Proverbs 24 Cross References - LEB

¹ Do not envy men of evil, and do not desire to be with them. ² For their minds will devise violence, and their lips will speak mischief. ³ By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established. ⁴ And by knowledge, rooms are filled with all riches, precious and pleasant. ⁵ The warrior of wisdom is in strength, and a man of knowledge is strong in power. ⁶ For with wise guidance you shall make war for yourself, and victory is in an abundance of counsel. ⁷ Wisdom is too high for fools; at the gate he will not open his mouth. ⁸ He who plans to do evil for* himself, they will call him "master* of mischief." ⁹ Devising folly is a sin, and an abomination to humankind is a scoffer. ¹⁰ If you faint on the day of adversity, little is your strength. ¹¹ Rescue those who are led away to the death and those who stagger to the slaughter. If you hold back, ¹² if you say, "Look, we do not know this," does not he who weighs hearts perceive it? And he who keeps your soul,* he knows and will repay humankind according to his deeds. ¹³ My child, eat honey, for it is good, and the dripping of the honeycomb is sweet to your taste. ¹⁴ Thus know wisdom for the sake of your soul,* if you find it, then there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off. ¹⁵ Do not lie in wait like an outlaw against the home of the righteous; do not do violence to his dwelling place. ¹⁶ For seven times the righteous will fall, but he will rise, but the wicked will be overthrown by calamity. ¹⁷ While your enemies are falling, do not rejoice; when he trips himself, may your heart* not be glad ¹⁸ lest Yahweh see and it be evil in his eyes, and turn his anger away from him. ¹⁹ Do not fret because of the evildoers; do not envy the wicked. ²⁰ For there will not be a future for the evil; the lamp of the wicked will die out. ²¹ Fear Yahweh, my son, and the king; with those who change, do not associate. ²² For suddenly their disaster will come, and the ruin of _⌊both of them_⌋,* who knows? ²³ These sayings are also for the wise: _⌊Partiality_⌋* in judgment is not good. ²⁴ Whoever says to the guilty, "You are righteous," the people will curse him; the nations will abhor him. ²⁵ But they who rebuke will have delight, and upon them blessings of goodness will come. ²⁶ He will kiss the lips, he who gives an honest answer. ²⁷ Prepare your work in the street and get it ready for yourself in the field; afterward, then* you shall build your house. ²⁸ Do not be a witness without cause against your neighbor nor deceive with your lips. ²⁹ Do not say, "Just as he has done to me, so shall I do to him; I will pay back the man according to his deed." ³⁰ I passed by the field of a lazy person, and over the vineyard of a person lacking _⌊sense_⌋;* ³¹ and behold, it was overgrown—all of it was covered with thorns, its surface with nettles, and _⌊its stone wall_⌋* was broken down. ³² Then I myself saw and my heart* considered; I looked, and I took hold of instruction: ³³ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest, ³⁴ and your poverty will come running, and your lack like an armed warrior.

¹⁰ And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw the whole plain of the Jordan, that all of it was well-watered land—this was before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah—like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt _⌊in the direction of_⌋* Zoar. ¹¹ So* Lot chose for himself all the plain of the Jordan. And Lot journeyed from the east, and so they separated _⌊from each other_⌋.* ¹² Abram settled in the land of Canaan, and Lot settled in the cities of the plain. And he pitched his tent toward Sodom. ¹³ Now the men of Sodom _⌊were extremely wicked sinners against Yahweh_⌋.*

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. ² And he said, "Behold, my lords, please turn aside into the house of your servant and spend the night and wash your feet. Then you can rise early and go on your way." And they said, "No, but we will spend the night in the square." ³ But _⌊he urged them strongly_⌋,* and they turned aside with him and came into his house. And he made a meal for them and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. ⁴ Before they laid down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, both young and old, all the people _⌊to the last man_⌋,* surrounded the house. ⁵ And they called to Lot and said to him, "Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we may know* them." ⁶ But Lot went out to them at the entrance, and he shut the door behind him. ⁷ And he said, "No, my brothers, please do not do such a wrong thing. ⁸ Behold, I have two daughters who have not known* a man. Please, let me bring them out to you; then do to them as it seems good in your eyes. Only to these men do not do this thing, since they came under_⌊ my roof_⌋* for protection." ⁹ But they said, "Step aside!" Then they said, "_⌊This fellow_⌋* came to dwell as a foreigner and he acts as a judge! Now we shall do worse to you than them!" And they pressed very hard against the man, against Lot, and they drew near to break the door. ¹⁰ Then the men reached out with their hands and brought Lot in to them, into the house, and they shut the door. ¹¹ And the men who were at the entrance of the house they struck with blindness, both small and great, and they were unable to find the entrance.

⁹ Do not destroy me* with the sinners, nor my life with men of bloodshed,

¹ Of David.*
Do not fret because of evildoers; do not be envious of doers of wickedness.

⁷ Be quiet before Yahweh and wait for him. Do not fret about one who succeeds in his way, about a man making plots.

³ because I envied the boastful when I saw the well-being* of the wicked.

¹¹ If they say, "Come with us! We shall lie in wait for blood; we shall ambush the innocent without cause.* ¹² Like Sheol,* we will swallow them alive and whole, _⌊like those who descend to the pit_⌋.* ¹³ We shall find all precious wealth, we shall fill our houses with booty, ¹⁴ you shall throw your lot in our midst, there will be one purse for all of us." ¹⁵ My child, do not walk in their way.* Keep your foot from their paths,

³¹ Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways,

²⁰ Walk with the wise and be wise, but as for the companion of fools, he will suffer harm.

¹⁷ May your heart* not envy the sinners, but live in fear of Yahweh _⌊all day_⌋.*

¹⁹ Do not fret because of the evildoers; do not envy the wicked.

¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are sexual immorality, impurity, licentiousness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, factions, ²¹ envy, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, things which I am telling you in advance, just as I said before, that the ones who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

⁵ Or do you think that in vain the scripture says, "The spirit which he caused to dwell in us desires jealously"?* ⁶ But he gives greater grace. Therefore it says,
"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."*

⁹ When David learned that Saul was plotting evil against him, he said to Abiathar the priest, "Bring the ephod here."

⁶ But _⌊he considered it beneath him_⌋* to lay hands on Mordecai only, for they told him of Mordecai's people, and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus. ⁷ In the first month, that is, the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasurus, he cast pur—that is, the lot—before the presence of Haman _⌊for the day and for the month_⌋,* until* the twelfth month, that is, the month of Adar.

³⁵ They conceive trouble and bring forth mischief, and their womb prepares deceit."

¹⁴ See, he* travails with* evil. He is pregnant with trouble, and he gives birth to deception.

⁷ His mouth is filled with cursing, with deceits and oppression; under his tongue are trouble and evil.

³ Do not drag me away with the wicked or with the workers of evil, who speak of peace with their neighbors, while evil is in their heart.

⁴ He plans sin on his bed. He puts himself on a way that is not good. He does not reject evil.

⁴ to shoot from* their* hiding places at the blameless. Suddenly they shoot at him and do not fear. ⁵ They encourage themselves in the evil matter. They talk of secretly laying snares. They say, "Who will see them?" ⁶ _⌊They carefully plot_⌋* injustices saying, "We have perfected _⌊the perfect plot_⌋!"* Both the _⌊inner thought_⌋* and heart of a man are deep.

² who plan evil things in their heart. They stir up wars continually.

¹⁴ perversion in his heart, he devises evil; at all times he will send out discord.*

⁸ He who plans to do evil for* himself, they will call him "master* of mischief."

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;

³ Their hands are upon evil, to do it well; the official and the judge ask for the bribe, and the great man utters the evil desire of his soul; and they weave it together.

³ Then the chief priests and the elders of the people assembled in the palace of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas, ⁴ and plotted in order that they could arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.*

²⁰ And Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them** again, ²¹ but they kept crying out, saying, "Crucify! Crucify him!"

¹⁰ and* said, "O you who are full of all deceit and of all unscrupulousness, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness! Will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord!

²⁶ Your name shall be great forever, _⌊and they will say_⌋,* 'Yahweh of hosts is God over Israel'; and the house of your servant David shall be established before you.

¹ Wisdom has built her house; she has hewn her seven pillars.

¹ The _⌊wisest of women_⌋* builds her house, but the foolish tears it down with her hands.

¹² He is the maker of the earth by his power, who created the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretched out heaven.

⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

⁷ firmly rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding with thankfulness.

²² The food of Solomon for one day was thirty dry measures of choice meal and sixty dry measures of flour; ²³ ten stall-fed oxen and twenty pasture-fed oxen and a hundred sheep, besides deer and buck gazelles and roebucks and well-fed fowls. ²⁴ For he was ruling over all the west of the River* from Tiphsah up to Gaza, over all the kings west of the River;* and he had peace from every side all around. ²⁵ Judah and Israel lived in security, each man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan as far as Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. ²⁶ Now Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his war chariots and twelve thousand horsemen. ²⁷ These governors sustained King Solomon and all who came near to the table of King Solomon, each in his month; they did not omit anything. ²⁸ The barley and the straw for the horses and for packhorses they brought to the place where they were, each according to his share.

²⁵ And over the treasury rooms of the king was Azmaveth the son of Adiel. And over the treasuries in the country, in the cities, in the unwalled villages, and in the towers was Jonathan the son of Uzziah. ²⁶ And over those who did the work in the field to till the soil was Ezri the son of Kelub. ²⁷ And over the vineyards was Shemei the Ramathite. And over the produce in the vineyards for the storehouses of the wine was Zabdi the Shiphmite. ²⁸ And over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the Shephelah was Baal-Hanan the Gederite. And over the treasury houses of olive oil was Joash. ²⁹ And over the cattle pastured in the Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite. And over the cattle in the valley was Shaphat the son of Adlai. ³⁰ And over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite. And over the female donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite.* And over the sheep was Jaziz the Hagrite. ³¹ All of these were officials of the property of King David.

² So I have provided for the house of my God according to all my strength, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and the wood for the things of wood, along with an abundance of onyx stones, stones for settings, stones of turquoise, and variegated stones, and all kinds of precious stones and alabaster stones. ³ And moreover, with respect to my provisions for the house of my God I have a treasure of gold and silver that I have given to the house of my God above all that I have provided for the holy house: ⁴ three thousand talents of gold from the gold of Ophir and seven thousand talents of refined silver to overlay the walls of the houses, ⁵ gold for the golden things and silver for the silver things, for all the work by the hand of skilled craftsmen. Now who will offer willingly, _⌊consecrating himself_⌋* today to Yahweh?" ⁶ Then the commanders of the _⌊families_⌋,* the commanders of the tribes of Israel, and the commanders of thousands and hundreds, and the commanders of the work of the king offered themselves willingly. ⁷ And they gave for the service of the house of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. ⁸ And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of Yahweh under the authority* of Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ And the people rejoiced over their freewill offering, for with a whole heart they had willingly offered to Yahweh, and King David also rejoiced with great joy.

¹⁸ Solomon made all these utensils in great abundance, for the weight of the bronze could not be determined. ¹⁹ So Solomon made all the objects that were in the house of God: the altar of gold; the tables upon which was the bread of the presence; ²⁰ the lampstands, and the lamps for burning according to the custom before the inner sanctuary, of solid gold; ²¹ and the blossoms, the lamps, and the tongs that were of solid gold; ²² and the snuffers, the drinking bowls, the dishes, and the firepans, of solid gold; and the entrance to the house, the inner doors to _⌊the most holy place_⌋, and the doors to the house of the temple were of gold.

⁴ And he did what was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that Amaziah his father had done. ⁵ And he began to seek* God in the days of Zechariah who was teaching in visions of God. And _⌊whenever_⌋* he sought Yahweh God made him have success. ⁶ And he went out and made war against the Philistines, and he broke down the wall of Gath and the wall of Jabneh and the wall of Ashdod, and he built cities in Ashdod and among the Philistines. ⁷ And God helped him against the Philistines and against the Arabs who were living in Gur-Baal and Meunim. ⁸ And the Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah, and his fame* went out to the boundary* of Egypt, for he became _⌊very strong_⌋.* ⁹ And Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the Corner Gate, at the Valley Gate, and at the Angle, and he strengthened them. ¹⁰ And he built towers in the desert and hewed many cisterns, for he had much livestock, both in the Shephelah and on the plain, along with farmers and vinedressers in the hills and in the fertile lands, for he loved the soil. ¹¹ And Uzziah had troops _⌊trained and ready for war_⌋* in divisions according to the number of their enrollment at the hand of Jeuel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah of the king's commanders.

³⁹ For the _⌊Israelites_⌋* and the _⌊Levites_⌋* will bring to the storerooms the offering of grain, new wine, and olive oil. These are the objects of the sanctuary and the priests who minister and the gatekeepers and singers. We will not neglect the house of our God."

⁵ prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had formerly put the grain offering, the frankincense, the temple objects, tithes of grain, wine, and oil commanded for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the offerings of the priests. ⁶ During all of this, I was not in Jerusalem because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. At the end of some days I asked permission from the king to leave. ⁷ So I came to Jerusalem. And I came to learn of the wrong that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by making him a room in the courtyard of the house of God. ⁸ It was very displeasing for me, and I threw all of the objects from the house of Tobiah outside of the chamber. ⁹ And I spoke in order, and they cleansed the chambers. Then I returned the objects of the house of God—the grain offering and the frankincense. ¹⁰ And then I came to learn that the food of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, the doers of the work, had gone back each to his field. ¹¹ So I quarreled with the prefects, and I said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them and set them at their station. ¹² So all of Judah brought the tithe of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storehouses. ¹³ I appointed as treasurer over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah from the Levites, and as their hand Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered faithful. The responsibility given to them was to distribute to their brothers.

²¹ in order to endow those who love me with wealth, and I will fill their treasuries.

⁶ In the house of the righteous there is much treasure, but the income of the wicked brings trouble.

¹⁵ There is gold and many costly stones, but precious jewels are lips of knowledge.

²⁰ Precious treasure and oil are in the house of the wise, but the foolish person* will devour them.*

²³ You will surely know the _⌊condition_⌋* of your flock; your heart* attends to the herds. ²⁴ For riches are not forever, nor a crown for generation after generation. ²⁵ When the grass is gone, then green growth will appear, and the herbs of the mountains will be gathered. ²⁶ Lambs will be your clothing, and goats the price of the field. ²⁷ And there will be enough goats' milk for your food, for the food of your household and the _⌊nourishment_⌋* of your maidservants.

⁵² And he said to them, "For this reason every scribe who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like the master of the house who brings out of his storeroom new things and old things."

⁷ They go from strength to strength, until each appears before God in Zion.*

¹⁴ _⌊Advice and sound judgment_⌋* are mine; I am understanding, _⌊strength is mine_⌋.*

²⁹ A stronghold for the upright is the way of Yahweh, but ruin belongs to _⌊evildoers_⌋.*

²² To a city of warriors, the wise ascends, and he will bring down the stronghold—its object of trust.

¹⁹ Wisdom gives more strength to the wise than ten rulers who are in the city.

¹⁴ There was a small city with few people in it. A great king came and besieged it, building great siege works against it. ¹⁵ Now, a poor wise man was found in it, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. ¹⁶ So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard. ¹⁷ The words of the wise are heard in peace more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among the fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

³¹ But* those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength. They shall go up with wings* like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.

¹¹ enabled with all power, according to his glorious might, for all steadfastness and patience with joy,

¹⁴ Where there is no guidance, a nation* shall fall, but there is safety in an abundance of counsel.

²² Plans go wrong when there is no counsel, but with many advisors it will succeed.

¹⁸ A plan* will be established by advice, and with guidance make war.

³¹ Or what king, going out to engage another king in battle, does not sit down first and* deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one coming against him with twenty thousand.

²⁵ And everyone who competes exercises self-control in all things. Thus those do so in order that they may receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one. ²⁶ Therefore I run in this way, not as running aimlessly; I box in this way, not as beating the air. ²⁷ But I discipline my body and subjugate it, lest somehow after* preaching to others, I myself should become disqualified.

¹⁰ Finally, become strong in the Lord and in the might of his strength. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil, ¹² because our struggle is not against blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Because of this, take up the full armor of God, in order that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, girding your waist with truth, and putting on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and binding shoes under your feet with the preparation of the good news of peace, ¹⁶ in everything taking up the shield of faith, with which you are able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one, ¹⁷ and receive the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, ¹⁸ with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this end being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints, ¹⁹ and for me, that a word may be given to me at the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for the sake of which I am an ambassador in chains, that _⌊in them_⌋* I may speak freely, as it is necessary for me to speak.

¹¹ But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patient endurance, gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of the faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have completed the race, I have kept the faith.

⁴ His children are far from deliverance, and they are crushed in the gate, and there is no deliverer—

⁷ "At my going out the gate to the city, I secured my seat in the square. ⁸ Young men saw me and stepped aside, and the aged rose up and stood. ⁹ Officials refrained from talking, and they laid their hand on their mouth. ¹⁰ The voices* of nobles were hushed, and their tongue stuck to their palate. ¹¹ "When the ear heard and commended me, and the eye saw and testified in support of me ¹² because I saved the needy who cried for help, and I saved* the orphan for whom there was no helper. ¹³ The blessing of the wretched came upon me, and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy. ¹⁴ I put on righteousness, and it clothed me; my justice was like a robe and a headband. ¹⁵ "I was eyes to the blind, and I was feet to the lame. ¹⁶ I was a father to the poor, and I investigated _⌊the stranger's_⌋* legal dispute. ¹⁷ And I broke the evil one's jaw bones, and I made his prey drop from his teeth. ¹⁸ "And I thought, 'I will pass away in my nest, and like the phoenix I shall multiply my days. ¹⁹ My roots were open to water, and dew spent the night on my branches; ²⁰ My glory was new with me, and _⌊I was revitalized regularly_⌋.'* ²¹ "They listened to me and waited, and they kept silent for my counsel. ²² After my word, they did not speak again, and my word dropped down like dew upon them. ²³ And they waited for me as for the rain, and they opened their mouth wide as for the spring rain. ²⁴ I smiled for them when they had no confidence in anything, and they did not extinguish the light of my face. ²⁵ I chose their way, and I sat as head, and I dwelled like a king among the troops, like one who comforts mourners.

²¹ if I have raised my hand against an orphan because I saw my supporters at the gate,

⁵ His ways* endure at all times.* Your judgments are aloof from him. As for all his enemies, he scoffs at them.

⁵ How great are your deeds, O Yahweh; how very deep are your thoughts. ⁶ The brutish man does not know, and the fool cannot understand this.

⁶ A scoffer seeks wisdom, but there is none, but knowledge _⌊comes easily to him who understands_⌋.*

²⁴ The path of life leads upward for him who has insight, in order to turn away from Sheol below.

²⁴ He who understands sets his face toward wisdom, but the eyes of a fool, to the end of the earth.*

²² Do not rob the poor because he is poor, and do not crush the afflicted at the gate;

⁸ Open your mouth for the mute, for the rights* of all the _⌊needy_⌋.* ⁹ Open your mouth, judge righteousness, and defend the poor and needy.

²¹ those who mislead a person into sin with a word and set a trap for the _⌊arbitrator_⌋* in the gate and guide away the righteous by emptiness.

¹⁰ They hate the one who reproves in the gate and they abhor the one who speaks honestly.

¹² For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous, you foes of the righteous, those who take a bribe, and _⌊those who_⌋* push aside the poor ones in the gate!

¹⁵ Hate evil and love good and establish justice in the gate; perhaps Yahweh, the God of hosts, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

¹⁴ But the natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he is not able to understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.

⁴⁴ Then the king said to Shimei, "You know all the evil which your heart knows, what you did to David my father. Now Yahweh will return the evil on your head,

¹¹ Though they have _⌊plotted_⌋* evil against you, though they have planned a scheme, they will not prevail.

¹⁸ a devising heart, plans of deception, feet that hurry to run to evil,*

²² Have they not erred, those who plan evil? But loyalty and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.

² For their minds will devise violence, and their lips will speak mischief.

⁹ Devising folly is a sin, and an abomination to humankind is a scoffer.

⁷ But he does not think this,* and his heart does not plan this. For it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off not a few nations. ⁸ For he says, "Are not my commanders altogether kings? ⁹ Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? ¹⁰ As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols* —and their images were _⌊greater than those of_⌋* Jerusalem and Samaria— ¹¹ shall I not do to Jerusalem and its idols what I have done to Samaria and her idols?" ¹² And this shall happen: when the Lord has finished all his work against _⌊Mount Zion_⌋* and Jerusalem, "I will punish the _⌊arrogance_⌋* of the king of Assyria and _⌊his haughtiness_⌋."* ¹³ For he says,
"I have done it by the strength of my hand and by my wisdom, for I have understanding, and I have removed the boundaries of peoples, and I have plundered their stores, and like a bull I have brought down _⌊the inhabitants_⌋.*

⁷ And a scoundrel, his weapons are evil; he plans evil devices to ruin the poor with words of deception even* when the speech of the needy is right.

¹⁰ " 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "_⌊And then_⌋* on that day, things* will come up on* your mind, and you will devise evil plans. ¹¹ And you will say, 'I will go up against a land of open country; I will come* to the people being at rest _⌊in safety_⌋,* all of them dwelling without a wall* and crossbars* and _⌊without doors_⌋,*

¹¹ From you goes out one who plots evil against Yahweh, one who plans wickedness.

³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, contrivers of evil, disobedient to parents,

⁵ And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always* only evil.

²¹ And Yahweh smelled the soothing fragrance, and Yahweh said _⌊to himself_⌋,* "_⌊Never again will I curse_⌋* the ground for the sake of humankind, because the inclination of the heart of humankind is evil from his youth. _⌊Nor will I ever again destroy_⌋* all life as I have done.

¹¹³ I hate _⌊the double-minded_⌋,* but I love your law.

¹⁰ Drive out a scoffer and strife will go out; quarrel and abuse will cease.

⁷ For, like hair in his _⌊throat_⌋,* so it is.* "Eat and drink!" he will say to you, but his heart will not be with you.

⁸ Men of scoffing set a city aflame, but the wise turn away wrath.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of sin his thoughts. And let him return to Yahweh, that* he may take pity on him, and to our God, for he will _⌊forgive manifold_⌋.*

¹⁴ Cleanse your heart from wickedness, O Jerusalem, so that you may be saved. _⌊How long_⌋* will your thoughts of mischief dwell in your inner part?

²⁸ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

⁴ And knowing* their thoughts, Jesus said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

¹⁹ For from the heart come evil plans, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, abusive speech.

²² Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and ask the Lord if perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you!"

⁵ and all pride that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.

¹ Then David _⌊thought to himself_⌋,* "Now I will perish one day by the hand of Saul! There is nothing better for me but that I must certainly escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will desist from searching for me further in all of the territories of Israel, and so I will escape from his hand."

⁵ But now it has come to you, and you are worn out; it touches you, and you are horrified.

²⁸ Have you not known, or have you not heard? Yahweh is the God of eternity, the creator of the ends of the earth! He is not faint, and he does not grow weary! There is no searching his understanding. ²⁹ He gives power to the weary, and he increases power for _⌊the powerless_⌋.* ³⁰ Even* young people will be faint and grow weary, and the young will stumble, exhausted. ³¹ But* those who wait for Yahweh shall renew their strength. They shall go up with wings* like eagles; they shall run and not grow weary; they shall walk and not be faint.

⁴⁶ Now _⌊so that you are not fainthearted_⌋,* and you are afraid at the rumors* that are heard in the land— and in the year the rumor comes, and in the year after it the rumor, and violence is in the land, with ruler against ruler—

⁸ (For his disciples had gone away into the town so that they could buy food.)

¹ Because of this, since we* have this ministry, just as we have been shown mercy, we do not lose heart,

¹³ Therefore I ask you* not to be discouraged at my afflictions on behalf of you, which are your glory.

³ For consider the one who endured such hostility by sinners against himself,* so that you will not grow weary in your souls and give up. ⁴ You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your* blood as you* struggle against sin. ⁵ And have you completely forgotten the exhortation which instructs you as sons?
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline, or give up when you are corrected by him.

³ And you have patient endurance, and have endured many things because of my name, and have not become weary.

¹³ 'I know where you live, where the throne of Satan is. And you hold fast to my name and did not deny your* faith in me, even in the days of Antipas my faithful witness, who was killed among you, where Satan lives.

⁸ Then Abishai said to David, "God has handed over your enemy into your hand today! So then, _⌊please let me pin him to the ground with the spear_⌋* _⌊one time_⌋,* and _⌊I will not strike him twice_⌋."* ⁹ But David said to Abishai, "Do not destroy* him! For who has stretched out his hand against Yahweh's anointed one and remained blameless?"

¹⁷ And I broke the evil one's jaw bones, and I made his prey drop from his teeth.

⁴ Rescue the helpless and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

⁶ Is this not the fast I choose: to release the bonds of injustice, to untie the ropes of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and _⌊tear_⌋* every yoke to pieces? ⁷ Is it not to break your bread for the hungry? You must bring _⌊home_⌋* the poor, the homeless. When you see the naked, you must cover him, and you must not hide yourself from your _⌊relatives_⌋.*

³¹ Now by coincidence a certain priest was going down on that road, and when he* saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. ³² And in the same way also a Levite, when he* came down to the place* and saw him,* passed by on the opposite side.

²³ But they were urgent, demanding with loud cries that he be crucified. And their cries prevailed. ²⁴ And Pilate decided that their demand should be granted. ²⁵ And he released the one who had been thrown into prison because of insurrection and murder, whom they were asking for, but Jesus he handed over to their will.

¹⁷ So they all seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and* began beating* him* in front of the judgment seat. And none of these things was a concern to Gallio.

³¹ And as they* were seeking to kill him, a report came up to the military tribune of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ³² _⌊He_⌋* immediately took along soldiers and centurions and* ran down to them. And when* they saw the military tribune and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

¹⁰ And when* the dispute became severe, the military tribune, fearing lest Paul be torn apart by them, ordered the detachment to go down, take him away from their midst, and bring him* into the barracks.*

²³ And he summoned two of the centurions and* said, "Make ready from the third hour of the night two hundred soldiers and seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen,* in order that they may proceed as far as Caesarea. ²⁴ And provide mounts so that they can put Paul on them and* bring him* safely to Felix the governor." ²⁵ _⌊He wrote_⌋* a letter that had this form:* ²⁶ Claudius Lysias.
To his excellency Governor Felix.
Greetings! ²⁷ This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by them when I* came upon them* with the detachment and* rescued him,* because I* learned that he was a Roman citizen. ²⁸ And because I* wanted to know the charge for which they were accusing him, I brought him* down to their Sanhedrin.* ²⁹ I found _⌊he_⌋* was accused concerning controversial questions of their law, but having no charge deserving death or imprisonment. ³⁰ And when it* was made known to me there would be a plot against the man, I sent him* to you immediately, also ordering his* accusers to speak against him* before you. ³¹ Therefore the soldiers, in accordance with _⌊their orders_⌋,* took Paul and* brought him* to Antipatris during the night. ³² And on the next day they let the horsemen go on with him, and* they returned to the barracks.* ³³ _⌊The horsemen_⌋,* when they* came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, also presented Paul to him. ³⁴ So after* reading the letter* and asking what province he was from, and learning that he was from Cilicia, ³⁵ he said, "I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers arrive also," giving orders for him to be guarded in the praetorium* of Herod.

¹⁶ We have come to know love by this: that _⌊he_⌋* laid down his life on behalf of us, and we ought to lay down our lives on behalf of the brothers. ¹⁷ But whoever has the world's material possessions and observes his brother _⌊in need_⌋* and shuts his heart against him, how does the love of God reside in him?

⁶ Yahweh kills and restores alive, he brings down to Sheol* and raises up.

⁷ But Yahweh said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For God does not see what man sees, for a man _⌊looks on the outward appearance_⌋,* but Yahweh _⌊looks on the heart_⌋."*

²⁹ Should a man arise to pursue you and to seek your life, may the life of my lord be wrapped in the pouch* of the living with Yahweh your God. But as for the life of your enemy, he will sling it from within* the pocket of the sling!

¹¹ Indeed, he will repay according to a human being's deeds, and according to a man's way he will let it happen to him.

⁹ Let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, and test the hearts and innermost being, O righteous God.

³ You have tried my heart; you have examined me by night; you have tested me; you found nothing. I have decided that my mouth will not transgress.

²¹ would not God discover this, for he knows the secrets of the heart?

¹² And to you belongs loyal love, O Lord, because you will render to each according to his work.

⁹ the one who has kept our soul among the living, and has not allowed our foot to slip.

³ He will not allow your foot to be moved; he who protects you will not slumber.

⁸ Yahweh will protect your going out and your coming in from now until forever.

²¹ For before the eyes of Yahweh are _⌊human ways_⌋,* and all his paths he examines.

² Every way of a man is upright in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs hearts.*

⁸ Do not be surprised if you see the poor being oppressed with violence or do not see justice and righteousness in the province. For one official is watched by a higher official, and there are even higher officials over them!

¹⁰ I, Yahweh, examine the _⌊mind_⌋,* I test the _⌊heart_⌋,* and give to each one according to his way, according to the fruit of his deeds.

¹⁹ great in counsel and great in deed, whose eyes are opened to all the ways of the children of humankind, to give to each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds,

²³ And now you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven, and the vessels of his temple you have brought in before you, and you and your lords,* your wives and your concubines, have been drinking wine from* them, and you have praised the gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone* that do not see and do not hear and do not know, but the God _⌊who holds your life in his hand_⌋* and all of your ways _⌊come from him_⌋,* you have not honored.

²⁷ For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and at that time he will reward each one according to _⌊what he has done_⌋.*

²⁸ for in him we live and move and exist,* as even some of _⌊your own_⌋* poets have said: 'For we also are _⌊his_⌋* offspring.'*

⁶ who will reward each one according to his works:

¹⁶ on the day when God judges the secret things of people, according to my gospel, through* Christ Jesus.

⁵ Therefore do not judge anything before the time, until the Lord should come, who will both enlighten the hidden things of darkness and will reveal the counsels of hearts, and then praise will come to each one from God.

¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, in order that each one may receive back the things through the body according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, both joints and marrow, and able to judge the reflections and thoughts of the heart. ¹³ And no creature is hidden in the sight of him, but all things are naked and laid bare to the eyes of him to whom _⌊we must give our account_⌋*.

¹⁸ and the one who lives, and I was dead, and behold, I am living _⌊forever and ever_⌋*, and I hold the keys of death and of Hades.

¹⁸ "And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write:
"This is what the Son of God says, the one who has his eyes like a fiery flame and his feet like fine bronze:

²³ And I will kill her children with deadly disease, and all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to your deeds.

¹² And I saw the dead—the great and the small—standing before the throne, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the book of life, and the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to their deeds. ¹³ And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and each one was judged according to their deeds. ¹⁴ And Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. ¹⁵ And if anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

¹² "Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me, to repay each one according to what his deeds are!

¹⁰ more desirable than gold, even much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb.

¹⁰³ How smooth* are your words* to my palate, more than honey in my mouth.

¹⁶ If you find honey, eat what is sufficient for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit it out.

²⁷ To eat much honey is not good, nor is seeking one's honor* honorable.

¹¹ Your lips drip nectar, my bride; honey and milk are under your lips; the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.

¹ I have come to my garden, my sister bride, I have gathered my myrrh with my spice, I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey, I have drunk my wine with my milk! Eat, O friends! _⌊Drink and become drunk with love_⌋!*

¹⁵ He shall eat curds and honey until he knows to reject the evil and to choose the good.

⁴ Now John himself had his clothing made from camel's hair and a belt made of leather around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

¹⁰ more desirable than gold, even much fine gold; and sweeter than honey, even honey in the comb. ¹¹ Moreover, your servant is warned* by them; in keeping them is great reward.

¹¹¹ I have taken as my own your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my heart.

¹ My child, if you will receive* my sayings, and hide my commands with you, ² in order to incline your ear toward wisdom, then you shall apply your heart to understanding. ³ For if you cry out for understanding,* if you lift* your voice for insight, ⁴ if you seek her like silver and search her out _⌊like treasure_⌋,* ⁵ then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and the knowledge of God you will find.

¹⁰ for wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasing to your soul.*

¹³ Happy is _⌊the one_⌋* who finds wisdom, and one who obtains understanding. ¹⁴ For her* income is better than the income of silver, and her revenue than that of gold. ¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies, and all your desires shall not compare with her. ¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand; in her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace. ¹⁸ She is a tree of life for those who seize her; those who take hold of her are considered happy.

¹⁸ For it is pleasant if you guard them _⌊within you_⌋;* together they will be ready upon your lips.

¹⁸ _⌊Surely_⌋* there is a future, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁶ Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became to me as jubilation, even as the joy of my heart, for your name is called on me, O Yahweh God of hosts.

²¹ Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give the proceeds* to the poor—and you will have treasure in heaven—and come, follow me."

²⁵ But the one who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues to do it, not being a forgetful hearer but a doer who acts, this one will be blessed _⌊in what he does_⌋*.

¹¹ They were going up the ascent of the town when they found young women going out to draw water. They said to them, "Is there the seer here?"

¹⁸ Then the king said to Doeg, "You turn and attack the priests!" So Doeg the Edomite turned and attacked the priests himself, and on that day he killed eighty-five men who wore the linen ephod. ¹⁹ And _⌊he put to the sword_⌋* Nob, the city of the priests, from man to woman, from child to infant, and ox and donkey and sheep;* all _⌊to the sword_⌋.*

²⁰ So then, O king, _⌊whenever you want_⌋* to come down, come down, and it will be for us to deliver him into the hand of the king." ²¹ And Saul said to them, "May you be blessed by Yahweh, for you have shown me compassion! ²² Go, please, make certain again! Find out and see _⌊exactly where he is_⌋* and who has seen him there! For they have said to me, 'He is very cunning.' ²³ Look, find out all of the hiding places where he hides. Then return to me _⌊with dependable information_⌋,* and I will go with you. And then if he is there in the land, then I will seek him among all the thousands of Judah."

⁸ He sits in ambush in villages; in the hiding places he kills the innocent. His eyes _⌊lurk_⌋* for the helpless. ⁹ He lies in ambush _⌊secretly,_⌋* like a lion in a thicket. He lies in ambush to seize the poor; he seizes the poor by catching him in his net. ¹⁰ He is crushed;* he is bowed down;* so* the helpless host* falls by his _⌊might_⌋.*

³² The wicked watches for the righteous and seeks to kill him.

⁶ They attack,* they hide, they watch my _⌊steps_⌋,* as they lie in wait for my life.

³ For look, they lie in wait for my life.* The mighty attack* against me, not because of my transgression or my sin, O Yahweh.

⁵ The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords. They have spread out a net along the _⌊side_⌋* of the path. They have set snares for me. Selah

¹¹ If they say, "Come with us! We shall lie in wait for blood; we shall ambush the innocent without cause.*

²⁸ Do not remove an ancient boundary marker which your ancestors* made.

¹⁸ And my people will dwell in a settlement of peace and in a dwelling place of security and in undisturbed resting places.

¹⁹ And I was like a gentle ram-lamb that is brought to slaughter, and I did not know that they planned plans against me, saying, "Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, so that his name will no longer be remembered."

⁴ and plotted in order that they could arrest Jesus by stealth and kill him.*

²⁴ But their plot became known to Saul, and they were also watching the gates both day and night so that they could do away with him.

¹⁶ But when* the son of Paul's sister heard about the ambush, he came and entered into the barracks* and* reported it* to Paul.

³ asking for a favor against him, that he summon him to Jerusalem, because they* were preparing an ambush to do away with him along the way.

¹⁰ And David said, "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,* _⌊certainly_⌋* Yahweh will strike him, or his day will come and he will die, or he will go down in the battle and _⌊perish_⌋.*

⁴ Then Saul said to _⌊his armor bearer_⌋,* "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised do not come and thrust me through and make a fool of me!" But _⌊his armor bearer_⌋* was not willing to do so because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it.

¹⁰ And they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai, and the anger of the king was abated.

¹⁹ _⌊From_⌋* six troubles he will deliver you, and in seven evil shall not touch you.

¹⁶ His trouble comes back on his head, and his violence comes down on his skull.

¹⁹ Many are the distresses of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.

²⁴ Though he fall, he will not be cast headlong, for Yahweh supports him with his hand.

⁵ but God will pull you down forever. He will snatch you and tear you away from your tent, and he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

¹⁷ A messenger of wickedness will fall into trouble, but an envoy of the faithful brings healing.

³² By his evildoing, the wicked will be overthrown, and the righteous will find refuge in his death.

¹⁴ Happy is the person who fears continuously, but he who is stubborn of heart,* will fall into calamity. ¹⁵ Like a roaring lion and a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. ¹⁶ A ruler who lacks understanding is* a cruel oppressor, but those who hate unjust gain will have long* days. ¹⁷ A person who is burdened with the blood of _⌊another_⌋,* until death he will flee; do not take hold of him. ¹⁸ He who walks in integrity will be safe, but he who takes crooked paths will fall in one.

² Virgin Israel has fallen and will not rise again. She is deserted on her land; there is no one to raise her up.

¹⁴ These are those who swear by the guilt of Samaria and say, 'By the life of your gods, O Dan,' and 'By the life of the way of Beersheba,' they will fall and they will not rise again."

⁸ You should not rejoice over me, O my enemy! When I fall I will stand up; when I sit in darkness Yahweh will be a light for me. ⁹ I will bear the rage of Yahweh, for I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes my justice. He will bring me out to the light; I will see his righteousness. ¹⁰ Then my enemy will see, and shame will cover her who said to me, "Where is Yahweh your God?" My eyes will look upon her; now she will become a trampling place, like mud in the streets.

²³ And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down _⌊because_⌋* he did not give the glory to God. And he was eaten by worms and* died.

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,

⁸ We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; ⁹ persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying around the death of Jesus in our body, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who are alive are continually being handed over to death because of Jesus, in order that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then, death is at work in us, but life in you.

²³ Are they servants of Christ?—I am speaking as though I were beside myself—I am more so, with far greater labors, with far more imprisonments, with beatings to a much greater degree, in danger of death many times. ²⁴ Five times I received at the hands of the Jews forty lashes less one. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I received a stoning. Three times I was shipwrecked. A day and a night I have spent in the deep water. ²⁶ I have been on journeys many times, in dangers from rivers, in dangers from robbers, in dangers from my own people, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers at sea, in dangers because of false brothers, ²⁷ with toil and hardship, often in sleepless nights, with hunger and thirst, often going hungry, in cold and poorly clothed.

³ Whenever they say "Peace and security," then sudden destruction will overtake them like the birth pains of _⌊a pregnant woman_⌋*, and they will not possibly escape.

²⁰ Rejoice over her, heaven and the saints and the apostles and the prophets, because God has pronounced your judgment on her!" ²¹ And one powerful angel picked up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying,
"In this way Babylon the great city will be thrown down with violence, and will never be found again!

²⁵ After awhile, when their hearts* were merry, they said, "Call Samson and let him entertain us." And they called Samson _⌊from the prison_⌋,* and _⌊he entertained them_⌋.* And they made him stand between the pillars.

⁵ King David came up to Bahurim and suddenly a man from there was coming out from the family of the house of Saul, and his name was Shimei the son of Gera. _⌊He was cursing as he came out_⌋.* ⁶ And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David and at all the people and at all the mighty warriors on his right and on his left. ⁷ Shimei said while cursing him, "Go out, go out, you _⌊man of bloodshed_⌋,* you _⌊man of wickedness_⌋.* ⁸ Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of the household of Saul _⌊whom you have supplanted as king_⌋,* and Yahweh has given the kingship into the hand of Absalom your son. Look, you are in disaster for you are a man of blood." ⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head." ¹⁰ The king said, "_⌊What do we have in common_⌋,* sons of Zeruiah? If* he curses because Yahweh has said to him 'Curse David,' who can say, "Why have you done this?" ¹¹ David said to Abishai and to all his servants, "Look, my son who came out of my loins* is seeking my life. Now _⌊as far as_⌋* this Benjaminite, leave him alone and let him curse, for Yahweh has spoken to him. ¹² Perhaps Yahweh will look _⌊in my eye_⌋* and repay good for me in place of his curse this day. ¹³ Then David and his men went on the road, with Shimei going on the side of the hill beside him, _⌊cursing as he went_⌋.* He threw stones beside him and threw* dust in the air. ¹⁴ When the king and all of the people who were with him arrived, he was weary, so he recovered there.

²⁹ "If I have rejoiced at the ruin of the one who hated me or* have exulted when evil overtook him—

¹⁵ But at my stumbling they rejoiced and gathered together; smiters whom I did not know gathered against me. They tore and did not cease.

¹⁹ Let not those who are wrongfully my enemies* rejoice over me. Nor let those who hate me without cause wink the eye.

¹⁰ As with a shattering in my bones my oppressors taunt me, while they say to me _⌊all day_⌋,* "Where is your God?"

⁵ He who mocks the poor insults him who made him; he who rejoices at calamity will not go unpunished.

¹² But you should not have gloated* over your brother's day, on the day of his misfortune, and you should not have rejoiced over the _⌊people_⌋* of Judah on the day of their perishing, and you should not have opened your mouth wide on the day of distress.

⁶ it does not rejoice at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

²¹ Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup will pass, you will become drunk and strip yourself bare. ²² The punishment of your iniquity is completed, O daughter of Zion, your exile will not continue; but he will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will reveal your sins.

¹⁵ And _⌊I am extremely angry_⌋* with the nations that are at ease, for while I was a little angry, they _⌊furthered disaster_⌋."* ¹⁶ Therefore, thus says Yahweh: "I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion. My temple* will be built in it," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh of hosts, "and a measuring line will be stretched out over Jerusalem." '

²⁶ He said to the community, saying, "Please turn away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything _⌊that belongs to them_⌋,* or you will be destroyed with all their sins."

¹ Blessed is the man who does not walk in the advice of the wicked; nor does he stand in the way of sinners; nor does he sit in the assembly of mockers.

⁴ I do not sit with deceitful people, nor will I go about with hypocrites. ⁵ I hate the crowd of evildoers, and with the wicked I will not sit.

¹¹⁵ Turn aside from me, you evildoers, for I will keep the commands of my God.

¹ Do not envy men of evil, and do not desire to be with them.

¹⁷ Therefore "come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord, "and do not touch what is unclean,* and I will welcome you,*

¹¹ And do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even expose them.

² for people will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, slanderers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ hardhearted, irreconcilable, slanderous, without self-control, savage, with no interest for what is good, ⁴ traitors, reckless, conceited, loving pleasure rather than loving God, ⁵ maintaining a form of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid these people.

⁴ And I heard another voice from heaven saying,
"Come out from her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins, and so that you will not receive her plagues, ⁵ Furthermore,* the light of the wicked is put out, and the flame of his fire will not shine. ⁶ The light becomes dark in his tent, and his lamp above him is put out.

¹⁷ "How often is the lamp of the wicked put out, and their disaster comes upon them? He* distributes pains in his anger.

¹⁷ The wicked shall turn back to Sheol, all the nations forgetting God,

⁶ He will rain coals* on the wicked. Burning sulfur and scorching wind will be the portion of their cup.

⁹ The light of the righteous will rejoice, but the lamp of the wicked will die out.

²⁰ He who curses his father and his mother, his lamp will be extinguished _⌊in the midst of darkness_⌋.*

¹¹ Woe to the wicked!* It is bad! For what is done by his hands will be done to him.

¹² But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!"

⁸ And the foolish ones said to the wise ones, 'Give us some of your olive oil, because our lamps are going out!'

¹³ wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.

³¹ And Israel saw the great hand* that Yahweh displayed against Egypt, and the people feared Yahweh, and they believed in Yahweh and in Moses his servant.

¹ Now Korah son of Izhar, son of Kohath, son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram sons of Eliab, and On son of Peleth, the descendants* of Reuben, ² took two hundred and fifty men from the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* leaders of the community summoned from the assembly, _⌊renowned men_⌋,* and _⌊they confronted_⌋* Moses. ³ They were assembled in front of Moses and Aaron, and they said to them, "_⌊You take too much upon yourselves_⌋!* All of the community is holy, every one of them, and Yahweh is in their midst, so why do you raise yourselves over the assembly of Yahweh?"

⁵ They said to him, "Look, you are old and your sons do not follow in your ways. So then appoint a king for us to judge* us, like all the nations. 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.

¹² "And when you saw that Nahash, the king of the _⌊Ammonites_⌋,* was coming against you, you said to me, 'No! A king shall reign over us,' although Yahweh your God is your king. ¹³ So then look! Here is the king you have chosen, for whom you have asked! Look, Yahweh has placed a king over you! ¹⁴ If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not be rebellious against _⌊what Yahweh says_⌋,* and both you and the king who rules over you will follow after Yahweh your God, all will be well. ¹⁵ But, if you do not listen to the voice of Yahweh, and you rebel against _⌊what Yahweh says_⌋,* then the hand of Yahweh will be against you* as it was against your ancestors.* ¹⁶ So then take your stand again and see this great thing that Yahweh is going to do before your eyes. ¹⁷ Is the wheat harvest not today? I will call out to Yahweh so that he still sends thunder and rain, so that you will know and will see that your wickedness is great that you have done in the eyes of Yahweh by asking for a king for yourselves." ¹⁸ So Samuel called out to Yahweh, and Yahweh brought thunder and rain that same day, so all the people feared Yahweh and Samuel greatly. ¹⁹ Then all the people said to Samuel, "Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God so that we will not die, because we have added to all our sins by requesting a king for ourselves."

⁶ He said to his men, "Far be it from me in* Yahweh, that I do this thing to my lord, to Yahweh's anointed one, by stretching out my hand against him! For he is the anointed one of Yahweh."

¹³ Then the messenger came to David, saying, "The hearts* of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom." ¹⁴ Then David said to all his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, "Get up and let us flee, for there will be no escape for us from Absalom! Hurry to go, otherwise he will come quickly and overtake us! And he will bring disaster on us and evil! He will attack the city with the edge of the sword!" ¹⁵ Then the servants of the king said to the king, "According to all that my lord the king chooses, _⌊your servants are ready to act_⌋!"* ¹⁶ The king went out with* all his household _⌊following him_⌋,* but the king left behind ten concubines to look after the house. ¹⁷ So the king went out with* all the people _⌊following him_⌋,* and they stopped _⌊at the last house_⌋.* ¹⁸ All his servants were passing _⌊by him_⌋:* all of the Kerethites and all of the Pelethites and all of the Gittites—six hundred men _⌊who had followed him_⌋* from Gath—passing _⌊before the king_⌋.* ¹⁹ The king said to Ittai the Gittite, "Why are you also coming with us? Return and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner; moreover, you are an exile. _⌊You are far from your place_⌋.* ²⁰ Yesterday when you came and _⌊today_⌋,* I have caused you to wander by going with us. Now I am going to where I am going; return and let your brothers return. May loyal love and faithfulness be with you." ²¹ But Ittai answered the king and said, "_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋* and _⌊my lord the king lives_⌋,* surely in the place wherever my lord the king shall be, if for death or if for life, surely there your servant will be." ²² Then David said to Ittai, "Go and pass over." So Ittai the Gittite passed over and all his men and all of the little children who were with him. ²³ All of the land was weeping with a loud voice as all the people were passing by and the king was crossing through the Wadi Kidron, and all the people were passing _⌊on the road to the wilderness_⌋.* ²⁴ Suddenly Zadok was there, and all of the Levites with him, carrying the ark of the covenant of God. They set the ark of God down, and Abiathar offered sacrifices until all the people passed out of the city. ²⁵ The king said to Zadok, "Let the ark of God return to the city. If I find favor in the eyes of Yawheh, he will let me return and let me see him in his dwelling place. ²⁶ But if he says, 'I take no pleasure in you,' then _⌊I am ready_⌋.* Let him do to me that which is good in his eyes. ²⁷ Then the king said to Zadok the priest, "Are you a seer? Return to the city in peace, with Ahimaaz your son and Jonathan the son of Abiathar, your two sons with you. ²⁸ See, I am waiting at the fords of the wilderness until a word comes from you all to inform me." ²⁹ So Zadok and Abiathar returned the ark of God to Jerusalem and they remained there. ³⁰ Now David was going up on the Ascent of the Olives, _⌊weeping as he went_⌋,* with his head covered and going barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered their head _⌊and wept as they went_⌋.* ³¹ Now David was told, "Ahithophel was among the conspirators with Absalom." Then David said, "Please frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel, O Yahweh." ³² It happened that as David was coming up to the summit where he used to worship God, suddenly Hushai the Arkite was there to meet him. His coat was torn and dirt was on his head. ³³ David said to him, "If you move on with me, you will be a burden to me, ³⁴ but if you want to return to the city and say to Absalom, 'I am your servant, O king. I used to be a servant of your father, but from then and now I will be your servant,' then you can frustrate the counsel of Ahithophel for me. ³⁵ Will not Zadok and Abiathar the priests be with you there? It shall be that all the words you hear from the house of the king you shall tell Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Look, there with them are their two sons, Ahimaaz of Zadok and Jonathan of Abiathar. You shall send to me _⌊by means of them_⌋* all the words that you hear." ³⁷ So Hushai the friend of David came to the city as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When all of Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, "_⌊What share do we have in David_⌋?* There is no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now look to your house, David!" Then Israel went to their* tents.

² Keep the command of the king* _⌊because of your oath to God_⌋.* ³ Do not be terrified of his presence! Go at once and do not delay when a matter is unpleasant, for he can do anything that he desires. ⁴ Since the word of the king is supreme, no one can say to him, "What are you doing?" ⁵ Whoever obeys his command will not suffer disaster. The wise mind knows the proper time and the right procedure.

²¹ They said to him, "Caesar's." Then he said to them, "Therefore give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!"

¹ Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except by God, and those that exist are put in place by God. ² So then, the one who resists authority resists the ordinance which is from God, and those who resist will receive condemnation on themselves. ³ For rulers are not a cause of terror for a good deed, but for bad conduct. So do you want not to be afraid of authority? Do what is good, and you will have praise from it, ⁴ for it is God's servant to you for what is good. But if you do what is bad, be afraid, because it does not bear the sword to no purpose. For it is God's servant, the one who avenges for punishment on the one who does what is bad. ⁵ Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience. ⁶ For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities* are servants of God, busily engaged in this very thing. ⁷ Pay to everyone what is owed: pay taxes to whom taxes are due; pay customs duties to whom customs duties are due; pay respect to whom respect is due; pay honor to whom honor is due.*

¹ Remind them to be subject to the rulers and to the authorities, to obey, to be prepared for every good work,

¹³ Subject yourselves to every human authority for the sake of the Lord, whether to a king* as having supreme authority, ¹⁴ or to governors as those sent out by him for the punishment of those who do evil and the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For the will of God is as follows: by* doing good to silence the ignorance of foolish people. ¹⁶ Live as free persons, and not using your* freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people, love the community of believers, fear God, honor the king.*

³¹ And it happened, as soon as he finished _⌊speaking_⌋* all these words, the ground that was under them split open. ³² The land opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their houses and every person _⌊that belonged to Korah_⌋* and all the property. ³³ They went down alive to Sheol, they and all that belonged to them, and the land covered over them, and they perished from the midst of the assembly. ³⁴ All Israel who were around them fled at their cry, because they said, "Lest the land swallow us up!" ³⁵ And fire went out from Yahweh, and it consumed the two hundred and fifty men presenting the incense.

¹ Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines, and they fell slain on Mount Gilboa. ² And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines killed Jonathan and Abinadab and Malki-Shua, the sons of Saul. ³ _⌊Saul was in the thick of the battle_⌋,* and _⌊the archers_⌋* spotted* him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. ⁴ Then Saul said to _⌊his armor bearer_⌋,* "Draw your sword and thrust me through with it, so that these uncircumcised do not come and thrust me through and make a fool of me!" But _⌊his armor bearer_⌋* was not willing to do so because he was very afraid. So Saul took the sword and fell on it. ⁵ And when _⌊his armor bearer_⌋* saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword and died with him. ⁶ So Saul died, and his three sons, _⌊his armor bearer_⌋,* and all his men together that same day. ⁷ And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those who were beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the towns and fled. Thus the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁷ The army of Israel was defeated there before the servants of David, and the defeat there was great on that day: twenty thousand. ⁸ The battle there was spreading over the surface of all the land, and _⌊the forest devoured more among the army than_⌋* the sword did on that day.

¹⁶ And the _⌊Israelites_⌋* fled from before Judah, and God gave them into their hand. ¹⁷ And Abijah and his people struck a great blow against them, and the dead from Israel that fell were five hundred thousand chosen men.

¹¹ Who knows the strength of your anger, and your rage consistent with* the fear due you?

¹⁴ The wrath of a king is a messenger of death, but one who is wise will appease* it.

² Roaring like the lion is the dreaded anger of a king; he who provokes him forfeits his life.*

¹¹ Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to go after filth.*

¹⁰ Where now is your king that he may save you? Where in all your cities are your judges, of whom you said, "Give to me a king and rulers?" ¹¹ I gave you a king in my anger, and I took him in my wrath.

¹⁵ " 'You* shall not do injustice in judgment; _⌊you* shall not show partiality to the powerless_⌋;* you* shall not give preference _⌊to the powerful_⌋;* you* shall judge your* fellow citizen with justice.

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.'

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.

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."

² "How long will you judge unjustly and _⌊show favoritism to the wicked_⌋?* Selah ³ Judge on behalf of the helpless and the orphan; provide justice to the afflicted and the poor. ⁴ Rescue the helpless and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked."

⁴³ Whoever is wise, then let him observe these things, and let them consider Yahweh's acts of loyal love.

⁶ to understand a proverb and an expression, words of wisdom and their riddles.

⁵ Being partial to faces of evil is not good, nor to subvert the righteous at the judgment.

¹⁷ Incline your ear and hear the words of the wise; you shall apply your heart* to my teaching.

²¹ _⌊Showing partiality_⌋* is not good, and over a morsel of bread, a strong man will do wrong.

¹ Who is like the sage? Who knows the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom makes his face shine, and the hardness of his face is changed.

⁹ Who is wise that he can understand these things? Who is discerning that he knows them? The ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them; but transgressors stumble in them.

²⁴ Do not judge according to outward appearance, but judge according to righteous judgment!"

²⁰ Reprove those who sin in the presence of all, in order that the rest also may experience fear. ²¹ I testify solemnly before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing according to partiality.

⁴ have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich exploiting you and they themselves dragging you into the courts?

¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy,

¹⁷ And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's work, conduct yourselves with fear during the time of your temporary residence,

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.*

²⁶ He who withholds grain, the people curse him, but a blessing is for the head of him who sells.

¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, the two of them are both abominations of Yahweh.

²⁷ For he who gives to the poor, there is no lacking, but for he* who turns his eyes, there are many curses.

¹⁰ Do not slander a servant to his master, or else he will curse you and you will be guilty.

²⁰ Ah! Those who call evil good and good evil, those who put darkness for light and light for darkness, those who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!

²³ Those who acquit the guilty because of a bribe and remove the justice of the innocent from him.

²⁴ "And they shall go out and look at the corpses of the people* _⌊who have rebelled_⌋* against me,
for their worm shall not die, and their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an abhorrence to all flesh."

¹³ "For from the smallest of them to the greatest of them, _⌊everyone_⌋* makes profit for unlawful gain. And from the prophet to the priest, _⌊everyone_⌋* practices deceit. ¹⁴ And they have treated the wound of my people lightly, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace.

¹⁰ Therefore I will give their wives to others, their fields to conquerors, because from the smallest to the greatest, all of them make profit for unlawful gain, from prophet to priest, all of them practice deceit. ¹¹ And they have treated the wound of the daughter of my people lightly, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Peace, peace,' but there is no peace.

²² Because you disheartened the heart of the righteous by deception, and I have not* caused him pain, and strengthened the hands of the wicked so that he did not turn* from his wicked way to save his life.

¹⁷ " 'You* shall not hate your* brother in your* heart; you* shall surely rebuke your* fellow citizen, so that you* do not incur sin _⌊along with_⌋* him.

¹³ I will make him know that I am about to judge his household forever because of the iniquity that he knew, for his sons were bringing curses on themselves,* but he did not rebuke them.

¹⁹ You shall say to him, 'Thus says Yahweh: "Have you committed murder and also taken possession?" ' You shall also say to him, 'Thus says Yahweh: "In the place where the dogs licked the blood of Naboth, the dogs will also lick your blood." '" ²⁰ Then Ahab said to Elijah, "Have you found me, my enemy?" He said, "I have found you because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of Yahweh.

⁷ I thought over this in my heart, and then I quarreled with the nobles and the prefects. I said to them, "You yourselves are taking interest from your own brother!" So I called the great assembly against them, ⁸ and I said to them: "We ourselves have bought back our brothers the Jews who were sold to the nations as we were able. But now you yourselves have sold your brothers so they may be sold to us!" They were silent and could not find a word to say. 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?

⁸ It was very displeasing for me, and I threw all of the objects from the house of Tobiah outside of the chamber. ⁹ And I spoke in order, and they cleansed the chambers. Then I returned the objects of the house of God—the grain offering and the frankincense. ¹⁰ And then I came to learn that the food of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, the doers of the work, had gone back each to his field. ¹¹ So I quarreled with the prefects, and I said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them and set them at their station.

¹⁷ So I quarreled with the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the day of the Sabbath?

²⁵ So I quarreled with them and cursed them and beat some of their men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath by God: "Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

²⁸ One from the sons of Jehoiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, who was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonote was there. I chased him away from me.

¹⁶ I was a father to the poor, and I investigated _⌊the stranger's_⌋* legal dispute. ¹⁷ And I broke the evil one's jaw bones, and I made his prey drop from his teeth. ¹⁸ "And I thought, 'I will pass away in my nest, and like the phoenix I shall multiply my days.

²³ He who rebukes a person will afterward find more favor than he who flatters with the tongue.

⁴ because John had been saying to him, "It is not permitted for you to have her."

²⁰ Reprove those who sin in the presence of all, in order that the rest also may experience fear.

² preach the word, be ready in season and out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all patience and instruction.

¹³ This testimony is true, for which reason reprove them severely, in order that they may be sound in the faith,

¹⁵ Speak these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

³⁸ Then Pharaoh said to his servants, "Can we find a man like this in whom is the spirit of God?" ³⁹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "Since God has made all of this known to you there is no one as discerning and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You shall be over my house, and to your word* all my people shall submit. Only with respect to the throne will I be greater than you." ⁴¹ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt." ⁴² Then Pharaoh removed his signet ring from his finger and put it on the finger of Joseph. And he clothed him with garments of fine linen, and he put a chain of gold around his neck. ⁴³ And he had him ride in his second chariot. And they cried out before him, "Kneel!" And Pharaoh set him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your consent no one will lift his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt." ⁴⁵ And Pharaoh called the name of Joseph Zaphenath-paneah and gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, as a wife. And Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. ⁴⁶ Now Joseph _⌊was thirty years old_⌋* when he stood before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh and traveled through the whole land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ And the land produced a plenty in the seven years of abundance. ⁴⁸ And he gathered all the food of the seven years which occurred in the land of Egypt. And he stored the food in the cities. The food of the field that surrounded each city he stored in its midst. ⁴⁹ And Joseph piled up grain like the sand of the sea in great abundance until he stopped counting it, for _⌊it could not be counted_⌋.* ⁵⁰ Before the years of famine came, Asenath, daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore two sons to him. ⁵¹ And Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, for he said, "God has caused me to forget all my hardship and all my father's house." ⁵² And the name of the second he called Ephraim, for he said, "God has made me fruitful in the land of my misfortune." ⁵³ And the seven years of abundance which were in the land of Egypt came to an end. ⁵⁴ And the seven years of famine began to come as Joseph had said. And there was famine in all of the countries, but in the land of Egypt there was food. ⁵⁵ And when all the land of Egypt was hungry the people cried out to Pharaoh for food. And Pharaoh said to all the land of Egypt, "Go to Joseph; what he says to you, you must do." ⁵⁶ And the famine was over the whole land, and Joseph opened all the storehouses* and sold food to the Egyptians. And the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ And every land came to Egypt to Joseph to buy grain, for the famine was severe in every land.

²⁵ How painful are _⌊upright words_⌋!* But* what does _⌊your reproof_⌋* reprove?

²³ Joy belongs to a man with answers in his mouth, and a word in its time, how good it is!

¹ To mortals belong the plans of the heart, but from Yahweh comes the answer of the tongue.

¹¹ Apples of gold in a setting of silver is a matter spoken at* its proper time. ¹² A ring of gold and an ornament of fine gold is a rebuke of the wise to the ear of a listener.

⁴⁶ Then the king, Nebuchadnezzar, fell on his face and he paid homage to Daniel; and he commanded them to offer a grain offering and incense offering to him. ⁴⁷ The king answered Daniel and said, "_⌊Truly_⌋* your God is the God of gods and the Lord of kings, and he reveals mysteries, for you are able to reveal this mystery." ⁴⁸ Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and the chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things of Caesar, and to God the things of God!" And they were utterly amazed at him. ¹⁸ And Sadducees—who say there is no resurrection—came up to him and began to ask* him, saying,

³² And the scribe said to him, "That is true, Teacher. You have said _⌊correctly_⌋* that he is one and there is no other except him. ³³ And to love him from your* whole heart and from your* whole understanding and from your* whole strength, and to love your* neighbor as yourself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." ³⁴ And Jesus, when he* saw that he had answered thoughtfully, said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And no one dared to put a question to him any longer.

¹⁷ When the king commanded, they quarried great stones and precious stones to lay the foundation of the house with hewn stones. ¹⁸ So Solomon's builders and Hiram's builders and the Gebalites hewed stones, and they prepared the timber and the stone to build the house.

⁷ Now while the temple* was being built, it was built with stones finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or stone shaping tool or any instrument of iron was heard in the temple* as it was being built.

²⁸ For which of you, wanting to build a tower, does not first sit down and* calculate the cost to see if he has enough* _⌊to complete it_⌋?* ²⁹ _⌊Otherwise_⌋* after* he has laid the foundation and is not able to finish it,* all who see it* will begin to ridicule him, ³⁰ saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish!'

¹⁶ "You shall not testify against your neighbor with a false witness.

¹ " 'You will not _⌊spread_⌋* a false report. Do not lift your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.

⁹ But Doeg the Edomite, who was stationed among the servants of Saul, answered and said, "I saw the son of Jesse going to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ And he inquired of Yahweh for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine."

⁹ She had written in the letters, saying, "Call a fast and seat Naboth at the head of the people. ¹⁰ Seat two men, _⌊scoundrels_⌋,* opposite him. Let them witness against him saying, 'You cursed God and the king.' Then you shall bring him out and stone him so that he dies." ¹¹ The men of his city and the elders and nobles who were living in his city did according to what Jezebel had sent to them, as was written in the letters which she had sent to them. ¹² They called a fast, and they seated Naboth at the head of the people. ¹³ Then the two men, _⌊scoundrels_⌋,* came, sat opposite him, and the _⌊scoundrels_⌋* witnessed against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king," so they brought him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.

³ So* Yahweh _⌊asked_⌋* Satan,* "Have you _⌊considered_⌋* my servant Job? Indeed,* there is no one like him on the earth—a blameless man and upright and God-fearing and turning away from evil. And still he persists in his blamelessness _⌊even though_⌋* you incited me against him to destroy him for nothing."

⁷ For without cause they secretly hide the pit with their net for me; without cause they dug it for my life.

¹¹ Violent witnesses rise up; they ask me concerning what I do not know.

¹ For the music director. A maskil of David. When Doeg the Edomite came and informed Saul. And he said to him, "David has come to the house of Ahimelech."*
Why do you boast about evil, O mighty man? The loyal love of God endures _⌊continually_⌋.*

⁵ A faithful witness does not lie, but he who breathes out falsehood is a witness of deceit.

⁵ A witness of falsehood will not go unpunished, and he who breathes lies will not escape.

⁹ A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes lies will perish.

²⁸ A false witness will perish, but a man who listens will testify with* success.

¹⁸ Like a club and sword and a sharp arrow is a man who bears false witness against his neighbor.

⁵⁹ Now the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for false testimony against Jesus in order that they could put him to death. ⁶⁰ And they did not find it,* although* many false witnesses came forward. And finally two came forward

²³ And he said, "Why? What wrong has he done?" But they began to shout* even louder, saying, "Let him be crucified!"

²⁵ But this happened* so that the word that is written in their law would be fulfilled, 'They hated me without a reason.'

²⁵ Therefore, putting aside the lie, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor,* because we are members of one another.

⁹ Do not lie to one another, because you* have taken off the old man together with his deeds,

⁸ But as for the cowards and unbelievers and detestable persons and murderers and sexually immoral people and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their share is in the lake that burns with fire and sulphur, which is the second death.

¹⁵ Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral people and the murderers and the idolaters and everyone who loves and who practices falsehood.

¹¹ Then three thousand men from Judah went down to the cleft of the rock of Etam, and they said to Samson, "Do you not know that the Philistines are ruling over us? What is this that you have done to us?" And he said to them, "Just as they did to me, so I have done to them."

²² Absalom did not speak with Amnon _⌊either bad or good_⌋,* for Absalom hated Amnon _⌊over the matter when_⌋* he raped Tamar his sister. ²³ _⌊About two full years later_⌋,* Absalom's shearers were in Baal Hazor, which is near Ephraim, and Absalom summoned all the sons of the king. ²⁴ Then Absalom went to the king and said, "Look, here are your servant's shearers; please let the king and his servants go with your servant. ²⁵ The king said to Absalom, "No my son, not all of us shall go, so that we not be a burden to you." And he urged him, but he was not willing to go, but he blessed him. ²⁶ So Absalom said, "But will you not let Amnon my brother go with us?" And the king said to him, "Why should he go with you?" ²⁷ But Absalom pressed him, so he sent Amnon with him and all of the sons of the king. ²⁸ Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is _⌊tipsy_⌋* with wine, then I shall say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' and you shall kill him! Don't be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be _⌊valiant!_⌋*

²² Do not say "I will repay evil"; wait for Yahweh and he will deliver you.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, feed him bread, and if thirsty, let him drink water. ²² For coals of fire you will heap upon his head, and Yahweh will reward you.

³⁹ But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer, but whoever strikes you on the right cheek,* turn the other to him also. ⁴⁰ And the one who wants to go to court with you and take your tunic, _⌊let him have_⌋* your outer garment also. ⁴¹ And whoever forces you to go one mile,* go with him two. ⁴² Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you. ⁴³ "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor'* and 'Hate your enemy.'* ⁴⁴ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,

¹⁷ Pay back no one evil for evil. Take thought for what is good in the sight of all people. ¹⁸ If it is possible on your part, be at peace with all people. ¹⁹ Do not take revenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God's wrath, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay,"* says the Lord. ²⁰ But "if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by* doing this, you will heap up coals of fire upon his head."* ²¹ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

¹⁵ See to it that no one pays back evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue good toward* one another and toward all people.

⁸ Just as I have seen, plowers of mischief and sowers of trouble will reap it.

²⁷ "Look, we have searched this out—it is true; hear it and know it _⌊yourself_⌋."*

¹⁷ "I will show you, listen to me; and what I have seen, I will tell*—

²⁵ I was a youth, but I am now old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his children _⌊begging for_⌋* bread.

⁴² The upright see it and are glad, and all wickedness shuts its mouth.

⁶ Go to the ant, lazy! Consider its ways and be wise. ⁷ It has no chief, officer, or ruler. ⁸ In the summer, it prepares its food; in the harvest, it gathers its sustenance. ⁹ How long will you lie down, lazy? When will you rise up from your sleep? ¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest— ¹¹ like a _⌊robber_⌋* shall your poverty come, and what you lack like an armed man. ¹² A worthless man, an evil man, goes around with _⌊deceitful speech_⌋.* ¹³ Winking in his eye, shuffling in his foot, pointing in his fingers, ¹⁴ perversion in his heart, he devises evil; at all times he will send out discord.* ¹⁵ Upon _⌊such a man_⌋,* suddenly shall his calamity come; in a moment he will be damaged and there is no healing.* ¹⁶ There are six things Yahweh hates, and seven things are abominations of his soul:* ¹⁷ haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a devising heart, plans of deception, feet that hurry to run to evil,* ¹⁹ a false witness who breathes lies and sends out discord* between brothers.

³² He who commits adultery with a woman lacks _⌊sense_⌋,* he destroys himself* who does it.

¹³ On the lips of one who has understanding, wisdom is found, but a rod is for the back of one who lacks _⌊sense_⌋.*

¹¹ He who works his land will have plenty of food, but he who follows worthless things lacks _⌊sense_⌋.*

¹ I looked again, and I saw all the oppression that occurs under the sun.
_⌊I saw the tears of the oppressed— no one comforts them! Those who oppress them are powerful— no one can comfort them_⌋!* ² So I deemed the dead who have already died more fortunate than the living who are still alive. ³ But better off than both of them is the one who has not yet been born and has not seen the evil deeds that are done under the sun. ⁴ I also realized that all of the toil and all of the skillful work that is done—it is envy between one man and _⌊another_⌋.* This also is vanity and chasing wind! ⁵ _⌊The fool refuses to work with his hands, so he has nothing to eat except his own skin_⌋!* ⁶ Better is one handful with peace than two fists full with toil and chasing wind. ⁷ I turned again and saw another vanity under the sun. ⁸ Sometimes a man is all alone with no companion; he also has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eye is not satisfied with wealth. He laments, "For whom am I toiling and depriving _⌊myself_⌋* of pleasure?" This also is vanity—it is an unhappy business!

¹⁵ I have seen all these things in my vain life: Sometimes a righteous man perishes in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked man lives a long life in spite of his evil.

⁹ I saw all this as I applied my heart to all the deeds done under the sun: _⌊sometimes those in authority harm others_⌋.* ¹⁰ Meanwhile, I saw the wicked being honorably buried, but those who came and went from the holy place were forgotten in the city, even though they had done so. This also is vanity! ¹¹ Because sentence against an evil deed is not carried out quickly, the heart of _⌊humans_⌋* fills up within them to do evil.

¹⁷ And to Adam* he said, "Because you listened to the voice of your wife and you ate from the tree _⌊from which I forbade you to eat_⌋,*
the ground shall be cursed on your account. In pain you shall eat from it all the days of your life. ¹⁸ And thorns and thistles shall sprout for you, and you shall eat the plants of the field. ¹⁹ By the sweat of your brow* you shall eat bread, until your return to the ground. For from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

⁴⁰ let thorns grow in place of wheat and noxious weeds in place of barley." The words of Job are ended.

²³ Fear of Yahweh leads to life; he who is filled with it will rest—he will not suffer harm.

⁴ The lazy person will not plow in season; he will expect at the harvest, but there will be nothing.

¹³ A lazy person says "A lion in the street! In the middle of the highway, I shall be killed!"

²¹ For the drunkard and gluttonous, they will become poor, and with rags, drowsiness will clothe them.

¹⁸ Through sloth the roof sinks in, and through idleness of hands the house leaks.

⁵ And now let me tell you what I myself am about to do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall become a devastation. I will break down its wall, and it shall become a trampling.

³ For thus says Yahweh to the men* of Judah and to Jerusalem, "Break up for yourselves prepared virgin soil, and you must not sow among thornbushes.

⁷ And other seed fell among the thorn plants, and the thorn plants came up and choked it.

²² And what was sown into the thorn plants—this is the one who hears the word, and the anxiety of this world* and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word and it becomes unproductive.

⁸ But if it* produces thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to a curse, whose end is for burning.

¹¹ And all of Israel shall hear, and they shall fear, and _⌊they shall not continue to act_⌋* according to this evil thing in your midst.

²¹ Then all the men of his city shall stone him with stones and let him die; and so you shall purge the evil from your midst, and all of Israel will hear, and they will fear.

²⁹ If only they were wise, they would understand this; they would discern _⌊for themselves their end_⌋.*

¹⁷ "What is a human being that you make him great and that _⌊you fix your mind on him_⌋,*

⁴ Be disturbed but do not sin. Commune in your heart* on your bed and be silent. Selah

¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these words, pondering them* in her heart.

⁵¹ And he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was submitting to them. And his mother treasured all these things in her heart.

⁶ Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we should not be desirers of evil things, just as those also desired them,

¹¹ Now these things happened to those people as an example, but are written for our instruction, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

⁵ Now I want to remind you, although you know everything once and for all,* that Jesus,* having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, the second time destroyed those who did not believe. ⁶ And the angels who did not keep to their own domain but deserted their proper dwelling place, he has kept in eternal bonds under deep gloom for the judgment of the great day, ⁷ as Sodom and Gomorrah and the towns around them indulged in sexual immorality and _⌊pursued unnatural desire_⌋* in the same way as these, are exhibited as an example by* undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.

⁴ Do not give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids. ⁵ Save yourself like a gazelle from a hand, or like a bird from the hand of a fowler. ⁶ Go to the ant, lazy! Consider its ways and be wise. ⁷ It has no chief, officer, or ruler. ⁸ In the summer, it prepares its food; in the harvest, it gathers its sustenance. ⁹ How long will you lie down, lazy? When will you rise up from your sleep? ¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands for rest— ¹¹ like a _⌊robber_⌋* shall your poverty come, and what you lack like an armed man.

¹¹ And do this because you* know the time, that it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we believed.

¹⁴ for everything made visible is light. Therefore it says,
Wake up, sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.*

⁶ So then, we must not sleep like the rest, but must be on the alert and be self-controlled. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. ⁸ But because* we are of the day, we must be sober, by* putting on the breastplate of faith and love and as a helmet the hope of salvation,

⁴ A slack hand causes poverty, but the hand of the diligent enriches.

⁴ The soul* of the lazy craves, but there is nothing, but the person of diligence is richly supplied.