Proverbs 24 Cross References - WEB

¹ Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them; ² for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief. ³ Through wisdom a house is built; by understanding it is established; ⁴ by knowledge the rooms are filled with all rare and beautiful treasure. ⁵ A wise man has great power; and a knowledgeable man increases strength; ⁶ for by wise guidance you wage your war; and victory is in many advisors. ⁷ Wisdom is too high for a fool. He doesn’t open his mouth in the gate. ⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer. ⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men. ¹⁰ If you falter in the time of trouble, your strength is small. ¹¹ Rescue those who are being led away to death! Indeed, hold back those who are staggering to the slaughter! ¹² If you say, “Behold, we didn’t know this,” doesn’t he who weighs the hearts consider it? He who keeps your soul, doesn’t he know it? Shall he not render to every man according to his work? ¹³ My son, eat honey, for it is good, the droppings of the honeycomb, which are sweet to your taste; ¹⁴ so you shall know wisdom to be to your soul. If you have found it, then there will be a reward: Your hope will not be cut off. ¹⁵ Don’t lay in wait, wicked man, against the habitation of the righteous. Don’t destroy his resting place; ¹⁶ for a righteous man falls seven times and rises up again; but the wicked are overthrown by calamity. ¹⁷ Don’t rejoice when your enemy falls. Don’t let your heart be glad when he is overthrown, ¹⁸ lest Yahweh see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. ¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked; ²⁰ for there will be no reward to the evil man. The lamp of the wicked will be snuffed out. ²¹ My son, fear Yahweh and the king. Don’t join those who are rebellious; ²² for their calamity will rise suddenly. Who knows what destruction may come from them both? ²³ These also are sayings of the wise. To show partiality in judgment is not good. ²⁴ He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” peoples will curse him, and nations will abhor him— ²⁵ but it will go well with those who convict the guilty, and a rich blessing will come on them. ²⁶ An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. ²⁷ Prepare your work outside, and get your fields ready. Afterwards, build your house. ²⁸ Don’t be a witness against your neighbor without cause. Don’t deceive with your lips. ²⁹ Don’t say, “I will do to him as he has done to me; I will repay the man according to his work.” ³⁰ I went by the field of the sluggard, by the vineyard of the man void of understanding: ³¹ Behold, it was all grown over with thorns. Its surface was covered with nettles, and its stone wall was broken down. ³² Then I saw, and considered well. I saw, and received instruction: ³³ a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep, ³⁴ so your poverty will come as a robber and your want as an armed man.

¹⁰ Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that it was well-watered everywhere, before Yahweh destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of Yahweh, like the land of Egypt, as you go to Zoar. ¹¹ So Lot chose the Plain of the Jordan for himself. Lot traveled east, and they separated themselves from one other. ¹² Abram lived in the land of Canaan, and Lot lived in the cities of the plain, and moved his tent as far as Sodom. ¹³ Now the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinners against Yahweh.

¹ The two angels came to Sodom at evening. Lot sat in the gate of Sodom. Lot saw them, and rose up to meet them. He bowed himself with his face to the earth, ² and he said, “See now, my lords, please come into your servant’s house, stay all night, wash your feet, and you can rise up early, and go on your way.” They said, “No, but we will stay in the street all night.” ³ He urged them greatly, and they came in with him, and entered into his house. He made them a feast, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate. ⁴ But before they lay down, the men of the city, the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter. ⁵ They called to Lot, and said to him, “Where are the men who came in to you this night? Bring them out to us, that we may have sex with them.” ⁶ Lot went out to them through the door, and shut the door after himself. ⁷ He said, “Please, my brothers, don’t act so wickedly. ⁸ See now, I have two virgin daughters. Please let me bring them out to you, and you may do to them what seems good to you. Only don’t do anything to these men, because they have come under the shadow of my roof.” ⁹ They said, “Stand back!” Then they said, “This one fellow came in to live as a foreigner, and he appoints himself a judge. Now we will deal worse with you than with them!” They pressed hard on the man Lot, and came near to break the door. ¹⁰ But the men reached out their hand, and brought Lot into the house to them, and shut the door. ¹¹ They struck the men who were at the door of the house with blindness, both small and great, so that they wearied themselves to find the door.

⁹ Don’t gather my soul with sinners, nor my life with bloodthirsty men;

¹ By David. Don’t fret because of evildoers, neither be envious against those who work unrighteousness.

⁷ Rest in Yahweh, and wait patiently for him. Don’t fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who makes wicked plots happen.

³ For I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

¹¹ If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lay in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause. ¹² Let’s swallow them up alive like Sheol, and whole, like those who go down into the pit. ¹³ We’ll find all valuable wealth. We’ll fill our houses with plunder. ¹⁴ You shall cast your lot among us. We’ll all have one purse.” ¹⁵ My son, don’t walk on the path with them. Keep your foot from their path,

³¹ Don’t envy the man of violence. Choose none of his ways.

²⁰ One who walks with wise men grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm.

¹⁷ Don’t let your heart envy sinners, but rather fear Yahweh all day long.

¹⁹ Don’t fret yourself because of evildoers, neither be envious of the wicked;

¹⁹ Now the deeds of the flesh are obvious, which are: adultery, sexual immorality, uncleanness, lustfulness, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, hatred, strife, jealousies, outbursts of anger, rivalries, divisions, heresies, ²¹ envy, murders, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these; of which I forewarn you, even as I also forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit God’s Kingdom.

⁵ Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, “The Spirit who lives in us yearns jealously”? ⁶ But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”

⁹ David knew that Saul was devising mischief against him; and he said to Abiathar the priest, “Bring the ephod here.”

⁶ But he scorned the thought of laying hands on Mordecai alone, for they had made known to him Mordecai’s people. Therefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even Mordecai’s people. ⁷ In the first month, which is the month Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur, that is, the lot, before Haman from day to day, and from month to month, and chose the twelfth month, which is the month Adar.

³⁵ They conceive mischief, and produce iniquity. Their heart prepares deceit.”

¹⁴ Behold, he travails with iniquity. Yes, he has conceived mischief, and brought out falsehood.

⁷ His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, and oppression. Under his tongue is mischief and iniquity.

³ Don’t draw me away with the wicked, with the workers of iniquity who speak peace with their neighbors, but mischief is in their hearts.

⁴ He plots iniquity on his bed. He sets himself in a way that is not good. He doesn’t abhor evil.

⁴ to shoot innocent men from ambushes. They shoot at him suddenly and fearlessly. ⁵ They encourage themselves in evil plans. They talk about laying snares secretly. They say, “Who will see them?” ⁶ They plot injustice, saying, “We have made a perfect plan!” Surely man’s mind and heart are cunning.

² those who devise mischief in their hearts. They continually gather themselves together for war.

¹⁴ in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.

⁸ One who plots to do evil will be called a schemer.

⁴ No one sues in righteousness, and no one pleads in truth. They trust in vanity, and speak lies. They conceive mischief, and give birth to iniquity.

³ Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe; and the powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.

³ Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas. ⁴ They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.

²⁰ Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus, ²¹ but they shouted, saying, “Crucify! Crucify him!”

¹⁰ and said, “You son of the devil, full of all deceit and all cunning, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?

²⁶ Let your name be magnified forever, saying, ‘Yahweh of Armies is God over Israel; and the house of your servant David will be established before you.’

¹ Wisdom has built her house. She has carved out her seven pillars.

¹ Every wise woman builds her house, but the foolish one tears it down with her own hands.

¹² God has made the earth by his power. He has established the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding has he stretched out the heavens.

⁹ For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building.

⁷ rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

²² Solomon’s provision for one day was thirty cors of fine flour, sixty measures of meal, ²³ ten head of fat cattle, twenty head of cattle out of the pastures, and one hundred sheep, in addition to deer, and gazelles, and roebucks, and fattened fowl. ²⁴ For he had dominion over all on this side the River, from Tiphsah even to Gaza, over all the kings on this side the River: and he had peace on all sides around him. ²⁵ Judah and Israel lived safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon. ²⁶ Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen. ²⁷ Those officers provided food for king Solomon, and for all who came to king Solomon’s table, every man in his month. They let nothing be lacking. ²⁸ They also brought Barley and straw for the horses and swift steeds to the place where the officers were, each man according to his duty.

²⁵ Over the king’s treasures was Azmaveth the son of Adiel: and over the treasures in the fields, in the cities, and in the villages, and in the towers, was Jonathan the son of Uzziah; ²⁶ Over those who did the work of the field for tillage of the ground was Ezri the son of Chelub; ²⁷ and over the vineyards was Shimei the Ramathite; and over the increase of the vineyards for the wine cellars was Zabdi the Shiphmite; ²⁸ and over the olive trees and the sycamore trees that were in the lowland was Baal Hanan the Gederite; and over the cellars of oil was Joash; ²⁹ and over the herds that fed in Sharon was Shitrai the Sharonite; and over the herds that were in the valleys was Shaphat the son of Adlai; ³⁰ and over the camels was Obil the Ishmaelite; and over the donkeys was Jehdeiah the Meronothite; and over the flocks was Jaziz the Hagrite. ³¹ All these were the rulers of the property which was king David’s.

² Now I have prepared with all my might for the house of my God the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, the bronze for the things of bronze, iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood; also onyx stones, stones to be set, stones for inlaid work, of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and marble stones in abundance. ³ In addition, because I have set my affection on the house of my God, since I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, I give it to the house of my God, over and above all that I have prepared for the holy house, ⁴ even three thousand talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of refined silver, with which to overlay the walls of the houses; ⁵ of gold for the things of gold, and of silver for the things of silver, and for all kinds of work to be made by the hands of artisans. Who then offers willingly to consecrate himself today to Yahweh?” ⁶ Then the princes of the fathers’ households, and the princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and of hundreds, with the rulers over the king’s work, offered willingly; ⁷ and they gave for the service of God’s house of gold five thousand talents and ten thousand darics, of silver ten thousand talents, of bronze eighteen thousand talents, and of iron one hundred thousand talents. ⁸ People with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of Yahweh’s house, under the hand of Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ Then the people rejoiced, because they offered willingly, because with a perfect heart they offered willingly to Yahweh; and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.

¹⁸ Thus Solomon made all these vessels in great abundance; for the weight of the bronze could not be determined. ¹⁹ Solomon made all the vessels that were in God’s house, the golden altar also, and the tables with the show bread on them; ²⁰ and the lamp stands with their lamps, to burn according to the ordinance before the inner sanctuary, of pure gold; ²¹ and the flowers, the lamps, and the tongs of gold that was perfect gold; ²² and the snuffers, the basins, the spoons, and the fire pans of pure gold. As for the entry of the house, its inner doors for the most holy place and the doors of the main hall of the temple were of gold.

⁴ He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. ⁵ He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who had understanding in the vision of God; and as long as he sought Yahweh, God made him prosper. ⁶ He went out and fought against the Philistines, and broke down the wall of Gath, the wall of Jabneh, and the wall of Ashdod; and he built cities in the country of Ashdod, and among the Philistines. ⁷ God helped him against the Philistines, and against the Arabians who lived in Gur Baal, and the Meunim. ⁸ The Ammonites gave tribute to Uzziah. His name spread abroad even to the entrance of Egypt; for he grew exceedingly strong. ⁹ Moreover Uzziah built towers in Jerusalem at the corner gate, at the valley gate, and at the turning of the wall, and fortified them. ¹⁰ He built towers in the wilderness, and dug out many cisterns, for he had much livestock; in the lowland also, and in the plain. He had farmers and vineyard keepers in the mountains and in the fruitful fields, for he loved farming. ¹¹ Moreover Uzziah had an army of fighting men, who went out to war by bands, according to the number of their reckoning made by Jeiel the scribe and Maaseiah the officer, under the hand of Hananiah, one of the king’s captains.

³⁹ For the children of Israel and the children of Levi shall bring the wave offering of the grain, of the new wine, and of the oil, to the rooms, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, and the priests who minister, with the gatekeepers and the singers. We will not forsake the house of our God.

⁵ had prepared for him a great room, where before they laid the meal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers; and the wave offerings for the priests. ⁶ But in all this, I was not at Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king; and after some days I asked leave of the king, ⁷ and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a room in the courts of God’s house. ⁸ It grieved me severely. Therefore I threw all Tobiah’s household stuff out of the room. ⁹ Then I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms. I brought into them the vessels of God’s house, with the meal offerings and the frankincense again. ¹⁰ I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled to his field. ¹¹ Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place. ¹² Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the treasuries. ¹³ I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their business was to distribute to their brothers.

²¹ that I may give wealth to those who love me. I fill their treasuries.

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

¹⁵ There is gold and abundance of rubies, but the lips of knowledge are a rare jewel.

²⁰ There is precious treasure and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man swallows it up.

²³ Know well the state of your flocks, and pay attention to your herds: ²⁴ for riches are not forever, nor does the crown endure to all generations. ²⁵ The hay is removed, and the new growth appears, the grasses of the hills are gathered in. ²⁶ The lambs are for your clothing, and the goats are the price of a field. ²⁷ There will be plenty of goats’ milk for your food, for your family’s food, and for the nourishment of your servant girls.

⁵² He said to them, “Therefore every scribe who has been made a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man who is a householder, who brings out of his treasure new and old things.”

⁷ They go from strength to strength. Every one of them appears before God in Zion.

¹⁴ Counsel and sound knowledge are mine. I have understanding and power.

²⁹ The way of Yahweh is a stronghold to the upright, but it is a destruction to the workers of iniquity.

²² A wise man scales the city of the mighty, and brings down the strength of its confidence.

¹⁹ Wisdom is a strength to the wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city.

¹⁴ There was a little city, and few men within it; and a great king came against it, besieged it, and built great bulwarks against it. ¹⁵ Now a poor wise man was found in it, and he by his wisdom delivered the city; yet no man remembered that same poor man. ¹⁶ Then I said, “Wisdom is better than strength.” Nevertheless the poor man’s wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. ¹⁷ The words of the wise heard in quiet are better than the cry of him who rules among fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner destroys much good.

³¹ but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.

¹¹ strengthened with all power, according to the might of his glory, for all endurance and perseverance with joy,

¹⁴ Where there is no wise guidance, the nation falls, but in the multitude of counselors there is victory.

²² Where there is no counsel, plans fail; but in a multitude of counselors they are established.

¹⁸ Plans are established by advice; by wise guidance you wage war!

³¹ Or what king, as he goes to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand?

²⁵ Every man who strives in the games exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to receive a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. ²⁶ I therefore run like that, not aimlessly. I fight like that, not beating the air, ²⁷ but I beat my body and bring it into submission, lest by any means, after I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected.

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord, and in the strength of his might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. ¹² For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world’s rulers of the darkness of this age, and against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. ¹³ Therefore put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand therefore, having the utility belt of truth buckled around your waist, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having fitted your feet with the preparation of the Good News of peace, ¹⁶ above all, taking up the shield of faith, with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the evil one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ with all prayer and requests, praying at all times in the Spirit, and being watchful to this end in all perseverance and requests for all the saints: ¹⁹ on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in opening my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Good News, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

¹¹ But you, man of God, flee these things, and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. ¹² Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you confessed the good confession in the sight of many witnesses.

⁷ I have fought the good fight. I have finished the course. I have kept the faith.

⁴ His children are far from safety. They are crushed in the gate. Neither is there any to deliver them,

⁷ when I went out to the city gate, when I prepared my seat in the street. ⁸ The young men saw me and hid themselves. The aged rose up and stood. ⁹ The princes refrained from talking, and laid their hand on their mouth. ¹⁰ The voice of the nobles was hushed, and their tongue stuck to the roof of their mouth. ¹¹ For when the ear heard me, then it blessed me; and when the eye saw me, it commended me: ¹² Because I delivered the poor who cried, and the fatherless also, who had no one to help him, ¹³ the blessing of him who was ready to perish came on me, and I caused the widow’s heart to sing for joy. ¹⁴ I put on righteousness, and it clothed me. My justice was as a robe and a diadem. ¹⁵ I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame. ¹⁶ I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know. ¹⁷ I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth. ¹⁸ Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand. ¹⁹ My root is spread out to the waters. The dew lies all night on my branch. ²⁰ My glory is fresh in me. My bow is renewed in my hand.’ ²¹ “Men listened to me, waited, and kept silence for my counsel. ²² After my words they didn’t speak again. My speech fell on them. ²³ They waited for me as for the rain. Their mouths drank as with the spring rain. ²⁴ I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face. ²⁵ I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.

²¹ if I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, because I saw my help in the gate,

⁵ His ways are prosperous at all times. He is arrogant, and your laws are far from his sight. As for all his adversaries, he sneers at them.

⁵ How great are your works, Yahweh! Your thoughts are very deep. ⁶ A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this:

⁶ A scoffer seeks wisdom, and doesn’t find it, but knowledge comes easily to a discerning person.

²⁴ The path of life leads upward for the wise, to keep him from going downward to Sheol.

²⁴ Wisdom is before the face of one who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool wander to the ends of the earth.

²² Don’t exploit the poor, because he is poor; and don’t crush the needy in court;

⁸ Open your mouth for the mute, in the cause of all who are left desolate. ⁹ Open your mouth, judge righteously, and serve justice to the poor and needy.”

²¹ who cause a person to be indicted by a word, and lay a snare for one who reproves in the gate, and who deprive the innocent of justice with false testimony.

¹⁰ They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks blamelessly.

¹² For I know how many are your offenses, and how great are your sins— you who afflict the just, who take a bribe, and who turn away the needy in the courts.

¹⁵ Hate evil, love good, and establish justice in the courts. It may be that Yahweh, the God of Armies, will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.”

¹⁴ Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him, and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

⁴⁴ The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wickedness that you did to David my father. Therefore Yahweh will return your wickedness on your own head.

¹¹ For they intended evil against you. They plotted evil against you which cannot succeed.

¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief,

²² Don’t they go astray who plot evil? But love and faithfulness belong to those who plan good.

² for their hearts plot violence and their lips talk about mischief.

⁹ The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men.

⁷ However he doesn’t mean so, neither does his heart think so; but it is in his heart to destroy, and to cut off not a few nations. ⁸ For he says, “Aren’t all of my princes kings? ⁹ Isn’t Calno like Carchemish? Isn’t Hamath like Arpad? Isn’t Samaria like Damascus?” ¹⁰ As my hand has found the kingdoms of the idols, whose engraved images exceeded those of Jerusalem and of Samaria; ¹¹ shall I not, as I have done to Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols? ¹² Therefore it will happen that when the Lord has performed his whole work on Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, I will punish the fruit of the willful proud heart of the king of Assyria, and the insolence of his arrogant looks. ¹³ For he has said, “By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom; for I have understanding. I have removed the boundaries of the peoples, and have robbed their treasures. Like a valiant man I have brought down their rulers.

⁷ The ways of the scoundrel are evil. He devises wicked plans to destroy the humble with lying words, even when the needy speaks right.

¹⁰ “‘The Lord Yahweh says: “It will happen in that day that things will come into your mind, and you will devise an evil plan. ¹¹ You will say, ‘I will go up to the land of unwalled villages. I will go to those who are at rest, who dwell securely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,

¹¹ There is one gone out of you, who devises evil against Yahweh, who counsels wickedness.

³⁰ backbiters, hateful to God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,

⁵ Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of man’s heart was continually only evil.

²¹ Yahweh smelled the pleasant aroma. Yahweh said in his heart, “I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake because the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth. I will never again strike every living thing, as I have done.

¹¹³ SAMEKH I hate double-minded men, but I love your law.

¹⁰ Drive out the mocker, and strife will go out; yes, quarrels and insults will stop.

⁷ for as he thinks about the cost, so he is. “Eat and drink!” he says to you, but his heart is not with you.

⁸ Mockers stir up a city, but wise men turn away anger.

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

¹⁴ Jerusalem, wash your heart from wickedness, that you may be saved. How long will your evil thoughts lodge within you?

²⁸ but I tell you that everyone who gazes at a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.

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

¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

²² Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

⁵ throwing down imaginations and every high thing that is exalted against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,

¹ David said in his heart, “I will now perish one day by the hand of Saul. There is nothing better for me than that I should escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul will despair of me, to seek me any more in all the borders of Israel. So shall I escape out of his hand.”

⁵ But now it has come to you, and you faint. It touches you, and you are troubled.

²⁸ Haven’t you known? Haven’t you heard? The everlasting God, Yahweh, the Creator of the ends of the earth, doesn’t faint. He isn’t weary. His understanding is unsearchable. ²⁹ He gives power to the weak. He increases the strength of him who has no might. ³⁰ Even the youths faint and get weary, and the young men utterly fall; ³¹ but those who wait for Yahweh will renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like eagles. They will run, and not be weary. They will walk, and not faint.

⁴⁶ Don’t let your heart faint. Don’t fear for the news that will be heard in the land. For news will come one year, and after that in another year news will come, and violence in the land, ruler against ruler.

⁸ For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.

¹ Therefore seeing we have this ministry, even as we obtained mercy, we don’t faint.

¹³ Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory.

³ For consider him who has endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, that you don’t grow weary, fainting in your souls. ⁴ You have not yet resisted to blood, striving against sin. ⁵ You have forgotten the exhortation which reasons with you as with children, “My son, don’t take lightly the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by him;

³ You have perseverance and have endured for my name’s sake, and have not grown weary.

¹³ “I know your works and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is. You hold firmly to my name, and didn’t deny my faith in the days of Antipas my witness, my faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

⁸ Then Abishai said to David, “God has delivered up your enemy into your hand today. Now therefore please let me strike him with the spear to the earth at one stroke, and I will not strike him the second time.” ⁹ David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him; for who can stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?”

¹⁷ I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth.

⁴ Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”

⁶ “Isn’t this the fast that I have chosen: to release the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and that you break every yoke? ⁷ Isn’t it to distribute your bread to the hungry, and that you bring the poor who are cast out to your house? When you see the naked, that you cover him; and that you not hide yourself from your own flesh?

³¹ By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side. ³² In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

²³ But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed. ²⁴ Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done. ²⁵ He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.

¹⁷ Then all the Greeks seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. Gallio didn’t care about any of these things.

³¹ As they were trying to kill him, news came up to the commanding officer of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. ³² Immediately he took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them. They, when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, stopped beating Paul.

¹⁰ When a great argument arose, the commanding officer, fearing that Paul would be torn in pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force from among them, and bring him into the barracks.

²³ He called to himself two of the centurions, and said, “Prepare two hundred soldiers to go as far as Caesarea, with seventy horsemen, and two hundred men armed with spears, at the third hour of the night.” ²⁴ He asked them to provide animals, that they might set Paul on one, and bring him safely to Felix the governor. ²⁵ He wrote a letter like this: ²⁶ “Claudius Lysias to the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings. ²⁷ “This man was seized by the Jews, and was about to be killed by them, when I came with the soldiers and rescued him, having learned that he was a Roman. ²⁸ Desiring to know the cause why they accused him, I brought him down to their council. ²⁹ I found him to be accused about questions of their law, but not to be charged with anything worthy of death or of imprisonment. ³⁰ When I was told that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him to you immediately, charging his accusers also to bring their accusations against him before you. Farewell.” ³¹ So the soldiers, carrying out their orders, took Paul and brought him by night to Antipatris. ³² But on the next day they left the horsemen to go with him, and returned to the barracks. ³³ When they came to Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him. ³⁴ When the governor had read it, he asked what province he was from. When he understood that he was from Cilicia, he said, ³⁵ “I will hear you fully when your accusers also arrive.” He commanded that he be kept in Herod’s palace.

¹⁶ By this we know love, because he laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷ But whoever has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, then closes his heart of compassion against him, how does God’s love remain in him?

⁶ “Yahweh kills and makes alive. He brings down to Sheol and brings up.

⁷ But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Don’t look on his face, or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for I don’t see as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”

²⁹ Though men may rise up to pursue you, and to seek your soul, yet the soul of my lord will be bound in the bundle of life with Yahweh your God. He will sling out the souls of your enemies, as from the hollow of a sling.

¹¹ For the work of a man he will render to him, and cause every man to find according to his ways.

⁹ Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; their minds and hearts are searched by the righteous God.

³ You have proved my heart. You have visited me in the night. You have tried me, and found nothing. I have resolved that my mouth shall not disobey.

²¹ won’t God search this out? For he knows the secrets of the heart.

¹² Also to you, Lord, belongs loving kindness, for you reward every man according to his work.

⁹ who preserves our life among the living, and doesn’t allow our feet to be moved.

³ He will not allow your foot to be moved. He who keeps you will not slumber.

⁸ Yahweh will keep your going out and your coming in, from this time forward, and forever more.

²¹ For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes. He examines all his paths.

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

⁸ If you see the oppression of the poor, and the violent taking away of justice and righteousness in a district, don’t marvel at the matter, for one official is eyed by a higher one, and there are officials over them.

¹⁰ “I, Yahweh, search the mind. I try the heart, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

¹⁹ great in counsel, and mighty in work; whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of men, to give everyone according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings;

²³ but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways.

²⁷ For the Son of Man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he will render to everyone according to his deeds.

²⁸ ‘For in him we live, move, and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also his offspring.’

⁶ who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:”

¹⁶ in the day when God will judge the secrets of men, according to my Good News, by Jesus Christ.

⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each man will get his praise from God.

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

¹² For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

¹⁸ and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forever and ever. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.

¹⁸ “To the angel of the assembly in Thyatira write: “The Son of God, who has his eyes like a flame of fire, and his feet are like burnished brass, says these things:

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

¹² I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵ If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire.

¹² “Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.

¹⁰ They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb.

¹⁰³ How sweet are your promises to my taste, more than honey to my mouth!

¹⁶ Have you found honey? Eat as much as is sufficient for you, lest you eat too much, and vomit it.

²⁷ It is not good to eat much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.

¹¹ Your lips, my bride, drip like the honeycomb. Honey and milk are under your tongue. The smell of your garments is like the smell of Lebanon.

¹ I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride. I have gathered my myrrh with my spice; I have eaten my honeycomb with my honey; I have drunk my wine with my milk. Friends Eat, friends! Drink, yes, drink abundantly, beloved.

¹⁵ He shall eat butter and honey when he knows to refuse the evil and choose the good.

⁴ Now John himself wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.

¹⁰ They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. ¹¹ Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward.

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

¹ My son, if you will receive my words, and store up my commandments within you, ² so as to turn your ear to wisdom, and apply your heart to understanding; ³ yes, if you call out for discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding; ⁴ if you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hidden treasures: ⁵ then you will understand the fear of Yahweh, and find the knowledge of God.

¹⁰ For wisdom will enter into your heart. Knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.

¹³ Happy is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gets understanding. ¹⁴ For her good profit is better than getting silver, and her return is better than fine gold. ¹⁵ She is more precious than rubies. None of the things you can desire are to be compared to her. ¹⁶ Length of days is in her right hand. In her left hand are riches and honor. ¹⁷ Her ways are ways of pleasantness. All her paths are peace. ¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her. Happy is everyone who retains her.

¹⁸ For it is a pleasant thing if you keep them within you, if all of them are ready on your lips.

¹⁸ Indeed surely there is a future hope, and your hope will not be cut off.

¹⁶ Your words were found, and I ate them. Your words were to me a joy and the rejoicing of my heart, for I am called by your name, Yahweh, God of Armies.

²¹ Jesus said to him, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.”

²⁵ But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

¹¹ As they went up the ascent to the city, they found young maidens going out to draw water, and said to them, “Is the seer here?”

¹⁸ The king said to Doeg, “Turn and attack the priests!” Doeg the Edomite turned, and he attacked the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five people who wore a linen ephod. ¹⁹ He struck Nob, the city of the priests, with the edge of the sword, both men and women, children and nursing babies, and cattle and donkeys and sheep, with the edge of the sword.

²⁰ Now therefore, O king, come down. According to all the desire of your soul to come down; and our part will be to deliver him up into the king’s hand.” ²¹ Saul said, “You are blessed by Yahweh; for you have had compassion on me. ²² Please go make yet more sure, and know and see his place where his haunt is, and who has seen him there; for I have been told that he is very cunning. ²³ See therefore, and take knowledge of all the lurking places where he hides himself, and come again to me with certainty, and I will go with you. It shall happen, if he is in the land, that I will search him out among all the thousands of Judah.”

⁸ He lies in wait near the villages. From ambushes, he murders the innocent. His eyes are secretly set against the helpless. ⁹ He lurks in secret as a lion in his ambush. He lies in wait to catch the helpless. He catches the helpless when he draws him in his net. ¹⁰ The helpless are crushed. They collapse. They fall under his strength.

³² The wicked watch the righteous, and seek to kill him.

⁶ They conspire and lurk, watching my steps. They are eager to take my life.

³ For, behold, they lie in wait for my soul. The mighty gather themselves together against me, not for my disobedience, nor for my sin, Yahweh.

⁵ The proud have hidden a snare for me, they have spread the cords of a net by the path. They have set traps for me. Selah.

¹¹ If they say, “Come with us. Let’s lay in wait for blood. Let’s lurk secretly for the innocent without cause.

²⁸ Don’t move the ancient boundary stone which your fathers have set up.

¹⁸ My people will live in a peaceful habitation, in safe dwellings, and in quiet resting places,

¹⁹ But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter. I didn’t know that they had devised plans against me, saying, “Let’s destroy the tree with its fruit, and let’s cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.”

⁴ They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.

²⁴ but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

¹⁶ But Paul’s sister’s son heard they were lying in wait, and he came and entered into the barracks and told Paul.

³ asking a favor against him, that he would summon him to Jerusalem; plotting to kill him on the way.

¹⁰ David said, “As Yahweh lives, Yahweh will strike him; or his day shall come to die; or he shall go down into battle and perish.

⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it.

¹⁰ So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king’s wrath was pacified.

¹⁹ He will deliver you in six troubles; yes, in seven no evil will touch you.

¹⁶ The trouble he causes shall return to his own head. His violence shall come down on the crown of his own head.

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

²⁴ Though he stumble, he shall not fall, for Yahweh holds him up with his hand.

⁵ God will likewise destroy you forever. He will take you up, and pluck you out of your tent, and root you out of the land of the living. Selah.

¹⁷ A wicked messenger falls into trouble, but a trustworthy envoy gains healing.

³² The wicked is brought down in his calamity, but in death, the righteous has a refuge.

¹⁴ Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble. ¹⁵ As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people. ¹⁶ A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days. ¹⁷ A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him. ¹⁸ Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.

² “The virgin of Israel has fallen; She shall rise no more. She is cast down on her land; there is no one to raise her up.”

¹⁴ Those who swear by the sin of Samaria, and say, ‘As your god, Dan, lives;’ and, ‘As the way of Beersheba lives;’ they will fall, and never rise up again.”

⁸ Don’t rejoice against me, my enemy. When I fall, I will arise. When I sit in darkness, Yahweh will be a light to me. ⁹ I will bear the indignation of Yahweh, because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my case, and executes judgment for me. He will bring me out to the light. I will see his righteousness. ¹⁰ Then my enemy will see it, and shame will cover her who said to me, where is Yahweh your God? Then my enemy will see me and will cover her shame. Now she will be trodden down like the mire of the streets.

²³ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him, because he didn’t give God the glory. Then he was eaten by worms and died.

⁸ For we don’t desire to have you uninformed, brothers, concerning our affliction which happened to us in Asia, that we were weighed down exceedingly, beyond our power, so much that we despaired even of life. ⁹ Yes, we ourselves have had the sentence of death within ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead, ¹⁰ who delivered us out of so great a death, and does deliver; on whom we have set our hope that he will also still deliver us;

⁸ We are pressed on every side, yet not crushed; perplexed, yet not to despair; ⁹ pursued, yet not forsaken; struck down, yet not destroyed; ¹⁰ always carrying in the body the putting to death of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. ¹¹ For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus may be revealed in our mortal flesh. ¹² So then death works in us, but life in you.

²³ Are they servants of Christ? (I speak as one beside himself.) I am more so: in labors more abundantly, in prisons more abundantly, in stripes above measure, and in deaths often. ²⁴ Five times I received forty stripes minus one from the Jews. ²⁵ Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I suffered shipwreck. I have been a night and a day in the deep. ²⁶ I have been in travels often, perils of rivers, perils of robbers, perils from my countrymen, perils from the Gentiles, perils in the city, perils in the wilderness, perils in the sea, perils among false brothers; ²⁷ in labor and travail, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, and in cold and nakedness.

³ For when they are saying, “Peace and safety,” then sudden destruction will come on them, like birth pains on a pregnant woman. Then they will in no way escape.

²⁰ “Rejoice over her, O heaven, you saints, apostles, and prophets; for God has judged your judgment on her.” ²¹ A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone and cast it into the sea, saying, “Thus with violence will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down, and will be found no more at all.

²⁵ When their hearts were merry, they said, “Call for Samson, that he may entertain us.” They called for Samson out of the prison; and he performed before them. They set him between the pillars;

⁵ When king David came to Bahurim, behold, a man of the family of Saul’s house came out, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera. He came out and cursed as he came. ⁶ He cast stones at David, and at all the servants of king David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. ⁷ Shimei said when he cursed, “Be gone, be gone, you man of blood, and wicked fellow! ⁸ Yahweh has returned on you all the blood of Saul’s house, in whose place you have reigned! Yahweh has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son! Behold, you are caught by your own mischief, because you are a man of blood!” ⁹ Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please let me go over and take off his head.” ¹⁰ The king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? Because he curses, and because Yahweh has said to him, ‘Curse David;’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” ¹¹ David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, “Behold, my son, who came out of my bowels, seeks my life. How much more this Benjamite, now? Leave him alone, and let him curse; for Yahweh has invited him. ¹² It may be that Yahweh will look on the wrong done to me, and that Yahweh will repay me good for the cursing of me today.” ¹³ So David and his men went by the way; and Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him, and cursed as he went, threw stones at him, and threw dust. ¹⁴ The king, and all the people who were with him, came weary; and he refreshed himself there.

²⁹ “If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him

¹⁵ But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

¹⁹ Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

¹⁰ As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

⁵ Whoever mocks the poor reproaches his Maker. He who is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished.

¹² But don’t look down on your brother in the day of his disaster, and don’t rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction. Don’t speak proudly in the day of distress.

⁶ doesn’t rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

²¹ Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, that dwells in the land of Uz. The cup will pass through to you also. You will be drunken, and will make yourself naked. ²² The punishment of your iniquity is accomplished, daughter of Zion. He will no more carry you away into captivity. He will visit your iniquity, daughter of Edom. He will uncover your sins.

¹⁵ I am very angry with the nations that are at ease; for I was but a little displeased, but they added to the calamity.” ¹⁶ Therefore Yahweh says: “I have returned to Jerusalem with mercy. My house shall be built in it,” says Yahweh of Armies, “and a line shall be stretched out over Jerusalem.”’

²⁶ He spoke to the congregation, saying, “Depart, please, from the tents of these wicked men, and touch nothing of theirs, lest you be consumed in all their sins!”

¹ Blessed is the man who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand on the path of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers;

⁴ I have not sat with deceitful men, neither will I go in with hypocrites. ⁵ I hate the assembly of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.

¹¹⁵ Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.

¹ Don’t be envious of evil men, neither desire to be with them;

¹⁷ Therefore “‘Come out from among them, and be separate,’ says the Lord. ‘Touch no unclean thing. I will receive you.

¹¹ Have no fellowship with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but rather even reprove them.

² For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ³ without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, fierce, not lovers of good, ⁴ traitors, headstrong, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, ⁵ holding a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Turn away from these, also.

⁴ I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you have no participation in her sins, and that you don’t receive of her plagues, ⁵ “Yes, the light of the wicked will be put out. The spark of his fire won’t shine. ⁶ The light will be dark in his tent. His lamp above him will be put out.

¹⁷ “How often is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out, that their calamity comes on them, that God distributes sorrows in his anger?

¹⁷ The wicked shall be turned back to Sheol, even all the nations that forget God.

⁶ On the wicked he will rain blazing coals; fire, sulfur, and scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

⁹ The light of the righteous shines brightly, but the lamp of the wicked is snuffed out.

²⁰ Whoever curses his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in blackness of darkness.

¹¹ Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; for the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him.

¹² but the children of the Kingdom will be thrown out into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

⁸ The foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’

¹³ wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.

³¹ Israel saw the great work which Yahweh did to the Egyptians, and the people feared Yahweh; and they believed in Yahweh and in his servant Moses.

¹ Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, with Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took some men. ² They rose up before Moses, with some of the children of Israel, two hundred fifty princes of the congregation, called to the assembly, men of renown. ³ They assembled themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said to them, “You take too much on yourself, since all the congregation are holy, everyone of them, and Yahweh is among them! Why do you lift yourselves up above Yahweh’s assembly?”

⁵ They said to him, “Behold, you are old, and your sons don’t walk in your ways. Now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.” ⁶ But the thing displeased Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” Samuel prayed to Yahweh. ⁷ Yahweh said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they tell you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected me as the king over them.

¹² “When you saw that Nahash the king of the children of Ammon came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us;’ when Yahweh your God was your king. ¹³ Now therefore see the king whom you have chosen, and whom you have asked for. Behold, Yahweh has set a king over you. ¹⁴ If you will fear Yahweh, and serve him, and listen to his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then both you and also the king who reigns over you are followers of Yahweh your God. ¹⁵ But if you will not listen to Yahweh’s voice, but rebel against the commandment of Yahweh, then Yahweh’s hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers. ¹⁶ “Now therefore stand still and see this great thing, which Yahweh will do before your eyes. ¹⁷ Isn’t it wheat harvest today? I will call to Yahweh, that he may send thunder and rain; and you will know and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in Yahweh’s sight, in asking for a king.” ¹⁸ So Samuel called to Yahweh; and Yahweh sent thunder and rain that day. Then all the people greatly feared Yahweh and Samuel. ¹⁹ All the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to Yahweh your God, that we not die; for we have added to all our sins this evil, to ask for a king.”

⁶ He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.”

¹³ A messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.” ¹⁴ David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise! Let’s flee; or else none of us will escape from Absalom. Hurry to depart, lest he overtake us quickly, and bring down evil on us, and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” ¹⁵ The king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king chooses.” ¹⁶ The king went out, and all his household after him. The king left ten women, who were concubines, to keep the house. ¹⁷ The king went out, and all the people after him; and they stayed in Beth Merhak. ¹⁸ All his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men who came after him from Gath, passed on before the king. ¹⁹ Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Return, and stay with the king; for you are a foreigner, and also an exile. Return to your own place. ²⁰ Whereas you came but yesterday, should I today make you go up and down with us, since I go where I may? Return, and take back your brothers. Mercy and truth be with you.” ²¹ Ittai answered the king, and said, “As Yahweh lives, and as my lord the king lives, surely in what place my lord the king is, whether for death or for life, your servant will be there also.” ²² David said to Ittai, “Go and pass over.” Ittai the Gittite passed over, and all his men, and all the little ones who were with him. ²³ All the country wept with a loud voice, and all the people passed over. The king also himself passed over the brook Kidron, and all the people passed over, toward the way of the wilderness. ²⁴ Behold, Zadok also came, and all the Levites with him, bearing the ark of the covenant of God; and they set down God’s ark; and Abiathar went up, until all the people finished passing out of the city. ²⁵ The king said to Zadok, “Carry God’s ark back into the city. If I find favor in Yahweh’s eyes, he will bring me again, and show me both it, and his habitation; ²⁶ but if he says, ‘I have no delight in you;’ behold, here I am. Let him do to me as seems good to him.” ²⁷ The king said also to Zadok the priest, “Aren’t you a seer? Return into the city in peace, and your two sons with you, Ahimaaz your son, and Jonathan the son of Abiathar. ²⁸ Behold, I will stay at the fords of the wilderness, until word comes from you to inform me.” ²⁹ Zadok therefore and Abiathar carried God’s ark to Jerusalem again; and they stayed there. ³⁰ David went up by the ascent of the Mount of Olives, and wept as he went up; and he had his head covered, and went barefoot. All the people who were with him each covered his head, and they went up, weeping as they went up. ³¹ Someone told David, saying, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” David said, “Yahweh, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.” ³² When David had come to the top, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with his tunic torn, and earth on his head. ³³ David said to him, “If you pass on with me, then you will be a burden to me; ³⁴ but if you return to the city, and tell Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O king. As I have been your father’s servant in time past, so I will now be your servant; then will you defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.’ ³⁵ Don’t you have Zadok and Abiathar the priests there with you? Therefore whatever you hear out of the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. ³⁶ Behold, they have there with them their two sons, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son. Send to me everything that you shall hear by them.” ³⁷ So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city; and Absalom came into Jerusalem.

¹⁶ When all Israel saw that the king didn’t listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We don’t have an inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, Israel! Now see to your own house, David.” So Israel departed to their tents.

² I say, “Keep the king’s command!” because of the oath to God. ³ Don’t be hasty to go out of his presence. Don’t persist in an evil thing, for he does whatever pleases him, ⁴ for the king’s word is supreme. Who can say to him, “What are you doing?” ⁵ Whoever keeps the commandment shall not come to harm, and his wise heart will know the time and procedure.

²¹ They said to him, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Give therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

¹ Let every soul be in subjection to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those who exist are ordained by God. ² Therefore he who resists the authority withstands the ordinance of God; and those who withstand will receive to themselves judgment. ³ For rulers are not a terror to the good work, but to the evil. Do you desire to have no fear of the authority? Do that which is good, and you will have praise from the authority, ⁴ for he is a servant of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid, for he doesn’t bear the sword in vain; for he is a servant of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil. ⁵ Therefore you need to be in subjection, not only because of the wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. ⁶ For this reason you also pay taxes, for they are servants of God’s service, continually doing this very thing. ⁷ Therefore give everyone what you owe: if you owe taxes, pay taxes; if customs, then customs; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

¹ Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work,

¹³ Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme; ¹⁴ or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: ¹⁶ as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.

³¹ As he finished speaking all these words, the ground that was under them split apart. ³² The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all of Korah’s men, and all their goods. ³³ So they, and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol. The earth closed on them, and they perished from among the assembly. ³⁴ All Israel that were around them fled at their cry; for they said, “Lest the earth swallow us up!” ³⁵ Fire came out from Yahweh, and devoured the two hundred fifty men who offered the incense.

¹ Now the Philistines fought against Israel; and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and fell down slain on Mount Gilboa. ² The Philistines overtook Saul and his sons; and the Philistines killed Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malchishua, the sons of Saul. ³ The battle went hard against Saul, and the archers overtook him; and he was greatly distressed by reason of the archers. ⁴ Then Saul said to his armor bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and abuse me!” But his armor bearer would not; for he was terrified. Therefore Saul took his sword, and fell on it. ⁵ When his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he likewise fell on his sword, and died with him. ⁶ So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor bearer, and all his men, that same day together. ⁷ When the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley, and those who were beyond the Jordan, saw that the men of Israel fled, and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned the cities and fled; and the Philistines came and lived in them.

⁷ The people of Israel were struck there before David’s servants, and there was a great slaughter there that day of twenty thousand men. ⁸ For the battle was there spread over the surface of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword devoured.

¹⁶ The children of Israel fled before Judah, and God delivered them into their hand. ¹⁷ Abijah and his people killed them with a great slaughter, so five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell down slain.

¹¹ Who knows the power of your anger, your wrath according to the fear that is due to you?

¹⁴ The king’s wrath is a messenger of death, but a wise man will pacify it.

² The terror of a king is like the roaring of a lion. He who provokes him to anger forfeits his own life.

¹¹ Ephraim is oppressed, he is crushed in judgment; Because he is intent in his pursuit of idols.

¹⁰ Where is your king now, that he may save you in all your cities? And your judges, of whom you said, ‘Give me a king and princes’? ¹¹ I have given you a king in my anger, and have taken him away in my wrath.

¹⁵ “‘You shall do no injustice in judgment. You shall not be partial to the poor, nor show favoritism to the great; but you shall judge your neighbor in righteousness.

¹⁷ You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be afraid of the face of man, for the judgment is God’s. The case that is too hard for you, you shall bring to me, and I will hear it.”

¹⁹ You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

⁷ Now therefore let the fear of Yahweh be on you. Take heed and do it; for there is no iniquity with Yahweh our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of bribes.”

² “How long will you judge unjustly, and show partiality to the wicked?” Selah. ³ “Defend the weak, the poor, and the fatherless. Maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. ⁴ Rescue the weak and needy. Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.”

⁴³ Whoever is wise will pay attention to these things. They will consider the loving kindnesses of Yahweh.

⁶ to understand a proverb, and parables, the words and riddles of the wise.

⁵ To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.

¹⁷ Turn your ear, and listen to the words of the wise. Apply your heart to my teaching.

²¹ To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.

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

⁹ Who is wise, that he may understand these things? Who is prudent, that he may know them? For the ways of Yahweh are right, and the righteous walk in them; But the rebellious stumble in them.

²⁴ Don’t judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment.”

²⁰ Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear. ²¹ I command you in the sight of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.

⁴ haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts? ⁵ Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? ⁶ But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.

¹⁷ If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear,

⁶ “You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. ⁷ “Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous; for I will not justify the wicked.

²⁶ People curse someone who withholds grain, but blessing will be on the head of him who sells it.

¹⁵ He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

²⁷ One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.

¹⁰ “Don’t slander a servant to his master, lest he curse you, and you be held guilty.

²⁰ Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

²³ who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice for the innocent!

²⁴ “They will go out, and look at the dead bodies of the men who have transgressed against me; for their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

¹³ “For from their least even to their greatest, everyone is given to covetousness. From the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely. ¹⁴ They have healed also the hurt of my people superficially, saying, ‘Peace, peace!’ when there is no peace.

¹⁰ Therefore I will give their wives to others and their fields to those who will possess them. For everyone from the least even to the greatest is given to covetousness; from the prophet even to the priest everyone deals falsely. ¹¹ They have healed the hurt of the daughter of my people slightly, saying, “Peace, peace,” when there is no peace.

²² Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive.

¹⁷ “‘You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your neighbor, and not bear sin because of him.

¹³ For I have told him that I will judge his house forever for the iniquity which he knew, because his sons brought a curse on themselves, and he didn’t restrain them.

¹⁹ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “Have you killed and also taken possession?”’ You shall speak to him, saying, ‘Yahweh says, “In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth, dogs will lick your blood, even yours.”’” ²⁰ Ahab said to Elijah, “Have you found me, my enemy?” He answered, “I have found you, because you have sold yourself to do that which is evil in Yahweh’s sight.

⁷ Then I consulted with myself, and contended with the nobles and the rulers, and said to them, “You exact usury, everyone of his brother.” I held a great assembly against them. ⁸ I said to them, “We, after our ability, have redeemed our brothers the Jews that were sold to the nations; and would you even sell your brothers, and should they be sold to us?” Then they held their peace, and found not a word to say. ⁹ Also I said, “The thing that you do is not good. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?

⁸ It grieved me severely. Therefore I threw all Tobiah’s household stuff out of the room. ⁹ Then I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms. I brought into them the vessels of God’s house, with the meal offerings and the frankincense again. ¹⁰ I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled to his field. ¹¹ Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

¹⁷ Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?

²⁵ I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

²⁸ One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.

¹⁶ I was a father to the needy. I researched the cause of him whom I didn’t know. ¹⁷ I broke the jaws of the unrighteous and plucked the prey out of his teeth. ¹⁸ Then I said, ‘I will die in my own house, I will count my days as the sand.

²³ One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.

⁴ For John said to him, “It is not lawful for you to have her.”

²⁰ Those who sin, reprove in the sight of all, that the rest also may be in fear.

² preach the word; be urgent in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort with all patience and teaching.

¹³ This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith,

¹⁵ Say these things and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one despise you.

³⁸ Pharaoh said to his servants, “Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?” ³⁹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Because God has shown you all of this, there is no one so discreet and wise as you. ⁴⁰ You shall be over my house. All my people will be ruled according to your word. Only in the throne I will be greater than you.” ⁴¹ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Behold, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.” ⁴² Pharaoh took off his signet ring from his hand, and put it on Joseph’s hand, and arrayed him in robes of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck. ⁴³ He made him ride in the second chariot which he had. They cried before him, “Bow the knee!” He set him over all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁴ Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. Without you, no man shall lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Egypt.” ⁴⁵ Pharaoh called Joseph’s name Zaphenath-Paneah. He gave him Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On as a wife. Joseph went out over the land of Egypt. ⁴⁶ Joseph was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh king of Egypt. Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went throughout all the land of Egypt. ⁴⁷ In the seven plenteous years the earth produced abundantly. ⁴⁸ He gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities. He stored food in each city from the fields around that city. ⁴⁹ Joseph laid up grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he stopped counting, for it was without number. ⁵⁰ To Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera priest of On, bore to him. ⁵¹ Joseph called the name of the firstborn Manasseh, “For”, he said, “God has made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” ⁵² The name of the second, he called Ephraim: “For God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction.” ⁵³ The seven years of plenty, that were in the land of Egypt, came to an end. ⁵⁴ The seven years of famine began to come, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all lands, but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. ⁵⁵ When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread, and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph. What he says to you, do.” ⁵⁶ The famine was over all the surface of the earth. Joseph opened all the store houses, and sold to the Egyptians. The famine was severe in the land of Egypt. ⁵⁷ All countries came into Egypt, to Joseph, to buy grain, because the famine was severe in all the earth.

²⁵ How forcible are words of uprightness! But your reproof, what does it reprove?

²³ Joy comes to a man with the reply of his mouth. How good is a word at the right time!

¹ The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from Yahweh.

¹¹ A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver. ¹² As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover to an obedient ear.

⁴⁶ Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, worshiped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors to him. ⁴⁷ The king answered to Daniel, and said, “Of a truth your God is the God of gods, and the Lord of kings, and a revealer of secrets, since you have been able to reveal this secret.” ⁴⁸ Then the king made Daniel great, and gave him many great gifts, and made him rule over the whole province of Babylon, and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.

¹⁷ Jesus answered them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” They marveled greatly at him. ¹⁸ Some Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to him. They asked him, saying,

³² The scribe said to him, “Truly, teacher, you have said well that he is one, and there is none other but he, ³³ and to love him with all the heart, and with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor as himself, is more important than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” ³⁴ When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from God’s Kingdom.” No one dared ask him any question after that.

¹⁷ The king commanded, and they cut out large stones, costly stones, to lay the foundation of the house with worked stone. ¹⁸ Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders and the Gebalites cut them, and prepared the timber and the stones to build the house.

⁷ The house, when it was under construction, was built of stone prepared at the quarry; and no hammer or ax or any tool of iron was heard in the house while it was under construction.

²⁸ For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doesn’t first sit down and count the cost, to see if he has enough to complete it? ²⁹ Or perhaps, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, everyone who sees begins to mock him, ³⁰ saying, ‘This man began to build, and wasn’t able to finish.’

¹⁶ “You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.

¹ “You shall not spread a false report. Don’t join your hand with the wicked to be a malicious witness.

⁹ Then Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, answered and said, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub. ¹⁰ He inquired of Yahweh for him, gave him food, and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.”

⁹ She wrote in the letters, saying, “Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. ¹⁰ Set two men, wicked fellows, before him, and let them testify against him, saying, ‘You cursed God and the king!’ Then carry him out, and stone him to death.” ¹¹ The men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who lived in his city, did as Jezebel had instructed them in the letters which she had written and sent to them. ¹² They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. ¹³ The two men, the wicked fellows, came in and sat before him. The wicked fellows testified against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth cursed God and the king!” Then they carried him out of the city and stoned him to death with stones.

³ Yahweh said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him in the earth, a blameless and an upright man, one who fears God, and turns away from evil. He still maintains his integrity, although you incited me against him, to ruin him without cause.”

⁷ For without cause they have hidden their net in a pit for me. Without cause they have dug a pit for my soul.

¹¹ Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

¹ For the Chief Musician. A contemplation by David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, “David has come to Ahimelech’s house.” Why do you boast of mischief, mighty man? God’s loving kindness endures continually.

⁵ A truthful witness will not lie, but a false witness pours out lies.

⁵ A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who pours out lies shall not go free.

⁹ A false witness shall not be unpunished. He who utters lies shall perish.

²⁸ A false witness will perish. A man who listens speaks to eternity.

¹⁸ A man who gives false testimony against his neighbor is like a club, a sword, or a sharp arrow.

⁵⁹ Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death; ⁶⁰ and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward,

²³ But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”

²⁵ But this happened so that the word may be fulfilled which was written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’

²⁵ Therefore putting away falsehood, speak truth each one with his neighbor. For we are members of one another.

⁹ Don’t lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old man with his doings,

⁸ But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

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

¹¹ Then three thousand men of Judah went down to the cave in Etam’s rock, and said to Samson, “Don’t you know that the Philistines are rulers over us? What then is this that you have done to us?” He said to them, “As they did to me, so I have done to them.”

²² Absalom spoke to Amnon neither good nor bad; for Absalom hated Amnon, because he had forced his sister Tamar. ²³ After two full years, Absalom had sheep shearers in Baal Hazor, which is beside Ephraim: and Absalom invited all the king’s sons. ²⁴ Absalom came to the king, and said, “See now, your servant has sheep shearers. Please let the king and his servants go with your servant.” ²⁵ The king said to Absalom, “No, my son, let’s not all go, lest we be burdensome to you.” He pressed him; however he would not go, but blessed him. ²⁶ Then Absalom said, “If not, please let my brother Amnon go with us.” The king said to him, “Why should he go with you?” ²⁷ But Absalom pressed him, and he let Amnon and all the king’s sons go with him. ²⁸ Absalom commanded his servants, saying, “Mark now, when Amnon’s heart is merry with wine; and when I tell you, ‘Strike Amnon,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I commanded you? Be courageous, and be valiant!”

²² Don’t say, “I will pay back evil.” Wait for Yahweh, and he will save you.

²¹ If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat. If he is thirsty, give him water to drink; ²² for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and Yahweh will reward you.

³⁹ But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also. ⁴⁰ If anyone sues you to take away your coat, let him have your cloak also. ⁴¹ Whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. ⁴² Give to him who asks you, and don’t turn away him who desires to borrow from you. ⁴³ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ ⁴⁴ But I tell you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who mistreat you and persecute you,

¹⁷ Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. ¹⁸ If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. ¹⁹ Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” ²⁰ Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” ²¹ Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

¹⁵ See that no one returns evil for evil to anyone, but always follow after that which is good for one another and for all.

⁸ According to what I have seen, those who plow iniquity, and sow trouble, reap the same.

²⁷ Look at this. We have searched it. It is so. Hear it, and know it for your good.”

¹⁷ “I will show you, listen to me; that which I have seen I will declare

²⁵ I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his children begging for bread.

⁴² The upright will see it, and be glad. All the wicked will shut their mouths.

⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise; ⁷ which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, ⁸ provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. ⁹ How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? ¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ¹¹ so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man. ¹² A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth, ¹³ who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers, ¹⁴ in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord. ¹⁵ Therefore his calamity will come suddenly. He will be broken suddenly, and that without remedy. ¹⁶ There are six things which Yahweh hates; yes, seven which are an abomination to him: ¹⁷ arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, ¹⁸ a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are swift in running to mischief, ¹⁹ a false witness who utters lies, and he who sows discord among brothers.

³² He who commits adultery with a woman is void of understanding. He who does it destroys his own soul.

¹³ Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has discernment, but a rod is for the back of him who is void of understanding.

¹¹ He who tills his land shall have plenty of bread, but he who chases fantasies is void of understanding.

¹ Then I returned and saw all the oppressions that are done under the sun: and behold, the tears of those who were oppressed, and they had no comforter; and on the side of their oppressors there was power; but they had no comforter. ² Therefore I praised the dead who have been long dead more than the living who are yet alive. ³ Yes, better than them both is him who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil work that is done under the sun. ⁴ Then I saw all the labor and achievement that is the envy of a man’s neighbor. This also is vanity and a striving after wind. ⁵ The fool folds his hands together and ruins himself. ⁶ Better is a handful, with quietness, than two handfuls with labor and chasing after wind. ⁷ Then I returned and saw vanity under the sun. ⁸ There is one who is alone, and he has neither son nor brother. There is no end to all of his labor, neither are his eyes satisfied with wealth. “For whom then, do I labor and deprive my soul of enjoyment?” This also is vanity. Yes, it is a miserable business.

¹⁵ All this I have seen in my days of vanity: there is a righteous man who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked man who lives long in his evildoing.

⁹ All this I have seen, and applied my mind to every work that is done under the sun. There is a time in which one man has power over another to his hurt. ¹⁰ So I saw the wicked buried. Indeed they came also from holiness. They went and were forgotten in the city where they did this. This also is vanity. ¹¹ Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

¹⁷ To Adam he said, “Because you have listened to your wife’s voice, and ate from the tree, about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ the ground is cursed for your sake. You will eat from it with much labor all the days of your life. ¹⁸ It will yield thorns and thistles to you; and you will eat the herb of the field. ¹⁹ You will eat bread by the sweat of your face until you return to the ground, for you were taken out of it. For you are dust, and you shall return to dust.”

⁴⁰ let briers grow instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.” The words of Job are ended.

²³ The fear of Yahweh leads to life, then contentment; he rests and will not be touched by trouble.

⁴ The sluggard will not plow by reason of the winter; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have nothing.

¹³ The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside! I will be killed in the streets!”

²¹ for the drunkard and the glutton shall become poor; and drowsiness clothes them in rags.

¹⁸ By slothfulness the roof sinks in; and through idleness of the hands the house leaks.

⁵ Now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its hedge, and it will be eaten up. I will break down its wall, and it will be trampled down.

³ For Yahweh says to the men of Judah and to Jerusalem, “Break up your fallow ground, and don’t sow among thorns.

⁷ Others fell among thorns. The thorns grew up and choked them.

²² What was sown among the thorns, this is he who hears the word, but the cares of this age and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

⁸ but if it bears thorns and thistles, it is rejected and near being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

¹¹ All Israel shall hear, and fear, and shall not do any more wickedness like this among you.

²¹ All the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones. So you shall remove the evil from among you. All Israel shall hear, and fear.

²⁹ Oh that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!

¹⁷ What is man, that you should magnify him, that you should set your mind on him,

⁴ Stand in awe, and don’t sin. Search your own heart on your bed, and be still. Selah.

¹⁹ But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart.

⁵¹ And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth. He was subject to them, and his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.

⁶ Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

¹¹ Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come.

⁵ Now I desire to remind you, though you already know this, that the Lord, having saved a people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who didn’t believe. ⁶ Angels who didn’t keep their first domain, but deserted their own dwelling place, he has kept in everlasting bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day. ⁷ Even as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, having in the same way as these given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are shown as an example, suffering the punishment of eternal fire.

⁴ Give no sleep to your eyes, nor slumber to your eyelids. ⁵ Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler. ⁶ Go to the ant, you sluggard. Consider her ways, and be wise; ⁷ which having no chief, overseer, or ruler, ⁸ provides her bread in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. ⁹ How long will you sleep, sluggard? When will you arise out of your sleep? ¹⁰ A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: ¹¹ so your poverty will come as a robber, and your scarcity as an armed man.

¹¹ Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed.

¹⁴ Therefore he says, “Awake, you who sleep, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

⁶ so then let’s not sleep, as the rest do, but let’s watch and be sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep in the night; and those who are drunk are drunk in the night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let’s be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet, the hope of salvation.

⁴ He becomes poor who works with a lazy hand, but the hand of the diligent brings wealth.

⁴ The soul of the sluggard desires, and has nothing, but the desire of the diligent shall be fully satisfied.