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods. ⁹ For all manner of fraud, whether it be for an ox, for an ass, for a sheep, for raiment, or for any manner of lost thing, which another challenges to be his, the cause of both parties shall come before the judges; and whom the judges shall condemn, he shall pay double unto his neighbour. ¹⁰ If a man delivers unto his neighbour an ass or an ox or a sheep or any beast to keep, and it dies or is hurt or driven away, no man seeing it, ¹¹ then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he has not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods, and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good. ¹² And if it is stolen from him, he shall make restitution unto its owner. ¹³ If it is torn in pieces, then let him bring witness, and he shall not make good that which was torn. ¹⁴ And if anyone borrows anything of his neighbour, and it is hurt or dies, its owner not being with it, he shall surely make it good. ¹⁵ But if its owner is with it, he shall not make it good; if it was hired, it came for its hire. ¹⁶ ¶ If a man should entice a virgin that is not betrothed and lie with her, he shall surely endow her and take her to be his wife. ¹⁷ If her father utterly refuses to give her unto him, he shall pay money according to the dowry of virgins. ¹⁸ Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. ¹⁹ Whoever lies with a beast shall surely be put to death. ²⁰ He that sacrifices unto any god, except unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed. ²¹ Thou shalt neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. ²² Ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. ²³ If thou afflict them in any manner, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely hear their cry; ²⁴ and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. ²⁵ ¶ If thou should lend money to my people, to the poor who is with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. ²⁶ If thou at all take thy neighbour’s clothing as a pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him before the sun goes down; ²⁷ for only that is his covering, it is his clothing to cover his flesh, in which he must sleep; and it shall come to pass, when he cries unto me, that I will hear, for I am merciful. ²⁸ Thou shalt not revile the judges nor curse the prince of thy people. ²⁹ Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits and of thy liquors; the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. ³⁰ Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen and with thy sheep; seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it to me. ³¹ And ye shall be holy men unto me; neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.

¹ ¶ And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain; and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him; ² and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying, ³ ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. ⁴ Blessed are those that mourn, for they shall be comforted. ⁵ Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. ⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. ⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. ⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. ⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God. ¹⁰ Blessed are those who suffer persecution for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. ¹¹ Blessed are ye when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in the heavens; for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. ¹³ ¶ Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt has lost its savour, with what shall it be salted? From then on it is good for nothing, but to be cast out and to be trodden under foot of men. ¹⁴ Ye are the light of the world. A city set upon a mountain cannot be hid. ¹⁵ Neither do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on the lampstand, and it gives light unto all that are in the house. ¹⁶ Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in the heavens. ¹⁷ ¶ Think not that I am come to undo the law or the prophets; I am not come to undo, but to fulfil. ¹⁸ For verily I say unto you, Until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle shall pass from the law until all is fulfilled. ¹⁹ Whosoever therefore shall undo one of these least commandments and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of the heavens; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. ²⁰ For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of the heavens. ²¹ ¶ Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit murder, and whosoever shall commit murder shall be guilty of the judgment; ²² but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother out of control shall be in danger of the judgment, and whosoever shall insult his brother shall be in danger of the council, but whosoever shall say, Thou art impious, shall be in danger of hell. ²³ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother has something against thee; ²⁴ leave thy gift there before the altar, and go; first restore friendship with thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. ²⁵ Conciliate with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. ²⁶ Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out of there, until thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. ²⁷ ¶ Ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not commit adultery; ²⁸ but I say unto you, That whosoever looks on a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. ²⁹ Therefore if thy right eye should bring thee occasion to stumble, pluck it out and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ³⁰ And if thy right hand should bring thee occasion to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is better for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. ³¹ It was also said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a bill of divorce; ³² but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, except for the cause of fornication, causes her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced commits adultery. ³³ ¶ Again, ye have heard that it was said to the ancients, Thou shalt not perjure thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths; ³⁴ but I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is God’s throne, ³⁵ nor by the earth, for it is his footstool, neither by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. ³⁶ Neither shalt thou swear by thy head because thou canst not make one hair white or black. ³⁷ But let your communication be, Yes, yes; No, no; for whatsoever is more than this comes of evil. ³⁸ ¶ Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; ³⁹ but I say unto you, That ye resist not with evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ And if anyone desires to sue thee at the law, and take away thy clothing, let him have thy cloak also. ⁴¹ And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him that asks of thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. ⁴³ ¶ Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. ⁴⁴ But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless those that curse you, do good to those that hate you, and pray for those who speak evil about you, and persecute you; ⁴⁵ that ye may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens, for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. ⁴⁶ For if ye love those who love you, what reward shall ye have? Do not even the publicans the same? ⁴⁷ And if ye embrace your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? ⁴⁸ Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father who is in the heavens is perfect.

⁵² Then Jesus said unto him, Put up again thy sword into its place, for all those that take the sword shall perish by the sword. ⁵³ Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels? ⁵⁴ But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled that thus it must be?

³⁸ ¶ Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; ³⁹ but I say unto you, That ye resist not with evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

³⁶ Then he said unto them, But now, he that has a purse, let him take it and likewise his provision bag; and he that has no sword, let him sell his garment and buy one.

⁴ for he is a minister of God for thy good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain, for he is a minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil.

⁸ But if any provide not for his own and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

² If a thief is found breaking into a house and is smitten so he dies, he that killed him shall not be guilty of his blood. ³ If the sun is risen upon him, he that killed him is guilty of his blood; the thief should make full restitution; if he has nothing, then he shall be sold for his theft.