Ecclesiastes 7 Cross References - LEB

¹ A good name is better than precious ointment, and the day of death is better than the day of one's birth. ² Better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for death is the end of every person, and the living should take it to his heart. ³ Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of countenance the heart is made good. ⁴ The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. ⁵ Better to listen to the rebuke of the wise than for a man to listen to the song of fools. ⁶ Like the sound of thorns under a pot, so also the laughter of fools. This also is vanity! ⁷ Surely oppression makes a fool of the wise, and a bribe corrupts the heart. ⁸ The end of a matter is better than its beginning; _⌊better to be slow to anger than hot-headed_⌋.* ⁹ Do not be quick in your spirit to anger, for anger lodges in the bosom of fools. ¹⁰ Do not say, "Why were the former days better than these?" For it is not from wisdom that you ask this. ¹¹ Wisdom is good with an inheritance; _⌊it benefits the living_⌋.* ¹² _⌊For wisdom offers protection like money offers protection_⌋.* But knowledge has an advantage—wisdom restores life to its possessor. ¹³ Consider the work of God. For who is able to make straight what he made crooked? ¹⁴ In the day of prosperity, rejoice! But in the day of adversity, consider! For God made one in place of another so that mortals cannot find out what will happen _⌊in the future_⌋.* ¹⁵ I have seen all these things in my vain life: Sometimes a righteous man perishes in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked man lives a long life in spite of his evil. ¹⁶ Do not be excessively* righteous, and do not act excessively wise, lest you destroy yourself. ¹⁷ Do not act excessively wicked, and do not be a fool, lest you die before your time. ¹⁸ It is good to take hold of the one and also must not let go of the other; for whoever fears God will hold both of them secure. ¹⁹ Wisdom gives more strength to the wise than ten rulers who are in the city. ²⁰ Surely there is no one righteous on the earth who continually does good and never sins. ²¹ Do not pay attention to everything people say, lest you hear your own servant curse you. ²² For your heart knows that you also have cursed others many times. ²³ All this I have tested with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise!" but _⌊it was beyond my grasp_⌋.* ²⁴ _⌊Whatever is—it is far beyond comprehension_⌋.* Who can discover it? ²⁵ I set my mind to try to seek wisdom and the plan, and to know that wickedness is foolishness and that folly is delusion. ²⁶ I myself found that more bitter than death is the woman who is a trap, whose heart is a snare, and whose hands are bonds. The one who pleases God escapes from her, but the sinner is caught by her. ²⁷ "Look! I found this," said the Teacher,* "while trying to find how the plan fits together. ²⁸ What my heart sought, I did not find. Although I found one righteous man among one thousand, I did not find one upright woman among all these. ²⁹ Look! This alone I found: God made mankind upright, but they have devised many schemes."

¹⁷ There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the _⌊weary_⌋* are at rest;

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

³⁰ From the light of the eyes, the heart* will rejoice, and good news will enliven the bones.*

¹ A _⌊reputation_⌋* is to be chosen _⌊rather than_⌋* great riches; _⌊favor is better than silver and gold_⌋.*

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

² So I deemed the dead who have already died more fortunate than the living who are still alive.

¹ Dead flies cause a bad smell and ruin* the ointment of the perfumer. So also a little folly outweighs wisdom and honor.

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

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

⁵ And I will give them a monument and a name in my house and within my walls, better than sons and daughters; I will give him an everlasting name that shall not be cut off.

¹ The righteous one perishes, and there is no one who takes* it to heart. And men of faithfulness are gathered, while there is no one who understands, for the righteous is gathered from the presence of wickedness. ² he enters into peace; they will rest on their beds, walking straight ahead of him.

²⁰ Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are inscribed in heaven."

² And as* a dinner was taking place, when* the devil had already put into the heart of Judas son of Simon Iscariot that he should betray him,

¹ For we know that if our earthly house, the tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made by hands, eternal in the heavens.

⁸ so we are confident and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

²¹ For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain. ²² But if it is to live in the flesh, this is fruitful work for me, and which I will prefer I do not know. ²³ But I am hard pressed _⌊between the two options_⌋*, having the desire to depart and to be with Christ, _⌊for this is very much better_⌋*.

² For by this the people of old were approved.

³⁹ And although they* all were approved* through their faith, they did not receive what was promised,

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write:
'Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!'"
"Yes," says the Spirit, "in order that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow after them."

¹ And it happened that after these things, it was said to Joseph, "Behold, your father is ill." And he took his two sons with him, Ephraim and Manasseh. ² And it was told to Jacob, "Behold, your son Joseph has come to you." Then Israel strengthened himself and he sat up in the bed. ³ Then Jacob said to Joseph, "El-Shaddai* appeared to me in Luz, in the land of Canaan, and blessed me, ⁴ and said to me, 'Behold, I will make you fruitful and make you numerous, and will make you a company of nations. And I will give this land to your offspring after you as an everlasting possession.' ⁵ And now, your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt before my coming to you in Egypt, are mine. Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine as Reuben and Simeon are. ⁶ And your children whom you father after them shall be yours. By the name of their brothers they shall be called, with respect to their inheritance. ⁷ As for me, when I came to Paddan-Aram Rachel died _⌊to my sorrow_⌋* in the land of Canaan on the way when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath. And I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem)." ⁸ When Israel saw the sons of Joseph he said, "Who are these?" ⁹ Then Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons whom God has given me here." And he said, "Please bring them to me that I may bless them." ¹⁰ Now the eyes of Israel were dim* on account of old age; he was not able to see. So he brought them near to him, and he kissed them and embraced them. ¹¹ And Israel said to Joseph, "I did not expect to see your face and behold, God has also shown me your offspring." ¹² Then Joseph removed them from his knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. ¹³ And Joseph took the two of them, Ephraim at his right to the left of Israel, and Manasseh at his left to the right of Israel. And he brought them near to him. ¹⁴ And Israel stretched out his right hand and put it on the head of Ephraim (now he was the younger), and his left hand on the head of Manasseh, crossing his hands, for Manasseh was the firstborn. ¹⁵ And he blessed Joseph and said,
"The God before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, walked, The God who shepherded me _⌊all my life_⌋* unto this day, ¹⁶ The angel who redeemed me from all evil, may he bless the boys. And through them let my name be perpetuated,* and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac. And let them multiply into many in the midst of the earth. ¹⁷ When Joseph saw that his father put his right hand on the head of Ephraim, he was displeased. And he took hold of his father's hand to remove it from the head of Ephraim over to the head of Manasseh. ¹⁸ And Joseph said to his father, "Not so, my father; because this one is the firstborn. Put your right hand upon his head." ¹⁹ But his father refused and said, "I know, my son; I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great, but his younger brother shall be greater than him, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations." ²⁰ So he blessed them that day, saying,
Through you Israel shall pronounce blessing, saying, 'May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.'"
So he put Ephraim before Manasseh. ²¹ And Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you back to the land of your ancestors.* ²² And I have given to you one slope of land rather than your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites by my sword and with my bow."

² Assemble and hear, O sons of Jacob! Listen to Israel your father! ³ Reuben, you are my firstborn, my strength, and the firstfruit of my vigor, excelling in rank and excelling in power. ⁴ Unstable* as water, you shall not excel any longer, for you went up upon the bed of your father, then defiled it. You went up upon my couch! ⁵ Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords. Let me* not come into their council. ⁶ Let not my person* be joined to their company. For in their anger they killed men, and at their pleasure they hamstrung cattle. ⁷ Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their wrath, for it is cruel. I will divide them in Jacob, and I will scatter them in Israel. ⁸ Judah, as for you, your brothers shall praise you. Your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies. The sons of your father shall bow down to you. ⁹ Judah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bowed down; he crouched like a lion and as a lioness. Who shall rouse him? ¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff between his feet, until Shiloh comes. And to him shall be the obedience of nations. ¹¹ Binding his donkey to the vine and his donkey's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in the wine and his garment in the blood of grapes. ¹² The eyes are darker than wine, and the teeth whiter than milk. ¹³ Zebulun shall settle by the shore of the sea. He shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon. ¹⁴ Issachar is a strong donkey, crouching between the sheepfolds. ¹⁵ He saw a resting place that was good, and land that was pleasant. So he bowed his shoulder to the burden and became a servant of forced labor. ¹⁶ Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. ¹⁷ Dan shall be a serpent on the way, a viper on the road that bites the heels of a horse, so that its rider falls backward. ¹⁸ I wait for your salvation, O Yahweh. ¹⁹ Bandits shall attack Gad, but he shall attack their heels. ²⁰ Asher's food is delicious, and he shall provide from the king's delicacies. ²¹ Naphtali is a doe running free that puts forth beautiful words. ²² Joseph is the bough* of a fruitful vine, a fruitful bough* by a spring. His branches climb over the wall. ²³ _⌊The archers_⌋* fiercely attacked him. They shot arrows at him and were hostile to him. ²⁴ But his bow remained in a steady position; _⌊his arms_⌋* were made agile by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob. From there is the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel. ²⁵ Because of the God of your father he will help you and by Shaddai* he will bless you with the blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouches beneath, blessings of the breasts and the womb. ²⁶ The blessings of your father are superior to the blessings of my ancestors, to the bounty of the everlasting hills. May they be on the head of Joseph, and on the forehead of the prince of his brothers. ²⁷ Benjamin is a devouring wolf, devouring the prey in the morning, and dividing the plunder in the evening. ²⁸ All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father said to them when he blessed them, each according to their blessing. ²⁹ Then he instructed them and said to them, "I am about to be gathered to my people. Bury me among my ancestors* in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, ³⁰ in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah that is before* Mamre in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite as a burial site. ³¹ There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife. And there I buried Leah— ³² the purchase of the field and the cave which was in it from the Hittites." ³³ When Jacob finished instructing his sons he drew his feet up to the bed. Then he took his last breath and was gathered to his people.

¹⁵ And when the brothers of Joseph saw that their father was dead, they said, "It may be that Joseph will hold a grudge against us and pay us back dearly for all the evil that we did to him." ¹⁶ So they sent word to Joseph saying, "Your father commanded us before his death, saying, ¹⁷ "Thus you must say to Joseph, 'O, please now forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did evil to you.' So now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father." And Joseph wept when they spoke to him.

¹⁰ Who can count the dust of Jacob, or as a number the fourth part of Israel? Let my life die the death of an upright person, and let my end be like his!"

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

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

⁴ And his sons used to go and hold a feast _⌊at each other's house_⌋* on his day, and they would send, and they would invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. ⁵ _⌊Then when_⌋* the days of the feast had run their course, _⌊Job would send_⌋,* and he would sanctify them. Thus* he would arise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of all of them, because Job thought,* "Perhaps my children have sinned and _⌊cursed_⌋* God in their heart." This is what Job used to do _⌊all the time_⌋.*

¹² So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

¹¹ Ah! Those who rise early in the morning, they pursue strong drink. Those who linger in the evening, wine inflames them. ¹² And there will be lyre and harp, tambourine and flute, and wine at their feasts, but they do not look at the deeds* of Yahweh, and they do not see the work of his hands.

¹² And the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, called on that day
for weeping and mourning, and for baldness and girding _⌊with_⌋* sackcloth. ¹³ But look! Joy and gladness, the killing of oxen* and the slaughtering of sheep, the eating of meat and the drinking of wine! "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!" ¹⁴ And it was revealed in my ears by Yahweh of hosts:
"Surely this sin will not be atoned for you until you die!" says the Lord, Yahweh of hosts.

⁷ And you said, "I shall be an eternal mistress forever!" You did not set these things upon your heart; you did not remember its end.

³ You that put off the day of disaster and bring near a reign of violence! ⁴ Alas for those who lie on beds of ivory and lounge on their couches, and those eating young rams from the sheep and goats, and bull-calves from the middle of the animal stall. ⁵ Alas for those who sing to the tune of the harp; like David they improvise on instruments of music. ⁶ Alas for those who drink from sprinkling bowls of wine and anoint themselves with the best of olive oils and are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph.

⁵ And so then, thus says Yahweh of hosts: '_⌊Consider your ways_⌋!*

² If you will not listen, and if you will not _⌊take it to heart_⌋* to give glory to my name," says Yahweh of hosts, "then I will send the curse on you, and I will curse your blessings; moreover I have already cursed them because _⌊you are not taking it to heart_⌋.*

⁴ Blessed are the ones who mourn, because they will be comforted.

⁶ But when* Herod's birthday celebration took place, the daughter of Herodias danced in the midst of them and pleased Herod. ⁷ Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she asked. ⁸ And coached by her mother, she said, "Give me the head of John the Baptist here on a platter!" ⁹ And although* the king was distressed, because of his oaths and his _⌊dinner guests_⌋* he commanded the request* to be granted. ¹⁰ And he sent orders* and* had John beheaded in the prison, ¹¹ and his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it* to her mother. ¹² And his disciples came and* took away the corpse and buried it, and went and* told Jesus.

²¹ Therefore what sort of fruit did you have then, about which you are now ashamed? For the end of those things is death. ²² But now, having been set free from sin and having been enslaved to God, you have your fruit leading to sanctification, and its end is eternal life.

¹⁹ whose end is destruction, whose God is the stomach, and whose glory is in their shame, the ones who think on earthly things.

²⁷ And _⌊just as_⌋* it is destined for people to die once, and after this, judgment,

³ For the time that has passed was sufficient _⌊to do what the Gentiles desire to do_⌋*, having lived in licentiousness, evil desires, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties, and wanton idolatries, ⁴ with respect to which they are surprised when* you do not run with them into the same flood of dissipation, and so they* revile you.

⁶⁷ Before I was afflicted, I was going astray, but now I heed your word.

⁷¹ It is good for me that I was afflicted, so that I might learn your statutes.

⁵ Those who sow with tears shall reap with rejoicing. ⁶ He who diligently goes out with weeping, carrying the seed bag, shall certainly come in with rejoicing, carrying his sheaves.

⁸ Look, I am going to bring them from the land of the north, and I will gather them from the remotest part of the earth. Among them the blind, and the lame, those who are pregnant, and those who give birth, together, a great assembly, they will return here. ⁹ With weeping they will come, and with pleas for mercy I will bring them; I will let them walk by streams of water in a straight path. They will not stumble in it, for I have become to Israel a father, and Ephraim, he is my firstborn."

¹⁵ Thus says Yahweh, "A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation, the weeping of bitterness. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be comforted because of her children, for they are no more." ¹⁶ Thus says Yahweh:
"Restrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your work," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and they will return from the land of the enemy. ¹⁷ And there is hope for your future," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and your children will return to their territory. ¹⁸ Indeed I heard Ephraim pitying themselves, 'You disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like a calf that is not trained. Bring me back and let me return, for you are Yahweh my God. ¹⁹ For after my turning back I repented, and after coming to understand I struck my thigh. I was ashamed and also humiliated, because I bore the disgrace of my youth.' ²⁰ Is Ephraim my dear son, or the child of my delight? For _⌊as often as_⌋* I have earnestly spoken against him, I still remember him. _⌊Therefore_⌋* my bowels are turbulent for him, surely I will have compassion on him," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

⁴ In those days and in that time,'" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "the people* of Israel will come, they and the people* of Judah together. _⌊Weeping as they go_⌋,* they will go, and Yahweh their God they will seek. ⁵ They will ask the way to Zion, turning their faces there. They will come and join themselves to Yahweh by _⌊an everlasting covenant_⌋* that will not be forgotten.

³ Then I turned my face to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and pleas for mercy,* in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes. ⁴ And I prayed to Yahweh my God, and I made confession and I said, "O Lord, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and loyal love with those who love him and with those who keep his commandments, ⁵ we have sinned and we have done wrong and we acted wickedly and we rebelled and have been turning aside from your commandments and from your ordinances. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors* and to all the people of the land. ⁷ "_⌊Righteousness belongs to you, O Lord_⌋,* and on us is open shame, just as it is this day to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to all Israel, _⌊those who are near and those who are far off_⌋* in all the lands to which you have driven them,* because of their infidelity which they displayed against you. ⁸ Yahweh, on us is open shame, on our kings, on our princes, and on our ancestors,* because we have sinned against you. ⁹ _⌊Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord, our God_⌋,* for we have rebelled against him, ¹⁰ and we have not listened to the voice of Yahweh our God, by following his law _⌊which he placed before us_⌋* by the hand of his servants the prophets. ¹¹ "And all Israel transgressed your law and turned aside so as not to listen to your voice, and so the curse and the oath which was written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. ¹² And so he has carried out his words which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, to bring upon us a great calamity which was not done under all of heaven as it was done in Jerusalem. ¹³ Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all of this calamity has come upon us, and _⌊we have not implored_⌋* the face of Yahweh our God so as to turn from our iniquities and to attend closely to your faithfulness.* ¹⁴ So Yahweh has kept watch over the* calamity, and now he has brought it upon us. Indeed, Yahweh our God is righteous concerning all his works* that he has done, but we have not listened to his voice. ¹⁵ "And now, Lord our God, who have brought your people out from the land of Egypt with a strong hand, and you have made for yourself a name until this day—we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. ¹⁶ Lord, according to all your righteousness, please let your anger and your rage turn away from your city Jerusalem, _⌊your holy mountain_⌋,* because through our sins and through the iniquities of our ancestors* Jerusalem and your people have become an object of mockery among all of our neighbors. ¹⁷ "And now, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy. Shine* your face upon your desolate sanctuary _⌊for your sake, O Lord_⌋.* ¹⁸ Incline your ear, my God, and listen; open your eyes and look at our desolation and the city that is called by your name, for we are not presenting our pleas for mercy _⌊before you_⌋* because of our righteousness, but rather because of your great compassion. ¹⁹ Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, pay heed and act! You must not delay _⌊for your sake_⌋,* my God; because _⌊your city and your people are called by your name_⌋."*

² In those days, I, Daniel, I myself* was in mourning _⌊for three whole weeks_⌋.* ³ I had not eaten any choice food, and meat and wine did not enter my mouth, and _⌊I did not use any ointment_⌋* _⌊until the end of three whole weeks_⌋.*

¹⁹ And he said, "You must not fear, O beloved man. _⌊Peace be to you_⌋;* be strong and be courageous!" And _⌊when he spoke_⌋* with me, I was strengthened and I said, "Let my lord speak, for you have strengthened me."

¹⁰ " 'I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants* of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication, and they will look to me whom they pierced, and they shall mourn over him, as one wails over an only child, and they will grieve bitterly over him as one grieves bitterly over a firstborn. ¹¹ On that day the wailing will be great in Jerusalem, like the wailing for Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. ¹² And the land shall mourn, _⌊each clan by itself_⌋;* the clan of the house of David by itself, and their wives by themselves; the clan of the house of Nathan by itself, and their wives by themselves; ¹³ the clan of the house of Levi by itself, and their wives by themselves; the clan of the Shimeites by itself, and their wives by themselves; ¹⁴ and all those clans remaining, _⌊each clan by itself_⌋,* and their wives by themselves.'"

²¹ Blessed are those who are hungry now, because you will be satisfied. Blessed are those who weep now, Because you will laugh.

²⁵ Woe to you who are satisfied now, because you will be hungry. Woe, you who laugh now, because you will mourn and weep.

²⁰ Truly, truly I say to you, that you will weep and lament, but the world will rejoice; you will become sorrowful, but your sorrow will change to joy. ²¹ A woman, when she gives birth, experiences pain because her hour has come. But when her* child is born, she no longer remembers the affliction, on account of the joy that a human being has been born into the world. ²² So you also are experiencing sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you.

³ And not only this, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we* know that affliction produces patient endurance, ⁴ and patient endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope,

¹⁷ For our momentary light affliction is producing in us an eternal weight of glory _⌊beyond all measure and proportion_⌋*,

⁹ now I rejoice, not that you were grieved, but that you were grieved to repentance. For you were grieved according to the will of God, so that you suffered loss in no way through us. ¹⁰ For grief according to the will of God brings about a repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted, but worldly grief brings about death. ¹¹ For behold how much diligence this very thing, being grieved according to the will of God, has brought about in you: what defense of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! In everything you have demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

¹⁰ For they disciplined us for a few days according to what seemed appropriate to them, but he does so for our benefit, in order that we can have a share in his holiness. ¹¹ Now all discipline seems for the moment not to be joyful but painful, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness for those who are trained by it.

² Consider it all joy, my brothers, whenever you encounter various trials, ³ because you* know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. ⁴ And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you may be mature and complete, lacking in nothing.

⁸ Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded! ⁹ Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your* joy to gloominess. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.

³⁶ Then Abigail went to Nabal, and look, _⌊he was holding a feast_⌋* in his house like the feast of the king. _⌊Nabal was enjoying himself_⌋,* and he was very drunk, so she did not tell him a thing, _⌊nothing at all_⌋,* until the light of morning.

¹⁶ So he took him down, and _⌊there they were_⌋,* spread out over the surface of all the land, eating and drinking and dancing because of all of the abundant plunder which they had taken from the land of the Philistines and from the land of Judah.

²⁸ Absalom commanded his servants, saying, "Please watch. At the moment the heart of Amnon is _⌊tipsy_⌋* with wine, then I shall say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' and you shall kill him! Don't be afraid. Is it not I myself who has commanded you? Be courageous and be _⌊valiant!_⌋*

¹⁶ They went out at noon while Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the tents, he and the thirty-two kings helping him.

² So the king said to me, "Why is your face sad since you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart." And I was very much afraid. ³ I said to the king, "May the king live forever! Why should my face not be sad when the city of my ancestors'* burial site* is ruined and her gates are consumed by fire?" ⁴ Then the king said to me, "What is your request?" So I prayed to the God of the heavens. ⁵ Then I said to the king, "If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your presence, I ask that you send me to Judah, to the city of my ancestors'* burial sites, so that I may rebuild it."

⁴ My _⌊mind_⌋* staggers; fear terrifies me; the twilight _⌊I desired_⌋* _⌊brought_⌋* me fear.

³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of suffering, and acquainted with* sickness, and like _⌊one from whom others hide their faces_⌋,* he was despised, and we did not hold him in high regard. ⁴ However, he was the one who lifted up our sicknesses, and he carried our pain, yet* we ourselves assumed him stricken, struck down by God and afflicted.

³⁹ At their becoming hot I will set their banquets, and I will make them drunk, so that they will fall into a swoon, and they will sleep _⌊an everlasting sleep_⌋,* and they will not wake up," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

⁵⁷ "And I will make drunk her officials, and her wise men, her governors, and her officials, and her warriors, and they will sleep _⌊an everlasting sleep_⌋,* and they will not wake up," _⌊declares_⌋* the King, Yahweh of hosts is his name.

¹ Belshazzar the king made a great festival for a thousand of his lords,* and _⌊in the presence of_⌋* the thousand lords he was drinking wine.* ² _⌊When he tasted the wine_⌋,* Belshazzar commanded that they bring the vessels of gold and silver that Nebuchadnezzar his _⌊predecessor_⌋* had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords,* his wives and his concubines may drink from them. ³ Then they brought in the vessels of gold that they took from the temple, the house of God that was in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords,* his wives and his concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.*

³⁰ _⌊That same night_⌋* Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed.

⁵ On the day of our king, the princes became sick with the heat of wine;* he stretched out his hand with mockers.

¹⁰ For like entangled thorns, and like their drink which is drunk, they will be consumed like fully dry chaff.

¹⁴ And when* Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw his mother-in-law lying down and suffering with a fever. ¹⁵ And he touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to serve him. ¹⁶ Now when it* was evening, they brought to him many who were demon-possessed, and he expelled the spirits with a word. And he healed all _⌊those who were sick_⌋,*

³⁸ And they came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue and saw a commotion, and people weeping and wailing loudly. ³⁹ And when he* entered, he said to them, "Why are you agitated and weeping? The child is not dead, but is sleeping." ⁴⁰ And they began laughing* at him. But he sent them all out and* took along the father and mother of the child, and those who were with him, and went in to where the child was. ⁴¹ And taking hold of the child's hand, he said to her, "Talitha koum!" (which is translated, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"), ⁴² and immediately the girl stood up and began walking around* (for she was twelve years old). And _⌊immediately they were utterly and completely astonished_⌋.* ⁴³ And he commanded them strictly that no one should learn of this, and said to give her something* to eat.

²¹ And a suitable day came when Herod, on his birthday, gave a banquet for his courtiers and military tribunes and the most prominent men of Galilee. ²² And when* the daughter of Herodias herself* came in and danced and pleased* Herod and _⌊his dinner guests_⌋,* the king said to the girl, "Ask me for whatever you want, and I will give it* to you." ²³ And he swore to her,* "Anything whatever you ask me for I will give you, up to half my kingdom!" ²⁴ And she went out and* said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer." ²⁵ And she came in immediately with haste to the king and* asked, saying, "I want you to give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately." ²⁶ And although he* was deeply grieved, the king, because of his* oaths and _⌊dinner guests_⌋,* did not want to refuse her. ²⁷ And immediately the king sent an executioner and* ordered him* to bring his head. And he went and* beheaded him in the prison. ²⁸ And he brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹ And when* his disciples heard this,* they came and took away his corpse and placed it in a tomb.

¹² And as he approached the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, his mother's only son, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. ¹³ And when* the Lord saw her, he had compassion for her and said to her, "Do not weep!"

³¹ So the Jews who were with her in the house and were consoling her, when they* saw Mary—that she stood up quickly and went out—followed her, because they* thought that she was going to the tomb in order to weep there. ³² Then Mary, when she came where Jesus was and* saw him, fell at his feet, saying to him, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." ³³ Then Jesus, when he saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled within himself. ³⁴ And he said, "Where have you laid him?" They said to him, "Lord, come and see." ³⁵ Jesus wept.

¹² Those sitting at the gate talk about me as also* the songs of the drunkards.

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

⁸ Do not rebuke a scoffer, lest he hate you; rebuke the wise and he will love you.

¹³ He who despises a word will bring destruction on himself, but he who respects a commandment will be rewarded.

¹⁸ Poverty and disgrace belong to him who ignores instruction, but he who guards reproof will be honored.

³¹ The ear of him who listens to admonitions of life, in the midst of the wise it will lodge. ³² He who ignores instruction despises himself,* but he who hears admonition gains heart.*

¹⁰ A rebuke strikes him who understands deeper than one hundred blows to a fool.

⁶ The wounds of a friend mean well, but the kisses of an enemy are profane.

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

⁹ Before your pots can feel the heat of a thornbush, whether green or _⌊dry_⌋,* he will sweep it away.*

¹² They surrounded me like bees; they were extinguished like a fire of thorns. In the name of Yahweh I opposed them indeed.

⁹ If a wise man goes to court with a foolish man, then there is rankling and ridicule,* but there is no relief.

² I said of laughter, "It is folly!" and of pleasure, "_⌊What does it accomplish?_⌋"*

¹³ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh:
"Look! My servants shall eat but* you, you shall be hungry. Look! My servants shall drink but* you, you shall be thirsty. Look! My servants shall rejoice but* you, you shall be ashamed. ¹⁴ Look! My servants shall shout _⌊for joy_⌋,* but* you, you shall cry out _⌊for pain_⌋* and howl _⌊for sadness_⌋.* ¹⁵ And you shall leave your name to my chosen ones as a curse, and the Lord Yahweh will kill you, and he will _⌊give_⌋* his servants another name.

¹⁰ And I will turn your feasts into mourning and all of your songs into lament, and I will put sackcloth on all loins and baldness on every head. And I will make it like the mourning for an only child, and its end like a bitter day.

²⁵ But Abraham said, 'Child, remember that you received your good things during your life, and Lazarus likewise bad things. But now he is comforted here, but you are suffering pain.

¹³ being harmed as the wages of unrighteousness. Considering reveling in the daytime a pleasure, they are stains and blemishes, carousing in their deceitful pleasures when they* feast together with you, ¹⁴ having eyes full of desire for an adulteress and unceasing from sin, enticing unstable persons, and* having hearts trained for greediness. Accursed children! ¹⁵ By* leaving the straight path, they have gone astray, because they* followed the way of Balaam the son of Bosor,* who loved the wages of unrighteousness, ¹⁶ but received a rebuke for his own lawlessness: a speechless donkey, speaking with a human voice, restrained _⌊the prophet's madness_⌋*. ¹⁷ These people are waterless springs and mists driven by a hurricane, for whom the gloom of darkness has been reserved.

¹² These are the ones feasting together without reverence, hidden reefs at your love feasts, caring for themselves, waterless clouds carried away by winds, late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, uprooted, ¹³ wild waves of the sea foaming up their own shameful deeds, wandering stars, for whom the deep gloom of darkness has been reserved for eternity.

⁸ And you will not take a bribe, because the bribe makes the sighted blind and ruins the words of the righteous.

¹⁹ You shall not subvert* justice; you shall not _⌊show partiality_⌋;* and you shall not take a bribe, for the bribe makes blind the eyes of the wise and misrepresents the words of the righteous.

³³ A people that you do not know shall consume the harvest of your land and all your labor, and you will be only oppressed and crushed _⌊for the rest of your lives_⌋.* ³⁴ You shall become mad _⌊because of what your eyes shall see_⌋.*

⁶⁵ And among these nations you shall not find rest, and there shall not be a resting place for the sole of your foot, and Yahweh shall give you there an anxious heart and a weakening of eyes* and a languishing of your inner self.*

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

³ Here I am! Testify against me before Yahweh and before his anointed one! Whose ox have I taken? Or whose donkey have I taken? Or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed? Or from whose hand have I taken a bribe, that I may shut my eyes _⌊regarding_⌋* him?-then I will restore it to you."

⁸ The bribe is a stone of magic in the eyes of its owner;* _⌊everywhere_⌋* he will turn, he will prosper.

²³ The wicked will accept a bribe from the lap, in order to pervert the ways of justice.

¹ I looked again, and I saw all the oppression that occurs under the sun.
_⌊I saw the tears of the oppressed— no one comforts them! Those who oppress them are powerful— no one can comfort them_⌋!*

²³ Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Every one loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not defend the orphan and the legal dispute of the widow does not come before them.

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

¹⁰ Only by insolence is strife set up, and wisdom is with those who take advice.

²⁹ He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but the hasty of spirit* exalts folly.

¹⁸ A man who is hot-tempered will stir up strife, but he who is slow to _⌊anger_⌋,* he will calm contention.

³² He who is slow to anger* is better than him who is mighty, and he who controls his spirit than him who captures a city.

²⁵ The _⌊greedy person_⌋* will stir up strife, but he who trusts in Yahweh will be enriched.

²⁴ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh of hosts:
"My people who live in Zion, you must not be afraid of Assyria. It beats you with the rod, and it lifts up its staff against you _⌊as the Egyptians did_⌋.* ²⁵ My indignation will come to an end _⌊in just a very little while_⌋,* and my anger will be directed to their destruction."

²⁸ He has come to Aiath, he has passed through Migron; at Micmash he deposited his baggage. ²⁹ They crossed over the pass; Geba is a place of overnight lodging for us. Ramah trembles; Gibeah of Saul has fled. ³⁰ Daughter of Gallim, cry out with your voice; Laishah, listen! _⌊Anathoth is poor_⌋.* ³¹ Madmenah flees! The inhabitants of Gebim bring themselves into safety! ³² _⌊This day_⌋* _⌊taking a stand_⌋* at Nob, he will shake his fist at the mountain of the daughter* of Zion, at the hill of Jerusalem. ³³ Look! The Lord Yahweh of hosts is about to lop off the branches* with great power, and _⌊the towering trees_⌋* will be felled, and the _⌊tall trees_⌋* will be brought low. ³⁴ And he will cut down the thickets of the forest with the axe, and Lebanon will fall by the mighty one.

¹⁹ By your patient endurance you will gain your lives.

⁷ to those who, by perseverance in good work, seek glory and honor and immortality, eternal life, ⁸ but to those who act from selfish ambition and who disobey the truth, but who obey unrighteousness, wrath and anger.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, putting up with one another in love,

³⁶ For you have need of endurance, in order that after you* have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised.

⁸ You also be patient. Strengthen your hearts, because the coming of the Lord is near.

¹¹ Behold, we consider blessed those who have endured. You have heard about the patient endurance of Job, and you saw the outcome from the Lord, that the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

¹³ Therefore, _⌊when you have prepared your minds for action_⌋* by* being self-controlled, put your hope completely in the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.

²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you* sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if you endure when you* do good and suffer for it, this finds favor with God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his footsteps,

⁵ In the same way, younger men, be subject to the elders, and all of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. ⁶ Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the right time,

⁵ but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell. ⁶ And Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen?

⁸ Then* Cain said to his brother Abel, "Let us go out into the field."* And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

⁷ And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. And the men were distressed and very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by having sexual relations with the daughter of Jacob—_⌊something that_⌋* should not be done. ⁸ And Hamor spoke with them saying, "Shechem my son _⌊is in love with_⌋* your daughter. Please give her to him for a wife.

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

³⁰ Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, "You have brought trouble on me, making me stink among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites! I am few in number! If they gather against me and attack me, I will be destroyed—I and my household!" ³¹ But they said, "Shall he treat our sister like a prostitute?"

²¹ Now David had said, "Surely _⌊in vain_⌋* I guarded all that this fellow had in the desert. And nothing was missed of all that was his, but he returned evil against me in place of good! ²² _⌊May God severely punish the enemies of David_⌋* and again do thus if I leave behind _⌊anything that is his_⌋* until the morning, not even _⌊one male_⌋!"*

²² Absalom did not speak with Amnon _⌊either bad or good_⌋,* for Absalom hated Amnon _⌊over the matter when_⌋* he raped Tamar his sister.

³² Then Jonadab the son of Shimeah, the brother of David, responded and said, "My lord should not think that all the young men, the sons of the king, are dead, because only Amnon is dead. _⌊Absalom was talking about it_⌋,* as it was being determined from the day he* raped Tamar his sister.

⁴³ Then the people of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, "I have _⌊ten times as much_⌋* in the king, moreover in David I have more than you. Why did you treat me with contempt _⌊by not giving me first chance_⌋* to bring back my king?" But the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the word of the men of Israel.

⁵ And Haman saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and bowing down to him, and he was filled with anger. ⁶ But _⌊he considered it beneath him_⌋* to lay hands on Mordecai only, for they told him of Mordecai's people, and Haman sought to destroy all the Jews, the people of Mordecai, who were in the kingdom of Ahasuerus.

¹⁷ He who is short of _⌊temper_⌋* will act foolishly, and the man who schemes will be hated.

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

⁹ So God said to Jonah, "_⌊Is it right for you to be angry_⌋* about the plant?" And he said, "_⌊It is right for me to be angry enough to die_⌋!"*

¹⁹ So Herodias held a grudge against him and was wanting to kill him, and was not able to do so.

²⁴ And she went out and* said to her mother, "What should I ask for?" And she said, "The head of John the baptizer."

²⁶ Be angry and do not sin;* do not let the sun set on your anger, ²⁷ nor give place to the devil.

¹⁹ Understand this, my dear brothers: every person must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,

¹¹ And the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth. ¹³ Gideon said to him, "Excuse me, my lord. If Yahweh is with us, why then has all this happened to us? Where are all his wonderful deeds that our ancestors* recounted to us, saying, 'Did not Yahweh bring us up from Egypt?' But now Yahweh has forsaken us; he has given us into the palm of Midian."

² Yahweh looks down from heaven upon the children of humankind to see whether there is one who has insight, one who cares about God. ³ All have gone astray; they are altogether corrupt. There is not one who does good; there is not even one.

¹ Thus says Yahweh:
"Where is this divorce document of your mother's divorce, with which I dismissed her? or to whom of my creditors did I sell you? Look! you were sold because of your sin, and your mother was dismissed because of your transgressions.

¹⁷ But certainly we will do _⌊everything_⌋* that went out from our mouths,* to make smoke offerings to the queen of heaven and to pour out to her libations just as we did, we, and our ancestors,* our kings, and our officials, in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem, for then _⌊we had enough to eat_⌋,* and we were well-off, and we did not see disaster. ¹⁸ But _⌊since_⌋* we stopped making smoke offerings to the queen of heaven and pouring out libations to her, we have lacked everything, and by the sword and by the famine we have perished. ¹⁹ And indeed, when we were making smoke offerings to the queen of heaven and _⌊pouring out_⌋* to her libations, was it not _⌊with the consent of_⌋* our husbands that we made for her sacrificial cakes _⌊marked with her image_⌋,* and we poured out to her libations?"

²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and exchanged the glory of the immortal God with the likeness of an image of mortal human beings and birds and quadrupeds and reptiles. ²⁴ Therefore God gave them over in the desires of their hearts to immorality, that their bodies would be dishonored among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God with a lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator, who is blessed for eternity. Amen. ²⁶ Because of this, God gave them over to degrading passions, for their females exchanged the natural relations for those contrary to nature, ²⁷ and likewise also the males, abandoning the natural relations with the female, were inflamed in their desire toward one another, males with males committing the shameless deed, and receiving in themselves the penalty that was necessary for their error. ²⁸ And just as they did not see fit _⌊to recognize God_⌋*, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do the things that are not proper, ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greediness, malice, full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malevolence. They are gossipers, ³⁰ slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boasters, contrivers of evil, disobedient to parents, ³¹ senseless, faithless, unfeeling, unmerciful, ³² who, although they* know the requirements of God, that those who do such things are worthy of death, not only do they do the same things, but also they approve of those who do them.

⁹ What then? Do we have an advantage? Not at all. For we have already charged both Jews and Greeks are all under sin, ¹⁰ just as it is written,
"There is no one righteous, not even one; ¹¹ there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. ¹² All have turned aside together; they have become worthless; There is no one who practices kindness; there is not even one.* ¹³ Their throat is an opened grave; they deceive with their tongues; the venom of asps is under their lips,* ¹⁴ whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.* ¹⁵ Their feet are swift to shed blood; ¹⁶ destruction and distress are in their paths, ¹⁷ and they have not known the way of peace.* ¹⁸ The fear of God is not before their eyes."* ¹⁹ Now we know that whatever the law says, it speaks to those under the law, in order that every mouth may be closed and the whole world may become accountable to God.

⁶ Then Solomon said, "You have shown great loyal love with your servant David my father, as he walked before you in faithfulness and in righteousness and in uprightness of heart with you. You have shown for him this great loyal love, and you have given a son to him who is sitting on his throne as it is this day. ⁷ So then, O Yahweh, you are my God. You have made your servant king in place of David my father though I am a young boy. I do not know going out or coming in. ⁸ Your servant is in the middle of your people whom you have chosen; a great people who cannot be counted or numbered because of abundance. ⁹ Give to your servant a listening heart to judge your people, to discern between good and bad, because who is able to judge this, your difficult people?"

¹⁰ Take my teaching and not silver; may you choose knowledge rather than choice gold. ¹¹ For wisdom is better than jewels, and all desires shall not compare with her.

¹³ I realized that wisdom has an advantage over folly, just as light has an advantage over darkness.

¹⁵ Now, a poor wise man was found in it, and he delivered the city by his wisdom. ¹⁶ So I concluded that wisdom is better than might, yet the wisdom of the poor is despised, and his words are not heard. ¹⁷ The words of the wise are heard in peace more than the shouting of a ruler is heard among the fools. ¹⁸ Wisdom is better than weapons of war, but one sinner destroys much good.

⁷ The light is sweet, and it is pleasant for the eyes to see the sun.

⁸ And the master praised the dishonest manager, because he had acted shrewdly. For the sons of this age are shrewder than the sons of light with regard to their own generation.* ⁹ And I tell you, make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it runs out they will welcome you into the eternal dwellings.

¹⁷ Command those who are rich in this present age not to be proud and not to put their hope in the uncertainty of riches, but in God, who provides us all things richly for enjoyment, ¹⁸ to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous, sharing freely, ¹⁹ storing up for themselves a good foundation for the future, in order that they may take hold of what is truly life.

¹⁹ I invoke as a witness against you _⌊today_⌋* the heaven and the earth: life and death I have set _⌊before you_⌋,* blessing and curse. So choose life, so that you may live, you and your offspring,* ²⁰ by loving Yahweh your God by listening to his voice and by clinging to him, for he is your life and the length of your days in order for you to live on the land that Yahweh swore to your ancestors,* to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them."

⁴⁷ for it is not a trifling matter among you, but it is your life, and through this word _⌊you will live long in the land_⌋* that you are about to cross the Jordan to get there to take possession of it."

¹⁵ And the thornbush said to the trees, 'If in good faith* you are anointing me as king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; if not, may fire go out from the thornbush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'

¹⁰ Have you* not put a fence around him and his household and around _⌊all that belongs to him_⌋* _⌊on every side_⌋?* You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock* has increased in the land.

²¹ "Please reconcile yourself with him, and be at peace; _⌊in this way_⌋,* good will come to you. ²² Please receive instruction from his mouth, and place his words in your heart. ²³ If you return to Shaddai, you will be restored; if you remove wickedness from your tent, ²⁴ and if you put gold ore in the dust, and the gold of Ophir in the rock of wadis, ²⁵ then* Shaddai will be your gold ore and _⌊your precious silver_⌋.*

¹ For the music director, according to Do Not Destroy. Of David. A miktam. When he fled from Saul into the cave.*
Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, because in you my soul takes refuge. In the shadow of your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by.

⁷ For the upright, he stores* sound judgment, a shield for those who walk uprightly,

¹¹ Discretion will watch over you; understanding will protect you,

¹⁸ She is a tree of life for those who seize her; those who take hold of her are considered happy.

³⁵ For he who finds me is he who finds* life, and he obtains favor from Yahweh.

¹¹ For by me your days shall increase, and years of life shall multiply for you.

⁴ Wealth does not profit on the day of wrath, but righteousness will deliver from death.

²⁰ The poor is disliked even by his neighbor, but the lovers of the rich are many.

¹⁰ A tower of strength is the name of Yahweh; into him* the righteous will run and be safe. ¹¹ The wealth of the rich is _⌊his strong city_⌋,* and like a wall, it is high in his imagination.

² Who go to go down to Egypt, but* they do not ask of my mouth, to take refuge in the protection of Pharaoh and to take refuge in the shadow of Egypt.

² And each one will be like a hiding place from the wind and a covering from the rainstorm, like streams of water in a dry region, like the shade of a large rock in a weary land.

⁶ and he will be the security of your times, an abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge.
The fear of Yahweh is his treasure.

⁵⁰ And I know that his commandment is eternal life. So the things that I say, just as the Father said to me, thus I say."

³ Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.

⁸ _⌊More than that_⌋*, I even consider all things to be loss because of the surpassing greatness of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for the sake of whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and consider them* dung, in order that I may gain Christ

¹² _⌊If_⌋* he would snatch away, who could turn him? Who could say to him, 'What are you doing?'

¹⁰ "If he passes through and imprisons someone* _⌊and summons the assembly_⌋,* then* who can hinder him?

¹⁴ If he tears down, then* it will not be rebuilt; if he shuts a man in, then* he cannot be freed.

²⁹ but he remains quiet, and who can condemn? And he hides his face, and who can behold him? Yet* he is over a nation and over a person alike,

¹⁴ "Hear this, Job; stand still and consider carefully God's wondrous works.

³ When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars which you set in place—

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

¹⁵ What is twisted cannot be straightened,* and what is lacking cannot be counted.*

¹¹ He has made everything suitable in its time. He also has put _⌊the past_⌋* in their hearts, yet no one can grasp what God does from the beginning to the end.

¹² And there will be lyre and harp, tambourine and flute, and wine at their feasts, but they do not look at the deeds* of Yahweh, and they do not see the work of his hands.

²⁷ For Yahweh of hosts has planned, and who will frustrate it? And his hand is stretched out, and who will turn it back?

¹³ Indeed, from this day I am the one, and no one can deliver from my hand. I perform,* and who can _⌊cancel it_⌋?"*

¹⁰ who from the beginning declares the end, and from before, things that have not been done, who says, 'My plan shall stand,' and, 'I will accomplish* all my wishes,'* ¹¹ who calls a bird of prey from the east, the man of his* plan from a country from afar. Indeed I have spoken; indeed I will bring it to being. I have formed it; indeed I will do it.

³⁵ And all the dwellers of the earth are regarded as nothing, and he does _⌊according to_⌋* his desire in the host of heaven and among the dwellers of earth, and there is not one who can hold back his hand, or _⌊ask him_⌋,* 'What are you doing?'

¹⁵ For to Moses he says, "I will have mercy on whomever I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whomever I have compassion."*

¹⁹ Therefore you will say to me, "Why then does he still find fault? For who has resisted* his will?

¹¹ in whom also we were chosen, having been predestined according to the purpose of the One who works all things according to the counsel of his will,

³ And he humbled you and let you go hungry, and then he fed you with that which you did not know nor did your ancestors* know, in order to make you know that not by bread alone but by all that goes out* of the mouth of Yahweh humankind shall live.

⁴⁷ "_⌊Because_⌋* of the fact that you did not serve Yahweh your God with joy and with gladness of heart for the abundance of everything,

⁴⁷ and then they return their heart in the land where they have been taken captive and they return and plead to you in the land of their captivity, saying, 'We have sinned and we did wrong. We acted wickedly,'

¹⁷ It happened after these things that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, became ill; and his illness was very severe until there was no breath left in him. ¹⁸ She said to Elijah, "_⌊What do you have against me_⌋,* O man of God, that you have come to me to make known my guilt and to cause my son to die?"

¹² And when he was in distress he entreated Yahweh his God and greatly humbled himself before the God of his ancestors* ¹³ and prayed to him. And God responded to him and heard his plea and let him return to Jerusalem to his kingdom. And Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God.

¹ "My inner self* loathes my life; _⌊I want to give vent to my complaint_⌋;* I want to speak out of the bitterness of my inner self.* ² I will say to God, 'You should not condemn me; let me know why you contend against me.

¹¹ You have turned my wailing into my dancing. You have removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy ¹² so that _⌊I_⌋* may sing praises to you and not be quiet. O Yahweh, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

³ Then he put a new song in my mouth, a praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and will trust Yahweh.

¹² Blessed is the man, O Yah, whom you instruct and teach from your law, ¹³ to give him rest from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance;

²² So I concluded that there is nothing better for a person than to enjoy the fruit of his labor, for this is his lot in life. _⌊For no one knows what will happen in the future._⌋*

⁸ "Vanity of vanity!" says the Teacher.* "Everything is vanity!"

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

¹¹ Yahweh, though your hand reaches high, they do not see it.
Let them see, and let them be ashamed of the zeal of people. Indeed, let the fire of your enemies consume them.

²⁵ So* he poured the wrath of his anger upon him and the strength of war. And it set him afire all around, but* he did not understand;* and it burned him, but* he did not take it to heart.

²⁰ The _⌊anger_⌋* of Yahweh will not turn back until his doing and until his keeping the plans of his _⌊mind_⌋.* _⌊In latter days_⌋* you will look closely at it with understanding.

⁶ Therefore, Look! I am going to hedge her path* _⌊with thorns_⌋,* and I will build a stone wall, a stone wall against her, and she will not find her paths. ⁷ Then she will pursue _⌊her lovers_⌋,* but she will not overtake them; she will seek them and not find them; and she will say, "I will go and return to my first husband because it was better for me then than now."

⁹ The voice of Yahweh calls to the city (it is sound judgment to fear your name): "Hear, O staff!* Now who has appointed it?

⁵ And so then, thus says Yahweh of hosts: '_⌊Consider your ways_⌋!* ⁶ You have sown much but have harvested little. You have eaten without being satisfied; _⌊you have drunk without being satiated_⌋;* you have worn clothes without being warm; the one who earns wages puts it in _⌊a pouch with holes_⌋.'* ⁷ Thus says Yahweh of hosts: '_⌊Consider your ways_⌋!*

¹³ But go and* learn what it means, "I want mercy and not sacrifice."* For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."

¹⁷ "But when he* came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired workers have an abundance _⌊of food_⌋,* and I am dying here from hunger! ¹⁸ I will set out and* go to my father and will say to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and _⌊in your sight_⌋!*

²² So you also are experiencing sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy from you. ²³ And on that day you will ask me nothing. Truly, truly I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.

²² strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them* to continue in the faith and saying,* "Through many persecutions* it is necessary for us to enter into the kingdom of God."

¹³ Is anyone among you suffering misfortune? He should pray. Is anyone cheerful? He should sing praise.

⁹ And Jacob said to Pharaoh, "The days of the years of my sojourning are one hundred and thirty years. Few and hard have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not reached the days of the years of the lives of my ancestors* in the days of their sojourning."

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

¹³ Then the two men, _⌊scoundrels_⌋,* came, sat opposite him, and the _⌊scoundrels_⌋* witnessed against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth cursed God and the king," so they brought him outside of the city and stoned him with stones, and he died.

²¹ Then they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh. ²² So King Joash did not remember the loyal love that Jehoiada had shown to him, and he killed his son. And as he was dying he said, "May Yahweh see and avenge!"

²² It is all one; therefore I say, 'He destroys both the blameless and the wicked.' ²³ When the whip* kills suddenly, he mocks at the despair of the innocent.

⁷ "Why do the wicked live, grow old, even grow mighty in power? ⁸ With them their offspring are established _⌊before them_⌋,* and their descendants before their eyes. ⁹ Their houses are safe without fear, and the rod of God is not upon them. ¹⁰ His bull breeds and does not fail; his cow calves and does not miscarry. ¹¹ They send out their little ones like the flock, and their children dance around. ¹² They _⌊sing_⌋* to the tambourine and lyre, and they rejoice to the sound of the long flute. ¹³ They spend their days in prosperity, and in peace they go down to Sheol. ¹⁴ And they say to God, 'Turn away from us, for* we do not desire to know your ways. ¹⁵ Who is Shaddai that we should serve him, or* what would we benefit when we plead with him?'

⁶ Surely a man walks about as a mere _⌊shadow_⌋;* surely in vain they bustle about. He heaps up possessions but does not know who will gather them in.

³ because I envied the boastful when I saw the well-being* of the wicked. ⁴ For there are no pains up to their death, and their bodies are _⌊healthy_⌋.* ⁵ They do not have _⌊ordinary trouble_⌋,* and they are not plagued as other people.* ⁶ Therefore pride is their necklace; an outfit of violence covers them. ⁷ Their eye bulges from fat.* Imaginings overflow their heart. ⁸ They mock and speak maliciously of oppression; they speak as though from on high. ⁹ They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue roams the earth. ¹⁰ Therefore his people turn there,* and abundant waters are slurped up by them. ¹¹ And they say, "How does God know?" and, "Does the Most High have knowledge?" ¹² See, these are the wicked, and they increase wealth, ever carefree. ¹³ Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure, and washed my hands in innocence.

²³ All his days are painful, his labor brings grief, and his heart cannot rest at night. This also is vanity!

¹⁶ I saw something else under the sun: instead of justice there was evil; instead of righteousness there was wickedness.

¹⁶ This also is a grievous illness. Exactly as he came, so he will go. What profit does he gain for all his toil for the wind? ¹⁷ Also, he eats in darkness all his days; he is frustrated in much sickness and resentment.

¹² For who knows what is good for a man in his life during the few days of his fleeting life, which are fleeting as a shadow? For who can tell anyone what will happen _⌊in the future_⌋* under the sun?

¹² Although the sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will be good for those who fear God—because they fear _⌊his presence_⌋.* ¹³ But it will not go well with the wicked, and they will not prolong their days, like the shadow; because there is no fearing _⌊God's presence_⌋.* ¹⁴ There is a vanity that happens on earth: sometimes the righteous suffer what the wicked deserve, and sometimes the wicked receive what the righteous deserve. I said, "This also is vanity!"

¹ So all this I laid to my heart, and I concluded* that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in the hand of God. So no one knows anything that will come to them, whether it will be love or hatred. ² The same fate comes to everyone:
to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the wicked,* to the clean and to the unclean, to those who sacrifice and to those who do not sacrifice. As with the good man, so also to the sinner; as with those who swear an oath, so also those who fear oaths.

⁹ Enjoy life with the wife whom you love all the days of your vain life which he gives you under the sun, because this is your lot in life and in the toil with which you toil under the sun.

²⁰ There will no longer be a nursing infant _⌊who lives only a few_⌋* days, or* an old man who does not fill his days, for the boy will die _⌊a hundred years old_⌋,* and the one who _⌊fails to reach_⌋* _⌊a hundred years_⌋* will be _⌊considered_⌋* accursed.

¹ You will be in the right, O Yahweh, when I complain to you. Even so, let me speak my claims with you. Why does the way of the wicked succeed? All those who deal treacherously with treachery are at ease. ² Not only do you plant them, they take root. They grow, but also they produce fruit. You are near in their mouths, but far from their _⌊inmost beings_⌋.*

³⁴ For this reason, behold, I am sending to you prophets and wise men and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and will pursue from town to town, ³⁵ so that upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on the earth from the blood of righteous Abel up to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

² _⌊They will expel you from the synagogue_⌋,* but an hour is coming that everyone who kills you will think they are offering service to God.

⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand about the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become,

⁶ When* the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, then* she took from its fruit and she ate. And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate.

¹² But* _⌊an empty-headed person_⌋* will get understanding when* a wild donkey's colt is born as a human being.

²⁸ And to the human beings he said, 'Look, the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding.'"

⁴ Do not tire in order to become rich; out of your understanding, may you desist.

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

¹² My son, be careful _⌊about anything beyond these things_⌋.* For the writing of books is endless, and too much study _⌊is wearisome_⌋.*

¹ "And take care not to practice your righteousness before people to be seen by them; _⌊otherwise_⌋* you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. ² Therefore whenever you practice charitable giving, do not sound a trumpet in front of you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, in order that they may be praised by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! ³ But you, when you* practice charitable giving, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ in order that your charitable giving may be in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁵ And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, because they love to stand and* pray in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, in order that they may be seen by people. Truly I say to you, they have received their reward in full! ⁶ But whenever you pray, enter into your inner room and shut your door and* pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you. ⁷ "But when you* pray, do not babble repetitiously like the pagans, for they think that because of their many words they will be heard.

¹⁴ Then the disciples of John* approached him, saying, "Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast?"

² "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat _⌊a meal_⌋."* ³ So he answered and* said to them, "Why do you also break the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, 'Honor your* father and your* mother,'* and 'The one who speaks evil of father or mother _⌊must certainly die_⌋*.'* ⁵ But you say, 'Whoever says to his* father or his* mother, "Whatever _⌊benefit you would have received_⌋* from me is a gift to God," ⁶ need not honor his father,'* and you make void the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ Hypocrites! Isaiah correctly prophesied about you saying, ⁸ 'This people honors me with their* lips, but their heart is far, far away from me, ⁹ and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"*

⁵ And they do all their deeds in order to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries broad and make their* tassels long.

²³ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you pay a tenth of mint and dill and cumin, and neglect the more important matters of the law—justice and mercy and faithfulness! It was necessary* to do these things _⌊while not neglecting those_⌋.* ²⁴ Blind guides who filter out a gnat and swallow a camel!

²⁹ "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees—hypocrites!—because you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous,

³⁸ Behold, your house has been left to you desolate!

¹² I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all that I get.'

² For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.

²⁵ For I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, of this mystery, so that you will not be wise _⌊in your own sight_⌋,* that a partial hardening has happened to Israel, until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

³ For by the grace given to me I say to everyone who is among you not to think more highly of yourself than what one ought to think, but to think _⌊sensibly_⌋*, as God has apportioned a measure of faith to each one.

¹⁸ Let no one deceive himself. If anyone thinks himself to be wise among you in this age, let him become a fool, in order that he may become wise.

²⁰ and again, "The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile."*

⁶ according to zeal persecuting the church, according to the righteousness in the law being blameless.

¹⁸ Let no one condemn you, taking pleasure in humility and the worship of angels, going into detail about the things which he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

²³ which things _⌊although they have_⌋*,* to be sure, an appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and unsparing treatment of the body, _⌊do not have any value_⌋* against the indulgence of the flesh.

³ who forbid marrying and insist on abstaining from foods that God created for sharing in with thankfulness by those who believe and who know the truth,

¹³ Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by his* good behavior his works, with the humility of wisdom. ¹⁴ But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. ¹⁵ This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. ¹⁶ For where there is jealousy and selfish ambition, there is disorder and every evil practice. ¹⁷ But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceful, gentle, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits, nonjudgmental, without hypocrisy,

¹⁹ And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying,
"Woe, woe, the great city, in which all those who had ships on the sea became rich from her prosperity, because in one hour she has been laid waste!"

⁷ And Er, the firstborn of Judah, was evil in the eyes of Yahweh, and Yahweh killed him. ⁸ Then Judah said to Onan, "Go in to the wife of your brother and perform the duty of a brother-in-law to her, and raise up offspring for your brother." ⁹ But Onan knew that the offspring would not be for him, so whenever he went in to the wife of his brother he would waste it on the ground* so as not to give offspring to his brother. ¹⁰ And what he did was evil in the sight of Yahweh, so he killed him also.

³⁸ _⌊And then_⌋,* about ten days later, Yahweh struck Nabal and he died.

³² It will be paid in full _⌊before his time_⌋,* and his branch will not flourish. ³³ "He will shake off his unripe fruit like the vine, and he will cast off his blossom like the olive tree;

¹⁶ who were snatched away _⌊before their time_⌋,* whose foundation was washed away by a current?

²³ But you, O God, you will bring them down to the pit of corruption. The men of bloodshed and deceit will not live half their days, but I will trust you.

²⁷ The fear of Yahweh adds life, but the years of the wicked are shortened.

³³ How well you do on your way to seek love! _⌊Therefore_⌋* even to the wicked woman you can teach your ways. ³⁴ Also on your skirts is found the blood of the life of the innocent, the poor. You did not find them in the act of breaking into a house. But in spite of all these things,

¹⁷ And he said to me, "Have you seen, son of man?* _⌊Was it too small a thing_⌋* for the house of Judah _⌊to do_⌋* the detestable things that they did here? For they filled up the land with violence, and _⌊they provoked me to anger again_⌋,* and look! They are putting the branch to their nose.

²⁰ 'And you took your sons and your daughters whom you had borne for me, and you sacrificed them to them to be eaten,* _⌊as if your whorings were not enough_⌋.*

⁵ And when* Ananias heard these words, he fell down and* died. And great fear came on all those who heard about it.*

¹⁰ And immediately she fell down at his feet and died. So when* the young men came in, they found her dead, and carried her* out and* buried her* with her husband.

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

²¹ Therefore, putting aside all moral uncleanness and wicked excess, welcome* with humility the implanted message which is able to save your souls.

¹² Who is the man fearing Yahweh? He will instruct him in the way he should choose. ¹³ His soul will lodge in prosperity, and his offspring will possess the land. ¹⁴ Intimate fellowship with Yahweh is for those who fear him, and he makes known his covenant to them.

¹⁹ He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry for help, and saves them. ²⁰ Yahweh protects all those who love him, but all the wicked he will exterminate.

²⁵ May your eyes look forward* and your gaze be straight before you. ²⁶ May the path of your foot be balanced and all your ways be sure. ²⁷ Do not swerve right or left; remove your foot from evil.

²⁰ In the way of righteousness I walk, in the midst of paths of justice,

¹⁴ I know everything God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, and nothing can be taken from it, for God so acts that humans* might stand in awe before him.

¹² Although the sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I also know that it will be good for those who fear God—because they fear _⌊his presence_⌋.*

⁶ Sow your seed in the morning, and do not let your hands rest in the evening, for you do not know what will prosper— whether this or that, or whether both of them alike will succeed.

⁴⁰ And I will _⌊make_⌋* with them _⌊an everlasting covenant_⌋* that I will not turn away from them, my doing good to them, and my reverence I will put in their hearts* so that they will not turn aside from me.

² But for you who revere* my name, the sun of righteousness will rise, with healing in its wings, and you will go out and leap like _⌊fattened calves_⌋.*

⁵⁰ And his mercy is for generation after generation to those who fear him.

⁴² "But woe to you, Pharisees, because you pay a tenth of mint and rue and every garden herb, and neglect justice and love for God! But it was necessary to do these things without neglecting those things also.

¹⁶ Then a wise woman from the city called out, "Listen, listen! Please speak to Joab to come near here so that I may speak to you." ¹⁷ Then he came near to her, and the woman asked, "Are you Joab?" And he said, "I am." Then she said to him, "Listen to the words of your servant." He said, "I am listening." ¹⁸ Then she said, "In former times, _⌊they would always say_⌋,* 'By all means, let them inquire in Abel,' and so they settled things. ¹⁹ I am one of the faithful representatives of Israel. You are seeking to destroy a city and a mother in Israel. Why do you want to swallow the inheritance of Yahweh?" ²⁰ Then Joab answered and said, "Far be it, far be it from me that I should swallow or I should destroy. ²¹ That is not the matter. But a man from the mountains of Ephraim, whose name is Sheba the son Bicri, has lifted up his hand against the king, against David. Give only him to us, and I will depart from the city." The woman said to Joab, "Look, his head is being thrown down to you over the wall." ²² The woman went to all of the people with her wise plan, so they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bicri and threw it to Joab. Then he blew the horn and dispersed from the city, each to his tent. Then Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.

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

⁵ The warrior of wisdom is in strength, and a man of knowledge is strong in power.

¹³ I have also seen this example of wisdom under the sun, and it seemed great to me. ¹⁴ There was a small city with few people in it. A great king came and besieged it, building great siege works against it.

⁹ Because of this also we, from the day we heard about it,* did not cease praying for you, and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual insight, ¹⁰ so that you may live in a manner worthy of the Lord, _⌊to please him in all respects_⌋*, bearing fruit in every good deed and increasing in the knowledge of God, ¹¹ enabled with all power, according to his glorious might, for all steadfastness and patience with joy,

⁴⁶ "If they sin against you (for there is not a person who does not sin) and you are angry with them and you give them to an enemy and they take them captive to the land of the enemy far or near,

³⁶ When they sin against you—for there is no person who does not sin—and you become angry with them and place them before their enemy that they carry them away as captives to a land far or near,

¹⁴ "What is a human being, that he can be clean, or* that one born of a woman can be righteous? ¹⁵ Look, he does not trust his holy ones, and the heavens are not clean in his eyes. ¹⁶ _⌊How much less_⌋* he who is abominable and corrupt,* a man drinking wickedness like water.

³ If you, O Yah,* should _⌊keep track of_⌋* iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?

² And do not enter into judgment with your servant, because no one alive is righteous before you.

⁹ Who will say "I have made my heart* clean; I am pure from my sin"?

⁶ All of us have wandered about like sheep; we each have turned to his own way; and Yahweh let fall on him the iniquity of us all.

⁶ And we all have become like the unclean, and all our deeds of justice like a menstrual cloth, And we all wither like a leaf, and our iniquities take us away like the wind.

²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

² For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect individual,* able to hold in check his whole body also.

⁸ If we say that we do not have sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just, so that he will forgive us our* sins and will cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰ If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

¹⁰ The king said, "_⌊What do we have in common_⌋,* sons of Zeruiah? If* he curses because Yahweh has said to him 'Curse David,' who can say, "Why have you done this?"

¹⁹ and he said to the king, "May not my lord hold me guilty, and may you not remember how your servant did wrong on the day that my lord the king went out from Jerusalem, by taking it to heart!

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

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

⁵ it does not behave dishonorably, it _⌊is not selfish_⌋*, it does not become angry, it does not keep a record of wrongs, ⁶ it does not rejoice at unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth, ⁷ bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

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

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

³² Then his master summoned him and* said to him, 'Wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you implored me! ³³ Should you not also have shown mercy to your fellow slave as I also showed mercy to you?' ³⁴ And because he* was angry, his master handed him over to the merciless jailers* until he would repay everything that was owed. ³⁵ So also my heavenly Father will do to you, unless each of you forgives his brother from your hearts!"

⁷ And when they persisted in asking him, straightening up he said* to them, "The one of you without sin, let him throw the first stone at her!" ⁸ And bending down again, he wrote on the ground. ⁹ Now when they* heard it,* being convicted by their conscience,* they began to depart,* one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus* was left alone—and the woman who was in their midst.

⁹ With it we bless the* Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.

⁵ For God knows that on the day you both eat from it, then your eyes will be opened and you both shall be like gods,* knowing good and evil."

¹¹ And God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and you did not ask for yourself _⌊a long life_⌋* and you did not ask riches for yourself and you did not ask for the life of your enemies, but you have asked for yourself _⌊the ability to make wise judgments_⌋;* ¹² behold, I do hereby do according to your word. I hereby give you a wise and discerning heart; there was no one like you before you, nor afterwards will one like you arise.

¹ King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, Hittite; ² from the nations which Yahweh had said to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* "You shall not _⌊marry them_⌋,* and they shall not _⌊marry you_⌋.* They will certainly turn your heart after other gods." But Solomon clung to them to love. ³ He had seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart. ⁴ It happened at the time of Solomon's old age that his wives guided his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully with Yahweh his God as the heart of David his father had been. ⁵ Solomon went after Ashtoreth the god of the Sidonians and after Molech the abhorrence of the Ammonites. ⁶ So Solomon did evil in the eyes of Yahweh and did not fully follow after Yahweh as David his father. ⁷ At that time, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the mountain which _⌊faces_⌋* Jerusalem and for Molech, the abomination of the _⌊Ammonites_⌋.* ⁸ Thus he did for all of his foreign wives, offering incense and sacrificing to their gods.

²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

²⁰ Where is the wise person? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?

¹¹ "For this commandment that I am commanding you _⌊today_⌋* is _⌊not too wonderful for you_⌋,* and it is not too far from you. ¹² It is not in the heavens _⌊so that you might say_⌋,* 'Who will go up for us to the heavens and get it for us and cause us to hear it, so that we may do it?' ¹³ And it is _⌊not beyond the sea_⌋,* _⌊so that you might say_⌋,* 'Who will cross for us to the other side of the sea and take it for us and cause us to hear it, so that we may do it?' ¹⁴ But the word is very near you, even in your mouth and in your heart, _⌊so that you may do it_⌋.*

⁷ "Can you find out the essence of God, or can you find out _⌊the ultimate limits_⌋* of Shaddai? ⁸ _⌊It is higher than the heaven_⌋;* what can you do? It is deeper than Sheol; what can you know?

¹² "But* from where will wisdom be found? And _⌊where in the world_⌋* is the place of understanding? ¹³ A human being does not know its proper value, and it is not found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ The deep says, 'It is not in me,' and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' ¹⁵ "Refined gold cannot be gotten in its place, and silver cannot be weighed out as its price. ¹⁶ It cannot be bought for the gold of Ophir, for precious onyx or* sapphire. ¹⁷ Gold and glass cannot be compared with it, and its substitution cannot be an ornament of refined gold. ¹⁸ Black corals and crystal will not be mentioned, and wisdom's price is more than red corals. ¹⁹ The topaz of Cush cannot be compared with it; it cannot be bought for pure gold. ²⁰ Indeed,* from where does wisdom come? And _⌊where in the world_⌋* is the place of understanding? ²¹ It is hidden from the eyes of all living, and it is concealed from the birds of the heaven. ²² Abaddon and Death say, 'We heard its rumor with our ears.' ²³ "God understands its way, and he knows its place,

⁶ Your righteousness is _⌊like the mighty mountains_⌋,* your judgments like the great deep. You save man and beast, O Yahweh.

⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is set high; I cannot prevail against it.

⁸ "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways,"
_⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ⁹ "For as the heavens are _⌊higher_⌋* than the earth, so my ways are _⌊higher_⌋* than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

³³ Oh, the depth of the riches and the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how incomprehensible are his ways!

¹⁶ the one who alone possesses immortality, who lives in unapproachable light, whom no human being has seen nor is able to see, to whom be honor and eternal power. Amen.

⁷ And the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it. And the men were distressed and very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by having sexual relations with the daughter of Jacob—_⌊something that_⌋* should not be done.

¹³ Get up, sanctify the people, and say, 'Sanctify yourselves for tomorrow. Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: "There are devoted things* in your midst, O Israel. You will be unable to stand before you enemies until you remove the devoted things* from your midst."

¹² Then Tamar said to him, "No, my brother! Do not force me, for such a thing has not been done in Israel. Do not do this disgraceful thing!

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

¹¹ Like a dog returning to his vomit is a fool reverting to his folly.

¹³ I applied my mind to seek and to search by wisdom all that is done under the heavens.* It is a grievous task God has given to _⌊humans_⌋.* ¹⁴ I saw all the works that are done under the sun. Look! Everything is vanity and chasing wind. ¹⁵ What is twisted cannot be straightened,* and what is lacking cannot be counted.* ¹⁶ _⌊I said to myself_⌋,* "Look! I have become great and have increased in wisdom more than anyone who _⌊has preceded_⌋* me over Jerusalem. _⌊I have acquired a great deal of wisdom and knowledge_⌋."* ¹⁷ So _⌊I dedicated myself_⌋* to learn about wisdom and to learn about delusion and folly. However, I discovered* that this also is chasing wind.

¹ I said _⌊to myself_⌋,* "Come! I will test* pleasure _⌊to see whether it is worthwhile_⌋."* But look, "This also is vanity!" ² I said of laughter, "It is folly!" and of pleasure, "_⌊What does it accomplish?_⌋"* ³ I also _⌊explored_⌋* _⌊the effects of indulging my flesh_⌋* with wine. My mind guiding me with wisdom, _⌊I investigated_⌋* folly so that I might discover what is good under heaven* for _⌊humans_⌋* to do _⌊during the days of their lives_⌋.*

¹² Next, I considered wisdom, as well as delusion and folly. What can anyone do who will come after the king that has not already been done?

¹⁵ So I said _⌊to myself_⌋,* "_⌊If I also suffer the same fate as the fool_⌋,* _⌊what advantage is my great wisdom_⌋?"* So I said _⌊to myself_⌋,* "This also is vanity!"

²⁰ So _⌊I began to despair_⌋* of all the toil with which I toiled under the sun.

¹⁶ I saw something else under the sun: instead of justice there was evil; instead of righteousness there was wickedness. ¹⁷ So I said _⌊to myself_⌋,* "God will surely judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed* a time of judgment for every deed and every work."

²⁷ "Look! I found this," said the Teacher,* "while trying to find how the plan fits together.

¹ So all this I laid to my heart, and I concluded* that the righteous and the wise, as well as their deeds, are in the hand of God. So no one knows anything that will come to them, whether it will be love or hatred. ² The same fate comes to everyone:
to the righteous and to the wicked, to the good and to the wicked,* to the clean and to the unclean, to those who sacrifice and to those who do not sacrifice. As with the good man, so also to the sinner; as with those who swear an oath, so also those who fear oaths. ³ This is the _⌊injustice_⌋* that is done under the sun: the same fate comes to everyone. Also the hearts of _⌊humans_⌋* are full of evil; delusion is in their hearts during their lives, and then they die.

¹³ He begins by saying what is foolish and ends by uttering what is wicked delusion.

³ And in greediness they will exploit you with false words, whose condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. ⁴ For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but held them captive in Tartarus with chains of darkness and handed them over to be kept for judgment, ⁵ and did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a proclaimer of righteousness, _⌊and seven others_⌋* when he* brought a flood on the world of the ungodly, ⁶ and condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction, reducing them to ashes, having appointed them as an example for those who are going to be ungodly, ⁷ and rescued righteous Lot, worn down by the way of life of lawless persons in licentiousness ⁸ (for that righteous man, as he* lived among them day after day, was tormenting his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he was seeing and hearing), ⁹ then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to reserve the unrighteous to be punished at* the day of judgment,

³ above all knowing this, that in the last days scoffers will come with scoffing, following according to their own desires ⁴ and saying, "Where is the promise of his coming? For _⌊ever since_⌋* the fathers fell asleep, all things have continued just as they have been from the beginning of creation." ⁵ For when* they maintain this, it escapes their notice that the heavens existed long ago and the earth held together out of water and through water by the word of God, ⁶ by means of which things the world that existed at that time was destroyed by* being inundated with water. ⁷ But by the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly people. ⁸ Now, dear friends, do not let this one thing escape your notice, that one day with the Lord is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. ⁹ The Lord is not delaying the promise, as some consider slowness, but is being patient toward you, because he* does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance.

¹⁸ Delilah realized that _⌊he had confided in her_⌋,* so she sent and called the rulers of the Philistines, saying, "Come up one more time, for _⌊he has confided in me_⌋."* And the rulers of the Philistines came up, and they brought the money _⌊with them_⌋.* ¹⁹ And she put him to sleep on her lap; then she called the men* and shaved off seven locks of his head. Then she began to subdue him,* and his strength went away from him. ²⁰ And she said to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" And he woke up from his sleep and said, "I will go out just like every other time and shake myself free," but he did not know that Yahweh had left him. ²¹ And the Philistines seized him, gouged his eyes, and brought him to Gaza. They tied him up with bronze shackles, and he became a grinder _⌊in the prison_⌋.*

¹⁶ in order to deliver you from a strange woman, from a foreign woman who flatters* with her sayings,

¹⁸ for her house sinks to death, and to the dead* are her paths. ¹⁹ Of all who go to her, none shall return, nor do they reach paths of life.

³ For the lips of the strange woman will drip honey, and smoother than oil is her mouth.* ⁴ But her end is bitter as the wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword. ⁵ Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold of Sheol.*

²¹ She persuades him with the greatness of her teachings; with her smooth lips she compels him. ²² He goes after her suddenly; like an ox to the slaughter he goes, and like a stag to the instruction of a fool, ²³ until an arrow pierces his _⌊entrails_⌋,* like a bird rushing into a snare, but he does not know that _⌊it will cost him his life_⌋.* ²⁴ And now, my children, listen to me, and be attentive to the sayings of my mouth. ²⁵ May your heart not turn aside to her ways; do not stray into her path. ²⁶ For many slain she has laid low, and countless* are all of her killings. ²⁷ The ways of Sheol* are her house, descending to chambers of death.

¹⁸ But he does not know that the dead* are there, in the depths of Sheol* are her guests.

¹⁴ A deep pit is the mouth of an _⌊adulteress_⌋,* he with whom Yahweh is angry will fall there.

²⁷ For a deep pit is a prostitute,* and a narrow well is _⌊an adulteress_⌋.* ²⁸ She is also like a robber lying in wait, and the faithless among mankind she increases.

²⁶ For to the person who is good in his eyes, he gives wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner he gives the task of gathering and heaping up only to give it to him who is pleasing to him. This also is vanity and chasing wind!

¹ The words of the Teacher,* the son of David, king in Jerusalem. ² "Vanity of vanities!" says the Teacher,* "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity!"

⁸ "Vanity of vanity!" says the Teacher.* "Everything is vanity!" ⁹ The Teacher* was full of wisdom, and he taught the people with knowledge. He carefully considered many proverbs and carefully arranged them. ¹⁰ The Teacher* sought to find delightful words,* and he wrote* what is upright—truthful words.

¹ King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of Pharaoh, Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, Hittite; ² from the nations which Yahweh had said to the _⌊Israelites_⌋,* "You shall not _⌊marry them_⌋,* and they shall not _⌊marry you_⌋.* They will certainly turn your heart after other gods." But Solomon clung to them to love. ³ He had seven hundred princesses and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart.

²³ "If there is a messenger beside him, a mediator, one of a thousand,* to declare to a human being his uprightness

¹ For the music director; on the Sheminith.* A psalm of David.*
Save, O Yahweh, for the pious have ceased to be; for the faithful have vanished from among the children of humankind.

²³ All this I have tested with wisdom. I said, "I will be wise!" but _⌊it was beyond my grasp_⌋.* ²⁴ _⌊Whatever is—it is far beyond comprehension_⌋.* Who can discover it?

⁹ I desire you with all my soul in the night; also I seek you with my spirit within me, for when your judgments are _⌊upon_⌋* the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness.

²⁶ And God said, "Let us make humankind in* our image and according to* our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of heaven,* and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every moving thing that moves upon the earth." ²⁷ So* God created humankind in* his image, in* the likeness of God he created him,* male and female he created them.

⁶ When* the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes, and the tree was desirable to make one wise, then* she took from its fruit and she ate. And she gave it also to her husband with her, and he ate. ⁷ Then* the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed together fig leaves and they made for themselves coverings.

¹ This is the record of the generations* of Adam. When* God created Adam,* he made him in the likeness of God.

⁵ And Yahweh saw that the evil of humankind was great upon the earth, and every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was always* only evil. ⁶ And Yahweh regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and _⌊he was grieved in his heart_⌋.*

⁴ And they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower whose top reaches to the heavens. And let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered over the face of the whole earth." ⁵ Then* Yahweh came down to see the city and the tower that _⌊humankind_⌋* was building. ⁶ And Yahweh said, "Behold, _⌊they are one people with one language_⌋,* and _⌊this is only the beginning of what they will do_⌋.* So* now nothing that they intend to do will be impossible for them.

⁸ O Yahweh our God, you answered them. You were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrong deeds.

²⁹ Thus they provoked to anger by their deeds, and a plague broke out among them.

³⁹ And they became unclean by their works, and were unfaithful in their deeds.

¹² Be appalled, O heavens, at this, and shudder; be utterly desolate," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ¹³ "For my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the source* of living water, to hew out for themselves cisterns, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.

²² "For my people are foolish, they have not known me. They are foolish children, and they do not have insight. They are skillful at doing evil, and they do not know how to do good."

⁶ Look! The princes of Israel, each one according to his strength,* they are in you _⌊for the shedding of blood_⌋.* ⁷ They have treated father and mother with contempt in you; _⌊they violated_⌋* the alien with* extortion; in the midst of you they mistreated the orphan and widow. ⁸ You despised my holy objects; my Sabbaths you profaned. ⁹ Slanderous men are _⌊among you_⌋* to shed blood, and they, _⌊among you_⌋,* eat upon the mountains; they do wickedness in the midst of you. ¹⁰ They uncover the nakedness of a father among* you; they violate a woman unclean of menstruation among* you. ¹¹ And a man does a detestable thing with the wife of his neighbor, and a man defiles his daughter-in-law in wickedness, and a man sexually violates among* you his sister, the daughter of his father. ¹² They take a bribe among* you in order to shed blood; and you take usury, and you make gain from your neighbors by extortion, and so you have forgotten me, _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh. ¹³ And look! I strike my hand for your ill-gotten gain that you have made and at your blood that was in the midst of you.

⁸ Abandoning the commandment of God, you hold fast to the tradition of men." ⁹ And he said to them, "You splendidly ignore the commandment of God so that you can keep* your tradition.

⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go on before us! For this Moses, who led us out from the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him!'* ⁴¹ And they manufactured a calf in those days, and offered up a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing* in the works of their hands. ⁴² But God turned away and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, just as it is written in the book of the prophets:
'You did not bring offerings and sacrifices to me for forty years in the wilderness, did you,* house of Israel? ⁴³ And you took along the tabernacle* of Moloch and the star of the god* Rephan, the images that you made, to worship them, and I will deport you beyond Babylon!'*

²¹ For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their reasoning, and their senseless hearts were darkened.

² in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, the spirit now working in the sons of disobedience, ³ among whom also we all formerly lived in the desires of our flesh, doing the will* of the flesh and of the mind, and we were children of wrath* by nature, as also the rest of them were.

³ For we also were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, enslaved to various desires and pleasures, spending our lives in wickedness and envy, despicable, hating one another.