Proverbs 27 Cross References - LEB

¹ Do not boast _⌊about tomorrow_⌋,* for you do not know what the day will bring. ² May another praise you and not your own mouth, a stranger and not your own lips. ³ Heavy is a stone and weighty is sand, but the provocation of a fool is heavier than both of them. ⁴ Cruel is wrath and overwhelming is anger, but who will stand before jealousy? ⁵ Better a rebuke that is open than a love that is hidden. ⁶ The wounds of a friend mean well, but the kisses of an enemy are profane. ⁷ An _⌊appetite_⌋* that is sated spurns honey, but to an _⌊appetite_⌋* that is ravenous, all bitterness is sweet. ⁸ Like a bird that strays from its nest, so is a man who strays from his place. ⁹ Perfume and incense will gladden a heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend is _⌊personal advice_⌋.* ¹⁰ As for your friend and a friend of your father, do not forsake them, and the house of your brother, do not enter on the day of your calamity. Better is a close neighbor than a distant brother. ¹¹ Be wise, my child, and make my heart glad, and I will answer him who reproaches me with a word. ¹² When the clever sees danger, he hides; the simple go on and suffer. ¹³ Take his garment, for he gives surety to a stranger, and to _⌊an adulteress_⌋*—so take his pledge. ¹⁴ He who blesses his neighbor with a loud voice early in the morning, a curse will be reckoned to him. ¹⁵ Dripping constantly on a day of heavy rain and a woman* of contention are alike. ¹⁶ In restraining her, he restrains wind,* and his right hand will grasp oil*. ¹⁷ As iron sharpens* iron, so _⌊one man sharpens another_⌋.* ¹⁸ He who tends a fig tree will eat its fruit, and he who guards his master* will be honored. ¹⁹ As the waters reflect _⌊face to face_⌋,* so the heart of a person reflects the person. ²⁰ Sheol* and Abaddon* will not be satisfied, and the eyes of a person will not be satisfied either. ²¹ A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace for the gold, but a man is tested by the mouth of him who praises him. ²² If you crush a fool in the mortar with the pestle _⌊along with_⌋* the crushed grain, it will not drive folly from upon him. 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.

¹⁹ And Yahweh will also give Israel with you into the hands of the Philistines, and tomorrow you and your sons will be with me, and Yahweh will also give the army of Israel into the hand of the Philistines."

⁷ For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. _⌊Today_⌋* if you will hear his voice:*

¹² "Come, let me take wine, and let us carouse with intoxicating drink, and tomorrow will be like today, _⌊very great indeed_⌋."*

¹⁹ And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many possessions stored up for many years. Relax, eat, drink, celebrate!" ' ²⁰ But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your life* is demanded from you, and the things which you have prepared—whose will they be?'

² For he says,
"At the acceptable time I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you."*
Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation!

¹³ Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will travel to such and such a city and spend a year there, and carry on business and make a profit," ¹⁴ you who do not know _⌊what will happen tomorrow_⌋*, _⌊what your life will be like_⌋*. For you are a smoky vapor that appears for a short time and then disappears. ¹⁵ Instead you should say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that." ¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.

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

¹² For we do not dare to classify or to compare ourselves with some who commend themselves, but they themselves, when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, do not understand.

¹⁸ For it is not the one commending himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord commends.

¹¹ I have become a fool! You compelled me, for I ought to have been commended by you, for I am in no way inferior to the preeminent apostles,* even if I am nothing.

²⁵ And it happened that on the third day, while they were in pain, two of the sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, the brothers of Dinah, each took his sword and came against the unsuspecting city and killed all the males. ²⁶ They killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword, and they took Dinah from the house of Shechem and went out.

⁷ Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel.

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_⌋.*

⁵ And Haman saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and bowing down to him, and he was filled with anger. 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.

¹² May a man meet a she-bear robbed of offspring and not a fool in his folly.

¹⁹ Then Nebuchadnezzar was filled with anger and the image of his face was changed _⌊toward_⌋* Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, so he _⌊ordered and said_⌋* to heat up the one furnace seven times what was usual to heat it up.

¹² not as Cain, who was of the evil one and violently murdered his brother. And _⌊for what reason_⌋* did he violently murder him? Because his deeds were evil and the deeds of his brother were righteous.

¹⁴ And he possessed sheep and cattle and many servants, so that the Philistines envied him.

¹¹ And his brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept the matter in mind.

² For vexation will slay the fool, and jealousy will kill the simple.

³⁴ For jealousy is the fury of a husband, and he will not show restraint on the day of revenge.

³⁰ A heart* of tranquility* is life to the flesh, but causes bones of passion to rot.

⁶ Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm; for love is strong as death; passion is fierce as Sheol; its flashes are flashes of fire; it is a blazing flame.

¹⁸ (For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.

¹⁷ Now the high priest rose up and all those who were with him (that is, the party of the Sadducees), and* they were filled with jealousy.

⁹ And the patriarchs, because they* were jealous of Joseph, sold him* into Egypt. And God was with him,

⁵ But the Jews were filled with jealousy and, taking along some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace and forming a mob, threw the city into an uproar. And attacking Jason's house, they were looking for them to bring them* out to the popular assembly.

²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence. They are gossipers,

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger, ²⁰ for human* anger does not accomplish the righteousness of God. ²¹ Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome* with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls.

¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice.

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."*

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.

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

¹⁵ "Now if your brother sins against you, go correct him between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not being straightforward with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas in the presence of them all, "If you, although you* are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to compel the Gentiles to live like Jews?"

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

⁷ Then Nathan said to him, "You are the man! Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: 'I anointed you as king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave you the household of your master and the women of your master into your lap. I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah; if that had been too little, I would have added to you _⌊much more_⌋.* ⁹ Why have you despised the word of Yahweh by doing evil in his eyes?* Uriah the Hittite you have struck down with the sword, and his wife you have taken to yourself as wife! You have killed him with the sword of the _⌊Ammonites_⌋!* ¹⁰ So then, a sword will not turn away from your house forever, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife!' ¹¹ Thus says Yahweh, 'Look, I am going to raise up evil against you from within your house, and I will take your women before your eyes, and I will give them to your neighbor, and he shall sleep with your wives _⌊in broad daylight_⌋.* ¹² Though you did this in secret, I will do this thing before all of Israel _⌊in broad daylight_⌋!'"* ¹³ Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against Yahweh!"* Nathan said to David, "Yahweh has also forgiven your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴ But because you have _⌊utterly scorned_⌋* Yahweh in this matter, the son born for you _⌊will certainly die_⌋."* ¹⁵ Then Nathan went to his house, and Yahweh struck the child that the wife of Uriah bore for David, and he became ill.

⁹ Then Joab said to Amasa, "Is it peace, O you my brother?" Then the right hand of Joab took hold of the beard of Amasa as if to kiss him. ¹⁰ Now Amasa was not on his guard against the sword that was in Joab's hand, and he struck him with it into the stomach, and his entrails poured out to the ground. He did not strike him again, and he died. Then Joab and Abishai his brother pursued after Sheba the son of Bicri.

¹⁷ "Look, happy is the human being whom God reproves; and you must not despise the discipline of Shaddai, ¹⁸ for he himself* wounds, but* he binds up; he strikes, but* his hands heal.

⁵ Let a righteous one strike me in kindness, and let him chasten me. It is oil for my head;* let not my head refuse. For still my prayer is against their evil deeds.

¹⁸ He who conceals hatred has lips of deceit, and he who utters slander—he is a fool.

²³ Like _⌊impure silver_⌋* which overlays an earthen vessel, so are smooth lips and an evil heart*. ²⁴ On his lips, an enemy will pretend, but _⌊inside_⌋* he will harbor deceit. ²⁵ When he makes his voice gracious, do not believe him, for seven abominations are in his heart. ²⁶ Though hatred is covered with guile, its evil will be exposed in the assembly.

⁴⁸ Now the one who was betraying him had given them a sign, saying, "The one whom I kiss—he is the one.* Arrest him!" ⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus immediately and* said, "Greetings, Rabbi," and kissed him. ⁵⁰ And Jesus said to him, "Friend, do that* for which you have come."* Then they came up and* laid hands on Jesus and arrested him.

¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a few days according to what seemed appropriate to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we can have a share in his holiness.

¹⁹ As many as I love, I reprove and discipline. Be zealous, therefore, and repent!

⁴ The riff-raff that were in their midst _⌊had a strong desire_⌋;* and the _⌊Israelites_⌋* turned back and also wept, and they said, "Who will feed us meat? ⁵ We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt for nothing, the cucumber, melon, leek, the onions, and the garlic. ⁶ But now _⌊our strength is dried up_⌋;* there is nothing whatsoever except _⌊for the manna before us_⌋."* ⁷ Now the manna was like coriander seed, and its outward appearance was like that of bdellium-gum. ⁸ The people went about and gathered it, and they ground it with mills or crushed it with mortar. Then they boiled it in a pot and made it into bread-cakes; and it tasted like olive oil cakes. ⁹ When the dew came down on the camp at night, the manna came down with it.

¹⁸ And you will say to the people, 'Sanctify yourselves tomorrow, for you will eat meat because you have wept in the ears of Yahweh, saying, "Who will feed us good meat? It was good for us in Egypt." Yahweh will give to you meat, and you will eat. ¹⁹ You will eat, not one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, ²⁰ _⌊but for a whole month_⌋,* until it comes out from your nose and becomes as nausea to you; because you have rejected Yahweh, who is in your midst, and you wept before _⌊his presence_⌋,* saying, "Why did we ever leave Egypt?" '"

⁵ The people spoke against God and against Moses, "Why have you brought us from Egypt to die in the desert? There is no food and no water, and our hearts detest this miserable food."

⁷ _⌊I refused_⌋* to touch them; they are like _⌊food that will make me ill_⌋.*

¹⁶ And he was longing to fill his stomach with* the carob pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving anything* to him. ¹⁷ "But when he* came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have an abundance _⌊of food_⌋,* and I am dying here from hunger!

⁹ "Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?"

¹⁶ And Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh, and he settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

⁶ And Abram said to Sarai, "Look, your servant is _⌊under your authority_⌋.* Do to her that which is good in your eyes." And Sarai mistreated her, and she* fled from her presence. ⁷ And the angel of Yahweh found her at a spring of water in the wilderness, at the spring by the road of Shur. ⁸ And he said to Hagar, the servant of Sarai, "_⌊From where_⌋* have you come, and where are you going?" And she said, "I am fleeing from the presence of Sarai my mistress."

⁵ Then Gad the prophet said to David, "You should not stay in the stronghold; leave and go into the land of Judah." So David left and came to the forest of Hereth.

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." ² So David got up and crossed over, he and the six hundred men who were with him, to Achish the son of Maoch, the king of Gath. ³ David settled with Achish in Gath, he and his men, each with his household.* David took along his two wives Ahinoam _⌊from Jezreel_⌋* and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. ⁴ And it was reported to Saul that David had fled to Gath, so _⌊he no longer searched for him_⌋.* ⁵ Then David said to Achish, "Please, if I have found favor in your eyes, then let them give me a place in one of the _⌊country towns_⌋* that I can live there. Why should your servant live in _⌊the royal city_⌋* with you?" ⁶ So Achish gave him Ziklag on that day. (Therefore, Ziklag has belonged to the kings of Judah until this day.) ⁷ The number of days that David lived in the countryside of the Philistines was one year and four months. ⁸ Now David and his men went up and raided the Geshurites and the Girzites and the Amalekites, for they had been living in the land for a long time _⌊in the direction of_⌋* Shur and _⌊as far as_⌋* the land of Egypt. ⁹ So David struck the land and did not leave a man or a woman alive; he took the sheep,* the cattle, the donkeys, the camels, and the clothing. Then he returned and came to Achish. ¹⁰ And Achish said, "Against whom have you raided today?" David said, "Against the Negev of Judah and against the Negev of the Jerahmeelites and against the Negev of the Kenites." ¹¹ And David did not leave alive a man or a woman to bring them back to Gath, thinking,* "So that they will not report about us, saying, 'David did thus and so.'" Thus was his practice all the days that he lived in the countryside of the Philistines. ¹² And Achish trusted David, saying, "_⌊He has made himself utterly hated_⌋* among his people in Israel, and he will be my servant forever."

⁹ He came to the cave there and spent the night there. Suddenly the word of Yahweh came to him and asked him, "_⌊Elijah, what are you doing here_⌋?"*

¹¹ But I said, "Should a man like me run away? And would a man like me go into the temple so that he can save his life? I will not go in!" ¹² Then I look and realized God had not sent him; rather, he had spoken the prophecy against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him. ¹³ For this reason he was hired: to frighten me so that I would act and sin, so that they would have a bad report so they could taunt me.

¹⁴ Indeed, it leaves its eggs to the earth, and it lets them be warmed on the ground, ¹⁵ and it forgets that a foot might crush an egg,* and _⌊a wild animal_⌋* might trample it.* ¹⁶ It deals cruelly with its young ones, as if they were not its own, as if without fear that its labor were in vain,

¹⁶ Whoever wanders from the way of understanding, in the assembly of the dead* he will rest.

² Like the sparrow is to fluttering and like the swallow is to flying, so an undeserved curse does not go forth.

² And this shall be:
like a bird fleeing from a thrust away nest shall be the daughters of Moab at the fords of Arnon.

³ But Jonah set out to flee toward Tarshish from _⌊the presence of_⌋* Yahweh. And he went down to Joppa and found a merchant ship going to Tarshish, and paid her fare, and went on board her to go with them toward Tarshish from _⌊the presence of_⌋* Yahweh.

¹⁰ Then the men _⌊were greatly afraid_⌋,* and they said to him, "What is this you have done?" because they* knew that he was fleeing _⌊from the presence of_⌋* Yahweh (because he had told them). ¹¹ So they said to him, "What shall we do to you so that the sea may quiet down for us?" because the sea _⌊was growing more and more tempestuous_⌋.* ¹² And he said to them, "Pick me up and hurl me into the sea so that the sea may quiet down for you, because I know that on account of me this great storm has come upon you all." ¹³ But the men rowed hard to bring the ship* back to the dry land, and they could not do so because the sea _⌊was growing more and more tempestuous_⌋* against them. ¹⁴ So they cried out to Yahweh, and they said, "O Yahweh! Please do not let us perish because of this man's life, and _⌊do not make us guilty of innocent blood_⌋,* because you, O Yahweh, did what you wanted." ¹⁵ And they picked Jonah up and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging. ¹⁶ So the men feared Yahweh _⌊greatly_⌋,* and they offered a sacrifice to Yahweh and _⌊made_⌋* vows. ¹⁷ * And Yahweh provided a large fish to swallow up Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

²⁰ Each one in the calling in which he was called—in this he should remain.

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.

¹⁷ And the father-in-law of Moses said to him, "The thing that you are doing is not good. ¹⁸ Surely you will wear out, both you and this people who are with you, because the thing is too _⌊difficult_⌋* for you. You are not able to do it alone. ¹⁹ Now listen to my voice; I will advise you, and may God be with you. You be for the people before God, and you bring the issues to God. ²⁰ And you warn them of the rules and the instructions, and you make known to them the way in which they must walk and the work that they must do. ²¹ And you will select from all the people men of ability, fearers of God, trustworthy men, haters of dishonest gain,* and you will appoint such men over them as commanders of thousands, commanders of hundreds, commanders of fifties, and commanders of tens. ²² And let them judge the people all the time, _⌊and_⌋* every major issue they will bring to you, and every minor issue they will judge themselves. And so lighten it for yourself, and they will bear it with you. ²³ If you will do this thing and God will command you, then you will be able to endure, and also each of the people will go to his home* in peace." ²⁴ And Moses listened to the voice of his father-in-law, and he did all that he had said.

⁹ And the olive tree replied, 'Should I stop producing my oil, which by me gods and men are honored, to go sway over the trees?'

¹⁶ So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and _⌊encouraged him_⌋* through God. ¹⁷ He said to him, "Do not be afraid, for the hand of my father Saul will not find you. You will be king over Israel, and _⌊I will be second to you_⌋.* My father Saul knows this also."

² Shecaniah son of Jehiel, of the sons of Elam, answered and said to Ezra, "We ourselves have broken faith with our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land, and even now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. ³ So now let us make a covenant with our God to send away all of these women and their offspring, according to the advice of my lord and those who tremble at the commandment of our God. Let it be done according to the law. ⁴ Arise, for it is your task and we are with you. Be strong and do it."

⁵ You prepare before me a table in the presence of my oppressors. You anoint my head with oil; my cup is overflowing.

⁷ You love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you from among your companions with festive oil. ⁸ All your robes are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From palaces of ivory stringed instruments gladden you.

¹⁵ and wine that makes glad the heart of man, so that their faces shine from oil, and bread that strengthens the heart of man.

² It is like the fragrant oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, the beard of Aaron, that runs down upon the edges of his robes.

¹⁷ I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon.

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

²¹ The wise of heart* is called perceptive, but he who is pleasant of lips will increase persuasiveness.

²³ The heart* of the wise will make his mouth judicious, and upon his lips, it* will add persuasiveness. ²⁴ Pleasant sayings are a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and healing to the bones.

³ As fragrance, _⌊your perfumes_⌋* are _⌊delightful_⌋;* your name is poured out _⌊perfume_⌋;* therefore young women love you.

⁶ What is this coming up from the desert like a column of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense from all the fragrant powders of the merchant?

¹⁰ How beautiful is your love, my sister bride! How better is your love than wine, and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!

³ Then Mary took a pound* of ointment of very valuable genuine nard and* anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the ointment.

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

¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶ to those on the one hand an odor from death to death, and to those on the other hand a fragrance from life to life. And who is qualified for these things?

²⁴ Now, Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; he had not taken care of his feet nor trimmed his moustache nor washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he came back in peace.

²⁸ For there was no one in all the house of my father _⌊who were not doomed to death_⌋* before my lord the king, but you set your servant among those who eat at your table. Do I have any righteousness any longer except to cry out to the king?"

⁷ But the king spared Mephibosheth the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, because of the sworn oath of Yahweh which was between them, between David and Jonathan the son of Saul.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam consulted with the old men who had been _⌊serving_⌋* before Solomon his father when he was alive, saying, "How are you advising me _⌊to answer this people_⌋?"* ⁷ They said to him, "If you will be a servant today to this people, then you will serve them; and if you answer them and speak good words to them, they will always be your servants." ⁸ But he rejected the advice of the old men, which they gave him, and he consulted with the youngsters who had grown up with him, who were _⌊serving_⌋* before him.

⁶ Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the elders who had been _⌊serving_⌋* before Solomon his father when he was alive, saying, "What word do you advise to answer this people?" ⁷ And they said to him, "If you will be good to this people and please them, then speak good words to them. Then they will be your servants _⌊forever_⌋."* ⁸ But he forsook the advice of the elders that advised him and took counsel of the young men who had grown up with him who were _⌊serving_⌋* before him.

²² So King Joash did not remember the loyal love that Jehoiada had shown to him, and he killed his son. And as he was dying he said, "May Yahweh see and avenge!"

²¹ "For now you* have become _⌊such_⌋;* you see terrors, and you fear. ²² Is it because I have said, 'Give to me,' or,* 'Offer a bribe for me from your wealth'? ²³ or,* 'Save me from the foe's hand,' or,* 'Ransom me from the tyrants' hand'?

¹⁷ The friend loves at all times*, but a brother is born for adversity.

²⁴ A man of many friends will come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

⁷ All the brothers of the poor, if they hate him, how much more will his friends keep away from him. He pursues them with words, and they are gone.*

⁸ But* you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you, the _⌊offspring_⌋* of Abraham my _⌊friend_⌋,* ⁹ you whom I grasped from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and told, "You are my servant; I have chosen you and I have not rejected you." ¹⁰ You must not fear, for I am with you; you must not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, indeed I will help you, indeed I will take hold of you with the right hand of my salvation.

⁵ Thus says Yahweh:
"What injustice did your ancestors* find in me that they were far from me, and they went after the vanity, and they became vain?

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. ¹³ You should not have entered the gate of my people on the day of their disaster. You also should not have gloated over his misery on the day of his disaster, and you should not have stretched out your hands on the day of his disaster. ¹⁴ And you should not have stood at the crossroads to cut off his fugitives and you should not have handed over his survivors on the day of distress.

³⁰ And* Jesus replied and* said, "A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell into the hands of robbers, who both stripped him and beat him.* After* inflicting blows on him,* they went away, leaving him* half dead. 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. ³³ But a certain Samaritan who was traveling came up to him and, when he* saw him,* had compassion. ³⁴ And he came up and* bandaged his wounds, pouring on olive oil and wine, and he put him on his own animal and* brought him to an inn and took care of him. ³⁵ And on the next day, he took out two denarii and* gave them** to the innkeeper, and said, "Take care of him, and whatever you spend in addition, I will repay to you when I return. ³⁶ Which of these three do you suppose became a neighbor of the man who fell among the robbers?" ³⁷ So he said, "The one who showed mercy to him." And Jesus said to him, "You go and do likewise."

¹² And when it* was day, the Jews made a conspiracy and* bound themselves under a curse, saying they would* neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul.

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.

⁴² Then I will have an answer for the one who taunts me, for I trust your word.

⁴ Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children* of one's youth. ⁵ Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them.* They shall not be put to shame when they speak with enemies at the gate.

¹ The proverbs of Solomon: A wise child makes a father glad, but a foolish child grieves his mother.

²⁰ A child of wisdom will make a father glad, but a _⌊foolish person_⌋,* he despises his mother.

¹⁵ My child, if your heart* is wise, my heart will be glad—even me! ¹⁶ And my _⌊insides_⌋* will rejoice when your lips speak what is upright.

²⁴ The father of the righteous will surely rejoice; he who bears a wise person will be happy with him. ²⁵ May your father and your mother be glad, and may she who bore you rejoice.

³ A man who loves wisdom will make his parents glad, but the friend of prostitutes* will squander his wealth.

¹⁸ So I hated all my toil with which I have toiled under the sun, for I must leave it behind to someone who will be after me. ¹⁹ And who knows whether he will be wise or foolish? Yet he will exercise control of all the fruit of my toil with which I toiled wisely under the sun. This also is vanity! ²⁰ So _⌊I began to despair_⌋* of all the toil with which I toiled under the sun. ²¹ For although a person may toil with great wisdom and skill, he must leave his reward to someone who has not toiled for it. This also is vanity and a great calamity.

⁷ For I have great joy and encouragement from your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you, brother.

¹⁹ I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will pay it back, lest I mention to you that _⌊you owe me even your very self besides_⌋*. ²⁰ Yes, brother, I ought to have some benefit of you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ.

⁴ _⌊I was very glad_⌋* because I found some of your children walking in the truth, just as _⌊the Father commanded us_⌋*.

²⁰ Anyone from the servants of Pharaoh who feared the word of Yahweh caused his servants and livestock to flee to the houses. ²¹ But whoever did not _⌊give regard to_⌋* the word of Yahweh abandoned his servants and his livestock in the field.

¹ For the music director, according to Do Not Destroy. Of David. A miktam. When he fled from Saul into the cave.*
Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, because in you my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. ² I will call to God Most High, to God who accomplishes things concerning me. ³ He will send from heaven and save me; he will reproach the one who tramples me. Selah God will send his loyal love and his faithfulness.

¹⁰ A tower of strength is the name of Yahweh; into him* the righteous will run and be safe.

³ The clever sees danger and hides, but the simple go on and suffer.

²⁰ Go, my people, enter into your chambers and shut your doors* behind you; hide for _⌊a very little_⌋* while, until the wrath has passed over. ²¹ For look! Yahweh is about to come out from his place to punish the iniquity of the inhabitants* of the earth against him, and the earth will disclose her blood and will no longer cover her slain.

⁷ But when he* saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "Offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

¹⁸ in order that through two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge may have powerful encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us,

⁷ By faith Noah, having been warned about things not yet seen, out of reverence constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family, by which he pronounced sentence on the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁷ But by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people.

¹⁰ But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will disappear with a rushing noise, and the celestial bodies will be destroyed by* being burned up, and the earth and the deeds done on it will be disclosed. ¹¹ Because* all these things are being destroyed in this way, what sort of people must you be in holy behavior and godliness, ¹² while* waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by* being burned up and the celestial bodies will melt as they* are consumed by heat! ¹³ But according to his promise, we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness resides. ¹⁴ Therefore, dear friends, because you* are waiting for these things, make every effort to be found at peace, spotless and unblemished in him.

²⁶ If indeed you require the cloak of your neighbor as a pledge, you will return it to him at sundown,

¹ My child, if you have pledged to your neighbor, if you have bound _⌊yourself_⌋* to the stranger, ² if you are snared by the sayings of your mouth, if you are caught by the sayings of your mouth, ³ do this, then, my child, and save yourself, for you have come into _⌊the palm of your neighbor's hand_⌋:* Go, humble yourself, plead with your neighbor. ⁴ Do not give sleep to your eyes, or slumber to your eyelids.

¹⁶ Take his garment, for he has given security to a stranger, and on behalf of a foreigner—take it as pledge.

²⁶ Do not be with those who _⌊give a pledge_⌋* _⌊by becoming_⌋* surety. ²⁷ If there is nothing for you to pay,* why will he take your bed from under you?

² Absalom used to rise early in the morning, and he stood _⌊beside_⌋* the road at the gate; _⌊anyone_⌋* who had a legal dispute to bring to the king for judgment Absalom would call to him and say, "_⌊Where are you from?_⌋"* And he would say, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel." ³ Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your case is good and right, but for you there is no hearing with the king." ⁴ Then Absalom would say, "_⌊Oh, that someone would_⌋* appoint me as judge in the land, that _⌊anyone_⌋* might come to me who had a legal dispute or a case, and I would give him justice." ⁵ It happened whenever anyone drew near to do obeisance to him, that he would stretch his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. ⁶ Absalom did like this to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts* of the people of Israel. ⁷ It happened at the end of four* years that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to Yahweh in Hebron,

¹⁶ When Hushai the Arkite the friend of David came to Absalom, Hushai said to Absalom, "Long live the king, long live the king!" ¹⁷ Absalom said to Hushai, "This is your loyal love with your friend? Why did you not go with your friend?" ¹⁸ Then Hushai said to Absalom, "No, rather, whom Yahweh and this people and all the men of Israel have chosen, to him* I will be, and with him I will remain. ¹⁹ _⌊Furthermore_⌋,* for whom have I served? Is it not in the presence of his son that I have served before your father? _⌊So shall I serve you_⌋!"*

⁷ Then Hushai said to Absalom, "The counsel that Ahithophel gave is not good _⌊at this time_⌋."* ⁸ Hushai continued, "You know your father and his men, that they are mighty warriors and they _⌊are enraged_⌋* as a bear robbed of her offspring in the field. Your father is a man of war, so he will not spend the night with the troops. ⁹ Now he has hidden himself in one of the caves or in one of the places. At the moment he falls on them* the first time, _⌊whoever hears_⌋* the report will say, 'There has been a defeat among the people who follow after Absalom.' ¹⁰ And he is also a _⌊valiant warrior_⌋,* whose heart is like the heart of the lion. He* will _⌊certainly melt_⌋* with fear, for all Israel knows that your father is a mighty warrior and those who are with him are _⌊valiant warriors_⌋.* ¹¹ I give the advice that all of Israel from Dan to Beersheba should be completely gathered to you, as the sand which is on the seashore for abundance, with _⌊you personally_⌋* going into the battle. ¹² Then we will come to him in one of the places where he may be found, and we shall come upon him as the dew falls on the ground. He and all the men who are with him will not survive, not even one! ¹³ Even if he withdraws to a city, all Israel will bring up ropes to that city, and they will drag him away to the valley until there is not even a pebble to be found."

⁶ Then the king of Israel assembled the prophets, about four hundred men, and he said to them, "Shall I go against Ramoth-Gilead for the battle, or should I refrain?" Then they said, "Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king."

¹³ Then the messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Please now, the words of the prophet are _⌊unanimously_⌋* favorable to the king. Please let your words be as one word with them, and speak favorably."

² "Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. ³ _⌊Within two years_⌋* I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the house of Yahweh which Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon took away from this place and brought to Babylon. ⁴ And Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, and all the exiles* from Judah who went to Babylon, I will bring back to this place,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'For I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon.'"

²² But the people began to call out loudly,* "The voice of a god and not of a man!" 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.

¹⁹ Water wears away stones; its torrents wash away the soil of the earth; so* you destroy the hope of human beings.

¹³ A foolish child is a ruin to his father, and the quarreling of a woman* is a continuous dripping.

⁹ Better to dwell on the corner of a roof than to share a house with a woman* of contention.

¹⁹ Better to live in a land of wilderness than with a wife of quarrels and provocation.

²⁴ Better to live upon the corner of a roof than with a woman* of contention and in a shared house.

¹⁸ Whoever _⌊rebels against your orders_⌋* and does not obey your words according to what you commanded us will be put to death. Only be strong and courageous."

²⁴ They said to Joshua, "Surely Yahweh has given all the land into our hand; also, all the inhabitants of the land melt away in fear because of our presence."

⁹ They said to the messengers who had come, "Thus you will say to the men of Jabesh Gilead: 'Tomorrow deliverance for you will come _⌊when the sun is hot_⌋.'"* When the messengers went and told the men of Jabesh, they rejoiced. ¹⁰ The men of Jabesh said, "Tomorrow we will come out to you and you may do to us _⌊whatever seems good to you_⌋."*

²⁰ So all Israel went down to the Philistines, each to have his plowshare, his mattock, his axe, and his iron plowshare* sharpened. ²¹ The charge* was _⌊two-thirds of a shekel_⌋* for the plowshare and for the mattock, and _⌊a third of a shekel for the pick_⌋* and for the axe, and to set the goading sticks.

¹⁶ So Jonathan the son of Saul got up and went to David at Horesh, and _⌊encouraged him_⌋* through God.

¹¹ Then he said, "If Aram is stronger than I am, you must become my deliverer; but if the _⌊Ammonites_⌋* are too strong for you, then I will come to rescue you. ¹² Be strong, and let us strengthen ourselves for the sake of the people and for the sake of the cities of our God. May Yahweh do what is good in his eyes.

³ Look, you have instructed many, and you have strengthened weak hands. ⁴ Your words have raised up the one who stumbles, and you have strengthened knees giving way.

⁹ Perfume and incense will gladden a heart, and the pleasantness of one's friend is _⌊personal advice_⌋.*

³ Strengthen the weak hands and make the staggering knees firm. ⁴ Say to those who are hasty of heart,
"Be strong; you must not fear! Look! your God will come with vengeance, with _⌊divine retribution_⌋.* He _⌊is the one who_⌋* will come and save you."

³ so that no one would be shaken by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are appointed for this,

⁸ Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor me his prisoner, but suffer along with me for the gospel, according to the power of God,

¹² for which reason also I suffer these things. But I am not ashamed, because I know in whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted until that day.

³ Suffer together with me as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.

⁹ in connection with which I suffer misfortune to the point of _⌊imprisonment_⌋* as a criminal, but the word of God is not bound. ¹⁰ Because of this, I endure all things for the sake of the chosen, in order that they also may obtain salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. ¹¹ The saying is trustworthy:
For if we died with him, we will also live with him; ¹² if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us; ¹³ if we are unfaithful, he remains faithful—_⌊he cannot deny himself_⌋*.*

²⁴ And let us think about _⌊how to stir one another up to love_⌋* and good works,

² Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials,

¹² Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, when it* takes place to test you, as if something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But to the degree that you share in the sufferings of Christ, rejoice, so that also at the revelation of his glory you may rejoice and be glad.

² And Abraham said to his servant, the oldest of his house, who had charge of all he had, "Please put your hand under my thigh ³ that I may make you swear by Yahweh, the God of heaven and the God of earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites in whose midst I am dwelling,

² And Yahweh was with Joseph, and he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. ³ And his master observed that Yahweh was with him, and everything that was in his hand to do Yahweh made successful. ⁴ And Joseph found favor in his eyes and he served him. Then he appointed him* over his house and all that he owned he put into his hand. ⁵ And it happened that from the time he appointed him over his house and over all that he had, Yahweh blessed the house of the Egyptian on account of Joseph. And the blessing of Yahweh was upon all that he had in the house and in the field.

²² And the chief of the prison put all the prisoners that were in the prison into the hand of Joseph. And everything that was done there, he was the one who did it. ²³ The chief of the prison _⌊did not worry about_⌋* anything in his* hand, since Yahweh was with him. And whatever he did Yahweh made it successful.

¹³ And Moses got up, and Joshua, his assistant, and Moses went up to the mountain of God.

³⁰ Therefore,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh the God of Israel, 'though I solemnly said that your house and the house of your ancestor* would walk before me forever, but now,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me, I will treat with contempt!

¹¹ Then Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there no prophet of Yahweh here that we might inquire guidance from Yahweh?" One of the servants of the king of Israel answered and said, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who poured water on the hands of Elijah."*

² When the Arameans went on a raid, they brought back a young girl from the land of Israel, and _⌊she came into the service of_⌋* the wife of Naaman. ³ She said to her mistress, "If only my lord would come before the prophet who is in Samaria; then _⌊he would cure his skin disease_⌋."*

²⁵ When he went and stood by his master, Elisha asked him, "From where have you come, Gehazi?" And he said, "Your servant has not gone _⌊anywhere_⌋."*

²⁷ The skin disease of Naaman shall cling to you and to your offspring forever." Then he went out from before him having a skin disease like the snow.

² Behold, as the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master,* as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to Yahweh our God, until he is gracious to us.

² A slave who deals wisely will rule over a child who acts shamefully, and in the midst of brothers he will share his inheritance.

²⁹ A man who is skillful in his work, you shall see: before kings, he will serve; he will not serve before the commoners.

¹² _⌊My own "vineyard" belongs to me_⌋;* the "thousand" are for you, O Solomon, _⌊and "two hundred" for those who tend its fruit_⌋.*

²⁵ Behold, I have told you ahead of time!

⁴⁶ Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he* comes back.

²¹ His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge over many things. Enter into the joy of your master!' ²² And the one who had the two talents also came up and* said, 'Master, you handed over to me two talents. See, I have gained two talents more!'

⁴³ But it is not like this among you! But whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,

³⁷ Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he returns! Truly I say to you that he will dress himself for service and have them recline at the table and will come by and* serve them.

⁴³ Blessed is that slave whom his master will find so doing when he* comes back. ⁴⁴ Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.

¹⁷ And he said to him, 'Well done, good slave! Because you have been faithful in a very small thing, _⌊have authority_⌋* over ten cities.'

²⁶ If anyone serves me, he must follow me, and where I am, there my servant will be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

⁷ And when the angel who spoke to him departed, he summoned two of the household slaves and a devout soldier from those who attended him,

⁸ Now the one who plants and the one who waters are one, but each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor.

⁷ Who ever serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard and does not eat the fruit of it? Who* shepherds a flock and does not drink* from the milk of the flock?

¹³ Do you not know that those performing the holy services eat the things from the temple, and those attending to the altar have a share with the altar?

²² Slaves, obey your _⌊human_⌋* masters in everything, not _⌊while being watched_⌋*, as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord.

⁶ The farmer who works hard must be the first to receive a share of the crops.

¹⁸ Domestic slaves, be subject to your* masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unjust.

²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps,

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.

¹⁵ he who fashions altogether their heart, he who understands all their works.

²¹ For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,

²² But be doers of the message and not hearers only,* deceiving yourselves, ²³ because if anyone is a hearer of the message and not a doer, this one is like someone* staring at _⌊his own face_⌋* in a mirror, ²⁴ for he looks at himself and goes away and immediately forgets what sort of person he was. 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_⌋*.

⁶ Sheol is naked before him, and there is no covering for Abaddon.

¹¹ Sheol* and Abaddon* are before Yahweh, _⌊how much more_⌋* the hearts of the children of men!

⁵ Your eyes will _⌊alight_⌋* on it, but there is nothing to it, for suddenly it will make for itself wings like an eagle and it will be exhausted in the heavens.

¹⁵ For the leech, there are two daughters; "Give, give!" they cry. As for three of these, they are not satisfied; as for four, they do not say enough. ¹⁶ Sheol* and barrenness of womb, the land is not satisfied with water, and fire does not say "enough!"

⁸ All things toil continuously;* no one can ever finish describing this.* The eye is never* satisfied with seeing, and the ear is never* filled with hearing.

¹⁰ I neither withheld anything from my eyes that they desired, nor did I deprive any pleasure from my heart. My heart rejoiced in all my toil, for this was my reward from all my toil. ¹¹ Yet when I considered* all the effort which I expended and the toil with which I toiled to do, then behold, "Everything is vanity and chasing wind! There is nothing profitable 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!

¹⁰ Whoever loves money is not satisfied with money, and whoever loves wealth is not satisfied with profit. This also is vanity! ¹¹ When prosperity increases, those who consume it increase. _⌊So its owner gains nothing, except to see his wealth before it is spent_⌋.*

⁷ All of a man's toil is for his mouth— yet his appetite is never satisfied.

¹⁷ "But there is nothing in your eyes and your heart _⌊except_⌋* your unlawful gain, and on shedding the blood of the innocent, and on committing oppression and extortion."

⁵ _⌊How much less_⌋* the defiant;* the arrogant, treacherous man? He who broadens his throat like Sheol, and who, like death, is not satisfied, and who gathers to himself all the nations, and harvested for himself all the peoples, will not succeed.

¹⁶ because everything that is in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the arrogance of material possessions—is not from the Father, but is from the world.

⁷ And the women sang as they danced, and they said,
"Saul has struck down his thousands, but David his ten thousands!" ⁸ _⌊Saul became very angry_⌋,* and _⌊this saying displeased him_⌋,* and he thought, "They have attributed to David ten thousands, but to me they have attributed thousands! _⌊What more can he have but the kingdom_⌋?"*

¹⁵ but when Saul saw that he was very successful, _⌊he was severely threatened by him_⌋.* ¹⁶ However, all of Israel and Judah were loving David, for he was going forth and marching ahead of them.

³⁰ Then the commanders of the Philistines went out for battle, and as often as they went out, David succeeded more than all the servants of Saul, and his name became very esteemed.

²⁵ As far as Absalom, there was not a more handsome man in all of Israel to admire so much; from the sole of his foot up to his crown, there was no physical defect on him.

⁶ Absalom did like this to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole the hearts* of the people of Israel. ⁷ It happened at the end of four* years that Absalom said to the king, "Please let me go and pay my vow which I have made to Yahweh in Hebron, ⁸ for your servant made a vow while I was staying in Geshur in Aram, saying, '_⌊If Yahweh will indeed let me return_⌋* to Jerusalem, then I will worship Yahweh.'" ⁹ Then the king said to him, "Go in peace." So he got up and went to Hebron. ¹⁰ Then Absalom sent scouts throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, "When you hear the sound of the trumpet, you shall shout 'Absalom has become king in Hebron!'" ¹¹ Two hundred men from Jerusalem went with Absalom as invited guests, going in their innocence as they did not know anything. ¹² Absalom sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, the advisor of David, from his city Giloh, while he offered the sacrifices. The conspiracy _⌊grew in strength_⌋,* and the people were going and _⌊increasing_⌋* with Absalom.

⁶ The words of Yahweh are pure words like silver refined in the crucible on the ground, refined seven times.

¹⁰ For you have tested us, O God; you have tried us as silver is tried.

³ A crucible is for the silver, and a furnace is for the gold, but Yahweh will test hearts.

⁹ And I will bring the remaining third into the fire, and I will refine them like one refines silver, and I will test them like one tests gold. They* will call my name, and I will answer them.* I will say, 'They* are my people,' and they* will say, 'Yahweh is my God.'"

³ He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the children of Levi, and he will refine them like gold and like silver, and they will present to Yahweh offerings* in righteousness.

⁷ so that the genuineness of your faith, more valuable than gold that is passing away, but is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

¹² Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, when it* takes place to test you, as if something strange were happening to you.

³⁰ And Pharaoh got up at night, he and all his servants and all Egypt, and a great cry of distress was in Egypt because there was not a house where there was no one dead.

⁵ And it was told to the king of Egypt that the people fled, and the heart of Pharaoh was changed and that of his servants toward the people, and they said, "What is this we have done, that we have released Israel from serving us!"

⁹ The enemy said, 'I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide plunder, my desire will be full of them, I will draw my sword, my hand will destroy them.'

²² And in the time of his distress, King Ahaz continued to act unfaithfully against Yahweh. ²³ He sacrificed to the gods of Damascus that had defeated him and said, "Because the gods of the king of Aram* helped them, I will sacrifice to them so that they will help me." But they were _⌊a disaster_⌋* to him and to all Israel.

³⁵ "They struck me; I was not hurt. They beat me; I did not know it. When I will awake, I will continue; I will seek it again."

⁵ Why do you want to be beaten again? You continue in rebellion. The whole of the head is sick, and the whole of the heart is faint.

³ O Yahweh, do not your eyes look for honesty? You have struck them, but they felt no pain, you have destroyed them, they refused to take discipline. They have hardened their faces more than rock, they have refused to turn back.

¹⁵ Then all the men who knew that their wives were making smoke offerings to other gods, and all the women who stood by, a great assembly, and all the people who lived in the land of Egypt in Pathros, answered Jeremiah, _⌊saying_⌋,* ¹⁶ "Concerning the word that you have spoken to us in the name of Yahweh, we are not going to listen to you!

¹⁰ And the fifth poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom became darkened, and they began chewing their tongues because of the pain. ¹¹ And they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and because of their sores, and they did not repent of their deeds.

³⁸ These twenty years I was with you; your ewes and your female goats did not miscarry, and the rams of your flocks I did not eat. ³⁹ I brought no mangled carcass to you—I bore its loss. From my hand you sought it, whether stolen by day or stolen by night. ⁴⁰ There I was, during the day the heat consumed me, and the cold by night, and my sleep fled from my eyes.

¹³ But he said to him, "My lord knows that the children are frail, and the flocks and the cattle which are nursing are a concern to me. Now if they drove them hard for a day all the flocks would die.

²³ And Pharaoh turned and went to his house, and _⌊he did not take also this to heart_⌋.*

⁴⁶ then he said to them, "_⌊Take to heart all the words_⌋* that I am admonishing against you _⌊today_⌋* concerning which you should instruct them with respect to your children* _⌊so that they will observe diligently_⌋* all the words of this law,

²⁸ His oldest brother Eliab heard while he was speaking to the men, _⌊and Eliab became very angry against David_⌋* and said, "Why have you come down today, and with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your presumptuousness and the evil of your heart! For you have come down in order to see the battle!"

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.

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.

³² Then I myself saw and my heart* considered; I looked, and I took hold of instruction:

²² And so I will save my flock, and _⌊they will no longer be_⌋* for plunder, and I will judge between _⌊one sheep and another_⌋.* ²³ And I will set up over them one shepherd, and he will feed them; that is, my servant David. He will feed them, and he will be for them as* a shepherd. ²⁴ And I, Yahweh, I will be for them _⌊as God_⌋,* and my servant David will be a leader in the midst of them. I, Yahweh, I have spoken.

³¹ "and you are my flock, the flock of my pasture. You are _⌊my people_⌋;* I am your God," _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.'"

³ For this one the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.

¹⁵ Now when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs!" ¹⁶ He said to him again a second time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." He said to him, "Shepherd my sheep!" ¹⁷ He said to him a third time, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Peter was distressed because he said to him a third time, "Do you love me?" and he said to him, "Lord, you know everything! You know that I love you!" Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep!

² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not by compulsion but willingly, in accordance with God, and not greedily but eagerly,

¹⁶ Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before you; your throne shall be established forever." '"

³⁶ His offspring will endure* forever, and his throne as the sun before me.

⁷ _⌊His dominion will grow continually, and to peace there will be no end_⌋* on* the throne of David and over* his kingdom, to establish it* and sustain it with justice and righteousness now and forever. The zeal of Yahweh of hosts will do this.

¹⁸ Moreover, their silver and their gold will not be able to save them on the day of the wrath of Yahweh. And in the fire of his zeal, the whole land shall be consumed, for a terrifying end he shall make for all the inhabitants of the land.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment, ¹⁸ to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, sharing freely,

¹⁰ but the rich person in his humiliation, because he will pass away like a flower of the grass.

¹⁴ who causes grass to grow for the cattle and herbs for the service of humankind, to bring forth food from the earth,

⁵ He who gathers in the summer is a child who is prudent; he who sleeps at the harvest is a child who brings shame.

²⁰ if his loins have not blessed me, or* by means of my sheep's fleece he has warmed himself,

⁸ Keep falsehood and a _⌊lying word_⌋* far from me; do not give me poverty or wealth; provide me with food only for my need. ⁹ Or else I will be satisfied and will deny him and say "Who is Yahweh?" Or* I will be poor and will steal and profane the name of my God.

³³ But seek first his kingdom and righteousness,* and all these things will be added to you.