Ezekiel 18 Cross References - NSB

¹ Jehovah’s word continued to come to me: ² »What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge?’ ³ ‘»As I live, declares the Lord Jehovah: ‘You are surely not going to use this proverb in Israel anymore. ⁴ ‘»The life of every person belongs to me. The life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The person who sins will die. ⁵ ‘»If a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, ⁶ and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period; ⁷ ‘»if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. ⁸ ‘»If he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, ⁹ ‘»if he lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully this person is righteous. He will certainly live,’ declares the Lord Jehovah. ¹⁰ ‘»Suppose this person has a son who robs and murders. The son does all these other things ¹¹ that his father never did. He eats at the illegal mountain worship sites. He dishonors his neighbor's wife. ¹² ‘»He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs. He does not return the security for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does disgusting things. ¹³ ‘»He lends money for interest and makes excessive profits. Will this person live? He will not live. He has done all these disgusting things. So he must die, and he will be responsible for his own death. ¹⁴ ‘»Now suppose this son has a son. The son sees all the sins that his father does. He is afraid, so he does not do such things. ¹⁵ ‘»He does not eat at the illegal mountain worship sites or look for help from the idols of the nation of Israel. He does not dishonor his neighbor's wife. ¹⁶ ‘»He does not oppress anyone. He does not keep the security for a loan. He does not rob anyone. He gives food to people who are hungry, and he gives clothes to those who are naked. ¹⁷ ‘»He keeps his hand from the poor and does not take interest or increase, but executes my ordinances, and walks in my statutes. He will not die for his father's iniquity. He will surely live. ¹⁸ ‘»As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity. ¹⁹ ‘»Yet you say: »Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?« When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all my statutes and done them, he shall surely live. ²⁰ ‘»The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself. And the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. ²¹ ‘»If the wicked man turns from all his sins and observes all my statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall live; he shall not die. ²² ‘»All his transgressions he has committed will not be remembered against him. He will live because of his righteousness he has practiced.’ ²³ ‘»Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord Jehovah, that he should turn from his ways and live? ²⁴ ‘»But suppose a righteous person turns away from doing right and he does evil things. He does all the disgusting things that the wicked person did. Will he live? All the right things that he has done will not be remembered because of his unfaithfulness and because of his sin. He will die because of them. ²⁵ ‘»But you say: »Jehovah’s way is unfair.« Listen, nation of Israel, is my way fair? Is it your ways that are unfair? ²⁶ ‘»When a righteous person turns away from doing right and does evil things, he will die. He will die because of the evil things he has done. ²⁷ ‘»When a wicked person turns away from the wicked things that he has done and does what is fair and right, he will live. ²⁸ ‘»He realized what he was doing and turned away from all the rebellious things that he had done. He will certainly live. He will not die. ²⁹ ‘»But the nation of Israel says: Jehovah’s way is unfair. Is my way not fair, nation of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unfair? ³⁰ ‘»That is why I will judge each of you by what you have done, people of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah. Change the way you think and act. (Repent!) Turn away from all the rebellious things that you have done so that you will not fall into sin. ³¹ ‘»Give up all the evil you have been doing. Get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die? ³² ‘»I do not want anyone to die,’ says the Lord Jehovah. ‘Turn away from (repent of) your sins and live.’«

¹¹ The earth was corrupt in God’s sight. It was full of violence. ¹² God saw how corrupt the earth had become. All the people on earth had corrupted their ways.

⁵ »I will require your lifeblood as an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. I will demand an accounting from each man for the life of his fellow man. ⁶ »Whoever sheds the blood of man will have his blood shed by man. For man was made in the image of God.

¹⁹ »I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household; and that they may remain in the righteous and just way of Jehovah. Jehovah will bring to Abraham what he told him.«

²⁵ »Surely you would not do that! Would you slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked? Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?«

⁵ »This is because Abraham did everything I told him to do.«

⁵ »Do not worship them or serve them. I, Jehovah your God, am a God demanding exclusive devotion. (I do not tolerate rivals.) I will not share your affection with any other god. I punish children for their parents’ sins to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me.

¹² »Death is the punishment for murder.

² »If the thief is caught while breaking in and is struck so that he dies, there will be no blood guiltiness on his account.

²¹ »Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner. Remember that you were foreigners in Egypt. ²² »Do not mistreat any widow or orphan. ²³ »If you do, I, Jehovah, will answer them when they cry out to me for help, ²⁴ and I will become angry and kill you in war. Your wives will become widows, and your children will be fatherless. ²⁵ »When you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest. ²⁶ »If you take someone’s cloak as a pledge that he will pay you, you must give it back to him before the sunsets,

⁹ »Do not mistreat a foreigner. You know how it feels to be a foreigner. After all you were foreigners in Egypt.

⁶ Jehovah then passed in front of him and called out: »I, Jehovah, am a God who is full of compassion and pity. I am not easily angered and show great love and faithfulness. ⁷ »I keep my promise for thousands of generations and forgive evil and sin. But I will not fail to punish children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for the sins of their fathers.«

¹⁵ Otherwise you might make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land. They would commit spiritual immorality (fornication) with their gods and sacrifice to their gods. Someone might invite you to eat of his sacrifice.

¹ Jehovah continued: »If you are a witness under oath who refuses to tell what you saw or what you know, you are sinning and will be punished.

¹⁷ »If any of you sin unintentionally by breaking any of Jehovah’s commandments, you are guilty and must pay the penalty.

¹⁷ »Why did you not eat the sin offering in a sacred place? It is very holy! Jehovah gave it to you in order to take away the sin of the community.

²² »The goat will take all their sins away to a deserted place. The man must release the goat in the desert.

⁴ »‘I am Jehovah your God! You must obey my teachings. ⁵ »‘Obey them and you will live. I am Jehovah.

¹⁹ »‘Never have sexual intercourse with a woman while she is unclean during her monthly period. ²⁰ »‘Do not have sexual intercourse with your neighbor's wife and become unclean with her.

²² »‘Do not have sexual intercourse with a man as with a woman. It is disgusting.

²⁶ »‘Live by my standards, and obey my rules. Neither you nor any foreigner should ever do any of these disgusting things.

²⁶ »‘Live by my standards, and obey my rules. Neither you nor any foreigner should ever do any of these disgusting things. ²⁷ »‘The people of the land who were there before you did all these disgusting things. As a result, the land has become unclean. ²⁸ »‘If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out as it has vomited out the people who were there before you. ²⁹ »‘Whoever does any of these disgusting things must be excluded from the people. ³⁰ »‘Therefore you must follow my instructions. Do not live by the standards of the people who lived there before you. What they do is disgusting. Never become unclean that way. I am Jehovah your God!’«

³⁰ »‘Therefore you must follow my instructions. Do not live by the standards of the people who lived there before you. What they do is disgusting. Never become unclean that way. I am Jehovah your God!’«

⁸ »‘Those who eat it will be punished because they have dishonored what is holy to Jehovah. They must be excluded from the people.

¹³ »‘Do not oppress your neighbor and do not rob him. Do not fail to pay your workers at the end of each day.

¹⁵ »‘Do no injustice in judgment. Do not be partial to the poor nor defer to the great. Judge your neighbor fairly.

³⁵ »‘Do not be corrupt when administering justice concerning length, weight, or measuring liquid.

⁹ »‘Jehovah gave the following regulations. Any of you that curse your father or mother shall be put to death. You are responsible for your own death. ¹⁰ »‘If a man commits adultery with the wife of an Israelite, both he and the woman should be put to death. ¹¹ »‘A man who has intercourse with one of his father's wives disgraces his father. Both he and the woman must be put to death. They are responsible for their own death. ¹² »‘If a man has sexual intercourse with his daughter-in-law, both of them must be put to death. They have done a disgusting thing and deserve to die. ¹³ »‘When a man has sexual intercourse with another man as with a woman, both men are doing something disgusting and must be put to death. They deserve to die!

¹⁸ »‘If a man has intercourse with a woman during her monthly period, both of them are to be driven out of the community, because they have broken the regulations about ritual uncleanness.

²⁷ »‘If you claim to receive messages from the dead, you will be put to death by stoning, just as you deserve.

¹⁴ »‘In the business of trading goods for money, do no wrong to one another.

³⁵ »‘If an Israelite becomes poor and cannot support himself, you should help him. He must live with you as a stranger without a permanent home. ³⁶ »‘Do not collect interest or make any profit from him. Respect your God by respecting other Israelites' lives. ³⁷ »‘Do not collect any interest on your money or on the food you give them.

²² Immediately, they bowed with their faces touching the ground and said: »O God, you are the God who gives the breath of life to everyone! If one man sins, will you be angry with the entire congregation?«

¹⁶ »O Jehovah our God, source of all life, appoint, I pray, a man who can lead the people

³¹ »Murderers must be put to death. They cannot escape this penalty by the payment of money.

¹⁶ »I charged your judges to hear the cases between your countrymen and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger with him. ¹⁷ »You will not show partiality in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great. You will not fear man for the judgment is God's. The case that is too hard for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.’

¹ Jehovah said to Aaron: »You, your sons, and your family will be responsible for any sins against the holy place. You and your sons will also be responsible for any sins you commit when you work as priests.

² The Moabites invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods. The people ate and bowed down to their gods.

¹ »Israel, listen to these laws and teachings! If you obey them you will live! Go in and take the land that Jehovah the God of your fathers is giving you.

¹⁹ »Do not be tempted to bow down and worship the sun or moon or stars (the host or army of the heavens). Jehovah put them there a heritage for all the people under the heavens.

¹² »Now, O Israel, what does Jehovah your God require from you? You are to respect Jehovah your God. Walk in all his ways and love him! Serve Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your being. ¹³ »Obey Jehovah’s commandments and his statutes I am commanding you today for your good!

¹ »Love Jehovah your God, and obey all his laws, regulations and commandments.

¹ Moses called all the people of Israel, and said: »Hear, O Israel, the regulations and laws I declare to you today. Learn them and obey them!

⁹ »‘Do not bow down to them. Do not serve them! For I Jehovah your God am a totally demanding zealous God. I require exclusive devotion and punish the fathers and children who hate me to the third and fourth generation.

¹ »These are the commands, decrees and laws Jehovah your God commanded me to teach you. Obey them after you enter the land and take possession of it. ² »As long as you live, you, your son, and your grandson must respect Jehovah your God. All of you must obey his laws and commandments I give you. Then you will live a long time.

⁷ »This is what you must do whenever there are poor Israelites in one of your cities in the land that Jehovah your God is giving you. ⁸ »Be generous to these poor people. Freely lend them as much as they need. Never be hardhearted and stingy with them. ⁹ »When the seventh year, the year when payments on debts are canceled, is near, you might be stingy toward poor Israelites and give them nothing. Be careful not to think these worthless thoughts. The poor will complain to Jehovah about you, and you will be condemned for your sin. ¹⁰ »Give the poor what they need, because then Jehovah will make you successful in everything you do. ¹¹ »There will always be some Israelites who are poor and needy. That is why I am commanding you to be generous with them.

²² »If a man is caught having sexual intercourse with another mans wife, then both of them shall die! Both the man and the woman committing adultery must be killed. Thus you shall purge the evil from Israel. ²³ »Suppose there is a girl who is a virgin engaged to a man, and another man has sexual relations with her.

¹⁵ »I set before you today life and good, death and evil.

¹⁹ »I call on heaven and earth as witnesses today that I have offered you life or death, blessings or curses. Choose life so that you and your descendants will live.

⁴ »He is the Rock! His work is perfect. For all His ways are just. He is a God of faithfulness and without evil. He is just and upright.

²⁹ They fail to see why they were defeated. They cannot understand what happened.

¹⁸ »Appoint judges and officers for your tribes in every city Jehovah your God gives you. They are to judge the people fairly. ¹⁹ »Never pervert justice. Always be impartial. Never take a bribe, because bribes blind wise people and deny justice to those who are in the right. ²⁰ »Only strive for justice so you will live and take possession of the land that Jehovah your God is giving you.

²⁴ »You must bring them both out to the gate of that city and you must stone them to death! The girl did not protest what was happening and the man has violated his neighbor's woman. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. ²⁵ »If an engaged woman is raped (forced to experience sex) only the man who commits the act will die. ²⁶ »Do nothing to the woman. There is no sin in the woman worthy of death. This is like the case where a man attacks and murders his neighbor. ²⁷ »When he found her in the field, the woman who is engaged protested, but there was no one to save her. ²⁸ »Suppose a man finds a woman who is a virgin, who is not engaged, and seizes her and lies with her and they are discovered. ²⁹ The man who has sex with her must give to the girl's father fifty shekels of silver, and she will become his wife because he has violated her. He may not divorce her all his days. ³⁰ »A man must not have sexual intercourse with his father's wife. This would violate his father.

¹⁹ »Do not charge interest to your brothers, interest on money, food, anything that may be loaned at interest. ²⁰ »You may charge interest to a foreigner, but to your brother (countrymen) you shall not charge interest. That way Jehovah your God will bless you in all that you undertake in the land you are about to possess.

¹² »If he is a poor man, do not keep the pledged security over night. ¹³ »Return the pledge to him before the sun goes down. He will have his pledged item and he may sleep. He will bless you. And it will be righteousness for you before Jehovah your God.

¹⁶ »Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers. Everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. ¹⁷ »Do not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan. Do not take a widow's garment in pledge.

³ Samuel told the entire nation of Israel: »If you return to Jehovah with all your hearts you must get rid of the foreign gods you have, including the statues of the goddess Astarte. You must dedicate your lives to Jehovah and serve him only. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines.« ⁴ So the Israelites got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte. They worshiped only Jehovah.

³ »Here I am! Testify against me before Jehovah and before his anointed one. Whose bull have I stolen? Whose donkey have I taken? Have I cheated anyone? Have I oppressed any? Have I ever taken a bribe? Tell me and I will make it right.« ⁴ The people answered: »You have not cheated us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from anyone.«

¹¹ »I am sorry that I made Saul king. He has turned away from me and disobeyed my commands.« Samuel was angry. All night long he pleaded with Jehovah.

²⁴ »You know I am faultless. I have kept myself from doing wrong.

³² »O Jehovah, listen in heaven and judge your servants. Punish the guilty one, as he deserves. Justify the one who is innocent.

⁸ The prophet answered: Even if you gave me half of your wealth, I would not go with you or eat or drink anything with you.

²² but have come back, and have taken food and water in this place where he said you were to take no food or water; your dead body will not be put to rest with your fathers.’«

¹³ »All the people of Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He will be the only member of Jeroboam's family who will be properly buried for he is the only one with whom Jehovah, the God of Israel, is pleased.

¹⁸ She said to Elijah: »What have I to do with you, O man of God? Have you come to put God in mind of my sin, and to put my son to death?«

¹¹ »Manasseh king of Judah committed detestable sins. He did more evil than all the Amorites before him. He enticed Judah to do evil with his false gods.

¹⁸ Huldah added: »Tell Judah's king who sent you to me to ask Jehovah a question. This is what Jehovah God of Israel says about the words you heard: ¹⁹ ‘You had a change of heart and humbled yourself in front of Jehovah when you heard my words against this place and those who live here. I said that those who live here would be destroyed and cursed. You also tore your clothes in distress and cried in front of me. So I will listen to you,’« declares Jehovah. ²⁰ »That is why I will bring you to your ancestors. I will bring you to your grave in peace. Your eyes will not see any of the disaster I will bring on this place.«’« They reported this to the king.

¹³ The king made the illegal places of worship east of Jerusalem unclean. They were on the southern part of the Hill of Destruction. King Solomon of Israel built them for Astarte the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians. Also made unclean were references to Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and Milcom the disgusting god of the Ammonites.

⁶ But he did not put their children to death. The orders of Jehovah recorded in the book of the law of Moses say: »The fathers are not to be put to death for the children, or the children for their fathers; but each man shall be put to death for his own sin.«

²⁶ Still the heat of Jehovah’s anger was not turned back from Judah. This is because of all Manasseh had done in moving him to anger.

³ This happened to Judah because Jehovah commanded it to happen. He wanted to remove the people of Judah from his sight because of Manasseh's sins and everything he had done, ⁴ and especially because of all the innocent people he killed. Jehovah would not forgive Manasseh for that.

²³ then hear that person in heaven, take action, and make a decision. Repay the guilty person with the proper punishment, but declare the innocent person innocent.

³⁰ »Hear them in heaven, where you live. Forgive them and give people the proper reply. You know what is in their hearts, because you alone can read hearts.

² Joash did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, as long as the priest Jehoiada lived.

¹⁷ After the death of Jehoiada the priest, the leaders of Judah went to Joash and talked him into doing what they wanted. ¹⁸ The people of Judah stopped worshiping in the Temple of Jehovah God. They started worshiping idols and the symbols of the goddess Asherah. These sinful things made Jehovah God angry with the people of Judah and Jerusalem, ¹⁹ However he still sent prophets who warned them to turn back to him. The people refused to listen. ²⁰ God’s Spirit spoke to Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. Zechariah told everyone that God was saying: »Why are you disobeying me and my Laws? This will only bring punishment! You have deserted me, so now I will desert you.« ²¹ They plotted against Zechariah. Then they followed the king’s order and stoned him to death in the courtyard of Jehovah’s Temple. ²² King Joash forgot that Zechariah’s father had always been a loyal friend. So when the people of Judah plotted to kill Zechariah, Joash joined them and gave orders for them to stone him to death in the courtyard of the Temple. As Zechariah was dying, he said: »I pray that Jehovah will see this and punish all of you.«

⁴ He did not execute their children. He obeyed Jehovah’s command written in the Book of Moses’ Teachings: »Parents must never be put to death for the crimes of their children, and children must never be put to death for the crimes of their parents. Each person must be put to death for his own crime.«

³ In the first month of his first year as king, he opened the doors of Jehovah’s temple and repaired them. ⁴ He assembled the priests and Levites in the square on the east side of the temple. ⁵ He said: »Listen to me, Levites. Perform the ceremonies to make the temple of Jehovah the God of your ancestors holy. Remove anything that has been corrupted from the holy place. ⁶ »Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what Jehovah our God considered evil. They deserted him. They turned away from Jehovah’s tent and turned their backs on him. ⁷ »They also shut the doors of the temple’s entrance hall. They extinguished the lamps, and did not burn incense or sacrifice burnt offerings in the holy place to the God of Israel. ⁸ »Jehovah was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. He made them something that shocks and terrifies people and that people ridicule, as you can see with your own eyes. ⁹ »Our fathers were killed in battle. Our sons, daughters, and wives are prisoners because of this. ¹⁰ »Now I intend to make a pledge to Jehovah the God of Israel so that he may turn his burning anger away from us. ¹¹ »Do not be negligent, my sons. Jehovah has chosen you to stand in front of him, serve him, be his servants, and burn sacrifices.«

²¹ »On behalf of those who are left in Israel and Judah and me, ask Jehovah about the words in this book that was found. Jehovah’s fierce anger has been poured on us because our ancestors did not obey the word of Jehovah by doing everything written in this book.«

¹² When he experienced distress, he begged Jehovah his God to be kind and humbled himself in front of the God of his ancestors. ¹³ He prayed to Jehovah. And Jehovah accepted his prayer and listened to his request. Jehovah brought him back to his kingdom in Jerusalem. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah is God.

¹ Then there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their countrymen the Jews. ² Some said: »We with our sons and our daughters are a great number. Let us get grain, so that we may have food for our needs.« ³ There were some who said: »We are giving our fields and our vine-gardens and our houses for debt. Let us get grain because we are in need.« ⁴ Yet others said: »We have given up our fields and our vine-gardens to get money for the king's taxes. ⁵ »But our flesh is the same as the flesh of our countrymen, and our children as their children. Now we give our sons and daughters into the hands of others, to be their servants. Some of our daughters are servants even now. We have no power to stop this. For other men have our fields and our vine-gardens.« ⁶ On hearing their outcry and what they said I was very angry. ⁷ After giving it much thought, I made a protest to the chiefs and the rulers, and said to them: »Everyone of you is collecting interest from his brothers.« I organized a big meeting of protest. ⁸ I said to them: »We have given whatever we were able to give, to make our brothers the Jews free. They were servants and prisoners of the nations. Would you now give up your brothers for a price? Are they to become our property?« They said nothing. They answered not a word! ⁹ I said: »What you are doing is not good. Is it not necessary for you to walk out of respect for our God, because of the shame the nations put on us? ¹⁰ »Even I and my servants have been collecting interest (Usury) for the money and the grain we have let them have. So now, let us give this up. ¹¹ »Give back to them this very day their fields, their vine-gardens, their olive-gardens, and their houses, as well as a hundredth part of the money and the grain and the wine and the oil that you have taken from them.«

¹⁵ Earlier rulers who came before me made the people responsible for their upkeep, and took from them bread and wine at the rate of forty shekels of silver. Even their servants were lords over the people. But I did not do so, out of reverence for God.

¹³ »You came down on Mount Sinai, and your voice came to them from heaven, giving them right decisions and true laws, good rules and orders. ¹⁴ »They received word of your holy Sabbath from you. You gave them orders and rules and a law, by the hand of Moses your servant.

⁶ »You have indeed exacted pledges from your family for no reason, and stripped the naked of their clothing. ⁷ »You have given no water to the weary to drink. You have withheld bread from the hungry.

³ »They drive away the donkey of the orphan. They take the widow’s ox for a pledge.

⁹ »There are those who snatch the orphan child from the breast. They take as a pledge the infant of the poor.

⁷ »When I went out to the gate of the city, when I took my seat in the square, ⁸ the young men saw me and withdrew, and the aged rose up and stood. ⁹ »The nobles refrained from talking, and laid their hands on their mouths. ¹⁰ »The voices of princes were hushed. Their tongues stuck to the roof of their mouths. ¹¹ »When the ear heard, it commended me, and when the eye saw, it approved. ¹² »This is because I delivered the poor who cried, and the orphan who had no helper. ¹³ »The blessing of the wretched came upon me. 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 turban. ¹⁵ »I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. ¹⁶ »I was a father to the needy! I championed the cause of the stranger.

¹⁶ »I was a father to the needy! I championed the cause of the stranger. ¹⁷ »I broke the fangs of the unrighteous. I made them drop their prey from their teeth.

¹³ »If I have rejected the cause of my male or female slaves, when they brought a complaint against me ¹⁴ what then shall I do when God rises up? When he makes inquiry, what shall I answer him? ¹⁵ »Did the one who made me in the womb make them? And did that one fashion us in the womb? ¹⁶ »If I have withheld anything that the poor desired, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail, ¹⁷ »If I have eaten my morsel alone, and the orphan has not eaten from it, ¹⁸ for from my youth I reared the orphan like a father, and from my mother’s womb I guided the widow. ¹⁹ »If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or a poor person without covering,

¹⁹ »If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, or a poor person without covering, ²⁰ whose loins have not blessed me, and who was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; ²¹ if I have raised my hand against the orphan, because I saw I had supporters at the gate; ²² then let my shoulder blade fall from my shoulder, and let my arm be broken from its socket.

² Then Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became angry. He was angry with Job because he justified himself rather than God.

⁸ »Would you undo my justice? Would you condemn me so that you can be righteous?

⁴ »You said: ‘Listen now, and I will speak. I will question you, and you shall answer me.’ ⁵ »My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you. ⁶ »Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes.«

²⁷ »He comes to men and says: ‘I sinned, and perverted what was right, but I did not get what I deserved.’ ²⁸ »He redeemed me from going down to the pit, and I will live to enjoy the light.

⁵ »Job has said: ‘I am innocent, and God has taken away my right. ⁶ »‘In spite of being right I am counted a liar. My wound is incurable, though I am without transgression.’ ⁷ »Who is there like Job, who drinks up scoffing like water? ⁸ »Who goes in company with evildoers and walks with the wicked? ⁹ »He has said: ‘It profits one nothing to take delight in God.’ ¹⁰ »Hear me, you who have sense, far be it from God that he should do wickedness, and from the Almighty that he should do wrong.

² »Do you think this to be just? You say: ‘I am in the right before God.’

² The one who walks with integrity and does what is righteous. He speaks the truth in his heart. ³ The one who does not malign with his tongue, do evil to a friend, or bring disgrace on his neighbor or close friend. ⁴ The one who despises those rejected by God but honors those who reverence (respect) Jehovah. The one who makes a promise and does not break it even though he is hurt by it. ⁵ The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never fall or be upset.

⁵ The one who does not collect interest on a loan or take a bribe against an innocent person. Whoever does these things will never fall or be upset.

²⁰ Jehovah rewarded me because of my righteousness, because my hands are clean. He paid me back. ²¹ I have kept the ways of Jehovah and I have not wickedly turned away from my God. ²² All his judgments are in front of me and I have not turned away from his laws. ²³ I was innocent as far as he was concerned. I have kept myself from guilt. ²⁴ Jehovah paid me back because of my righteousness. He can see that my hands are clean.

⁷ The law of Jehovah is perfect. It gives new life. The testimony of Jehovah is dependable. It makes the simple wise. ⁸ The statutes of Jehovah are correct. They make the heart rejoice. The commandments of Jehovah are radiant. They make the eyes shine. ⁹ The reverence of Jehovah is pure. It endures forever. The decisions of Jehovah are true. They are completely fair. ¹⁰ They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even the drippings from a honeycomb. ¹¹ They warn your servant. There is a great reward in following them.

¹¹ They warn your servant. There is a great reward in following them.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) Blessed is the person whose transgression is forgiven and whose sin is pardoned. ² Blessed is the person whom Jehovah no longer accuses of sin and who has no deceitful thoughts.

¹⁴ Turn away from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it!

⁴ He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up (turned) to falsehood and has not sworn deceitfully. ⁵ He will obtain blessing from Jehovah and righteousness from the God of his salvation. ⁶ This is the person who seeks him, who searches for the face of the God of Jacob.

⁷ Do not remember the sins of my youth or my rebellious ways. O Jehovah, remember me in keeping with your loving kindness and your goodness.

³ The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit and he ceased to be wise and do good. ⁴ He plans wickedness upon his bed. He walks on a path that is not good. He does not despise evil.

¹ ([Psalm of David]) Blessed (happy) is the one who has concern for helpless people. Jehovah will rescue (save) him in times of trouble.

⁶ The heavens declare his righteousness because God is the judge.

²¹ »When you did these things, I remained silent. That made you think I was like you. I will argue my point with you and lay it all out for you to see.

¹ ([[Psalm of David] when the prophet Nathan came to him after David's adultery with Bathsheba:]) Have mercy on me, O God, in keeping with your loving-kindness. According to your unlimited compassion, wipe out my transgressions.

¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast (dependable) spirit within me.

¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (as far as the sunrise is from the sunset) (farther then one could ever travel)

⁴⁴ He gave them the lands of other nations. They inherited what others had worked for. ⁴⁵ Then they would obey his laws and follow his teachings. Praise Jehovah!

⁴ Light shines in the darkness for the upright. He is gracious, compassionate, and fair.

¹ Blessed are those whose way is blameless. They walk in the law of Jehovah.

¹ Blessed are those whose way is blameless. They walk in the law of Jehovah. ² Blessed are those who obey his written word. They seek him with all their heart. ³ They also do no unrighteousness. They walk in his ways. ⁴ You have ordained your precepts that we should keep them diligently. ⁵ Oh that my ways may be established to keep your statutes! ⁶ I will not be ashamed when I look upon all your commandments.

⁶ I will not be ashamed when I look upon all your commandments.

⁹ He gives freely to poor. His righteousness continues forever. His head is raised in honor.

⁵⁹ I considered my ways and turned my feet to your laws.

⁵⁹ I considered my ways and turned my feet to your laws. ⁶⁰ I hurried and did not delay to keep your commandments.

⁸⁰ May my heart be blameless in your statutes so that I will not be ashamed.

¹¹² I have inclined my heart to perform your statutes forever, to the end.

¹ I will lift up my eyes to the mountains from where my help comes.

¹ To You I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 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 Jehovah our God, until he is gracious to us.

⁵ Jehovah will lead those who turn away from their crooked ways with the workers of iniquity. Israel will have peace.

¹⁷ Jehovah is righteous in all his ways. He is kind in all his deeds.

³¹ Do not be jealous of violent people or decide to act as they do.

³⁶ »But he who sins against me wrongs himself. All who hate me love death.«

¹¹ Jehovah is pleased with those who fear him, with those who wait with hope for his mercy.

²⁴ There is one who scatters, and yet increases. There is one who withholds what is due and it leads to poverty. ²⁵ The liberal person will prosper. He who waters will be watered.

³¹ He who oppresses the poor reproaches his Maker. He who honors his Maker has mercy for the poor. ³² The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous has hope in his death.

²¹ He who gives birth to a fool does it to his sorrow because the father of a fool has no joy.

³ Man ruins his life by his own foolishness. His heart chafes with anger against Jehovah.

³ To practice righteousness and justice is more acceptable to Jehovah than sacrifice.

¹⁶ The man who wanders from the way of understanding will remain in the congregation of the dead.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink.

⁹ He who has a bountiful eye will be blessed for he gives of his bread to the poor.

²² Do not rob the poor because he is poor, or crush the afflicted at the gate. ²³ Jehovah will plead their cause and take the life of those who rob them.

²⁴ The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice and he who gives birth to a wise child will receive joy from him.

⁸ He who becomes wealthy through unfair loans and interest collects them for the one who pitys the poor.

¹³ The man who covers his sins will not be blessed; but whoever confesses and leaves them will have mercy.

²⁷ He who gives to the poor will not lack. But he who hides his eyes will have many curses.

⁷ The righteous considers the cause of the poor. The wicked do not get to know it.

¹⁴ The king who faithfully judges the poor will have his throne established forever.

⁸ Open your mouth for the dumb in the cause of all who are appointed to destruction. ⁹ Open your mouth and judge righteously. Plead the cause of the poor and needy.

²⁰ She stretches out her hand to the poor. Yes, she reaches forth her hands to the needy.

¹⁷ I said in my heart, »God should judge the righteous and the wicked for there is a time for every purpose and for every work.«

¹ Cast your bread upon the waters, for you will find it after many days. ² Give a portion to seven, and even to eight. You do not know what calamity will be upon the earth.

¹⁴ For God will bring every work into judgment with every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil.

¹⁰ Tell the righteous that blessings will come to them. They will taste the fruit of their labor. ¹¹ How horrible it will be for the wicked! Disaster will strike them. What they have done to others will be done to them.

¹¹ How horrible it will be for the wicked! Disaster will strike them. What they have done to others will be done to them.

¹⁵ »What do you mean by crushing my people and grinding the face of the poor?« Declares Jehovah of Hosts.

⁷ I am Jehovah of Hosts (All Powerful)! Israel is the vineyard, and Judah is the garden I tended with care. I had hoped for honesty and for justice, but dishonesty and cries for mercy were all I found.

²² Then you will dishonor your silver-plated idols and your gold-covered statues. You will throw them away like clothing ruined by stains. You will say to them: »Get out!«

¹⁶ »Wash yourselves! Become clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight. Stop doing evil.

¹⁶ »Wash yourselves! Become clean! Get your evil deeds out of my sight. Stop doing evil. ¹⁷ »Learn to do good (well) (right). Seek justice. Correct oppressors. Defend orphans. Plead the case of widows.«

¹⁷ »Learn to do good (well) (right). Seek justice. Correct oppressors. Defend orphans. Plead the case of widows.«

¹⁷ »Learn to do good (well) (right). Seek justice. Correct oppressors. Defend orphans. Plead the case of widows.« ¹⁸ »Come now, let us reason together (make things right) (correct matters) between us!« Says Jehovah. »Though your sins are like scarlet, they will become as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they will become as white as wool.

¹⁸ »Come now, let us reason together (make things right) (correct matters) between us!« Says Jehovah. »Though your sins are like scarlet, they will become as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, they will become as white as wool. ¹⁹ »If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land. ²⁰ »Refuse and rebel and swords will devour you. Jehovah has spoken.«

¹⁵ He who walks righteously and speaks what is right, who rejects gain from extortion and keeps his hand from accepting bribes, who stops his ears against plots of murder and shuts his eyes against contemplating evil.

²⁵ »I alone am the one who is going to wipe away your rebellious actions for my own sake. I will not remember your sins anymore.

¹⁹ No one stops to think. No one has enough knowledge or understanding to say: »I burned half of the wood in the fire. I also baked bread over its coals. I roasted meat and ate it. Now I am making the rest of the wood into a disgusting thing and bowing to a block of wood.«

¹¹ After his suffering he will see the light and be satisfied. By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many. He will bear their iniquities.

⁶ Seek Jehovah while he may be found. Call on him while he is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to Jehovah, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to Jehovah, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.

⁵ God created the heavens and stretched them out. He fashioned the earth and all that lives there. He gave life and breath to all its people. And now Jehovah God says to his servant:

⁶ »Is this not the fast I choose to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free and break every yoke? ⁷ »Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house? When you see the naked, should you cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh?

⁷ »Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry and bring the homeless poor into the house? When you see the naked, should you cover him and not hide yourself from your own flesh? ⁸ »Your light will break out like the dawn. Your recovery will speedily spring forth. Your righteousness will go before you and the glory of Jehovah will be your rear guard.

⁸ »Your light will break out like the dawn. Your recovery will speedily spring forth. Your righteousness will go before you and the glory of Jehovah will be your rear guard. ⁹ »‘Then you will call, and Jehovah will answer! You will cry and he will say: ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness,

⁹ »‘Then you will call, and Jehovah will answer! You will cry and he will say: ‘Here I am.’ If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, ¹⁰ and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will be like midday.

¹⁰ and if you give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will be like midday. ¹¹ Jehovah will continually guide you. He will satisfy your desire in scorched places and give strength to your bones. You will be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.

⁶ Their webs cannot be used for clothes. They cannot cover themselves with their works for their works are evil. Their hands have committed acts of violence. ⁷ Their feet run to do evil. They hurry to shed innocent blood. Their thoughts are evil. Ruin and destruction are on their highways.

¹⁷ »You have done this to yourself by abandoning Jehovah your God when he led you on his way. ¹⁸ »Why are you going to Egypt to drink water from the Nile (Shihor) River? You will not gain anything by going to Assyria to drink water from the Euphrates River. ¹⁹ »Your own wickedness will correct you. Your apostasies (unfaithful ways) will punish you! You should know and see how evil and bitter it is for you when you abandon Jehovah your God! You do not respect (reverence) me,« says the Sovereign Lord Jehovah of Hosts. ²⁰ »Long ago you broke off your yoke, tore off your bonds, and said that you would not be a slave. You lay down and acted like a prostitute on every high hill and under every large tree. ²¹ »I planted you like a choice grapevine from the very best seed. Now you have turned against me and have become a wild vine. ²² »If you wash with detergent and use a lot of soap, I would still see the stains from your wickedness,« says the Lord Jehovah. ²³ »How can you say, ‘I have not been dishonored and have not gone after the Baal gods?’ »Look how you have behaved in the valley. Acknowledge what you have done. You are like a young camel that swiftly runs here and there.

²⁹ »Why do you complain about me? You have rebelled against me,« proclaims Jehovah. ³⁰ »I have punished your children without results. They did not respond to correction. You killed my prophets like a raging lion. ³¹ »O you people of this generation consider the word of Jehovah! Have I been a wilderness, a land of thick darkness, for Israel? Why do my people say that they are free to wander around and no longer come to me? ³² »A young woman cannot forget her jewelry or a bride her breastband (sash) (girdle). Yet, my people have forgotten me for countless days. ³³ »You carefully planned ways to look for love. You taught your ways to wicked women. ³⁴ »You have bloodstains from innocent poor people on your clothes. You did not kill them for breaking in to your home. ³⁵ »‘After all this you say: ‘I am innocent. God will turn his anger from me. For I have not sinned.’« ³⁶ »You change your mind so easily. You will be shamed by Egypt as you were shamed by Assyria. ³⁷ »You will also leave this place with your hands over your head, because Jehovah has rejected those you trust. They will not help you.«

⁸ They were like well-fed stallions wild with desire, each lusting for his neighbor's wife. ⁹ »Why should I not punish the people of Judah?« Says Jehovah, »Should I take retribution (vengeance)?«

⁶ if you do not oppress the alien, the orphan, or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, nor walk after other gods to your own ruin, ⁷ then I will let you dwell in this place, in the land I gave to your fathers from generation to generation and for a very long time.«’«

⁶ »I paid attention and listened, but they were not honest. They do not turn away from their wickedness. They do not ask: ‘What have we done?’ They go their own ways like horses charging into battle.’«

¹⁴ »They have walked after the stubbornness of their heart and after the Baals as their fathers taught them.

¹ Jehovah, if I argued my case with you, you would prove to be right. Indeed, I must question you about matters of justice. Why are the wicked so prosperous? Why do dishonest people succeed with impunity?

⁴ »I will make these people a horrifying (shocking) sight to all the kingdoms on the earth. This will happen because of what Judah's King Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, did in Jerusalem.

¹⁰ Sadness is mine! Why did my mother bring me into the world? I have to quarrel and argue with everyone in the whole earth. I have not lent any money or borrowed any; yet everyone curses me.

¹⁰ »When you tell the people all these things, they will ask you: ‘Why does Jehovah threaten us with all these disasters? What have we done wrong? How have we sinned against Jehovah our God?’« ¹¹ »Tell them: ‘It is because your ancestors abandoned me,’ says Jehovah. They followed other gods, served them, worshiped them, and abandoned me. They did not obey my law. ¹² »You have done worse than your ancestors. All of you are following your own stubborn, evil ways that keep you from listening (obeying) to me. ¹³ »Therefore I will throw you out of this land into a land that you and your ancestors have not heard of. There you will serve other gods day and night because I will no longer have pity on you.«’

¹⁹ Jehovah is my strength and my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Nations come to you from the most distant parts of the world and say: Our ancestors have inherited lies, worthless and unprofitable gods.

¹⁸ »I hear the people of Israel say in grief, ‘Jehovah, we were like an untamed animal, but you taught us to obey. Bring us back for we are ready to return to you, Jehovah our God. ¹⁹ »‘We turned away from you. But soon we wanted to return. After you had punished us we hung our heads in grief. We were ashamed and disgraced because we sinned when we were young.’« ²⁰ »Ephraim, O Ephraim my dear delightful son! Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him. My heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him,« declares Jehovah.

²⁰ »Ephraim, O Ephraim my dear delightful son! Indeed, as often as I have spoken against him, I certainly still remember him. My heart yearns for him. I will surely have mercy on him,« declares Jehovah.

²⁹ »When that time comes people will no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and their children’s teeth are set on edge.’ ³⁰ »Each person will die for his own sin. Whoever eats sour grapes will have his own teeth set on edge.«

³⁴ »No longer will each person teach his neighbors or his relatives by saying: ‘Know Jehovah.’ »All of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,« declares Jehovah. »I will forgive their wickedness and I will no longer hold (remember) their sins against them.«

³⁹ »I will give them the same attitude and the same purpose so that they will respect and reverence me as long as they live. This will be for their good and for the good of their children.

⁸ »Also say to this people, ‘Jehovah says: »Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death.

³ This is what Jehovah says: »Judge fairly, and do what is right. Rescue those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Do not mistreat foreigners, orphans, or widows, and do not oppress them. Do not kill innocent people in this place.

¹⁵ Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.

¹⁵ Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him. ¹⁶ He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy. Then it was well. »Is that not what it means to know me?« Says Jehovah.

¹⁶ He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy. Then it was well. »Is that not what it means to know me?« Says Jehovah.

¹⁶ He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy. Then it was well. »Is that not what it means to know me?« Says Jehovah. ¹⁷ »Your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain. You are shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and extortion.«

¹⁷ »Your eyes and your heart are intent only upon your own dishonest gain. You are shedding innocent blood and on practicing oppression and extortion.«

¹⁵ »I did not send them,« declares Jehovah. »They prophesy lies in my name. So I will scatter you, and you and the prophets will die.’«

²⁰ »‘In those days and at that time,« says Jehovah, »people will look for Israel's crimes, but they will find none. They will look for Judah's sins, but none will be found. I will forgive the faithful few whom I have spared.

³³ He takes no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men, it is not within his heart.

¹⁷ »We will do everything that we said we would. We will offer sacrifices to our goddess, the Queen of Heaven, and we will pour out wine offerings to her, just as our ancestors, our king and our leaders, and we used to do in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Then we had plenty of food, we were prosperous, and had no troubles.

⁷ Our fathers were sinners and are dead. The weight of their evil deeds is on us.

¹⁸ »When I tell a wicked man that he will surely die, but you do not warn him or speak out so that he can change his wicked way in order to save his life; that wicked man will die because of his sin. I will hold you responsible for his death.

²⁰ »If righteous people turn from living the right way and do wrong, I will make them stumble and they will die. If you do not warn them, they will die because of their sin. The right things they did will not be remembered. I will hold you responsible for their deaths. ²¹ »If you warn righteous people not to sin, and they do not sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning and you will save yourself.«

²¹ »If you warn righteous people not to sin, and they do not sin, they will certainly live because they listened to the warning and you will save yourself.«

⁴ »Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the house of Israel upon yourself. You are to bear their sin for the number of days you lie on your side.

² »Son of man, look toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. ³ »Say this: ‘You mountains of Israel listen to the word of the Lord Jehovah! This is what the Lord Jehovah says to the mountains and hills and to the ravines and valleys: »I am going to attack you with a sword and destroy your worship sites.

¹³ »Then you will know that I am Jehovah. Those who are killed will lie beside the idols around their altars. They will lie on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, and under every large tree and every leafy oak. These are the places where they made offerings to their disgusting idols.

² »Son of man, the Lord Jehovah says to the land of Israel: ‘The end! The end has come upon the four corners of the land. ³ ‘»The end is now upon you and I will unleash my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices.

⁸ ‘»I am about to pour out my wrath on you and spend my anger against you. I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices. ⁹ ‘»I will not look on you with pity or spare you (my eye will not feel sorry for you). I will repay you in accordance with your conduct and the detestable practices among you. Then you will know that it is I, Jehovah, who strikes the blow.

²³ ‘»Prepare chains for the land is full of bloodshed and the city full of violence.

²⁷ ‘»The king will mourn. The prince will be clothed with despair and the hands of the people of the land will tremble. I will deal with them according to their conduct. By their own standards I will judge them. Then they will know that I am Jehovah.’«

⁶ He asked me: »Son of man, do you see what the people of Israel are doing? The people of Israel are doing very disgusting things here, things that will force me to go far away from my holy place. But you will see even more disgusting things.«

¹⁷ Jehovah said to me: »Mortal man, do you see that? These people of Judah are not satisfied with merely doing all the disgusting things you have seen here and with spreading violence throughout the country. No, they must come and do them right here in the Temple and make me even angrier. Look how they insult me in the most offensive way possible by thrusting the shoot to my nose! (an obsene reference or jesture to Jehovah)

⁶ »Therefore tell the nation of Israel: This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »Change the way you think and act! (Repent!) Turn away from your idols, and do not return to any of your disgusting things.

¹⁹ ‘»I will give them one (united) heart, and put a new spirit within them. I will take the heart of stone (unkind attitude) out of them and give them a heart of flesh (loving disposition).

³ »Son of man, pack your bags as if you were going into exile. Let the people see you leave in the daylight. March like a captive from your place to another place as they watch. Maybe they will understand, even though they are a rebellious people (house).

¹² »Say now to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean? Say, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon.

² »What do you mean by using this proverb concerning the land of Israel: ‘The fathers eat sour grapes, but the children's teeth are set on edge?’

⁴ ‘»The life of every person belongs to me. The life of the father as well as the life of the son is mine. The person who sins will die. ⁵ ‘»If a man is righteous and practices justice and righteousness, ⁶ and does not eat at the mountain shrines or lift up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, or defile his neighbor's wife or approach a woman during her menstrual period; ⁷ ‘»if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing.

⁷ ‘»if a man does not oppress anyone, but restores to the debtor his pledge, does not commit robbery, but gives his bread to the hungry and covers the naked with clothing. ⁸ ‘»If he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man,

⁸ ‘»If he does not lend money on interest or take increase, if he keeps his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between man and man, ⁹ ‘»if he lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully this person is righteous. He will certainly live,’ declares the Lord Jehovah.

⁹ ‘»if he lives by my rules and obeys my laws faithfully this person is righteous. He will certainly live,’ declares the Lord Jehovah. ¹⁰ ‘»Suppose this person has a son who robs and murders. The son does all these other things

¹⁰ ‘»Suppose this person has a son who robs and murders. The son does all these other things ¹¹ that his father never did. He eats at the illegal mountain worship sites. He dishonors his neighbor's wife.

¹¹ that his father never did. He eats at the illegal mountain worship sites. He dishonors his neighbor's wife. ¹² ‘»He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs. He does not return the security for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does disgusting things.

¹² ‘»He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs. He does not return the security for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does disgusting things.

¹² ‘»He oppresses the poor and needy. He robs. He does not return the security for a loan. He looks to idols for help. He does disgusting things. ¹³ ‘»He lends money for interest and makes excessive profits. Will this person live? He will not live. He has done all these disgusting things. So he must die, and he will be responsible for his own death.

¹³ ‘»He lends money for interest and makes excessive profits. Will this person live? He will not live. He has done all these disgusting things. So he must die, and he will be responsible for his own death. ¹⁴ ‘»Now suppose this son has a son. The son sees all the sins that his father does. He is afraid, so he does not do such things. ¹⁵ ‘»He does not eat at the illegal mountain worship sites or look for help from the idols of the nation of Israel. He does not dishonor his neighbor's wife. ¹⁶ ‘»He does not oppress anyone. He does not keep the security for a loan. He does not rob anyone. He gives food to people who are hungry, and he gives clothes to those who are naked. ¹⁷ ‘»He keeps his hand from the poor and does not take interest or increase, but executes my ordinances, and walks in my statutes. He will not die for his father's iniquity. He will surely live. ¹⁸ ‘»As for his father, because he practiced extortion, robbed his brother and did what was not good among his people, he will die for his iniquity. ¹⁹ ‘»Yet you say: »Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?« When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all my statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

¹⁹ ‘»Yet you say: »Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?« When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all my statutes and done them, he shall surely live.

¹⁹ ‘»Yet you say: »Why should the son not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity?« When the son has practiced justice and righteousness and has observed all my statutes and done them, he shall surely live. ²⁰ ‘»The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself. And the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

²⁰ ‘»The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself. And the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself.

²⁰ ‘»The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity, nor will the father bear the punishment for the son's iniquity. The righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself. And the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself. ²¹ ‘»If the wicked man turns from all his sins and observes all my statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall live; he shall not die.

²¹ ‘»If the wicked man turns from all his sins and observes all my statutes and practices justice and righteousness, he shall live; he shall not die. ²² ‘»All his transgressions he has committed will not be remembered against him. He will live because of his righteousness he has practiced.’ ²³ ‘»Do I have any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord Jehovah, that he should turn from his ways and live? ²⁴ ‘»But suppose a righteous person turns away from doing right and he does evil things. He does all the disgusting things that the wicked person did. Will he live? All the right things that he has done will not be remembered because of his unfaithfulness and because of his sin. He will die because of them. ²⁵ ‘»But you say: »Jehovah’s way is unfair.« Listen, nation of Israel, is my way fair? Is it your ways that are unfair? ²⁶ ‘»When a righteous person turns away from doing right and does evil things, he will die. He will die because of the evil things he has done. ²⁷ ‘»When a wicked person turns away from the wicked things that he has done and does what is fair and right, he will live. ²⁸ ‘»He realized what he was doing and turned away from all the rebellious things that he had done. He will certainly live. He will not die.

²⁸ ‘»He realized what he was doing and turned away from all the rebellious things that he had done. He will certainly live. He will not die. ²⁹ ‘»But the nation of Israel says: Jehovah’s way is unfair. Is my way not fair, nation of Israel? Is it not your ways that are unfair? ³⁰ ‘»That is why I will judge each of you by what you have done, people of Israel, declares the Lord Jehovah. Change the way you think and act. (Repent!) Turn away from all the rebellious things that you have done so that you will not fall into sin. ³¹ ‘»Give up all the evil you have been doing. Get yourselves new minds and hearts. Why do you Israelites want to die? ³² ‘»I do not want anyone to die,’ says the Lord Jehovah. ‘Turn away from (repent of) your sins and live.’«

⁷ »I told them to throw away the disgusting idols they loved and not to make themselves unclean with the false gods of Egypt. I am Jehovah their God.

¹¹ ‘»»I gave them my laws and made my rules known to them. If people obey them they will live.

¹³ ‘»»But the people of Israel rebelled against me in the desert. They did not live by my laws. They rejected my rules. If people obey them, they will live. They dishonored the days to worship me. So I was going to pour out my fury on them in the desert and completely wipe them out.

¹⁸ ‘»»I said to their children in the desert: Do not live by the laws of your ancestors. Do not obey their rules or dishonor yourselves with their disgusting idols.

¹⁸ ‘»»I said to their children in the desert: Do not live by the laws of your ancestors. Do not obey their rules or dishonor yourselves with their disgusting idols. ¹⁹ ‘»»I am Jehovah your God! Walk in my statutes and obey my ordinances. ²⁰ ‘»»Sanctify my Sabbaths. They shall be a sign between you, and me that you may know that I am Jehovah your God.’

²⁴ »I did this because they had rejected my commands, broken my laws, profaned the Sabbath, and worshiped the same idols their ancestors had served.

²⁷ »Now then, son of man, tell the Israelites what I, the Lord Jehovah, am saying to them. This is another way their ancestors insulted me by their unfaithfulness. ²⁸ »I brought them to the land I had promised to give them. When they saw the high hills and green trees, they offered sacrifices at all of them. They made me angry by the sacrifices they burned and by the wine they brought as offerings.

³⁰ »Tell the nation of Israel: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »Will you dishonor yourselves the way your ancestors did? Will you chase their detestable idols like a prostitute?

⁹ »Your people tell lies about others in order to have them put to death. They eat sacrifices offered to idols. They always satisfy their lusts. ¹⁰ »Some of them sleep with their father's wife. Some force women to have intercourse with them during their period. ¹¹ »Some commit adultery, and others seduce their daughters-in-law or their half sisters. ¹² »Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me. The Lord Jehovah has spoken.

¹² »Some of your people murder for pay. Some charge interest on the loans they make to other Israelites and get rich by taking advantage of them. They have forgotten me. The Lord Jehovah has spoken. ¹³ ‘»I strike my fist at your dishonest gain and your acts of bloodshed.

²⁷ ‘»Her princes within her are like wolves tearing the prey, by shedding blood and destroying lives in order to get dishonest gain. ²⁸ ‘»Her prophets have smeared whitewash for them. They see false visions and divine lies for them. They say: »This is what the Lord Jehovah says, when Jehovah has not spoken.« ²⁹ ‘»The people of the land have practiced oppression and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.’

³ »Tell the Ammonites: ‘Hear the word of the Lord Jehovah! The Lord Jehovah says: »Because you said, Aha! Against My sanctuary when it was profaned, and against the land of Israel when it was made desolate, and against the house of Judah when they went into exile,

²⁶ »‘»You rely on your swords (military power). You do disgusting things. You dishonor your neighbor's wife. Should the land be given to you?«’

²⁰ »‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says to them: I will judge disputes between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep.

¹ »Son of man, prophesy to the mountains of Israel and say: ‘O mountains of Israel, hear the word of Jehovah. ² ‘»‘The Lord Jehovah says: »Because the enemy has spoken against you, aha! And the everlasting heights have become our possession. ³ »Therefore prophesy and say: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: For good reason they have made you desolate and crushed you from every side. That way you would become a possession of the rest of the nations and you have become a subject of conversation for the people. ⁴ ‘»‘Therefore, O mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah. The Lord Jehovah says to the mountains and to the hills, to the ravines and to the valleys, to the desolate wastes and to the forsaken cities that have become a prey and derision to the rest of the nations that are round about, ⁵ ‘»‘The Lord Jehovah says: ‘Surely in the fire of my jealousy I have spoken against the rest of the nations, and against all Edom, who appropriated my land for themselves as a possession with wholehearted joy and with scorn, to drive it out for a prey.’«’ ⁶ »Prophesy about Israel and tell the mountains and hills and the ravines and valleys: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: »I am speaking in my anger and fury because you have been insulted by the nations.

²⁶ »I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you. I will remove your stubborn hearts and give you obedient hearts. ²⁷ »I will put my Spirit in you. I will enable you to live by my Laws, and you will obey my rules.

³¹ »‘Then you will remember your evil ways and the bad things that you did. You will hate yourselves for all these wicked and disgusting things. ³² »‘I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake,’ proclaims the Lord Jehovah. ‘Be ashamed and disgraced because of your ways, people of Israel.’

¹¹ Jehovah also said: »Son of man, all the people of Israel are like these bones. The people say: Our bones are dry, and our hope has vanished. We are completely destroyed.

¹⁹ Then say to them: ‘This is what the Lord Jehovah says: I will take Joseph's stick, which is in Ephraim's hand, and the tribes of Israel associated with it, and I will put them with Judah's stick. I will make them into one stick. They will be one in my hand.«’

²⁴ »‘»My servant David will be their king. All of them will have one shepherd. They will live by my rules, and they will obey my laws. ²⁵ »‘»They will live in the land that I gave my servant Jacob, the land where their ancestors lived. They, their children, and their grandchildren will live in it for a very long time. My servant David will be their prince for a very long time.

⁴ »‘If the people hear the horn and ignore the warning and the enemy comes and takes them, they will be responsible for their own deaths. ⁵ »‘They heard the sound of the horn but ignored its warning. In that case they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had taken the warning they would have saved themselves.

⁵ »‘They heard the sound of the horn but ignored its warning. In that case they are responsible for their own deaths. If they had taken the warning they would have saved themselves.

⁹ »But if you warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life. ¹⁰ »‘Son of man, say to the house of Israel: ‘You people have said: »Our transgressions and our sins are upon us. We are rotting away in them. How can we survive?«’ ¹¹ Say to them: ‘»As I am alive!« Declares the Lord Jehovah. »I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Only that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back! Turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?«’

¹¹ Say to them: ‘»As I am alive!« Declares the Lord Jehovah. »I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Only that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back! Turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?«’

¹¹ Say to them: ‘»As I am alive!« Declares the Lord Jehovah. »I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Only that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back! Turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?«’ ¹² »Son of man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil he will not be punished, and if a good man starts sinning, his life will not be spared.

¹² »Son of man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil he will not be punished, and if a good man starts sinning, his life will not be spared.

¹² »Son of man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil he will not be punished, and if a good man starts sinning, his life will not be spared.

¹² »Son of man, tell the Israelites that when someone good sins, the good he has done will not save him. If an evil person stops doing evil he will not be punished, and if a good man starts sinning, his life will not be spared. ¹³ »I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins.

¹³ »I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins.

¹³ »I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins.

¹³ »I may promise life to someone good, but if he starts thinking that his past goodness is enough and begins to sin, I will not remember any of the good he did. He will die because of his sins. ¹⁴ »‘I may warn someone evil that he is going to die, but if he stops sinning and does what is right and good,

¹⁴ »‘I may warn someone evil that he is going to die, but if he stops sinning and does what is right and good,

¹⁴ »‘I may warn someone evil that he is going to die, but if he stops sinning and does what is right and good, ¹⁵ and if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole, if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but he will live.

¹⁵ and if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole, if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but he will live.

¹⁵ and if he returns the security he took for a loan or gives back what he stole, if he stops sinning and follows the laws that give life, he will not die, but he will live. ¹⁶ »‘None of the sins that he has done will be remembered. He has done what is fair and right. He will certainly live.’

¹⁶ »‘None of the sins that he has done will be remembered. He has done what is fair and right. He will certainly live.’

¹⁶ »‘None of the sins that he has done will be remembered. He has done what is fair and right. He will certainly live.’ ¹⁷ »But your people say: ‘Jehovah’s way is not right.’ Yet, their ways are not right.

¹⁷ »But your people say: ‘Jehovah’s way is not right.’ Yet, their ways are not right. ¹⁸ »If the righteous person turns from the right things that he has done and does evil, he will die because of it.

¹⁸ »If the righteous person turns from the right things that he has done and does evil, he will die because of it. ¹⁹ »If the wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is fair and right, he will live because of it.

¹⁹ »If the wicked person turns from his wickedness and does what is fair and right, he will live because of it. ²⁰ »The people of Israel say: ‘Jehovah’s way is not right.’ I will judge each of you by your own ways, people of Israel.«

²⁰ »The people of Israel say: ‘Jehovah’s way is not right.’ I will judge each of you by your own ways, people of Israel.«

²⁵ »‘»Tell them: ‘The Lord Jehovah says: »You eat meat with blood in it. You look to your idols for help. You murder people. Should the land be given to you?

²⁷ »Let my counsel be acceptable to you O King. Stop your sins by being righteous and your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor. May there be a lengthening of your prosperity.«

² »It never enters their hearts that I will remember all this evil. But their sins surround them, and I cannot avoid seeing them.

¹² »Even now,« said Jehovah, »turn to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning! ¹³ »Rip apart your heart, and not your garments. Turn to Jehovah your God! He is gracious and merciful. He is slow to anger and abundant in loving-kindness. He will turn back from doing harm.

⁶ Jehovah said: »I will not withdraw punishment for (three sins of Israel, even for four) the many transgressions of Israel! They sold the righteous for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes.

⁸ »They lie down beside every altar on clothes taken from indebtedness. In the house of their God they drink the wine they have confiscated.

¹⁰ »Those who store up violence and robbery in their dwellings do not know how to do what is right,« declared Jehovah.

¹ »Hear this word you cows of Bashan who live on the mountain of Samaria. You oppress the poor. You crush the needy. You say to your masters (husbands) (lords), »Bring us drink.«

⁴ Jehovah said to the house of Israel: »Seek me and you will live!

¹¹ You impose unfair rent on the poor and defraud a tribute of grain from them. You haave built houses of hewn stone yet you will not live in them. You planted pleasant vineyards, but you will not drink the wine from them. ¹² I know you have many transgressions and your sins are great. You afflict the righteous. You take bribes. You refuse to help the needy at the gate.

¹⁴ »Seek good and not evil, that you may live. Jehovah, the God of Hosts, will be with you, as you have said.

²⁴ »Justice should roll down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream.

³ »You put far away the evil day and cause the place of violence to come near.

⁴ »Hear this, you who would swallow up the needy, and cause the poor of the land to fail. ⁵ »You say: When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell grain? And the Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and dealing falsely with balances of deceit. ⁶ »We may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

¹³ »As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this evil has come upon us. Yet we have not earnestly requested the favor of Jehovah our God. We should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.

⁸ »How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? How can I treat you like Admah? How can I make you like Zeboiim? My heart is changed within me. All my compassion is aroused.

⁶ »Return to your God. Constantly express loving kindness and justice. Always wait with hope in your God. ⁷ Jehovah says: »The merchants use dishonest scales. They love to cheat people.

¹ »Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds! When the morning comes they do it because they are able to (it is in the power of their hands).

² »You hate good and love evil! You rip off their skin and their flesh from off their bones!

¹⁸ Who is a God like you who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? You do not keep your anger forever, because you delight in loving-kindness (unchanging love). ¹⁹ You will again have compassion on us. You will tread our iniquities under foot. You will throw all our sins into the depths of the sea.

⁴ »Behold, he is proud. He is not righteous. The righteous will live by faith.

⁶ »The same for those who have turned back from following Jehovah, and those who have not sought Jehovah or inquired of Him.«

⁹ »I will punish all who worship false gods and who steal and kill in order to fill their master's house with violence.«

⁵ Jehovah is righteous within her. He will do no wrong. He brings justice to the dawn of the morning. He does not fail! Yet the unjust know no shame.

⁵ Jehovah of Hosts said: »Consider your ways.

⁷ Then Jehovah said: »Consider your ways.

¹⁸ »Today is the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, the day that the foundation of the Temple of Jehovah was completed. See what is going to happen from now on.

³ Tell them, Jehovah of Hosts has said: »Jehovah of Hosts says return to me and I will return to you.« ⁴ »Do not be like your fathers! The former prophets declared: ‘Jehovah of Hosts said, I implore you, return from your evil ways, and from your wicked activities! But they did not listen, they paid no attention to me,’« said Jehovah. ⁵ »’Your fathers, where are they?’ The prophets, do they live forever? ⁶ »I commanded my servants the prophets to obey my words and my statutes. They disregarded them and suffered greatly. Then they repented and admitted that I, Jehovah of Hosts, corrected them as they deserved according to their deeds.’«

⁹ »Jehovah of Hosts has spoken: Every man should execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion to his brother!

⁹ »Jehovah of Hosts has spoken: Every man should execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion to his brother! ¹⁰ »Do not oppress the widow. Do not oppress the fatherless. Do not oppress the stranger and do not oppress the poor. And you should not devise evil in your heart against your brother.

¹⁰ »Do not oppress the widow. Do not oppress the fatherless. Do not oppress the stranger and do not oppress the poor. And you should not devise evil in your heart against your brother.

¹⁰ »Do not oppress the widow. Do not oppress the fatherless. Do not oppress the stranger and do not oppress the poor. And you should not devise evil in your heart against your brother. ¹¹ »They refused to pay heed, turned a stubborn shoulder (resisted), and stopped their ears, that they might not hear.

¹⁶ »These are the things that you should do. Every man should speak the truth with his neighbor. Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates (towns).

¹ The prophetic utterance of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel. Jehovah declared: »Who stretches forth the heavens? Who lays the foundation of the earth? Who forms the spirit of man within him?

¹⁷ »You have made Jehovah weary with your words. You ask: ‘How have we wearied him?’ You say: ‘Every one that does evil is good in Jehovah’s sight.’ You also say: ‘He delights in them.’ Then you ask: ‘where is the God of justice?«’

⁵ »I will approach you people for judgment! I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, the adulterers and those acting fraudulently with the wages of the worker, the widow and the fatherless. I will be a speedy witness against those who swear falsely and take advantage of the stranger, and do not show me reverence,« said Jehovah of Hosts.

⁷ »Like your fathers before you, you have turned away from my laws and have not obeyed them. Return to me and I will return to you,« said Jehovah of Hosts. »But you ask, ‘how will we return to you?’ ⁸ »I ask you: ‘will you rob and defraud God? Of course not, yet you are robbing and defrauding me!’ ‘How have we robbed and defrauded?’ You ask. ‘In the matter of tithes and offerings.’ ⁹ »A curse is on all of you because the whole nation is cheating me.

¹³ »You have said terrible things about me,« said Jehovah of Hosts. »Yet you ask: ‘What have we said about you?’« ¹⁴ »You have said: ‘There is no value to serve God. What is the use of doing what he says or of trying to show Jehovah of Hosts that we are sorry for what we have done?’ ¹⁵ »We call arrogant people happy. Evil people test God’s patience with their wicked deeds. They not only get away with it, they also prosper.«

¹⁸ »Once again my people will see the difference between the righteous and the wicked, between the person who serves God and the one who does not.«

²⁸ »However, I tell you that whoever looks at a woman with lustful thoughts commits adultery with her in his heart.

²¹ »Not everyone who calls me Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven. He who does the will of my Father in heaven will enter. ²² »Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’

²² »Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ ²³ »I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of evil.’

²³ »I will say to them, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you workers of evil.’ ²⁴ »Everyone who hears my words, and does them is like a wise man that builds his house on a rock. ²⁵ »The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it did not fall. It was built on a solid rock foundation. ²⁶ »Every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. ²⁷ »The rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and battered the house and it fell with a great crash.«

¹³ »You should learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice’; for I came, not to call the righteous, but sinners.«

³³ »Either make the tree good, and its fruit good, or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt. The fruit a tree produces provides its reputation.

⁴³ »When an unclean spirit goes out of a man it passes through the desert seeking rest. It does not find it. ⁴⁴ »It tries to return to the place from where it came. It finds it empty, swept, and fixed up. ⁴⁵ »Then it takes along seven other spirits more evil than itself. They enter in and dwell there. The last state of that man becomes worse than the first. It will also be like this with this evil generation.«

²⁰ »Anyone sown among the rocky places hears the word and immediately with joy receives it. ²¹ »There is no root in him. He endures for a while. When he has tribulation or persecution because of the word, he falls away.

² »Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.«

⁸ »Bear fruit worthy of repentance!

²⁷ »Being moved with pity, the lord let him go, and made him free of the debt. ²⁸ »Then that servant met another servant who was in debt to him for one hundred denarii. He took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay your debt now.’ ²⁹ »That servant fell down before him, saying, ‘Give me time and I will make payment to you.’ ³⁰ »He would not give him time. He put him into prison till he paid the debt. ³¹ »When the other servants saw what happened, they were very sad. They told their lord what had been done. ³² »His lord sent for him, and said: ‘Evil servant; I made you free of all that debt, because of your request to me. ³³ »‘Should you [also] show mercy to your fellow servant the same way I showed mercy to you?’ ³⁴ »His lord was angry and sent him to jail to be punished until he paid back all of his debt. ³⁵ »My heavenly Father will treat you like that if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.«

²⁸ »What do you think? A man had two sons. He asked the first to work today in the vineyard. ²⁹ »The first son said in answer, ‘I will not.’ Later he changed his mind and went to work. ³⁰ »He said the same to the second son. That son answered, ‘Yes, I will go,’ but he did not go to work. ³¹ »Which of the two pleased his father?« They replied: »The first.« Jesus said to them: »I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes will go into the kingdom of God before you.« ³² »John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him. Even the tax collectors and prostitutes believed him. When you saw this, you did not regret your sins and did not have faith in him.

²⁶ »You are blind. Clean the inside of the cup and platter first. Then clean the outside.

²⁹ »Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous. ³⁰ »You claim that you would not have been involved with your fathers when they spilled the blood of the prophets. ³¹ »You witness against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. ³² »Fill up the (guilt) measure of your fathers.

³² »Fill up the (guilt) measure of your fathers. ³³ »You serpents! You offspring of vipers! How will you escape from being destroyed in the ever-burning fires of the Valley of Hinnom? (Greek: Gehenna, the trash fires in the valley just outside of Jerusalem)

³⁶ »I tell you, all these things will come upon this generation (those living at that time).

³² »All nations will be gathered before him. He will then separate them one from another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

³⁴ »The King will say to those on his right hand: ‘Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. ³⁵ »‘I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. ³⁶ »‘I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.’ ³⁷ »The righteous will answer him: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? ³⁸ »‘When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and dress you? ³⁹ »‘When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?’ ⁴⁰ »The King will answer: ‘To the extent that you did it to one of the least of my brothers, you did it to me.’ ⁴¹ »Then he will tell those on his left: ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the ever-burning fire that is prepared for the Devil and his [fallen] angels. ⁴² »‘I was hungry and you did not feed me. I was thirsty and you did not give me drink. ⁴³ »‘I was a stranger and you did not take me in. I was naked and you did not dress me. I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ ⁴⁴ »They will also ask: ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison and not minister to you?’

²⁷ »The Son of man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels. He will then reward each man according to his deeds.

¹¹ »When they got it, they protested against the master of the house. ¹² »They said: ‘The last ones have done only one hour’s work. You have made them equal to us. We have undergone the hard work of the day and the burning heat.’ ¹³ »He told them: ‘I do you no wrong. You made an agreement with me for a penny. ¹⁴ »‘Take what is yours and leave. I wish to give to the last workers the same as to you. ¹⁵ »‘Is it lawful for me to do what I wish with what is mine? Or is your eye jealous because I am generous?’

⁴⁵ »The King will answer: ‘To the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of my brothers, you did not do it to me.’ ⁴⁶ »These will go away into ever-burning fire (everlasting cutting off) (death) (total destruction) (doom) (punishment) (everlasting penalty), but the righteous to everlasting life.’«

¹³ »All men will hate you because of my name. He who endures to the end will be saved.

⁶ They were both righteous before God. They blamelessly obeyed all the commandments and ordinances of God (Greek: kurios: God).

¹¹ He answered: »He who has two coats let him give to him who has none. He who has food let him do likewise.«

²⁷ He answered: »Love Jehovah your God with all your heart and with all your life, with all your strength and with all your mind. (Feelings and total existence) (Might and total thinking capacity) And you should love your neighbor as yourself.« (Deuteronomy 6:5) (Leviticus 19:18) ²⁸ He told him: »You answered correctly, do this and you will live.« ²⁹ Desiring to justify himself, he said to Jesus: »Who is my neighbor?«

²⁸ He replied: »More blessed are those who hear the word of God and obey it.«

⁴¹ »Give that which is within as charity. Then all things are clean for you.

³ »It does not! I tell you; if you do not turn from your sins, you will die as they did.

⁵ »It does not! I tell you if you do not turn from your sins, you will die as they did.«

⁶ »You bring it back home. You invite your friends and neighbors together to celebrate. You say, ‘I am so happy I found my lost sheep.’ ⁷ »It is the same. I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine good people who do not need to repent.

¹⁰ »I tell you, it is the same for the angels of God who rejoice over one sinner who repents.«

¹⁷ »Finally it dawned on him, my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat and I am about to starve!

¹⁷ »Finally it dawned on him, my father’s hired workers have more than they can eat and I am about to starve! ¹⁸ »I will go to my father and say: ‘Father I have sinned against God and against you.

¹⁸ »I will go to my father and say: ‘Father I have sinned against God and against you. ¹⁹ »I am not fit to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired workers.’

²² »The father called his servants. He said: ‘Hurry and bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. ²³ »‘Get the prize calf and kill it. Let us celebrate with a feast! ²⁴ »‘My son was dead. Now he is alive. He was lost. Now he has been found. The feasting began.’

³² »‘We had to celebrate and be happy. Your brother was dead. Now he is alive! He was lost and now he has been found!’«

¹³ »When you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind.

⁴ »If you have a hundred sheep and lose one of them, what do you do? You leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the pasture and go looking for the one you lost until you find it. ⁵ »When you find it you are happy. You carry it on your shoulders.

⁸ Zacchaeus stood before Jesus and said: »Lord, I now give half of all my possessions to the poor. If I have defrauded any one I will give back four times the amount taken.«

⁴⁷ »Repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem.

⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples returned to their old ways. They did not walk with him anymore. ⁶⁷ Jesus asked the twelve: »Will you also go away?« ⁶⁸ Simon Peter answered him: »Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of everlasting life! ⁶⁹ »We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.« ⁷⁰ Jesus replied: »Did I not choose you, the twelve? And yet one of you is a devil (false accuser) (slanderer) (demon)«.

²¹ He said: »I go away. You will seek me and will die in your sin. You cannot come where I go.«

²⁴ »I said to you that you would die in your sins. Unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins!«

¹⁷ »If you know these things, you are blessed if you do them.

²¹ »He that has my commandments, and obeys them loves me. My Father will love the person who loves me. I will love him and disclose myself to him.«

¹⁴ »You are my friends if you do the things that I command you.

⁴⁰ They cried out: »Not this man, but Barabbas. Barabbas was a robber.«

⁴⁰ He gave a thorough witness with many words and exhorted them, saying: »Save yourselves from this indecent generation.«

¹⁹ »Repent therefore, and turn around, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times (seasons) of refreshing shall come from the presence of Jehovah. (Deuteronomy 18:18, 19)

⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas became very bold, and said: »It was necessary that the Word of God should first be spoken to you. But seeing you reject it you judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life! Therefore we turn to the people of the nations.

⁶ When they opposed Paul and treated him abusively he shook out his garment and said to them: »Your blood is upon your own heads. I am clean. From now on I will go to the people of the nations.«

²¹ »I witnessed to both Jews and to Greeks about repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

¹⁸ »To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God. They may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’ ¹⁹ »You see, O King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision. ²⁰ »I preached first to Damascus, and to Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the people of the nations, that they should repent and turn to God, and prove their repentance by deeds.

²⁰ »I preached first to Damascus, and to Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the people of the nations, that they should repent and turn to God, and prove their repentance by deeds.

¹⁶ »I exercise myself always, to have a conscience void of offense toward God and toward men.

¹⁷ It reveals the righteousness of God from faith-to-faith for it is written: »The righteous shall live by faith.«

²⁸ They did not like to retain God in their knowledge, so God gave them over to a reprobate (depraved) mind, to do things that are not fitting. ²⁹ They are filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, unforgiving, and unmerciful.

⁵ Thanks to your stubborn and unrepentant heart, you store up wrath for yourself, in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

⁵ Thanks to your stubborn and unrepentant heart, you store up wrath for yourself, in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. ⁶ He will render to each according to his works.

⁶ He will render to each according to his works.

⁶ He will render to each according to his works. ⁷ [He offers] everlasting life for those who search for incorruptible glory and honor by enduring in good works.

⁷ [He offers] everlasting life for those who search for incorruptible glory and honor by enduring in good works.

⁷ [He offers] everlasting life for those who search for incorruptible glory and honor by enduring in good works. ⁸ Those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will receive wrath and indignation.

⁸ Those who are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will receive wrath and indignation. ⁹ [There will be] tribulation and distress on every person who works evil, for the Jew first and for the Greek.

⁹ [There will be] tribulation and distress on every person who works evil, for the Jew first and for the Greek. ¹⁰ [There will be] glory, honor and peace to every one who does good works, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

⁵ If our unrighteousness defines God’s righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? God is not unrighteous when he vents his anger is he? I speak in human terms.

²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift from God is everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

¹ Those who live through (in union with) (because of) Jesus Christ have no condemnation. [They do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.]

¹³ for if you live according to flesh, you are about to die. If by the Spirit, you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.

²⁰ Yes, but you, O man, who are you to answer back to God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it: »Why have you made me this way?« (Isaiah 45:9)

³ They are ignorant of God’s righteousness. They seek to establish their own righteousness and have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

² Do not be conformed to this world (religious, social, political, and economic arrangement). But be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Prove what is the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

¹⁹ We know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law. Every mouth may be stopped and the entire world may become liable to God for punishment. ²⁰ No flesh will be justified before God by works of the law. Knowledge of sin comes from the law.

⁹ Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor people who worship idols, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexuals, ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor covetous (greedy), nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortionists, will inherit the kingdom of God. ¹¹ That is what some of you were. You have been washed clean and now you are sanctified. The Spirit of our God declares you righteous in the name of the Lord Jesus.

¹⁰ We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether it is good or bad. ¹¹ We know what it means to respect the Lord so we persuade others. God knows us and I hope that you know us in your hearts (consciences).

⁷ But as you have plenty of everything, in faith, and speech, and knowledge, and in all earnestness, and in your love for us, see that you have plenty of this undeserved kindness also. ⁸ I speak not by way of commandment, but as proving through the earnestness of others the sincerity also of your love. ⁹ For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that you through his poverty might become rich.

²⁰ But I say, that the things that the nations sacrifice, they sacrifice to demons, and not to God. I do not want you to have fellowship with demons.

⁶ He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly. He who sows bountifully will reap bountifully. ⁷ Let each man do according as he has purposed in his heart: not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver. ⁸ God is able to make all grace abound toward you. You have plenty of everything you need and should abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written: He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor. His righteousness abides forever. ¹⁰ The one who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing, and increase the fruits of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be made rich in everything. And you can be generous on every occasion. This will cause thanksgiving to God through us. ¹² This service not only takes care of the needs of the holy ones, but also abounds with many expressions of thanksgiving to God. ¹³ The proof of this ministry is that they glorify God for the obedience of your confession to the good news of Christ, and for your liberal sharing with them and all men. ¹⁴ They pray for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

⁴ Did you suffer so many things in vain? Does it have no purpose?

¹⁰ Those who are of the works of the Law are under a curse. For it is written, »Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the Law, by obeying them.« ¹¹ The fact that the Law justifies no man before God is evident. The righteous will live by faith. ¹² The Law is not based on faith. »He that does them will live by them.« ¹³ Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. It is written; »Cursed is everyone who is hung on a stake.«

²² But the Scriptures shut up (imprisoned) (pictured) all things (mankind) under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.

⁷ You were running well! Who hindered you that you should not obey the truth?

¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh (sinful human nature) are apparent. They are: fornication, uncleanness, loose conduct, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, wrath, contentions, divisions, sects, ²¹ envies, drunkenness, revelries, and things like these. I forewarn you, even as I did forewarn you, that those who practice such things would not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, ²³ meekness (mildness), self-control; against such there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have impaled the flesh with its passions and lusts.

⁴ Each of you must examine your own actions. Then you can be proud of your own accomplishments without comparing yourself to others. ⁵ For each person should carry his own load.

⁷ Do not be deceived. God is not mocked! A man will harvest what he sows. ⁸ He that sows to his own flesh will harvest corruption of the flesh. But he that sows to the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.

²² You put away your former way (course) (behavior) (conversation) of life, the old self that was corrupt with the lusts of deceit. ²³ You are renewed in the spirit (vital principles) (attitude) of your mind (understanding). ²⁴ Put on the new man, that in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth. ²⁵ Put away falsehood. Speak truth each one of you with his neighbor: for we are members (belonging to) (together with) of one another. ²⁶ Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down upon your anger (rage). ²⁷ Do not give the devil an opportunity. ²⁸ He that steals must steal no more. Let him labor, working with his hands the thing that is good, that he may have something to give to someone in need. ²⁹ Let no corrupt speech proceed out of your mouth. Speak what is good for understanding as the need may be, that it may give grace (divine favor) to those who hear. ³⁰ Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in which (Greek: en hos) (in which) (Greek: hos, he ho) (whereby) (which) you were sealed to the day of release by ransom. ³¹ Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and screaming, and abusive speech, be put away (removed) (expiated) from you, along with all malice. ³² You should be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also forgave you through (by means of) Christ.

⁹ The things that you have learned, received, heard and saw in me; do these things and the God of peace will be with you.

²⁰ I am afraid that I may come and find you different from what I want you to be, and that you may find me different from what you want me to be. I fear that there may be rivalry, jealousy, hot tempers, selfish ambition, slander, gossip, arrogance, and disorderly conduct. ²¹ I am afraid that the next time I come my God will humiliate me in your presence, and I shall weep over many who sinned in the past and have not repented of the uncleanness, fornication and loose conduct that they have practiced.

⁵ Make your members that are upon the earth dead with regard to fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness (greed), which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of such things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. ⁷ You once walked in these when you lived in them. ⁸ Now you also put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech out of your mouth. ⁹ Do not lie to one another, seeing that you got rid of the old self with its evil practices.

¹⁶ Pay attention to yourself and to your teaching. Continue in these things. When you do this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.

¹ Know this also that in the last days perilous (dangerous) times will come. ² For men will be lovers of their own selves, covetous (lovers of money), arrogant, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful (ungrateful), unholy, ³ unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, despisers of those who are good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; ⁵ having a form of godliness, but denying its power. Stay away from people like this!

¹³ I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and a violent aggressor. I was shown mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord abounded exceedingly with faith and love in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Faithful is the saying, and worthy of acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am foremost. ¹⁶ For this I obtained mercy, which in me as the foremost sinner Jesus Christ might show his long-suffering. This is for an example to those who should later believe in him for eternal life.

⁴ It is God’s desire that all men have salvation and come to the full (precise) (accurate) (correct) knowledge (Greek: epignosis: recognition, discernment) of the truth.

¹¹ For the grace (divine influence) of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all men, ¹² instructing us, to the intent that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly and righteously and godly in this present age (world) (period of time). ¹³ Look for the blessed hope and appearance of the glory of the great God. And look for our Savior, Jesus Christ. ¹⁴ He (Jesus Christ) gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify a people for himself, who are special people, zealous for good works.

¹⁴ He (Jesus Christ) gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify a people for himself, who are special people, zealous for good works.

⁴ Those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, ⁵ and have tasted the good Word of God, and the powers of the age to come, ⁶ if they shall fall away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance. This is because they personally impale the Son of God again, and expose him to public shame.

¹² »‘I will forgive their wickedness and I will remember their sins no more.’«

²⁸ So Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. He will appear the second time without sin to those who look to him for their salvation.

³ These sacrifices are an annual reminder of sin. ⁴ It is not possible for the blood of bulls and of goats to take away sins.

²⁶ If we continue to (practice) (deliberately persist in) sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins. ²⁷ But there remains a certain fearful expectation of judgment and a fiery indignation, which will devour God’s enemies. ²⁸ He that despised Moses’ Law died without mercy under two or three witnesses. ²⁹ What about those who despise the Son of God? Those who treat as a cheap thing the blood of God’s covenant that purified them from sin? Those who insult the Spirit of grace? Think how much worse the punishment they deserve will be! ³⁰ We know who said: »Vengeance is mine; I will repay«; and who also said, »Jehovah will judge his people.« (Deuteronomy 32:35) ³¹ It is a dreadful (terrible) thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³⁸ »My righteous people will live by faith. If any of them turn back, I will not be pleased with them.« ³⁹ We are not people who turn back and are destroyed. Instead, we have faith and are saved.

⁹ Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh that corrected us, and we gave them respect. Shall we not much more be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live?

⁴ Let marriage be honorable among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled: for God will judge fornicators and adulterers.

¹⁵ Then evil desires, when conceived, give birth to sin: and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.

¹ Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you. ² Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. ³ Your gold and your silver are rusted. Their corrosion will be for a testimony against you, and will eat your flesh like fire. You stored up your treasure in the last days. ⁴ Behold, the wages of the laborers who harvested your fields, which are held back by you, cry out: and the cries of them that reaped have entered into the ears of Jehovah of Hosts. ⁵ You lived in luxury on the earth, and take your pleasure; you nourished your hearts in a day of slaughter. ⁶ You have condemned, and you have killed the righteous one. He does not resist you.

¹⁴ Live as children of obedience. Do not fashion yourself according to your former lusts, for you were ignorant at that time.

¹⁷ If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time you spend here in reverence. ¹⁸ Know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your fathers. [The redemption] was not with corruptible things like silver or gold,

²² You have purified your hearts by obeying the truth. You have genuine affection for the brothers and sisters. So always love one another intensely (extremely) (deeply) from the heart.

¹ Put away all badness and all deception, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil talk.

⁶ Include self-control with your knowledge. Supply patience to your self-control. Your patience should be helped by godliness. ⁷ Add brotherly kindness to your godliness. And to your brotherly kindness add love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound in you they will keep you from being inactive or unfruitful regarding the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ For he who lacks these qualities is blind, seeing only what is near, having forgotten the cleansing from his old sins. ¹⁰ Brothers, be more diligent to make your calling and election (choosing) sure. If you do (practice) (exercise) (apply) these things, you will never stumble! ¹¹ For in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly (abundantly) supplied to you.

¹⁸ For, uttering arrogant words of vanity, they entice in the desires (lusts) of the flesh, by sensuality (lasciviousness), those who are just escaping from the ones who live in error. ¹⁹ They promise them freedom, while they are bondservants of corruption. A man is brought into bondage by one and enslaved by another. ²⁰ After they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled and overcome; the last state is worse with them than the first. ²¹ For it were better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. ²² It happened to them according to the true proverb: »The dog returns to his own vomit, and the sow that had washed to wallowing in the mire.«

⁹ Jehovah is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness. He is longsuffering (patient) toward you. He does not wish that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

²¹ Therefore get rid of all filthiness and wickedness. Receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save you. ²² Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, who deceive themselves. ²³ For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror. ²⁴ He sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what manner of man he was. ²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and so continues, being not a hearer who forgets but a doer who works, this man will be blessed in what he does.

⁶ You have dishonored the poor man. Do the rich oppress you, and personally drag you into court?

¹⁰ Whoever obeys the whole law and yet stumbles in one point is guilty of breaking all of it. ¹¹ For he who said: »Do not commit adultery,« also said: »Do not murder« (Greek: phoneuo: kill, slay, murder). Now if you do not commit adultery, but you commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. ¹² You should speak and act as men who are to be judged by a law of liberty. ¹³ For judgment is without mercy to him who shows no mercy. And mercy triumphs over judgment.

¹³ For judgment is without mercy to him who shows no mercy. And mercy triumphs over judgment. ¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but he does not have works? Can that faith save him?

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but he does not have works? Can that faith save him?

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith but he does not have works? Can that faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothes and in lack of daily food,

¹⁵ If a brother or sister is without clothes and in lack of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them: »Go in peace, be warmed and filled;« and yet you do not give them food and clothing, what good is it?

¹⁶ and one of you says to them: »Go in peace, be warmed and filled;« and yet you do not give them food and clothing, what good is it? ¹⁷ Even so, faith without works is dead. It is alone and by itself!

¹⁷ Even so, faith without works is dead. It is alone and by itself!

¹⁷ Even so, faith without works is dead. It is alone and by itself! ¹⁸ A man will say: »You have faith and I have works. Show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.« ¹⁹ You believe that there is one God. You do well: the demons also believe, and shudder. ²⁰ Are you willing to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is useless (barren) (lifeless)? ²¹ Was Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? ²² You see that faith acted with his works, and works made faith perfect (complete). ²³ The scripture was fulfilled which says: »Abraham believed Jehovah and it was reckoned (imputed) (considered) (credited) to him for righteousness.« He was called »Jehovah’s friend« (Genesis 15:6) ( Isaiah 41:8). ²⁴ You see that a man is justified (declared and pronounced righteous) by works, and not by faith alone. ²⁵ Rahab the harlot was justified by her works. When she received the messengers she sent them out another way. ²⁶ Just as the body without the spirit is dead; even so faith without works is dead.

²⁶ Just as the body without the spirit is dead; even so faith without works is dead.

⁸ Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded (uncertain) (doubter) (skeptic).

⁸ Draw close to God, and he will draw close to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded (uncertain) (doubter) (skeptic). ⁹ Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves in the presence of God, and he will exalt you.

²⁴ He bore our sins in his body upon the stake, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed because of his wounds (stripes).

² From now on you must live the rest of your earthly lives controlled by God’s will and not by human desires (lusts). ³ You have spent enough time in the past doing what unbelievers like to do. Your lives were spent in indecency, lusts, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and the disgusting worship of idols (false gods). ⁴ They think it strange that you do not run with them in wild and reckless living and they speak evil about you.

⁵ Yes, for this very reason you do your part with all diligence. Supply virtue to your faith. Add knowledge to your virtue.

³ We know that we know him, when we obey his commandments.

¹⁹ They went out from us, but they were not of us. If they had belonged to us, they would have continued with us. But they went out that it made it plain that they all are not of us.

²⁹ If you know that he is righteous you know that every one who practices righteousness is born of him.

⁷ My little children let no man deceive you! He who practices righteousness is righteous, even as he [Christ] is righteous.

¹² We should not be like Cain who was of the evil one, and killed his brother. Why did he murder him? It was because his works were evil, and his brother's were righteous.

¹⁶ By this we know love, because he (Jesus) gave his life for us. We ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. ¹⁷ Whoever has this world's goods and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his compassion from him, how does the love of God dwell in him? ¹⁸ My Little children, let us not love in word, neither with the tongue; but in deed and truth. ¹⁹ By this we shall know we are of the truth, and will assure our heart before him.

²² Whatever we ask we receive from Him because we obey His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.

⁵ »'Think how far you have fallen! Turn from your sins (repent) and do what you did at first. If you do not turn from your sins, I will come to you and remove your lamp stand from its place.

¹⁰ »'Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil (false accuser) (Devil) is about to throw you into prison, that you may be tested. You will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful even if you must die, and I will give you the crown of life.

¹⁶ »'Turn away from your sins! If you do not repent I will come to you soon. And I will fight against those people with the sword that comes out of my mouth.

²¹ »'I gave her time to repent, and she does not want to repent of her immorality. ²² »'Watch this! I am going to throw her into a sickbed. Those who commit sexual sins with her will also suffer much trouble, unless they repent and turn away from what she is doing. ²³ »'I will kill her children with deadly plague. Then all the congregations will know that I am the one who searches hearts and minds. I will reward each of you for what you have done.

²³ »'I will kill her children with deadly plague. Then all the congregations will know that I am the one who searches hearts and minds. I will reward each of you for what you have done.

¹¹ »'I come quickly: hold fast what you have so that no one will take your crown.

¹² I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God. The books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged according to the things written in the books, according to their works.

² This is how we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do his commandments. ³ For this is the love of God, that we obey his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. ⁴ Everything born from God conquers the world. This is the victory that has conquered the world, even our faith. ⁵ Who is the one who conquers (overcomes) (prevails over) the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

¹⁶ If any man see his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he will ask, and God will give him life for them that sin not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I do not say that he should make request concerning this. ¹⁷ All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not leading to death. ¹⁸ We know that no one who is born of God practices sin. He who was born from God watches over himself, and the evil one does not touch him.

⁸ Watch yourselves that you do not lose the things that we worked to produce. You may receive a full reward.

¹² These men are hidden rocks in your love feasts when they feast (entertain) with you. They are shepherds that without fear feed themselves. They are clouds without water, carried along by winds. They are autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots.

¹² »'Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work.

¹² »'Behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give to every man according as his work. ¹³ »'I am the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. ¹⁴ »'Blessed are those who obey his commandments. They have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city.

¹⁴ »'Blessed are those who obey his commandments. They have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates of the city. ¹⁵ »'Outside are the dogs (impure men) and those who practice spiritism, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who tells lies.'