Exodus 18 Cross References - LEB

¹ And Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, that Yahweh had brought Israel out from Egypt. ² And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah the wife of Moses after her sending away, ³ and her two sons—the one whose name was Gershom, for he had said, "I have been an alien in a foreign land," ⁴ and the one whose name was Eliezer, for "the God of my father was my help, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." ⁵ And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came and his sons and his wife to Moses, to the desert where he was camping there at the mountain of God. ⁶ And he said to Moses, "I, your father-in-law Jethro, am coming to you and your wife and her two sons with her." ⁷ And Moses went out to meet his father-in-law, and he bowed, and he kissed him, and _⌊they each asked about the other's welfare_⌋,* and they came into the tent. ⁸ And Moses told his father-in-law all that Yahweh had done to Pharaoh and to Egypt on account of Israel, all the hardship that had found them on the way, and how Yahweh delivered them. ⁹ And Jethro rejoiced over all the good that Yahweh had done for Israel when he delivered them from the hand of Egypt. ¹⁰ And Jethro said, "Blessed be Yahweh, who has delivered you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Pharaoh—who has delivered the people from under the hand of Egypt. ¹¹ Now I know that Yahweh is greater than all the gods, _⌊even in the matter where they the Egyptians dealt arrogantly against the Israelites_⌋."* ¹² And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took a burnt offering and sacrifices for God, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with the father-in-law of Moses before God. ¹³ _⌊And_⌋* the next day, Moses sat to judge the people, and the people stood before Moses from the morning until the evening. ¹⁴ And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone and all the people are standing by you from morning until evening?" ¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to seek God. ¹⁶ When _⌊they have an issue_⌋,* it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known God's rule and his instructions." ¹⁷ And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ Surely you will wear out, both you and this people who are with you, because the thing is too _⌊difficult_⌋* for you. You are not able to do it alone. ¹⁹ Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God. ²⁰ And you warn them of the rules and the instructions, and you make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. ²¹ And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of dishonest gain,* and you will appoint such men over them as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. ²² And let them judge the people all the time, _⌊and_⌋* every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And so lighten it for yourself, and they will bear it with you. ²³ If you will do this thing and God will command you, then you will be able to endure, and also each of the people will go to his home* in peace." ²⁴ And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said. ²⁵ And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and he appointed them as heads over the people, as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. ²⁶ And they judged the people all the time; the difficult issues* they would bring to Moses, and every minor issue they would judge themselves. ²⁷ And Moses let his father-in-law go, and he went to his land.

¹⁶ Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters, and they came and drew water and filled the troughs to water their father's flock.*

¹⁸ And they came to Reuel, their father, and he said, "_⌊Why have you come so quickly_⌋* today?"

²¹ And Moses agreed to stay with the man, and he gave Zipporah his daughter to Moses.

¹ And Moses was a shepherd with the flock* of Jethro, his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the west of the desert, and he came to the mountain of God, to Horeb.

¹⁸ And Moses went, and he returned to Jethro his father-in-law, and he said to him, "Please let me go, and let me return to my brothers who are in Egypt, and let me see whether they are yet alive. And Jethro said to Moses, "Go in peace."

¹ And Yahweh said to Moses, "See, I have made you as a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron your brother will be your prophet. ² You will speak all that I will command you, and Aaron your brother will speak to Pharaoh, and he will release the _⌊Israelites_⌋* from his land. ³ And I myself will harden the heart of Pharaoh, and I will make my signs and my wonders numerous in the land of Egypt. ⁴ And Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will put my hand into Egypt and bring out my divisions, my people, the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* from the land of Egypt with great punishments. ⁵ And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I stretch out my hand over Egypt and bring the _⌊Israelites_⌋* out from their midst." ⁶ And Moses and Aaron did it; as Yahweh commanded them, so they did. ⁷ (And Moses was _⌊eighty years old_⌋,* and Aaron was _⌊eighty-three years old_⌋* when they spoke to Pharaoh.) ⁸ And Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, saying, ⁹ "When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Do a wonder for yourselves,' you will say to Aaron, 'Take your staff and throw it before Pharaoh, and it will become a snake.'" ¹⁰ And Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded. And Aaron threw his staff before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a snake. ¹¹ And Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers, and they also, the magicians of Egypt, did likewise with their secret arts. ¹² Each threw down his staff, and they became snakes, and Aaron's staff swallowed up their staffs. ¹³ And Pharaoh's heart was hard, and he did not listen to them, as Yahweh had said. ¹⁴ And Yahweh said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is _⌊insensitive_⌋;* he refuses to release the people. ¹⁵ Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Look, he is going out to the water, and you must wait to meet him on the bank of the Nile, and you must take in your hand the staff that was changed into a snake.

²⁹ Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, "We are setting out to the place that Yahweh said, 'I will give it to you'; go with us, and we will _⌊treat you well_⌋* because _⌊Yahweh promised_⌋* good concerning Israel."

¹⁰ For we have heard how Yahweh dried up the waters of the _⌊Red Sea_⌋* before you when you went out from Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites that were beyond the Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed.

⁹ And they said to him, "Your servants have come from a very far land because of the name of Yahweh your God; we have heard of his reputation, of all that he did in Egypt,

¹¹ And Heber the Kenite was separated from the other Kenites,* that is, from the descendants* of Hobab the father-in-law of Moses. And _⌊he was encamped_⌋* at Elon-bezaanannim, which is near Kedesh.

¹⁰ You gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all of his servants, and all of the people of his land because you knew that they acted arrogantly against them. You made a name for yourself, as it is this day. ¹¹ And you divided the sea before them, and they passed through the sea on dry ground, but their pursuers you threw into the depths like a stone into mighty waters.

² My soul makes its boast in Yahweh; let the humble hear and be glad.

¹ For the music director. Of the sons of Korah. A maskil.*
O God, we have heard with our ears; our ancestors* have told us of work you worked in their days, in days of old.

¹⁴ You are the God who works wonders;* you have made known your might among the peoples. ¹⁵ With your arm you redeemed your people, the children of Jacob and Joseph. Selah

⁴ We will not hide them from their children,* telling the next generation the praises of Yahweh, and his power and his wonders that he has done.

⁵⁰ He cleared a path for his anger. He did not spare them* from death but handed their life over to the plague. ⁵¹ And he struck down all the firstborn in Egypt, the first of their virility in the tents of Ham. ⁵² Then he led out his people like sheep and guided them like a herd in the wilderness. ⁵³ And he led them safely and they were not afraid, but the sea covered their enemies.

⁵ Remember his wonders that he has done, his signs and the judgments of his mouth,

³⁶ And he struck down all the firstborn in their land, the first of all their virility. ³⁷ Then he brought them out with silver and gold, and there was none among his tribes who stumbled. ³⁸ Egypt was glad when they departed, because the fear of them* had fallen upon them. ³⁹ He spread out a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light at night. ⁴⁰ They* asked, and he brought quail, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. ⁴¹ He opened the rock and waters flowed; they coursed* through the dry places like a river.

⁴³ And so he brought out his people with joy, his chosen ones with rejoicing.

² Who can utter the mighty deeds of Yahweh, or proclaim all his praise?

⁸ Yet he saved them for the sake of his name, to make known his might. ⁹ So he rebuked _⌊the Red Sea_⌋,* and it dried up, and he led them through the deep as through a desert. ¹⁰ Thus he saved them from the hand of the hater and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy. ¹¹ But waters covered their adversaries; not one of them survived.

¹⁰ To him who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹¹ And he brought Israel out from among them, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹² With a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹³ To him who divided the _⌊Red Sea_⌋* in two, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁴ And he let Israel cross over through the midst of it, for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁵ But he tossed Pharaoh and his army into the _⌊Red Sea_⌋,* for his loyal love endures forever. ¹⁶ To him who led his people through the wilderness, for his loyal love endures forever.

¹¹ Then* his people remembered the days of old, of Moses. Where is the one who led up them from the sea with the shepherds of his flock? Where is the one who puts _⌊his Holy Spirit_⌋* inside him, ¹² _⌊who made_⌋* his magnificent arm move _⌊at_⌋* the right hand of Moses, _⌊who divided_⌋* the waters _⌊before them_⌋,* to make an everlasting name for himself, ¹³ _⌊who led_⌋* them through the depths? They did not stumble like a horse in the desert;

⁹ And it will be to me a name of jubilation, a praise, and a glory before all the nations of the earth, who will hear all the good that I will do for them, and they will fear,* and they will tremble because of all the good, and because of all the prosperity that I will provide for it.'

²³ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'In those days ten men from _⌊all the nations of every language_⌋* will take hold of the hem of a Judean man,* saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you!" '"

³⁵ This Moses whom they had repudiated, saying, 'Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?'*—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer with _⌊the help_⌋* of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and at the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

²⁷ And when they* arrived and called the church together, they reported all that God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.*

¹² And the whole group became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describing all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

¹⁹ And after* greeting them, he began to relate* _⌊one after the other_⌋* the things which God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. ²⁰ And when* they heard this,* they began to glorify* God. And they said to him, "You see, brother, how many ten thousands there are among the Jews who have believed, and they are all zealous adherents of the law.

¹⁸ For I will not dare to speak about anything except that which Christ has accomplished through me, resulting in the obedience of the Gentiles by word and deed,

²³ and they were only hearing, "The one formerly persecuting us is now proclaiming the faith that formerly he was attempting to destroy," ²⁴ and they were glorifying God because of me.

²⁵ But Zipporah took a flint knife, and she cut off the foreskin of her son, and she touched his feet, and she said, "Yes, you are a bridegroom of blood to me." ²⁶ And he left him alone. At that time she said, "A bridegroom of blood," because of the circumcision.*

²² And she bore a son, and he called his name Gershom because he said, "I am an alien in a foreign land."*

²⁰ And Moses took his wife and his sons and had them ride on the donkey, and he returned to the land of Egypt, and Moses took the staff of God in his hand.

¹² Hear my prayer, O Yahweh, and listen to my cry for help; do not be deaf to my tears. For I am an alien* with you, a sojourner like all my ancestors.*

²⁹ And at this statement, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

¹³ These all died in faith without receiving the promises, but seeing them from a distance and welcoming them, and admitting that they were strangers and temporary residents on the earth.

¹¹ Dear friends, I urge you as foreigners and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires which wage war against your* soul,

¹⁵ And Pharaoh heard this matter, and he sought to kill Moses, and Moses fled from Pharaoh, and he lived in the land of Midian, and he lived at _⌊a certain well_⌋.*

¹⁵ The sons of Moses: Gershom and Eliezer.

¹ For the music director. Of David, the servant of Yahweh, who spoke to Yahweh the words of this song _⌊when_⌋* Yahweh delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.*
And he said: "I love you, O Yahweh, my strength."

⁴⁸ who delivered me from my enemies. Indeed, you exalted me higher than those who rose against me. You delivered me from the man of violence.

⁴ I sought Yahweh and he answered me, and from all my terrors he delivered me.

¹ For the music director. Of the sons of Korah. According to Alamoth. A song.*
God is our refuge and strength, a very sufficient help in troubles.

⁷ And the Lord Yahweh helps me,
therefore I have not been put to shame; therefore I have set my face like flint. And I know that I shall not be ashamed; ⁸ he who obtains rights for me is near. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is the master of my judgment? Let him approach me. ⁹ Look! The Lord Yahweh helps me. Who is the one who will declare me guilty? Look! All of them will be worn out like a garment; the moth will eat them.

²² My God sent his angel and he shut the mouth of the lions and they did not* hurt me, _⌊because_⌋* before him _⌊I was found_⌋* blameless, and also before you, O king, I have not done any wrong."

¹¹ And when* Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know truly that the Lord has sent out his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and all _⌊that the Jewish people expected_⌋!"*

⁸ For we do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning our affliction that happened in the province of Asia,* that we were burdened to an extraordinary degree, beyond our strength, so that we were in despair even of living. ⁹ But we ourselves had the sentence of death in ourselves, so that we would not be putting confidence in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, ¹⁰ who delivered us from so great a risk of death, and will deliver us, in whom we have put our hope that he will also deliver us again,

¹⁷ But the Lord helped me and strengthened me, so that through me the proclamation might be fulfilled and all the Gentiles might hear, and he rescued me from the lion's mouth.

⁶ So then, we can say with confidence,
"The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid.* What will man do to me?"*

¹² And he said, "Because I am with you, and this will be the sign for you that I myself have sent you: When you bring the people out from Egypt, you will serve God on this mountain."

¹¹ and they must be prepared for the third day, because on the third day, Yahweh will go down on Mount Sinai before the eyes of all the people.

²⁰ And Yahweh went down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain, and Yahweh called Moses to the top of the mountain, and Moses went up.

¹⁶ And the glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days, and he called to Moses on the seventh day from the midst of the cloud. ¹⁷ And the appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain to the eyes of* the _⌊Israelites_⌋.*

⁸ So he got up, ate, drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights up to Horeb, the mountain of God.

¹⁷ After his return from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the Valley of the King).

² And he lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing near* him. And he saw them and ran from the doorway of the tent to meet them. And he bowed down to the ground.

¹ And the two angels came to Sodom in the evening. And Lot was sitting in the gateway of Sodom. Then Lot saw them and stood up to meet them. And he bowed down with his face to the ground.

¹³ And it happened that when Laban heard the message about Jacob, the son of his sister, he ran to meet him. And he embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house. And he told Laban all these things.

²⁸ And why did you not give me opportunity to kiss my grandsons* and my daughters goodbye? Now you have behaved foolishly by doing this.

³ And he himself passed on before them and bowed down to the ground seven times until he came to his brother. ⁴ But Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell upon his neck and kissed him, and they wept. ⁵ Then Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and the children and said, "Who are these with you?" And he said, "The children whom God has graciously given your servant." ⁶ Then the female servants drew near, they and their children, and they bowed down. ⁷ Then Leah and her children drew near and bowed down, and afterward Joseph and Rachel drew near and they bowed down.

²⁷ And _⌊he greeted them_⌋* and said, "Is your father well, the old man of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" ²⁸ And they said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they knelt and bowed down.

¹⁵ And he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. And afterward his brothers spoke with him.

²⁹ Then Joseph harnessed his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell upon his neck and wept upon his neck a long time.

³⁶ When Balak heard that Balaam was coming, he went out to meet him by the city of Moab, which was on the boundary of Aaron at the end of the territory.

³⁴ Jephthah came to Mizpah, to his house, and behold his daughter came out to meet him with tambourines and dancing. She was his only child; he did not have a son or daughter except her.

⁷ Uriah came to him, and David asked _⌊how Joab and the army fared and how the war was going_⌋.*

¹⁹ Bathsheba came to King Solomon to speak to him concerning Adonijah, and the king got up to meet her, bowed down to her, and then sat on his throne. Then he set up a throne for the king's mother, and she sat on his right.

¹² Kiss the Son lest he be angry and you perish on the way, for his anger burns quickly. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

⁴⁵ You did not give me a kiss, but from the time I entered, she has not stopped kissing my feet.

³⁷ And there was considerable weeping by all, and _⌊hugging_⌋* Paul, they kissed him,

¹⁵ And from there the brothers, when they* heard the news about us, came to meet us as far as the Forum of Appius and Three Taverns. When he* saw them, Paul gave thanks to God and* took courage.

³⁴ For how can I go up to my father if the boy is not with me? _⌊I do not want to see_⌋* the misery which will find my father."

⁶ Yahweh, your right hand is glorious in power; Yahweh, your right hand destroyed the enemy.

¹⁶ Terror and dread fell on them; at the greatness of your arm they became silent like the stone, until your people passed by, Yahweh, until the people whom you bought passed by.

²² And Moses caused Israel to set out from the _⌊Red Sea_⌋,* and they went out into the desert of Shur, and they traveled three days in the desert, and they did not find water. ²³ And they came to Marah, and they were not able to drink water from Marah because it was bitter. Therefore _⌊it was named_⌋* Marah. ²⁴ And the people grumbled against Moses, saying, "What shall we drink?"

³ And the _⌊Israelites_⌋* said to them, "_⌊If only we had died_⌋* by the hand of Yahweh in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots* of meat, when we ate bread _⌊until we were full_⌋,* because you have brought us out to this desert to kill all of this assembly with hunger."

¹ And Jethro, the priest of Midian, the father-in-law of Moses, heard all that God had done for Moses and for Israel, his people, that Yahweh had brought Israel out from Egypt.

¹⁴ From Kadesh Moses sent messengers to the king of Edom: "Thus your brother Israel has said, 'You know all the hardship that has found us;

⁹ "You saw the misery of our ancestors* in Egypt, and you heard their shout at the Red Sea. ¹⁰ You gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all of his servants, and all of the people of his land because you knew that they acted arrogantly against them. You made a name for yourself, as it is this day. ¹¹ And you divided the sea before them, and they passed through the sea on dry ground, but their pursuers you threw into the depths like a stone into mighty waters. ¹² You led them by day with a column of cloud and with a column of fire by night, to give them light on the way that they were to go. ¹³ Then you came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right judgments and true teachings, good regulations and commandments. ¹⁴ You made known your holy Sabbath to them and gave them commandments, regulations, and law* by the hand of your servant Moses. ¹⁵ You gave them bread from heaven for their starvation, and you caused water to go out from a rock for their thirst. You told them to go in order to take into possession the land that you have sworn by your hand to give to them.

³² "And now our God, the great, mighty, and awesome God who keeps his covenant and loyal love, do not belittle in your presence all of the hardship that is found in us, our kings, our officials, our priests, our prophets, our ancestors,* and all of our people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until this day.

¹⁶ Come and hear, all you God-fearers, and I will tell what he has done for me.*

¹⁷ O God, you have taught me from my youth, and up to now I have proclaimed your wonderful deeds. ¹⁸ And even when I am old and gray, O God, do not abandon me until I proclaim your _⌊strength_⌋* to this generation, your power to every one that comes after. ¹⁹ And your righteousness, O God, is to the height of heaven. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? ²⁰ You who have caused me* to see many troubles and evils, you will again revive me.* And from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.

⁴² And they did not remember his _⌊power_⌋* _⌊when_⌋* he redeemed them from the enemy, ⁴³ how he performed* his signs in Egypt and his wonders in the region of Zoan,

⁷ In this* trouble you called, and I rescued you. Within the secret place of thunder I answered you; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

¹ Give thanks to Yahweh; proclaim his name; make known his deeds among the peoples. ² Sing to him; sing praises concerning him; tell of all his wonderful works.

¹⁰ Thus he saved them from the hand of the hater and redeemed them from the hand of the enemy.

² Let the redeemed of Yahweh declare* it, those whom he has redeemed from the hand of the enemy

⁴ One generation will laud your works to another, and will declare your mighty deeds. ⁵ On the splendor of the glory of your majesty, and on your wonderful deeds, I will meditate. ⁶ And they will speak of the power of your awesome deeds,* and I will tell of your greatness.* ⁷ They will utter * the renown of your abundant goodness, and they will proclaim with joy your righteousness. ⁸ Yahweh is gracious and compassionate, _⌊slow to anger_⌋* and great in loyal love. ⁹ Yahweh is good to all, and his mercies are over all his works. ¹⁰ All your works will praise you, O Yahweh, and your faithful ones will bless* you. ¹¹ They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk of your power, ¹² to make known to the children of humankind his mighty deeds, and the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.

²³ Sing for joy, heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Shout, depths of the earth! Break forth, mountains, in rejoicing, forest and every tree in it, for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob, and he will show his glory in Israel!

¹⁰ "Rejoice with Jerusalem and shout in exultation with her, all those who love her! Rejoice with her in joy, all those who mourn over her,

¹⁰ being devoted to one another in brotherly love, esteeming one another more highly in honor,

¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.

²⁶ And if one member suffers, all the members suffer together; if a member* is honored, all the members rejoice with it.

²⁰ And blessed be God Most High who delivered your enemies into your hand."
And he* gave to him a tenth of everything.

²⁸ Then Ahimaaz called and said to the king, "Peace." He bowed down to the king with his face to the ground, and he said, "May Yahweh your God be blessed, who has delivered the men who raised their hand against my lord the king."

¹⁵ Then he said, "Blessed be Yahweh the God of Israel who has promised with his mouth to David my father and fulfilled _⌊by his oath_⌋,* saying,

¹³ Blessed be Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.

¹⁹ Blessed be the Lord. Daily he loads us with benefits,* the God of our salvation.* Selah ²⁰ Our God is a God of deliverances, and to the Yahweh the Lord belong escapes from death.

⁴⁷ Save us, O Yahweh our God, and gather us from the nations, so that we may give thanks to your holy name and boast in your praise. ⁴⁸ Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, from everlasting and to everlasting. And let all the people say, "Amen!" Praise Yah.*

⁶⁸ "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and _⌊has redeemed_⌋* his people,

³ Blessed is* the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

⁹ For what thanks can we repay to God concerning you, because of all the joy with which we rejoice because of you before our God,

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

¹¹ And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and of the living creatures and of the elders, and their number was ten thousand times ten thousand and thousands times thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice,
"Worthy is the Lamb who was slaughtered to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!" ¹³ And I heard every creature that is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and in the sea and everything in them saying,
"To the one who is seated on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power* _⌊forever and ever_⌋*."

¹ After these things I heard something like the loud sound of a great crowd in heaven saying,
"Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, ² because his judgments are true and righteous, because he has passed judgment on the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and has avenged the blood of his slaves _⌊shed by_⌋* her hand!" ³ And a second time they said,
"Hallelujah!"
And her smoke goes up _⌊forever and ever_⌋*. ⁴ And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who is seated on the throne, saying,
"Amen! Hallelujah!" ⁵ And a voice came out from the throne, saying,
"Praise our God all his slaves, and those who fear him, the small and the great!" ⁶ And I heard something like the sound of a great crowd and something like the sound of many waters and something like the sound of powerful thunder, saying,
"Hallelujah! For the Lord God,* the All-Powerful, reigns!

¹⁰ Come, we must deal shrewdly with them, lest they become many, and when war happens, they also will join our enemies and will fight against us and go up from the land."

¹⁶ and he said, "When you help the Hebrews give birth, you will look upon the pairs of testicles; if he is a son, you will put him to death, and if she is a daughter, she will live."

²² And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, "Every son who is born you will throw into the Nile, and every daughter you will let live."

² And Pharaoh said, "Who is Yahweh that I should listen to his voice to release Israel? I do not know Yahweh, and also I will not release Israel."

⁷ "You must no longer give straw to the people to make the bricks like _⌊before_⌋.* Let them go and gather straw for themselves.

¹⁶ But for the sake of this I have caused you to stand—for the sake of showing you my strength and in order to proclaim my name in all the earth. ¹⁷ Still you are behaving haughtily to my people by not releasing them.

³ And Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh, and they said to him, "Thus says Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, 'Until when will you refuse to submit before me? Release my people so that they may serve me.

¹² "And I will go through the land of Egypt during this night, and I will strike all of the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from human to animal, and I will do punishments among all of the gods of Egypt. I am Yahweh.

⁸ And Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and he chased after the _⌊Israelites_⌋.* (Now the _⌊Israelites_⌋* were going out _⌊boldly_⌋.*)

¹⁸ And the Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I display my glory through Pharaoh, through his chariots, and through his charioteers."

¹¹ Who is like you among the gods, Yahweh? Who is like you—glorious in holiness, awesome in praiseworthy actions, doing wonders?*

³ Do not increase speaking _⌊very proud_⌋* words! Let no arrogance go forth from your mouth, for Yahweh is a God of knowledge whose deeds are not weighed.*

²⁴ Then the woman said to Elijah, "Now this I know, that you are a man of God and the word of Yahweh in your mouth is truth."

¹⁵ When he returned to the man of God, he and all of his army, he came and stood before him and said, "Please now, I know that there is no God in all of the world except in Israel. So then, please take a gift from your servant."

²⁵ For Yahweh is great and greatly praised, and he is feared among all gods.

⁵ And the house that I am building will be great, for our God is greater than all gods.

¹⁰ You gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all of his servants, and all of the people of his land because you knew that they acted arrogantly against them. You made a name for yourself, as it is this day.

¹⁶ "But they and our ancestors* acted arrogantly and stiffened their neck and did not listen to your commandments.

²⁹ You warned them so that they would return to your law.* Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to your commandments but sinned against your judgments that a person must do so that they may live. They turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not listen.

¹¹ Pour out the overflowing of your anger, and look at all the proud, and humble them. ¹² Look at all the proud, humble them, and tread down the wicked _⌊where they stand_⌋.*

²³ Love Yahweh, all you his faithful ones. Yahweh preserves the faithful but repays abundantly the one who acts arrogantly.

³ For Yahweh is the* great God, and the great king over all gods,

⁹ For you, O Yahweh, are most high over all the earth. You are highly* exalted above all gods.

²¹ You rebuke the arrogant, the accursed, who stray from your commands.

⁵ For I know that Yahweh is great, and our Lord is greater than all gods.

³⁷ Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and honor the king of heaven, for all his works are truth,* and his ways are justice and that he is able to humble those who walk in pride."

⁵¹ He has done a mighty deed with his arm; he has dispersed the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.

⁶ But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says,
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."*

⁵ In the same way, younger men, be subject to the elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

⁴ and Abel also brought an offering from _⌊the choicest firstlings of his flock_⌋.* And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering,

²⁰ And Noah built an altar to Yahweh, and he took from all the clean animals and from all the clean birds, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

⁷ And Yahweh appeared to Abram and said, "To your offspring I will give this land." And he built an altar there to Yahweh, who had appeared to him.

²⁵ And he built an altar there and called on the name of Yahweh. And he pitched his tent there, and the servants of Isaac dug a well there.

⁵⁴ And Jacob sacrificed a sacrifice on the hill, and he called his kinsmen to eat the meal.* And they ate the meal* and spent the night on the hill.

²⁵ Then they laid out* the gift until Joseph came at noon, for they had heard that they were to eat food there.

²⁰ And he said to his daughters, "Where is he? _⌊Why then_⌋* have you left the man? _⌊Call him so that he can eat some food_⌋."*

⁵ And he sent young men from the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* and they offered burnt offerings, and they sacrificed sacrifices as fellowship offerings to Yahweh using bulls.

¹¹ And toward the leaders of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* he did not stretch out his hand, and they beheld God, and they ate, and they drank.

¹¹ " 'And this is the regulation of the fellowship offerings that he must present to Yahweh: ¹² If he presents it for thanksgiving, in addition to the thanksgiving sacrifice he shall present ring-shaped unleavened bread mixed with oil and unleavened bread wafers smeared with oil and well-mixed ring-shaped bread cakes of finely milled flour mixed with oil. ¹³ In addition to ring-shaped cakes of bread with yeast, he must present his grain* offering together with* his sacrifice of thanksgiving peace offerings. ¹⁴ And he shall present one of each kind of grain* offering as a contribution for Yahweh; _⌊it belongs to_⌋* the priest who sprinkles the fellowship offerings' blood. ¹⁵ And the meat of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving fellowship offerings must be eaten on the day of his offering; he must not leave it until morning. ¹⁶ " 'But* if his sacrifice is for a vow or as a freewill offering, it must be eaten on the day of his presenting his sacrifice, and on the next day the remainder* from it may be eaten, ¹⁷ but* the remainder from the sacrifice's meat must be burned up in the fire on the third day.

⁷ And you shall eat there _⌊before_⌋* Yahweh your God, and you shall rejoice _⌊in all your endeavors_⌋,* you and your family in which Yahweh your God has blessed you.

⁷ And you shall sacrifice fellowship offerings, and you shall eat them there, and you shall rejoice _⌊before_⌋* Yahweh your God.

⁷ Then David said to him, "Don't be afraid, for _⌊I will certainly show_⌋* loyal love to you for the sake of Jonathan your father, and I will restore to you all the lands of Saul your father. And you shall always eat food at my table."

²¹ And they offered sacrifices to Yahweh, and on that next day they offered burnt offerings to Yahweh: one thousand bulls, one thousand rams, one thousand lambs, with their libations and sacrifices in abundance for all Israel. ²² And they ate and drank before Yahweh on that day with great joy. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him commander for Yahweh, and Zadok the priest.

²² And Hezekiah spoke to the heart of all the Levites _⌊who were skilled at service_⌋* to Yahweh. So they ate the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and giving thanks to Yahweh, the God of their ancestors.*

⁵ _⌊Then when_⌋* the days of the feast had run their course, _⌊Job would send_⌋,* and he would sanctify them. Thus* he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of all of them, because Job thought,* "Perhaps my children have sinned and _⌊cursed_⌋* God in their heart." This is what Job used to do _⌊all the time_⌋.*

⁸ _⌊So then_⌋,* take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job and offer a burnt offering for yourselves. And my servant Job will pray for you,* for _⌊I will certainly accept his prayer_⌋,* so that it will not be done with you* according to your folly, for you* have not spoken to me what is right as my servant Job has."

¹¹ So* all his brothers and all his sisters and all those who had known him _⌊before_⌋* came to him, and they ate bread* with him in his house and showed sympathy to him and comforted him for all the disaster* that Yahweh had brought upon him. Then* each one gave to him one piece of money, and each one gave to him one ornamental ring of gold.

³ I had not eaten any choice food, and meat and wine did not enter my mouth, and _⌊I did not use any ointment_⌋* _⌊until the end of three whole weeks_⌋.*

¹ And it happened that when he came to the house of a certain one of the leaders of the Pharisees on a Sabbath to eat _⌊a meal_⌋,* they were watching him closely.

¹⁵ Now when* one of those reclining at the table with him heard these things, he said to him, "Blessed is _⌊everyone who_⌋* will eat bread in the kingdom of God!"

¹⁸ Consider Israel according to the flesh: are not the ones who eat the sacrifices sharers in the altar?

²¹ You are not able to drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You are not able to share the table of the Lord and the table of demons.

³¹ Therefore, whether you eat or you drink or whatever you do, do all things for the glory of God.

¹⁰ The riders of white female donkeys, those sitting on saddle blankets, and those going on the way, talk about it!

⁷ "At my going out the gate to the city, I secured my seat in the square.

⁵ then a throne shall be established in steadfast love, and one shall sit on it in faithfulness, in the tent of David, judging and seeking justice and zealous for righteousness.

¹² Let the nations be roused and let them come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations from all around.

² saying, "The scribes and the Pharisees sit on the seat of Moses.

⁸ if it is one who exhorts, by exhortation; one who gives, with sincerity; one who leads, with diligence; one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities* are servants of God, busily engaged in this very thing.

¹⁹ Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God. ²⁰ And you warn them of the rules and the instructions, and you make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do.

¹² Then* they put him in custody _⌊so that_⌋* the matter might be made clear to them in accordance with the mouth of Yahweh. ¹³ Then* Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ¹⁴ "Bring the curser _⌊outside the camp_⌋,* and all the hearers shall place their hands on his head, and the whole community shall stone him.

⁶ And it happened, men who were unclean _⌊by a dead person_⌋* were not able to perform the Passover on that day. And they came _⌊before_⌋* Moses and Aaron on that day.

⁸ Moses said to them, "Stay. I will hear what Yahweh commands to you."

³⁴ And they put him under watch because it was not made clear what should be done to him.

⁵ So Moses brought their case before Yahweh.

⁸ "_⌊If a matter is too difficult for you_⌋,* for example disputes between blood and blood,* between legal claim and legal claim* and between assault and assault* and between matters of discernment in your _⌊towns_⌋,* then you shall get up and you shall go to the place that Yahweh your God will choose; ⁹ then you shall go to the priests and the Levites and to the judge who will be in office in those days, and you shall enquire, and they shall announce to you _⌊the verdict_⌋.* ¹⁰ "And _⌊you shall carry out exactly the decision_⌋* that they announced to you from that place that Yahweh will choose, and _⌊you shall diligently observe_⌋* according to all that they instruct you. ¹¹ And so according to _⌊the instruction of the law_⌋* that they teach you and according to the decisions that they say to you, you shall do; you shall not turn from the word that they tell you to the right or to the left. ¹² And the man who treats with contempt* so as not to listen to the priest who is standing to minister on behalf of Yahweh your God or to the judge, that man shall die; so you shall purge the evil from Israel. ¹³ And all the people will hear and will be afraid, and they will not behave presumptuously again.

¹³ And he went out on the second day, and there were two Hebrew men fighting, and he said to the guilty one, "Why do you strike your neighbor?"

⁷ You will stay far from a _⌊false charge_⌋,* and do not kill the innocent and the righteous, because I will not declare the wicked righteous.*

¹⁴ And to the elders he said, "Wait for us here until we return to you. And look, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever _⌊has a dispute_⌋* will bring it to you." ¹⁵ And you shall speak to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* saying, '_⌊Any man_⌋* when he curses his God shall bear* his sin.

³⁵ And Yahweh said to Moses, "Surely the man must be put to death by stoning him; all the community must stone him with stones from outside the camp."

⁶ And Yahweh said to Moses, saying, ⁷ "_⌊The statements of the daughters of Zelophehad are right_⌋.* You must surely give them the property of an inheritance in the midst of their father's brothers, and you must transfer the inheritance of their father to them. ⁸ And you must speak to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* saying, 'If a man dies and has no son, you must transfer his inheritance to his daughter. ⁹ And if he has no daughter, you must give his inheritance to his brothers. ¹⁰ If he has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his father's brothers. ¹¹ If his father has no brothers, then you must give his inheritance to his nearest relative from his own clan, and he will take possession of it. It will be as a decree of stipulation for the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* just as Yahweh commanded Moses.'"

⁶ This is the word that Yahweh commanded the daughters of Zelophehad, saying, '_⌊Let them marry_⌋* _⌊whomever they like_⌋;* only _⌊they must marry_⌋* from within the clan of the tribe of their father. ⁷ Thus an inheritance of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* will not go around from tribe to tribe. Rather, the inheritance of each tribe of his father will remain with the _⌊Israelites_⌋.* ⁸ Every daughter who possesses an inheritance from the tribes of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* will _⌊marry_⌋* one of the clan of the tribe of her father, so that the _⌊Israelites_⌋* will possess the inheritance of his ancestors.* ⁹ Therefore an inheritance will not go around from one tribe to another tribe because the tribes of the _⌊Israelites_⌋* will each hold to their own inheritance.'"

⁵ See, I now teach* you rules and regulations just as Yahweh my God has commanded me, to observe them just so in the midst of the land where you are going, to take possession of it.

¹ And then Moses summoned all of Israel and said to them, "Hear, Israel, the rules and the regulations that I am speaking in your ears _⌊today_⌋,* and you shall learn them, and _⌊you must observe them diligently_⌋.*

¹ "Now this is the commandment, the rules and the regulations, that Yahweh your God charged to teach to you for you _⌊to observe_⌋* in the land that you are about to cross over into* to take possession of it,

⁸ "_⌊If a matter is too difficult for you_⌋,* for example disputes between blood and blood,* between legal claim and legal claim* and between assault and assault* and between matters of discernment in your _⌊towns_⌋,* then you shall get up and you shall go to the place that Yahweh your God will choose; ⁹ then you shall go to the priests and the Levites and to the judge who will be in office in those days, and you shall enquire, and they shall announce to you _⌊the verdict_⌋.* ¹⁰ "And _⌊you shall carry out exactly the decision_⌋* that they announced to you from that place that Yahweh will choose, and _⌊you shall diligently observe_⌋* according to all that they instruct you. ¹¹ And so according to _⌊the instruction of the law_⌋* that they teach you and according to the decisions that they say to you, you shall do; you shall not turn from the word that they tell you to the right or to the left. ¹² And the man who treats with contempt* so as not to listen to the priest who is standing to minister on behalf of Yahweh your God or to the judge, that man shall die; so you shall purge the evil from Israel.

²³ Also, as for me, far be it from me _⌊that I should sin_⌋* against Yahweh by ceasing to pray for you! I will instruct you in the good and righteous way.

³ Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your case is good and right, but for you there is no hearing with the king."

¹³ "If I have rejected my male or* female slave's case when their complaint was against me,

²⁰ teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you, and behold, I am with you all the days until the end of the age."

¹⁴ But when* Paul was about to open his* mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, "If it was some crime or wicked villainy, O Jews, _⌊I would have been justified in accepting_⌋* your complaint. ¹⁵ But if it is questions concerning a word and names and _⌊your own law_⌋,* see to it* yourselves! I do not wish to be a judge of these things."

¹ Does anyone among you, if he* has a matter against someone else, dare to go to court before the unrighteous, and not before the saints?

¹ Finally therefore, brothers, we ask you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus that, just as you have received from us how it is necessary for you to live and to please God, just as indeed you are living, that you progress even more. ² For you know what commands we gave to you through the Lord Jesus.

¹⁴ I am not able to carry all these people along alone; they are too heavy for me. ¹⁵ If this is how you are going to treat me, please kill me immediately if I find favor in your eyes, and do not let me see my misery." ¹⁶ And Yahweh said to Moses, "Gather for me seventy men from the elders of Israel whom you know are elders of the people and their* officials; take them to the tent of assembly, and they will stand there with you. ¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you there; I will take away from the spirit that is on you, and I will place it on them; and they will bear the burdens of the people with you; you will not bear it alone.

⁹ "And I spoke to them at that time, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'I am not able to bear you alone. ¹⁰ Yahweh your God has multiplied you, and look; you are today as the stars of the heaven _⌊in number_⌋.* ¹¹ Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,* may he add to you as you are now a thousand times, and may he bless you just as he _⌊promised you_⌋.* ¹² How can I bear you _⌊by myself_⌋,* your burden and your load and your strife?

¹ Now in these days, as* the disciples were increasing in number,* a complaint arose by the _⌊Greek-speaking Jews_⌋* against the _⌊Hebraic Jews_⌋* because* their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.* ² So the twelve summoned the community of disciples and* said, "It is not desirable that we neglect the word of God to serve tables. ³ So, brothers, select from among you seven men _⌊of good reputation_⌋,* full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need. ⁴ But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

¹⁵ But I will spend and be expended most gladly for your lives. If I love you much more, am I to be loved less?

³⁰ because on account of the work of Christ he came near to the point of death, risking his life in order that _⌊he might make up for your inability to serve me_⌋*.

⁸ Longing for you in this way, we determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own souls, because you had become dear to us. ⁹ For you remember, brothers, our labor and hardship: working by night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you, we proclaimed to you the gospel of God.

² And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian.

¹² So then go, and I myself will be with your mouth, and I will teach you what you must speak."

¹⁶ And he will speak for you to the people, _⌊and then_⌋* he will be to you as a mouth, and you will be to him as a god.

¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to seek God.

²⁴ And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said.

¹⁹ And they said to Moses, "You speak with us, and we will listen, but let not God speak with us, lest we die."

⁵ I was standing _⌊between Yahweh and you_⌋* at that time to report* to you the word of Yahweh, for you were afraid because of _⌊the presence of_⌋* the fire, and so you did not go up the mountain. _⌊He said_⌋,*

¹ "If you go out to war against your enemies and you see a horse and a chariot, _⌊an army_⌋* larger that you, you shall not be afraid because of them; for Yahweh your God is with you, the one who brought you from the land of Egypt.

⁹ Did I not command you? Be strong and courageous! Do not fear or be dismayed, for Yahweh your God is with you _⌊wherever you go_⌋."*

¹⁷ Your servant also thought, 'May the word of my lord the king _⌊bring rest_⌋,* for as an angel of God, so is my lord the king, _⌊to sense what is good and what is bad_⌋.'* May Yahweh your God be with you."

⁹ Give to a wise one and he will become more wise; _⌊teach_⌋* a righteous one and he will increase learning.

¹⁶ When _⌊they have an issue_⌋,* it comes to me, and I judge between a man and his neighbor, and I make known God's rule and his instructions."

¹⁸ And so I instructed you at that time concerning all of the things that you should do.

¹ "Now, Israel, listen to the rules and to the regulations that I am teaching you to do, in order that you may live and you may go in and you may take possession of the land that Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,* is giving to you.

¹ "Now this is the commandment, the rules and the regulations, that Yahweh your God charged to teach to you for you _⌊to observe_⌋* in the land that you are about to cross over into* to take possession of it, ² so that you may revere Yahweh your God by keeping all his statutes and his commandments that I am commanding you, you and your children and _⌊grandchildren_⌋,* all the days of your life and so you may live long* lives.

¹¹ And so you shall keep the commandment and the rules and the regulations that I am commanding you _⌊today_⌋* to observe them.

¹³ Then you came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right judgments and true teachings, good regulations and commandments. ¹⁴ You made known your holy Sabbath to them and gave them commandments, regulations, and law* by the hand of your servant Moses.

⁸ I* will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go. I will advise you with my eye upon you.

⁸ Cause me to hear your loyal love in the morning, for I trust you. Cause me to know the way that I should go, for I lift up my soul to you.

²¹ And your ears shall hear a word from behind you, saying, "this is the way; walk in it," when you go to your right and when you go to your left.

¹⁶ Thus says Yahweh: "Stand at the roads and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the way of the good is, and walk in it, and find rest for your inner selves.* But they said, 'We will not walk in it.'*

³ And let Yahweh your God inform us the way in which we should go and the thing that we should do."

¹⁷ "Son of man,* I have appointed you as a watchman for the house of Israel. When you hear a word from my mouth, then you must warn them from me.

² And many nations will come and say, "Come! Let us go up to the mountain of Yahweh, and to the _⌊temple_⌋* of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways, and that we may walk in his paths," for the law will go out from Zion, and the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.

³⁴ It is like a man away on a journey, who left his house and gave his slaves authority—to each one his work—and to the doorkeeper he gave orders that he should be on the alert.

¹ Finally therefore, brothers, we ask you and appeal to you in the Lord Jesus that, just as you have received from us how it is necessary for you to live and to please God, just as indeed you are living, that you progress even more.

⁶ But we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who lives irresponsibly and not according to the tradition that they received from us. ⁷ For you yourselves know how it is necessary to imitate us, that we did not behave irresponsibly among you, ⁸ nor did we eat bread from anyone without paying, but with toil and labor, we were working night and day in order not to be a burden to any of you, ⁹ not that we do not have the right, but so that we may give ourselves as an example to you, so that you may imitate us. ¹⁰ For even when we were with you, we used to command this to you: that if anyone does not want to work, neither should he eat. ¹¹ For we hear that some among you are living irresponsibly, working at nothing, but being busybodies. ¹² Now we command and we exhort such people in the Lord Jesus Christ that, working with quietness, they eat their own bread.

¹² And he said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the boy; do not do anything to him. For now I know that you are _⌊one who fears_⌋* God, since you have not withheld your son, your only child, from me."

¹⁸ On the third day Joseph said to them, "Do this and you will live; I fear God.

²⁵ And Moses chose men of ability from all Israel, and he appointed them as heads over the people, as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens.

² You will not _⌊follow_⌋* a majority* for evil, and you will not testify concerning a legal dispute to turn aside after a majority* to pervert justice. ³ You will not be partial to a powerless person* in his legal dispute. ⁴ " 'If you come upon the ox of your enemy or his donkey going astray, you will certainly bring it back to him. ⁵ If you see the donkey of your enemy lying down under its burden, you will refrain from abandoning him. You will surely arrange* it with him. ⁶ " 'You will not pervert the justice of your poor in his legal dispute. ⁷ You will stay far from a _⌊false charge_⌋,* and do not kill the innocent and the righteous, because I will not declare the wicked righteous.* ⁸ And you will not take a bribe, because the bribe makes the sighted blind and ruins the words of the righteous. ⁹ And you will not oppress an alien; you yourselves know the feelings* of the alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

⁴ But if they blow only one, the leaders, the heads of the thousands of Israel, will assemble to you.

¹³ Choose for yourselves _⌊wise and discerning and knowledgeable men_⌋* for each of your tribes, and I will appoint them as your leaders.' ¹⁴ "And you answered me, and you said, 'The thing you have said to do is good.' ¹⁵ And so I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and then I appointed them as leaders over you as commanders of groups of thousands and commanders of groups of hundreds and commanders of groups of fifties and commanders of groups of tens as officials for your tribes. ¹⁶ And at that time I instructed your judges, saying, '_⌊hear out your fellow men_⌋,* and then judge fairly* between a man and between his brother and between _⌊his opponent who is a resident alien_⌋.* ¹⁷ You must not _⌊be partial_⌋* _⌊in your judgment_⌋; * hear out the small person as also the great person; _⌊do not be intimidated by any person_⌋,* because the judgment is God's; and the case that is too difficult* for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it out.'

¹⁸ "You shall appoint judges and officials for you in all your _⌊towns_⌋* that Yahweh your God is giving to you throughout your tribes, and you shall render for the people _⌊righteous judgments_⌋.* ¹⁹ You shall not subvert* justice; you shall not _⌊show partiality_⌋;* and you shall not take a bribe, for the bribe makes blind the eyes of the wise and misrepresents the words of the righteous.

¹⁴ and ten leaders with him, _⌊one leader for each_⌋* _⌊family_⌋* from each of the tribes of Israel; and each one was the head of _⌊his family_⌋* among the clans of Israel.*

³ But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside after gain, they took bribes, and they perverted justice.

¹² He will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and those _⌊to do his plowing_⌋* and to reap his harvest, and those to make weapons of war and the equipment for his chariots.

³ Here I am! Testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed one! Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, that I may shut my eyes _⌊regarding_⌋* him?-then I will restore it to you." ⁴ Then they said, "You have not exploited us or oppressed us, and you have not taken anything from the hand of anyone."

³ The God of Israel said to me, the rock of Israel has spoken; 'He who rules over mankind rules righteously, in the fear of God.

⁹ Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?" ¹⁰ The word was good in the eyes of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. ¹¹ And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and you did not ask for yourself _⌊a long life_⌋* and you did not ask riches for yourself and you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself _⌊the ability to make wise judgments_⌋;* ¹² behold, I do hereby do according to your word. I hereby give you a wise and discerning heart; there was no one like you before you, nor afterwards will one like you arise.

³ Ahab summoned Obadiah who was over the house. (Now Obadiah was fearing Yahweh greatly.

¹² And it will happen that I will go from you and the Spirit of Yahweh will carry you up to where I do not know. Then I will come to tell Ahab, but he will not find you, and then he will kill me, even though your servant has feared Yahweh from my youth.

⁵ And he appointed judges in the land and in all the fortified cities of Judah, city by city. ⁶ And he said to the judges, "Consider what you are doing, for you are not judging for a man but for Yahweh. Now he is with you in speaking justice. ⁷ So now, let the fear of Yahweh be upon you all. _⌊Be careful what you do_⌋,* for there is neither wickedness nor _⌊showing partiality_⌋* and taking bribes with Yahweh our God." ⁸ Moreover, Jehoshaphat appointed in Jerusalem some of the Levites and the priests and heads of the _⌊families_⌋* of Israel as judges and to decide legal disputes for Yahweh. And they sat* in Jerusalem. ⁹ And he commanded them, saying, "Thus you must do in the fear of Yahweh in faithfulness and with a whole heart. ¹⁰ Any legal dispute that comes before you from your brothers who live in their cities concerning bloodguilt, law, commandment, statutes, and justice, you must warn them, so that they do not incur guilt before Yahweh, and that wrath may not come upon you and your brothers. Thus you must do that you do not incur guilt.

⁹ So I said, "The thing that you are doing is not good. Should you not walk in the fear of our God to prevent the disgrace from the nations, our enemies?

² I gave command over Jerusalem to my brother Hanani and Hananiah the commander of the citadel. For he was a faithful man and feared God more than many.

¹⁶ I was a father to the poor, and I investigated _⌊the stranger's_⌋* legal dispute.

⁵ He does not lend his money at interest, and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

⁹ Do not destroy me* with the sinners, nor my life with men of bloodshed, ¹⁰ in whose hands is an evil plan, and whose right hand is full of bribes.*

² By the rebellion of a land, her rulers increase, but by a person of intelligence who knows justice, it will last.

¹³ Now that all has been heard, here is the final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.

¹⁵ He who walks in righteousness and speaks uprightness, who rejects the gain of extortion, who _⌊refuses_⌋* a bribe, who stops up his ears* from hearing _⌊bloodshed_⌋* and shuts his eyes from seeing evil.

⁴ There is nobody _⌊who pleads with_⌋* justice, and there is nobody who judges with honesty. They rely on nothing and speak vanity. They conceive trouble and beget iniquity;

¹⁴ And justice is pushed back, and righteousness stands afar; for truth stumbles in the public square, and straightforwardness is unable to enter, ¹⁵ and truth is missing, and he who turns aside from evil is plundered. And Yahweh saw, and it was displeasing in his eyes that there was no justice

¹ "Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem, and look please, and take note, and search at its public squares, if you can find a person who does justice, who seeks honesty, so that I may forgive it.

⁸ and _⌊he does not charge interest_⌋* and he takes no usury, and he holds back* his hand from injustice and he executes a judgment of fairness between _⌊persons_⌋,*

¹² They take a bribe among* you in order to shed blood; and you take usury, and you make gain from your neighbors by extortion, and so you have forgotten me, _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

⁹ "Thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Judge with trustworthy justice, and show* steadfast love and compassion _⌊to one another_⌋.*

¹⁶ These are the things that you must do: speak truth, each of you, with his neighbor; practice trustworthy judgment and peace in your gates.

² saying, "There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people.

⁴ And he was not willing for a time, but after these things he said to himself, 'Even if I do not fear God or respect people,

³ So, brothers, select from among you seven men _⌊of good reputation_⌋,* full of the Spirit and wisdom, whom we will put in charge of this need.

³³ I have desired no one's silver or gold or clothing!

³ not addicted to wine, not a violent person, but gentle, peaceable, not loving money,

⁹ But those who want to be rich fall into temptation and a trap and many foolish and harmful desires, which plunge those people into ruin and destruction. ¹⁰ For the love of money is a root of all evil, by which some, because they* desire it, have gone astray from the faith and have pierced themselves with many pains. ¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patient endurance, gentleness.

¹⁴ having eyes full of desire for an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, and* having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children! ¹⁵ By* leaving the straight path, they have gone astray, because they* followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,* who loved the wages of unrighteousness,

¹⁸ Surely you will wear out, both you and this people who are with you, because the thing is too _⌊difficult_⌋* for you. You are not able to do it alone.

²⁶ And they judged the people all the time; the difficult issues* they would bring to Moses, and every minor issue they would judge themselves.

¹¹ Then* the Israelite woman's son blasphemed the name, and he cursed, so* they brought him to Moses—and the name of his mother was Shelomith the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan.

¹⁷ I will come down and speak with you there; I will take away from the spirit that is on you, and I will place it on them; and they will bear the burdens of the people with you; you will not bear it alone.

³³ The ones who found him gathering wood brought him to Moses, Aaron, and to all the community.

² They stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest and before the leaders of the entire community at the doorway of the tent of assembly,* saying,

¹ _⌊The leaders_⌋* of the families* of the clans of descendants* of Gilead the son of Makir, the son of Manasseh, of the clans of the descendants* of Joseph came near and spoke _⌊before_⌋* Moses and _⌊before_⌋* _⌊the leaders_⌋* of the families* of the _⌊Israelites_⌋.*

¹⁷ You must not _⌊be partial_⌋* _⌊in your judgment_⌋; * hear out the small person as also the great person; _⌊do not be intimidated by any person_⌋,* because the judgment is God's; and the case that is too difficult* for you, bring it to me, and I will hear it out.' ¹⁸ And so I instructed you at that time concerning all of the things that you should do.

⁸ "_⌊If a matter is too difficult for you_⌋,* for example disputes between blood and blood,* between legal claim and legal claim* and between assault and assault* and between matters of discernment in your _⌊towns_⌋,* then you shall get up and you shall go to the place that Yahweh your God will choose; ⁹ then you shall go to the priests and the Levites and to the judge who will be in office in those days, and you shall enquire, and they shall announce to you _⌊the verdict_⌋.*

³³ Then Yahweh left,* as he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

¹⁰ Then she said to Abraham, "Drive out this slave woman and her son, for the son of this slave woman will not be heir with my son, with Isaac." ¹¹ And the matter _⌊displeased Abraham very much_⌋* on account of his son. ¹² Then God said to Abraham, "_⌊Do not be displeased_⌋* on account of the boy and on account of the slave woman. _⌊Listen to everything that Sarah said to you_⌋,* for through Isaac your offspring will be named.

²⁵ And it happened that as soon as Rachel had given birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, "Send me away that I may go to my place and my land.

²⁹ See, because Yahweh has given to you the Sabbath, therefore he is giving to you on the sixth day bread for two days. Stay, _⌊each in his location_⌋;* let no one go from his place on the seventh day."

⁶ But the matter _⌊was displeasing to Samuel_⌋* when they said, "Give us a king to judge* us," so Samuel prayed to Yahweh. ⁷ Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to the voice of the people concerning all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them.

²² Then Yahweh said to Samuel, "Listen to their voice, and appoint a king for them." So Samuel spoke to the men of Israel, "Each of you go to his own town."

³ Then the troops said, "You will not go out, for _⌊if we must flee_⌋,* then _⌊they will not care about us_⌋;* even if half of us die, _⌊they will not care about us_⌋,* but now, you are like ten thousand of us. And so then, it is better for us that you be in the city to help."

³⁹ Then all the people crossed over the Jordan, and the king crossed and kissed Barzillai and blessed him; then he returned to his place.

¹⁷ But Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him, and he attacked the Philistine and killed him. Then the men of David swore to him, saying, "You shall not go out with us any longer to the battle, so that you do not quench the lamp of Israel."

² And after* there was no little strife and debate by Paul and Barnabas against them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem concerning this issue.

² Now I went up there because of a revelation and laid out to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles, but in private to the influential people, lest somehow I was running, or had run, in vain.

²⁴ But to stay on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. ²⁵ And because I am* convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith,

² And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, took Zipporah the wife of Moses after her sending away, ³ and her two sons—the one whose name was Gershom, for he had said, "I have been an alien in a foreign land," ⁴ and the one whose name was Eliezer, for "the God of my father was my help, and he delivered me from the sword of Pharaoh." ⁵ And Jethro, the father-in-law of Moses, came and his sons and his wife to Moses, to the desert where he was camping there at the mountain of God.

¹⁹ Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God.

² Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, "We ourselves have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, and even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this.

⁵ Then Ezra stood up and made the chief priests, Levites, and all of Israel swear to do according to what was said. So they swore this oath.

⁵ may the wise hear and increase learning, and the one who understands gain direction,*

²¹ Now the eye is not able to say to the hand, "I do not have need of you," or again, the head to the feet, "I do not have need of you."

²¹ And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of dishonest gain,* and you will appoint such men over them as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens.

¹⁵ And so I took the leaders of your tribes, wise and knowledgeable men, and then I appointed them as leaders over you as commanders of groups of thousands and commanders of groups of hundreds and commanders of groups of fifties and commanders of groups of tens as officials for your tribes.

⁵ And the statement pleased the whole group, and they chose Stephen (a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit), and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a convert from Antioch),

¹⁴ And the father-in-law of Moses saw all that he was doing for the people, and he said, "What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting alone and all the people are standing by you from morning until evening?" ¹⁵ And Moses said to his father-in-law, "Because the people come to me to seek God.

²² And let them judge the people all the time, _⌊and_⌋* every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And so lighten it for yourself, and they will bear it with you.

⁸ "_⌊If a matter is too difficult for you_⌋,* for example disputes between blood and blood,* between legal claim and legal claim* and between assault and assault* and between matters of discernment in your _⌊towns_⌋,* then you shall get up and you shall go to the place that Yahweh your God will choose;

¹⁶ Then two prostitutes came to the king, and they stood before him. ¹⁷ The one woman said, "Please my lord, I and this woman are living in one house, and I gave birth, with her in the house. ¹⁸ It happened on the third day after my giving birth, this woman also gave birth, and we were together. There was not anyone with us in the house, only the two of us were in the house. ¹⁹ Then the son of this woman died in the night because she laid on him. ²⁰ So she got up in the middle of the night, and she took my son from beside me while your servant was asleep, and she put him in her lap, and she put her dead son in my lap. ²¹ When I got up in the morning to nurse my son, behold, he was dead! When I looked closely at him in the morning, behold, it was not my son whom I had borne." ²² Then the other woman said, "No, for my son is the living one, and your son is the dead one." The other kept on saying, "No, for your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one," and so they argued in front of the king. ²³ Then the king said, "This one is saying, 'This is my son, the living one, but your son is the dead one,' and the other one keeps saying, 'But no! Your son is the dead one, and my son is living!'" ²⁴ So the king said, "Bring me a sword," and they brought the sword before the king. ²⁵ Then the king said, "Divide the living child into two, and give half to the one and half to the other." ²⁶ Then the woman whose son was the living one spoke to the king because her compassion was aroused for her son, and she said, "Please, my lord, give her the living child, but certainly do not kill him!" The other one was saying, "As for me, so for you! Divide him!" ²⁷ Then the king answered and said, "Give the living child to her, and do not kill him; she is his mother." ²⁸ When all of Israel heard the judgment that the king had rendered, they _⌊stood in awe_⌋* of the king, because they realized that the wisdom of God was in him to execute justice.

¹ Now the queen of Sheba had heard of the fame of Solomon regarding the name of Yahweh, and she came to test him with hard questions.

⁵⁹ So they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and the servant of Abraham and his men.

⁵⁵ * And Laban arose early in the morning and kissed his grandsons* and his daughters, and blessed them. Then Laban departed and returned to his homeland.

²⁹ Moses said to Hobab son of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses, "We are setting out to the place that Yahweh said, 'I will give it to you'; go with us, and we will _⌊treat you well_⌋* because _⌊Yahweh promised_⌋* good concerning Israel." ³⁰ But he said to him, "I will not go. I will only go to my land and to my family."

⁹ And the man got up to go—he, his concubine, and his servant—but his father-in-law, the father of the young woman, said to him, "Please, the day has worn on to evening; please, spend the night, the day has drawn to a close. Spend the night here and _⌊enjoy yourself_⌋.* You can rise early tomorrow for your journey and _⌊go to your home_⌋."*