Isaiah 29 Cross References - LEB

¹ Ah! Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped!
Add year to year, let festivals recur. ² Yet* I will inflict Ariel, and there shall be mourning and lamentation, and it shall be to me like an altar hearth.* ³ And I will encamp _⌊in a circle_⌋* against you, and I will lay siege to you with towers* and I will raise up siegeworks against you. ⁴ Then* you shall be low; you shall speak from the earth, and your words* will be low, from dust. And your voice will be from the earth, like a ghost, and your word will whisper from the dust. ⁵ But* the multitude of your strangers shall be like fine dust, and the multitude of tyrants like chaff that passes by.
And it will happen in an instant, suddenly. ⁶ You will be punished by Yahweh of hosts
with thunder and earthquake and great sound, storm wind and tempest and the flame of a devouring fire. ⁷ And the multitude of all the nations who fight against Ariel, all those who fight against her and her stronghold, and those who inflict her shall be like a dream, a vision of the night. ⁸ And it shall be as when the hungry person dreams—look, he is eating! And he wakes up and his inner self is empty. Or* as when the thirsty person dreams—look, he is drinking! And he wakes up and look, he is faint, and his inner self is longing for water. So shall be the multitude of all the nations who fight against Mount Zion. ⁹ Be astonished and be amazed! Blind yourselves and be blinded! They are drunk but* not from wine; they stagger but* not from strong drink. ¹⁰ For Yahweh has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the seers. ¹¹ And the vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document. When they give it to one who knows the* document, saying, "_⌊Read_⌋* this now!" He says, "I am not able, for it is sealed." ¹² And if the document is given to one who does not _⌊know how to read_⌋,* saying, "_⌊Read_⌋* this now!" he says, "I do not _⌊know how to read_⌋."* ¹³ And the Lord said,
"Because this people draw near with its mouth, and with its lips it honors me, and its heart is far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment of men that has been taught, ¹⁴ therefore look, I am again doing something spectacular
and a spectacle with this spectacular people. And the wisdom of its wise men shall perish, and the discernment of its discerning ones shall keep itself hidden." ¹⁵ Ah! Those who make a plan deep, to hide it from Yahweh, and their deeds are* in a dark place. And they say, "Who sees us? And who knows us?" ¹⁶ Your perversity! As if _⌊a potter_⌋* shall be regarded as the clay! That the product of its maker says, "He did not make me," and the thing made into shape says of its _⌊potter_⌋,* "He has no understanding." ¹⁷ _⌊In a very little while_⌋* shall not Lebanon change into a fruitful land, and the fruitful land be regarded as a forest? ¹⁸ And on that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of gloom and darkness. ¹⁹ And the meek _⌊have joy after joy_⌋* in Yahweh, and the needy of the people shall rejoice in the holy one of Israel. ²⁰ For the tyrant shall be no more, and the scoffer shall come to an end. And all those lying in wait for evil shall be cut off; 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. ²² Therefore Yahweh, who redeemed Abraham, says this to the house of Jacob:
"Jacob will no longer be ashamed, and his face will no longer grow pale. ²³ For when he sees his children, the work of my hands, in his midst, they will treat my name as holy, and they will treat the holy one of Jacob as holy, and they will stand in awe of the God of Israel. ²⁴ And those who err in spirit will _⌊acquire_⌋* understanding, and those who grumble will learn instruction.

⁹ David occupied the fortress and called it the city of David. And David built all around it from the Millo and _⌊inward_⌋.*

¹¹ What is the abundance of your sacrifices to me? says Yahweh. I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened animals and I do not delight in the blood of bulls and ram-lambs and goats. ¹² When you come to appear before me, who asked for this from your hand: you trampling my courts? ¹³ You must not _⌊continue_⌋* to bring offerings* of futility, incense—it is an abomination to me; new moon and Sabbath, the calling of a convocation— I cannot endure iniquity with solemn assembly. ¹⁴ Your new moons and your appointed festivals my soul hates; they have become to me like a burden, I am not able to bear them. ¹⁵ And when you stretch out your hands, I will hide my eyes from you; even though you make many prayers,* I will not be listening. Your hands are full of blood.

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!"

⁹ And his rock will pass over because of terror, and his officers will be terrified because of the flag," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, who has a fire in Zion and has a furnace in Jerusalem.

³ The one who slaughters a bull strikes a man; the one who slaughters a lamb for sacrifice breaks the neck of a dog. The one who offers an offering, the blood of swine; the one who offers frankincense blesses an idol. Indeed, they themselves have chosen their ways, and their soul delights in their abhorrence.

²¹ Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, "Add your burnt offerings to your sacrifices, and eat the flesh.

¹⁵ And the altar hearth was four cubits,* and from the altar hearth and _⌊upwards_⌋* were the four horns of the altar. ¹⁶ And the altar hearth was _⌊twelve_⌋* cubits in length and _⌊twelve_⌋* cubits in width*; it was _⌊squared on its four sides_⌋.*

⁶ With their flocks* and herds* they will go to seek Yahweh, but they will not find him; he has withdrawn from them.

¹³ They offer sacrifices of my choice* and they eat flesh; Yahweh does not accept them. Now he will remember their iniquity and punish their sins; they will return to Egypt.

⁴ They will not pour drink offerings of wine to Yahweh, and their sacrifices will not please him. They are like mourners' bread for them; all those who eat it will be defiled. For their bread will be _⌊for their hunger_⌋;* it will not come to the house of Yahweh.

⁴ "Come to Bethel and transgress; to Gilgal and _⌊multiply transgression_⌋!* Bring your sacrifices in the morning and your tithes on the _⌊third day_⌋.* ⁵ And bring a thank offering of unleavened bread, and proclaim freewill offerings, pronounce them, for so you love to do, O _⌊people_⌋* of Israel," is the declaration of my Lord Yahweh.

⁶ With what shall I approach Yahweh, and bow down to God on high? Shall I approach him with burnt offerings, with bull calves a year old? ⁷ Will Yahweh be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?

¹ For the law, possessing a shadow of the good things that are about to come, not the form of things itself, is never able _⌊year by year_⌋* by means of the same sacrifices which they offer without interruption to make perfect those who draw near.

²⁶ And her* gates shall lament and mourn, and she shall be banished; she shall sit upon the ground.

²⁵ Therefore _⌊Yahweh's wrath was kindled_⌋* against his people, and he stretched out his hand against them* and struck them,* and the mountains quaked, and their corpses* were like refuse in the middle of the streets. ²⁶ And he will raise a signal for a nation* from afar, and he will whistle for it from the end of the earth. And look! It comes quickly, swiftly! ²⁷ None is weary, and none among him stumbles; none slumbers and none sleeps. And no loincloth on his waist is opened, and no thong of his sandals is drawn away. ²⁸ Whose arrows are sharp, and all of his bows are bent. The hoofs of his horses are reckoned like flint, and his wheels like the storm wind. ²⁹ His roaring is like the lion, and he roars like young lions. And he growls and seizes his prey, and he carries it off, and not one can rescue it. ³⁰ And he will roar over him on that day like the roaring of the sea, and if one looks to the land, look! Darkness! Distress! And the light grows dark with its* clouds.

⁵ Ah! Assyria, the rod of my anger, and a staff is in their hand: my wrath! ⁶ I send him against a godless nation, and I command him against the people of my wrath, to capture spoil and to carry off plunder, and to make them* a trampling place, like the clay of the streets.

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.

¹⁴ At the time of evening, and look, terror! Before morning he is no more. This is the fate of those who plunder us and the lot of those who plunder us.

¹ Look! Yahweh is about to lay the earth waste and is about to devastate it, and he will twist her surface, and he will scatter her inhabitants. ² And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest; as with the slave, so with his master; as with the female slave, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the creditor, so with the one to whom he lends. ³ The earth shall be utterly laid waste, and it shall be utterly plundered,
for Yahweh has spoken this word. ⁴ The earth dries up, it withers; the world languishes, it withers. The elevated of the people of the earth languish, ⁵ and the earth is defiled beneath its inhabitants. For they have transgressed laws; they have passed by statutes;* they have broken the everlasting covenant. ⁶ Therefore a curse devours the earth, and the inhabitants in it suffer for their guilt. Therefore the inhabitants of the earth burn, and _⌊few men are left_⌋.* ⁷ The new wine dries up; the vine languishes. All the merry of heart sigh; ⁸ the joy of the tambourine has stopped. The noise of the jubilant has ceased; the joy of the lyre has stopped. ⁹ They do not drink wine with song; strong drink is bitter to those who drink it. ¹⁰ The city of emptiness is broken; every house is shut _⌊so that no one can enter_⌋;* ¹¹ there is an outcry over the wine in the streets. All joy turns into _⌊darkness_⌋;* the joy of the earth disappears. ¹² Desolation is left in the city; the gate is crushed into a state of ruin.

⁷ Look! Their heroes cry out in the street; the messengers of peace weep bitterly. ⁸ Highways are deserted; the traveler on the road ceases. One breaks a treaty, he rejects the cities,* he does not hold man in high regard. ⁹ The land mourns; it languishes. Lebanon feels abashed; it withers. Sharon is like the desert, and Bashan and Carmel _⌊are losing their leaves_⌋.*

⁶ _⌊Yahweh has a sword_⌋;*
it is full of blood. It is covered with* fat, with* the blood of lambs and goats, with* the fat of the kidneys of rams, for _⌊Yahweh has a sacrifice_⌋* in Bozrah and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

²² Then* Eliakim son of Hilkiah, who was over the _⌊palace_⌋,* Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph, the reminder, came to Hezekiah with torn garments and told him the words of Rabshakeh.

³ And they said to him, "Thus says Hezekiah: 'This day is a day of distress, rebuke, and disgrace, for children have come to the cervical opening, and there is no strength to give birth.

²⁸ _⌊Therefore_⌋* thus says Yahweh: "Look, I am going to give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and he will capture it. ²⁹ And the Chaldeans, who are fighting against this city, will come and set this city on fire, and they will burn it, and the houses where they have made smoke offerings on their roofs to Baal, and where they have devoted libations to other gods, in order to provoke me to anger. ³⁰ For the people* of Israel and the people* of Judah were doing only evil in my eyes from their youth, for the people* of Israel were only provoking me to anger by the work of their hands," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. ³¹ "For this city has been for me a cause of my anger and of my wrath from the day that they built it even until this day, so I will remove it from my _⌊sight_⌋,* ³² because of all the evil of the people* of Israel and the people* of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests, and their prophets, and the men* of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

⁴ _⌊And then_⌋* _⌊when_⌋* Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all _⌊the soldiers_⌋* with him, they fled and went out at night from the city by the way of the garden of the king through the gate between the walls. And they went out toward the Jordan Valley. ⁵ But the army of the Chaldeans pursued after them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho. And they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath. And he pronounced _⌊sentence_⌋* on him.

⁵ The Lord has become like an enemy; he has destroyed Israel; he has destroyed all its citadel fortresses;* he has ruined all its fortifications and multiplied lamentation and mourning in the daughter of Judah.

³¹ and so I poured out my indignation on them. With the fire of my wrath I destroyed them; I returned their way upon their head," _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

³ And _⌊deliver a proverb_⌋* to _⌊the rebellious house_⌋,* and you must say to them, 'Thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Place the pot! Place it and also pour water into it. ⁴ Gather its pieces to it, every good piece, thigh and shoulder, fill it with choice bones; ⁵ take the choicest of the flock, and also pile the bones* under it; _⌊boil it vigorously_⌋;* indeed,* its bones boiled in the midst of it." '" ⁶ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe to the city of bloodguilt! A pot that has its rust in it; _⌊its rust did not go out from it_⌋.* Bring it out _⌊piece by piece_⌋;* _⌊one is as good as another_⌋.* ⁷ For her blood was in the midst of her; _⌊she put it on a bare rock_⌋;* she did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dust.* ⁸ To stir up rage, to avenge myself through vengeance, I placed its blood on the barrenness of a rock, _⌊so that it may not be covered_⌋."* ⁹ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Woe to the city of bloodguilt! I, even I, will make the pile of wood great! ¹⁰ Pile up the logs; kindle the fire; finish cooking the meat, and mix in the spices, and let the bones be burned.* ¹¹ And _⌊make it stand_⌋* empty upon its burning coals so that it may become hot, and its copper may become molten and be melted in the midst of it,* so that its uncleanness and its rust be consumed. ¹² Through effort she has caused weariness; _⌊its thick rust_⌋* went not out of it. Its rust! Into the fire with its rust! ¹³ In your uncleanness is obscene conduct, because I cleansed you, but you were not clean from your uncleanness; you will not be clean again until _⌊I fully vent my rage_⌋* on you.

¹⁷ "And you, son of man,* thus says the Lord Yahweh: 'Say to _⌊all kinds of birds and animals of the field_⌋,* "Be gathered, come be gathered _⌊from everywhere_⌋* to my sacrifice that I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice on the mountains of Israel, and you will eat flesh, and you will drink blood.

⁷ Be silent before the Lord Yahweh, for the day of Yahweh draws near, for Yahweh has provided a sacrifice and has consecrated his guests. ⁸ And it shall be that on the day of the sacrifice of Yahweh, I will punish the officials and the sons of the king and those who dress in foreign clothing.

¹⁷ And I saw one angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly _⌊directly overhead_⌋*,
"Come! Assemble for the great banquet of God, ¹⁸ in order that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of military tribunes, and the flesh of the powerful, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all people, both free and slave, and small and great!"

¹⁷ So the king of Assyria sent the commander in chief, the chief eunuch, and the _⌊chief advisor_⌋* from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem with a heavy army. They went up and came to Jerusalem, then they went up and came and stood at the aqueduct of the upper pool which is on the main road of the _⌊washer's_⌋* field.

³² " 'Therefore thus says Yahweh to the king of Assyria, "He shall not come to this city, nor shall he shoot an arrow there, nor shall he bring a small shield near her, nor shall he cast a siege ramp against her.

¹¹ Then Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came against the city while his servants were besieging it. ¹² Jehoiachin king of Judah went out to the king of Babylon, he, his mother, his servants, his commanders, and his court officials. The king of Babylon took him in the eighth year of his reign.

¹ It happened that in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, on the tenth of the month, Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon came, he and his army, against Jerusalem. He encamped against it and built siege works against it all around. ² So the city came under siege until the eleventh year of the king. ³ In the ninth month, the famine became severe in the city, and there was no food for the people of the land. ⁴ Then the city was breached, and all of the men of war entered by night by way of the gate between the wall which was by the garden of the king, and the Chaldeans were against the city all around, so he* left by the way of the Arabah.

²² In his right hand is the divination for Jerusalem, to put up battering rams, to open a mouth for slaughter,* _⌊to raise the battle cry_⌋,* to put up battering rams against gates, to build a siege ramp, to build siege works.*

⁷ And the king was angry and sent his troops and* destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

⁴³ For days will come upon you and your enemies will put up an embankment* against you, and will surround you and press you hard from all directions. ⁴⁴ And they will raze you to the ground, you and your children within you, and will not leave a stone upon a stone within you, _⌊because_⌋* you did not recognize the time of your visitation."

²⁵ For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our _⌊body_⌋* clings to the ground.

¹¹ The _⌊haughty eyes_⌋* of humanity will* be brought low, and the pride of everyone will be humbled, and Yahweh alone will be exalted on that day. ¹² For there is a day for Yahweh of hosts against all of the proud and the lofty and against all that is lifted up and humble,* ¹³ and against all the lofty and lifted up cedars of Lebanon, and against all the large trees of Bashan, ¹⁴ and against all the high mountains, and against all the lofty hills, ¹⁵ and against every kind of high tower, and against every kind of fortified wall, ¹⁶ and against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the ships of desire. ¹⁷ And the haughtiness of the people shall be humbled, and the pride of everyone shall be brought low, and Yahweh alone will be exalted on that day. ¹⁸ And the idols shall pass away entirely, ¹⁹ and they will enter into the caves of the rocks and into the holes of the ground from the presence of the terror of Yahweh and from the glory of his majesty _⌊when he rises_⌋* to terrify the earth. ²⁰ On that day humanity will throw away its idols of silver and its idols of gold, which they made for it to worship, to the rodents* and to the bats— ²¹ to enter into the crevices of the rocks and into the clefts of the crags from the presence of the terror of Yahweh and from the glory of his majesty, _⌊when he rises_⌋* to terrify the earth.

⁸ For Jerusalem has stumbled, and Judah has fallen because their speech and their deeds are against Yahweh, defying the eyes of his glory.

¹⁹ Now if they tell you, "Consult the ghosts and the spirits, those who chirp and those who mutter. Should not a people consult its gods, the dead on behalf of the living,

²³ And I will put it in the hand of your tormenters, who have said to _⌊you_⌋,* 'Bow down that* we may _⌊pass_⌋* over you!' And you have _⌊made_⌋* your back like the ground, and like the street for those who _⌊pass_⌋* over you."

⁹ Her uncleanness was in her skirts; she did not remember her future, she has descended beyond understanding, there is no comforter for her. See, O Yahweh, my persecution! My enemy has been made great!

¹⁸ How often are they like straw _⌊before_⌋* the wind, and like chaff that the storm carries away?

⁴ Not so the wicked. Instead, they are like the chaff that the wind scatters.

⁵ Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of Yahweh _⌊driving them_⌋.*

⁵ God is in the midst of her; she will not be made to totter. God will help her _⌊at daybreak_⌋.* ⁶ Nations roar, kingdoms shake; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

⁵ The stouthearted are plundered; they sleep their sleep, and all the able men cannot _⌊use_⌋* their hands. ⁶ At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider* and horse slumber.

¹⁶ Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, will send leanness among his sturdy warriors, and a burning like the burning of fire will burn under his glory. ¹⁷ And the light of Israel will become like a fire, and his holy one like a flame, and it will burn and devour his thorns* and briers* in one day. ¹⁸ And he will destroy the glory of his forest and orchard _⌊completely_⌋,* and it will be like the wasting away of one who is sick. ¹⁹ And the rest of the trees* of his forest will be a small number, and a boy can write them down.

¹³ The nations roar like the roar of many waters, but he will rebuke him, and he will flee far away. And they are chased like chaff of the mountains before the wind and like tumbleweed before the storm. ¹⁴ At the time of evening, and look, terror! Before morning he is no more. This is the fate of those who plunder us and the lot of those who plunder us.

⁵ the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry land. You subdued the heat with the shade of a cloud; the song of the ruthless was silenced.

¹³ therefore this iniquity shall come for you like a breach about to fall, bulging out on a high wall _⌊that breaks_⌋* suddenly, in an instant.

³ And the Egyptians are human and not God, and their horses are flesh and not spirit. And Yahweh stretches out his hand, and the helper will stumble, and the one being helped will fall, and together all of them will come to an end.*

⁸ And Assyria shall fall by a sword not of a man, and a sword not of a human shall devour him; and he shall flee from the sword, and his young men shall be put to forced labor.

³⁶ And the angel of Yahweh set out and struck one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the camp of the Assyrians. When* they rose in the morning, look! All of them were dead corpses.

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

¹⁰ Yahweh will shatter* his adversaries;* he will thunder against them in the heavens. Yahweh will judge the ends of the earth. He will give strength to his king and will exalt the might of his anointed one.

¹⁷ Is the wheat harvest not today? I will call out to Yahweh so that he still sends thunder and rain, so that you will know and will see that your wickedness is great that you have done in the eyes of Yahweh by asking for a king for yourselves." ¹⁸ So Samuel called out to Yahweh, and Yahweh brought thunder and rain that same day, so all the people feared Yahweh and Samuel greatly.

¹⁴ Yahweh thundered from heaven, and the Most High _⌊uttered his voice_⌋.*

² Look! The Lord has a mighty and strong one, like a rainstorm of hail, a wind storm of destruction, like a rainstorm of mighty overflowing waters, he will put them to the earth with his hand.

³⁰ And Yahweh will cause the majesty of his voice to be heard, and he will cause the descent of his arm to be seen, in furious anger and a flame of devouring fire, with a cloudburst and a rainstorm and stones* of hail.

¹¹ You conceive dry grass, you bring forth stubble; your breath is a fire; it will consume you. ¹² And the peoples will be burning to lime— they are burned like thorns that have been cut down in the fire. ¹³ You who are far away, hear what I have done; and you who are near, know my might!" ¹⁴ Sinners are afraid in Zion; trembling has seized the godless: "Who of us can _⌊live_⌋* with devouring fire? Who of us can _⌊live_⌋* with everlasting consuming hearths?"

⁷ For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.*

⁸ For nation will rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places. There will be famines. These things are the beginning of birth pains.

¹¹ There will be great earthquakes and famines and plagues in various places. There will be terrible sights and great signs from heaven.

¹³ And at that hour a great earthquake took place, and a tenth of the city collapsed, and seven thousand _⌊people_⌋* were killed by the earthquake, and the rest became terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

¹⁹ And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant appeared in his temple, and there were lightnings and sounds and thunders and an earthquake and large hail.*

¹⁸ And there were lightnings and sounds and thunders, and there was a great earthquake, as has not happened from the time humanity has been on the earth—so great in this way was the earthquake.

⁸ He will fly away like a dream, and they will not find him, and he will be chased away like a vision of the night.

²⁰ Like a dream upon awakening, when you wake up, O Lord, you will despise their fleeting form.*

¹¹ Look! All those who are angry with you shall be ashamed and humiliated; _⌊your opponents_⌋* shall be like nothing and shall become lost. ¹² You shall seek them, but* you shall not find them; _⌊your opponents_⌋* shall be like nothing, and the men of your war like nothing.

³¹ The rage of battle will resound to the end of the earth, for there is a lawsuit of Yahweh against the nations. He is entering into judgment with all wicked flesh, he will give them to the sword,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh." ³² Thus says Yahweh of hosts,
"Look, disaster is going out from nation to nation, and a great tempest is stirred up from the farthest parts of the earth. ³³ And the slain ones of Yahweh will be on that day from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, and they will not be mourned, and they will not be gathered, and they will not be buried. They will become like dung on the _⌊surface_⌋* of the ground.

⁴² The sea has risen over Babylon, she has been covered by the roar of its waves. ⁴³ Her cities have become as an object of horror, a dry land and a wilderness,* a land in which no person lives, nor does a son of humankind pass through it. ⁴⁴ And I will punish Bel in Babylon, and I will wrench out from his mouth _⌊what he has swallowed_⌋.* And the nations will not stream towards him any longer _⌊what's worse_⌋,* the wall of Babylon has fallen.

¹¹ And now, many nations are gathered against you who are saying, 'Let her be defiled, and let our eyes gaze upon Zion.' ¹² But they do not know the thoughts of Yahweh, and they do not understand his plan, that he has gathered them as sheaves to his threshing floor.

³ Yahweh is slow to anger but great in power; he will certainly not allow the guilty to go unpunished. _⌊He marches_⌋* in storm wind and in gale; storm clouds are the dust of his feet. ⁴ He rebukes the sea and he dries up the rivers; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither;* the blossom of Lebanon languishes. ⁵ Mountains quake before him; the hills shake apart.* The earth heaves before him— the world and all her inhabitants. ⁶ His indignation—who can stand before it? Who can endure _⌊his fierce anger_⌋?* His wrath is poured out like fire; rocks are shattered before* him. ⁷ Yahweh is good—a refuge in the day of distress; he knows those who take refuge in him. ⁸ But with a rushing torrent he will bring Nineveh to an end; he will chase his enemies into darkness. ⁹ What* do you plot against Yahweh? _⌊He will completely destroy it_⌋;* trouble will not rise up a second time! ¹⁰ For like entangled thorns, and like their drink which is drunk, they will be consumed like fully dry chaff. ¹¹ From you goes out one who plots evil against Yahweh, one who plans wickedness. ¹² Yahweh says this:
"Even though they are powerful and likewise many, even so they will be cut off and pass away. Though I have afflicted you,* I will afflict you* no longer.

³ _⌊And then_⌋* on that day I will make Jerusalem a stone weight* for all the peoples. All those lifting it up will grievously hurt themselves, and all the nations of the earth will assemble against it. ⁴ On that day,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'I will strike every horse with confusion, and the one riding it with madness; but over the house of Judah _⌊I will keep my eyes open_⌋,* and I will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness. ⁵ And the clans of Judah will say _⌊to themselves_⌋,* "The inhabitants of Jerusalem are a strength to us,* through Yahweh of hosts, their God."

⁹ _⌊And then_⌋* on that day I will seek to destroy all the nations coming against Jerusalem.

¹ Look! A day is coming for Yahweh, when your plunder will be divided in your midst. ² I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, and they will loot the houses, and the women will be raped; half of the city will go into exile, but the remainder of the people will not be cut off from the city. ³ Then Yahweh will go forth and fight against those nations, like _⌊when he fights_⌋* on a day of battle.

¹² And this will be the plague with which Yahweh will strike all the peoples that fight against Jerusalem: their* flesh will rot while they* are standing on their* feet; their* eyes will rot in their sockets, and their* tongues* will rot in their mouths.* ¹³ _⌊And then_⌋* on that day a great panic from Yahweh will fall* on them, and _⌊they will seize one another's hand_⌋,* and the hand of the one will be raised against the hand of _⌊another_⌋.* ¹⁴ And Judah also will fight at* Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations will be collected—gold and silver, and garments _⌊in great abundance_⌋.* ¹⁵ _⌊Like this plague_⌋* will be the plague on the horse, the mule, the camel, and the donkey, and every kind of animal in those camps.

⁸ and he will go out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to assemble them for battle, _⌊whose number_⌋* is like the sand of the sea. ⁹ And they went up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the fortified camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and consumed them.

²¹ Then Yahweh sent an angel, and he destroyed every mighty warrior of strength, commander, and officer in the camp of the king of Assyria. And he returned with shamed face to his land and went into the house of his god. And some of the offspring of his loins fell upon him there with the sword.

⁷ But he does not think this,* and his heart does not plan this. For it is in his heart to destroy and to cut off not a few nations. ⁸ For he says, "Are not my commanders altogether kings? ⁹ Is not Calno like Carchemish? Is not Hamath like Arpad? Is not Samaria like Damascus? ¹⁰ As my hand has reached to the kingdoms of the idols* —and their images were _⌊greater than those of_⌋* Jerusalem and Samaria— ¹¹ shall I not do to Jerusalem and its idols what I have done to Samaria and her idols?" ¹² And this shall happen: when the Lord has finished all his work against _⌊Mount Zion_⌋* and Jerusalem, "I will punish the _⌊arrogance_⌋* of the king of Assyria and _⌊his haughtiness_⌋."* ¹³ For he says,
"I have done it by the strength of my hand and by my wisdom, for I have understanding, and I have removed the boundaries of peoples, and I have plundered their stores, and like a bull I have brought down _⌊the inhabitants_⌋.* ¹⁴ And my hand has found, like a nest, the wealth of the peoples, and like the gathering of forsaken eggs, I myself have gathered all the earth. And there was no fluttering wing or open mouth or chirp." ¹⁵ Does the ax boast against the one who cuts with it, or the saw magnify itself against the one who moves it to and fro? _⌊As if a rod should move the one who lifts it_⌋!* _⌊As if a staff should lift up that which is not wood_⌋!* ¹⁶ Therefore the Lord, Yahweh of hosts, will send leanness among his sturdy warriors, and a burning like the burning of fire will burn under his glory.

¹² The _⌊ironsmith_⌋* works in the coals with his tool and forms it with hammers. And he makes it with _⌊his strong arm_⌋;* indeed, he becomes hungry, and _⌊he lacks_⌋* strength; he does not drink water, and he is faint.

² Hear, heavens, and listen, earth, for Yahweh has spoken: "I reared children and I brought them up, but they rebelled against me.

¹⁴ Yahweh has mixed a spirit of confusion into her midst, and they have caused Egypt to stagger in all of its doings, as _⌊when a drunkard staggers_⌋* in his vomit.

⁷ And these also stagger because of wine and stagger because of strong drink; priest and prophet stagger because of strong drink; they are confused* because of wine. They stagger because of strong drink; they err in vision. They stagger in the rendering of a decision, ⁸ for all the tables are full of disgusting vomit, _⌊with no place left_⌋.*

¹⁰ For Yahweh has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the seers.

²⁶ And I will feed your oppressors their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their blood as with wine. Then* all flesh shall know that I am Yahweh, your savior and redeemer, the strong one of Jacob."

¹⁷ Rouse yourself! Rouse yourself! Stand up, Jerusalem, who have drunk from the hand of Yahweh the cup of his wrath; you have drunk the goblet, the cup of staggering; you have drained it out.

²¹ Therefore hear now this afflicted one and drunken one but* not from wine. ²² Thus says your Lord, Yahweh, and your God pleads the cause of his people: "Look! I have taken from your hand the cup of staggering. You shall not _⌊continue_⌋* to drink the goblet, the cup of my wrath, any longer.

¹² Be appalled, O heavens, at this, and shudder; be utterly desolate," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

⁹ Concerning the prophets:
My heart is broken in my midst. All my bones tremble. I have become like a drunken man, even like a man over whom wine has passed, because of Yahweh, and because of _⌊his holy words_⌋.*

²⁷ "And you shall say to them, 'Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, "Drink and become drunk, and vomit, and fall, and you must not rise because of the _⌊presence_⌋* of the sword that I am sending among you." '

⁷ Babylon was a cup of gold in the hand of Yahweh, making drunk all the earth. The nations drank of her wine. _⌊Therefore_⌋* the nations acted like madmen.

²¹ Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup will pass, you will become drunk and strip yourself bare.

⁵ "Look among the nations and see; be astonished and astounded. For a work is about to be done in your days that you will not believe if it is told.

⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴¹ And he came the third time and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? It is enough! The hour has come. Behold, the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.

⁴⁰ Watch out, therefore, lest what is stated by the prophets come upon you:* ⁴¹ 'Look, you scoffers, and be astonished and perish! For I am doing a work in your days, a work that you would never believe even if someone were to tell it* to you.'"*

⁶ And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the witnesses to Jesus.
And _⌊I was greatly astonished when I saw her_⌋*.

⁹ (Formerly in Israel, when a man went to inquire of God, he would say: "Come, let us go up to the seer." For the prophet of today was formerly called a seer.)

¹² So David took the spear and the jar of water from near Saul's head, and they went away. _⌊No one saw, no one knew, and no one awakened_⌋,* for all of them were sleeping because a deep sleep of Yahweh had fallen upon them.

²³ Let their eyes be dark so they cannot see, and make their loins continually tremble.

² mighty warrior and man of war, judge and prophet, and diviner and elder, ³ captain of fifty and the honorable men of rank, and counselor and skillful magicians and skillful enchanter.

⁹ And he said, "Go and say to this people,
'Keep on listening and do not comprehend! And keep on looking and do not understand!' ¹⁰ Make the heart of this people insensitive, and make its ears unresponsive, and shut its eyes so that it may not look with its eyes and listen with its ears and comprehend with its mind and turn back, and it may be healed for him."

¹⁴ therefore look, I am again doing something spectacular
and a spectacle with this spectacular people. And the wisdom of its wise men shall perish, and the discernment of its discerning ones shall keep itself hidden."

¹⁰ who say to those who do see, "You must not see!" and to the seers, "You must not see truth for us; speak smooth things to us, see illusions,

¹⁸ They do not know, and they do not understand, for their eyes are besmeared _⌊so that they cannot see_⌋,* their _⌊minds_⌋* _⌊so that they have no insight_⌋.*

⁸ _⌊And then_⌋* as Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, _⌊saying_⌋,* "You will die! ⁹ Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'This house will be like Shiloh, and this city will be in ruins, _⌊without_⌋* inhabitant'?" And all the people gathered around Jeremiah in the temple of Yahweh. ¹⁰ When the officials of Judah heard these things, they came up from the house of the king to the temple of Yahweh, and they sat in the entrance of the New Gate of Yahweh's temple. ¹¹ Then the priests and the prophets said to the officials and to all the people, _⌊saying_⌋,* "_⌊This man deserves the death sentence_⌋,* because he has prophesied against this city as that which you have heard with your ears."

⁹ And the prophet, if he is deceived and he speaks a word, I Yahweh, I have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him, and I will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.

¹² And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee to the land of Judah and earn food there and prophesy there!" ¹³ But do not prophesy again at Bethel, because this is a sanctuary of a king and this is a temple of a kingdom."

¹ And I said, "Listen, O heads of Jacob and leaders of the house of Israel! Is it not for you to know justice?

⁶ Therefore it will be as night to you, without vision, and darkness to you, without divination. And the sun will set on the prophets, and the day will grow dark over them.

²⁶ saying,
'Go to this people and say, "_⌊You will keep on hearing_⌋* and will never understand, and _⌊you will keep on seeing_⌋* and will never perceive. ²⁷ For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their* ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, lest they see with their* eyes, and hear with their* ears, and understand with their* heart, and turn, and I would heal them." '*

⁸ just as it is written,
"God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that do not see and ears that do not hear, until this very day."*

⁴ among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

⁹ whose coming is in accordance with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders, ¹⁰ and with every unrighteous deception against those who are perishing, in place of which they did not accept the love of the truth, so that they would be saved. ¹¹ And because of this, God sends them _⌊a powerful delusion_⌋* so that they will believe the lie, ¹² in order that all may be condemned who did not believe the truth, but delighted in unrighteousness.

¹⁶ Bind up the testimony; seal the teaching among my disciples.

⁴ But you, Daniel, keep the words secret and seal the scroll* until the time of the end; many will run back and forth and knowledge will increase."

⁹ And he said, "Go, Daniel, for the words are secret and are sealed up until the time of the end.

²⁵ At that time Jesus answered and* said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and have revealed them to young children.*

¹¹ And he answered and* said to them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to those people it has not been granted.

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and* said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood did not reveal this* to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

¹ And I saw in the right hand of the one who is seated on the throne a scroll, written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. ² And I saw a powerful angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the scroll and to break its seals?" ³ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁴ And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ And one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! Behold, the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals. ⁶ And I saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures and in the midst of the elders a Lamb standing as though slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. ⁷ And he came and took the scroll* from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. ⁸ And when he took the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one of whom had a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they were singing a new song, saying,
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation,

¹ And I watched when the Lamb opened one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying like the sound of thunder, "Come!"

¹² to whom he has said,
"This is rest; give rest to the weary; and this is repose"; yet* they were not willing to hear. ¹³ And to them the word of Yahweh will be
blah-blah upon blah-blah blah-blah upon blah-blah gah-gah upon gah-gah gah-gah upon gah-gah,* a little here, a little there, so that they may go and stumble backward and be broken and ensnared and captured.

¹⁸ And on that day, the deaf shall hear the words of a scroll, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of gloom and darkness.

⁴ Then I said, "They are just simple people, they are foolish, for they know not the way of Yahweh, the law* of their God.

⁶ My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from acting as a priest for me.* And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.*

¹⁵ Then the Jews were astonished, saying, "How does this man _⌊possess knowledge_⌋,* because he* has not been taught?" ¹⁶ So Jesus answered them and said, "My teaching is not mine, but is from the one who sent me.

¹ Hezekiah became king when he was twenty-five years old, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And the name of his mother was Abijah the daughter of Zechariah. ² And he did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, according to all that David his father had done. ³ In the first year of his kingship, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of Yahweh and strengthened them. ⁴ And he brought in the priests and the Levites, and he gathered them into the eastern square. ⁵ And he said to them, "Hear me, O Levites! Sanctify yourselves now, and sanctify the house of Yahweh, the God of your ancestors,* and bring out the defilement from the sanctuary. ⁶ For our ancestors* acted unfaithfully and did evil in the sight of Yahweh our God, and have forsaken him and turned away their faces from the dwelling place of Yahweh. _⌊They have turned their backs_⌋* on it. ⁷ They also shut the doors of the portico and extinguished the lamps. And they did not burn incense or offer burnt offerings in the sanctuary to the God of Israel. ⁸ And the wrath of Yahweh was upon Judah and Jerusalem. And he made them as an abhorrence, as a desolation and an object of scorn, as you see with your own eyes. ⁹ Now behold, our fathers have fallen by the sword, and our sons and our daughters and our wives are in captivity on account of this. ¹⁰ Now _⌊it is in my heart_⌋* to _⌊make_⌋* a covenant with Yahweh, the God of Israel, so that his fierce anger might turn away from him. ¹¹ Now, my sons, do not be negligent, for Yahweh has chosen you to stand before him to serve him and to be his servants and incense burners." ¹² Then the Levites arose—Mahath the son of Amasai and Joel the son of Azariah, from the Kohathites; and Kish the son of Abdi and Azariah the son of Jehallelel from the Merarites; and Joah son of Zimmah and Eden son of Joah, from the Gershonites. ¹³ And from the descendants* of Elizaphan: Shimri and Jeiel; and from the descendants* of Asaph: Zechariah and Mattaniah; ¹⁴ and from the descendants* of Heman: Jeiel and Shimei; and from the descendants* of Jeduthun: Shemaiah and Uzziel— ¹⁵ and they gathered their brothers and sanctified themselves, and they went in according to the command of the king because of the words of Yahweh, to purify the house of Yahweh. ¹⁶ And the priests went into the inner part of the house of Yahweh to purify it. And they brought out all the impurity that they found in the temple of Yahweh out to the courtyard of the house of Yahweh. And the Levites took them to bring them outside to the Wadi* Kidron. ¹⁷ And they began to sanctify themselves on the first day of the first month. And on the eighth day of the month they came to the portico of Yahweh. And they sanctified the house of Yahweh for eight days, and on the sixteenth day of the first month they finished. ¹⁸ And they went into the inner part to King Hezekiah and said, "We have cleansed all the house of Yahweh: the altar of burnt offering, all its objects, the table of the rows of bread and all its objects, ¹⁹ and all the objects that King Ahaz discarded in his reign when he sinned, we have prepared and sanctified. Look, they are before the altar of Yahweh." ²⁰ Then King Hezekiah rose early and gathered the officials of the city, and he went up to the house of Yahweh. ²¹ And they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, and seven male goats as a purification offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. And he commanded the descendants* of Aaron, the priests, to offer them on the altar of Yahweh. ²² And they slaughtered the cattle, and the priests received the blood and threw it toward the altar. Then they slaughtered the rams and threw the blood toward the altar, and then they slaughtered the lambs and threw the blood toward the altar. ²³ Then they brought the goats of the sin offering before the king and the assembly, and they laid hands upon them. ²⁴ And the priest killed them and offered their blood against the altar to make atonement for all Israel, for the king had commanded the burnt offering and the sin offering for all Israel. ²⁵ And he stood the Levites in the house of Yahweh with cymbals, harps, and lyres, according to the command of David and Gad, the seer of the king, and Nathan the prophet, for the command was by the hand of Yahweh by the hand of his prophets. ²⁶ When the Levites stood with the objects of David and the priests with the trumpets, ²⁷ Hezekiah commanded to offer the burnt offering upon the altar. And at the time the burnt offering began, the song of Yahweh began, and also the trumpets, at the hands of the instruments of David king of Israel. ²⁸ Then all the assembly bowed down, and the song was sung, and the trumpeters trumpeted—all together until the end of the burnt offering. ²⁹ And when the offering was finished, the king and all who were found with him knelt down and bowed themselves. ³⁰ Then King Hezekiah and the princes commanded the Levites to praise Yahweh with the words of David and Asaph the seer. So they offered praise with joy, and they bowed down and worshiped. ³¹ Then Hezekiah answered and said, "Now _⌊you have consecrated yourselves_⌋* to Yahweh. Come near and bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of Yahweh!" And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings, and all who were willing in heart brought burnt offerings.

¹ A prayer of David.*
O Yahweh, hear a just cause. Hear my cry; heed my prayer I make without deceitful lips.

⁶ Do not add to his words lest he rebuke you and you be found a liar.

⁶ I send him against a godless nation, and I command him against the people of my wrath, to capture spoil and to carry off plunder, and to make them* a trampling place, like the clay of the streets.

¹ Hear this, house of Jacob, who are called by the name of Israel and came out from the waters of Judah, who swear by the name of Yahweh, and _⌊invoke_⌋* the God of Israel, but not in truth and not in righteousness. ² For they call themselves _⌊after the holy city_⌋,* and they lean on the God of Israel— Yahweh of hosts is his name.

² Yet* they seek me day by day, and they desire the knowledge of my ways like a nation that _⌊practiced_⌋* righteousness, and had not forsaken the judgment of its God; they ask me for _⌊righteous judgments_⌋,* they desire the closeness of God. ³ 'Why do we fast, and you do not see it? We humiliate our soul, and you do not notice it?' Look! You find delight on the day of your fast, and you oppress all your workers!

¹⁰ Yet even in all this her treacherous sister Judah did not return to me with all her heart, _⌊but only_⌋* in pretense,"* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

² And though they say, '_⌊As Yahweh lives_⌋,'* _⌊therefore_⌋* they swear falsely."

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_⌋.*

² and said to Jeremiah the prophet, "May our plea please fall _⌊before you_⌋,* and pray for us to Yahweh your God, for all this remnant, for we are left but a few of many, as your eyes are seeing us. ³ And let Yahweh your God inform us the way in which we should go and the thing that we should do." ⁴ And Jeremiah the prophet said to them, "I have heard. Look, I am going to pray to Yahweh your God according to your words, _⌊and then_⌋* all the words* that Yahweh answers you I will tell you; I will not withhold from you a word."

²⁰ that _⌊you have made a fatal mistake_⌋,* for you sent me to Yahweh your God, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Pray for us to Yahweh our God, and all that Yahweh our God says, so tell us and we will do it.'*

³¹ And they come to you _⌊as people do_⌋,* and they sit _⌊before you_⌋,* and my people hear your words, and they do not do them, for they are showing* passion in their mouth, but their heart is going after ill-gotten gain. ³² Now, look! You are to them like _⌊a sensual song_⌋,* beautiful of voice and _⌊played well on an instrument_⌋,* and they hear your words, _⌊but they are not doing them_⌋.* ³³ So* _⌊when it comes_⌋,* look! It is coming! And then they will know that a prophet was in the midst of them."

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.'"*

² And they saw that some of his disciples were eating their* bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands _⌊ritually_⌋,* thus* holding fast to the traditions of the elders. ⁴ And when they come* from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions* which they have received and* hold fast to—for example,* the washing of cups and pitchers and bronze kettles and dining couches.)* ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their* bread with unclean hands?" ⁶ So he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
'This people honors me with their* lips, but their heart is far, far away from me. ⁷ And they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'* 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. ¹⁰ For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,'* and, 'The one who speaks evil of father or mother _⌊must certainly die_⌋*.'* ¹¹ But you say, 'If a man says to his* father or to his* mother, "Whatever _⌊benefit you would have received_⌋* from me is corban"* (that is, a gift to God), ¹² you no longer permit him to do anything for his* father or his* mother, ¹³ thus* making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, and you do many similar things such as this."

²² which things are all meant for destruction by consuming according to human commandments and teachings,

¹³ He is capturing the wise in their craftiness, and the schemes of the wily are rushed.

³ And the spirit of _⌊the Egyptians_⌋* will be disturbed in his midst, and I will _⌊confuse_⌋* his plans,* and they will consult the idols and the spirits of the dead, and the ghosts and the spiritists.

¹¹ Surely the princes of Zoan are foolish; the wise of the counselors of Pharaoh give senseless counsel. How can you say to Pharaoh, "I myself am a son of sages, a _⌊descendant_⌋* of ancient kings"? ¹² Where are your sages then? Now, let them tell you, and let them know what Yahweh of hosts has planned against Egypt. ¹³ The princes of Zoan have become foolish; the princes of Memphis are deceived; the leaders of her tribes have led Egypt astray. ¹⁴ Yahweh has mixed a spirit of confusion into her midst, and they have caused Egypt to stagger in all of its doings, as _⌊when a drunkard staggers_⌋* in his vomit.

²¹ For Yahweh will rise up as at Mount Perazim; he will rave as in the valley at Gibeon to do his deed—his deed is strange— and to work his work—his work is alien!

⁹ Be astonished and be amazed! Blind yourselves and be blinded! They are drunk but* not from wine; they stagger but* not from strong drink. ¹⁰ For Yahweh has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the seers.

⁷ Even the stork in heaven knows its appointed time, and the turtledove, and the swallow, and the song bird, they observe the time of their coming. But my people do not know the ordinance* of Yahweh. ⁸ How can you say, 'We are wise and the law of Yahweh is with us'? Look, surely _⌊the lying stylus of the scribes_⌋* has made it a lie. ⁹ The wise will be put to shame, they will be dismayed, and they will get taken. Look, they have rejected the word of Yahweh, and what is wisdom to them?

⁷ Concerning Edom, thus says Yahweh of hosts:
"Is there no longer wisdom in Teman? Has counsel become lost from those who understand? Is their wisdom rotting?

⁸ On that day," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "will I not destroy the wise men from Edom, and understanding from the mountain of Esau?

²⁴ For I tell you that many prophets and kings desired to see the things which you see, and did not see them,* and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them."*

²⁹ We know that God has spoken to Moses, but we do not know where this man is from." ³⁰ The man answered and said to them, "For the remarkable thing is this, that you do not know where he is from, and he opened my eyes! ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if someone is devout and does his will, he listens to this one. ³² From _⌊time immemorial_⌋* it has not been heard that someone opened the eyes of one born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God, he would not be able to do anything!" ³⁴ They answered and said to him, "You were born completely in sin, and are you attempting to teach* us?" And they threw him out.

³⁹ And Jesus said,* "For judgment I have come into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind!" ⁴⁰ Some of the Pharisees who were with him heard these things and said to him, "We are not also blind, are we?"* ⁴¹ Jesus said to them, "If you were blind, you would not have sin. But now you say, 'We see,' your sin remains.

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. ²² Claiming to be wise, they became fools,

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,

¹⁹ For it is written,
"I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the intelligence of the intelligent I will confound."* 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? ²¹ For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through its wisdom did not know God, God was pleased through the foolishness of preaching to save those who believe. ²² For indeed, Jews ask for sign miracles and Greeks seek wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a cause for stumbling, but to the Gentiles foolishness, ²⁴ but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God.

¹⁹ For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, "The one who catches the wise in their craftiness,"*

¹³ And you ask, 'What does God know? Can he judge through deep gloom? ¹⁴ Thick clouds are a covering for him, so that he does not see; and he walks about on the dome of heaven.'

¹³ "Those are among the ones rebelling against the light; they do not recognize his ways, and they do not stay in his paths. ¹⁴ _⌊At dusk_⌋* the murderer rises; he kills the needy and the poor, and in the night he is like a* thief. ¹⁵ And the eye of the adulterer waits for dusk, saying, _⌊'No eye will see me,'_⌋* and he places a covering on his face. ¹⁶ He digs through houses in the darkness; by day they shut themselves in— they do not know the light ¹⁷ because morning likewise is to them deep darkness; indeed, they know about the terrors of deep darkness.

²² There is no darkness, and there is no deep shadow where instigators of mischief might hide themselves.

¹¹ He says in his heart, "God has forgotten. He has hidden his face. He never sees." ¹² Rise up, O Yahweh; O God, lift up your hand. Do not forget the afflicted. ¹³ Why does the wicked treat God with contempt? He says in his heart, "You will not call me to account."

⁷ Look, they pour out talk with their mouth. Swords are on their lips, for they say, "Who hears?"

⁵ They encourage themselves in the evil matter. They talk of secretly laying snares. They say, "Who will see them?" ⁶ _⌊They carefully plot_⌋* injustices saying, "We have perfected _⌊the perfect plot_⌋!"* Both the _⌊inner thought_⌋* and heart of a man are deep.

¹¹ And they say, "How does God know?" and, "Does the Most High have knowledge?"

⁷ while* they say, "Yah* does not see," and "The God of Jacob does not pay attention." ⁸ You pay attention, O brutes among the people. And you fools, when you will show insight? ⁹ Will the one who planted the ear not hear? Will the one who formed the eye not see?

¹ For the music director. Of David. A psalm.*
O Yahweh, you have searched me, and you know me. ² You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought from afar. ³ You search out* my wandering and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways. ⁴ For there is not a word yet on my tongue, but behold, O Yahweh, you know it completely. ⁵ You barricade me behind and in front, and set your hand upon me. ⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is set high; I cannot prevail against it. ⁷ Where I can go from your Spirit, or where can I flee from your presence? ⁸ If I ascend to heaven, there you are, and if I make my bed in Sheol, look! There you are.

¹⁸ Ah! Those who drag iniquity along with the cords of falsehood and sin as with rope of the cart, ¹⁹ those who say, "Let him make haste; let him hurry his work so that we may see it and let it draw near and let the plan of the holy one of Israel come so that we may know it!"

¹⁵ Because you have said,
"We have _⌊made_⌋* a covenant with death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol.
The overwhelming flood, when it passes through, will not come to us,
for we have made lies* our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves in falsehood."

¹⁷ And I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,* and waters will flood over the hiding place.

¹ "Oh rebellious children!" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh,
"to make a plan, but* not from me, and pour out a libation, but* not from my Spirit, _⌊so as to add_⌋* sin to sin.

¹⁰ And you felt secure in your wickedness; you said, "_⌊No one_⌋* sees* me." Your wisdom and your knowledge led you astray, and you said in your heart, "I am, and besides me there is no one."

¹² I myself will declare your righteousness and your works, but* they will not benefit you.

²⁴ Or can a person hide himself in secret places and I cannot see him?" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. "Do I not fill up the heaven and the earth?" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh.

¹² And he said to me, "Have you seen, son of man,* what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in the inner rooms of his idol, for they are saying, 'Yahweh is not seeing us; Yahweh has abandoned the land.'"

⁹ And he said to me, "The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is _⌊exceedingly_⌋* great, and the land is filled with bloodguilt, and the city is full of injustice. For they say Yahweh abandoned the land, and _⌊Yahweh does not see_⌋.*

¹² And it shall be that at that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will punish the men _⌊whose senses are dulled from drinking_⌋,* who say in their hearts, 'Yahweh will not do good, nor will he do evil.'

¹⁷ You have wearied Yahweh with your words, but you ask, "With what have we wearied him?" You have done so _⌊when you say_⌋,* "Everyone who does evil is good in the _⌊sight_⌋* of Yahweh, and in them he delights," or "Where is the God of justice?"

¹ During _⌊this time_⌋* when* a crowd of many thousands had gathered together, so that they were trampling one another, he began to say to his disciples first, "Beware for yourselves of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² But nothing is concealed that will not be revealed, and secret that will not be made known. ³ Therefore everything that you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what _⌊you have whispered_⌋* in the inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops.

¹⁹ And this is the judgment: that the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil.

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

² but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person's conscience before God.

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

¹ Look! Yahweh is about to lay the earth waste and is about to devastate it, and he will twist her surface, and he will scatter her inhabitants.

⁹ Woe to the one who strives with his _⌊maker_⌋,* a potsherd among* potsherds of earth! Does the clay say to the one who fashions it, 'What are you making?' and 'Your work has no hands'? ¹⁰ Woe to the one who says to a father, 'What you are begetting?' or* to a woman, 'With what are you in labor?'" ¹¹ Thus says Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, and its _⌊maker_⌋:* "Ask me of the things to come _⌊about_⌋* my children, and you command me about the work of my hands.

⁸ Yet now Yahweh, you are our father; we are the clay and you are our _⌊potter_⌋,* and we all are the work of your hand.

¹ The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, _⌊saying_⌋,* ² "Stand up and go down to the house of the potter, and there I will let you hear my words." ³ So I went down to the house of the potter and look, there he was doing work at the potter's wheels. ⁴ And the vessel that he was making with the clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter, so _⌊he made again_⌋* another vessel, as it was right in the eyes of the potter to make. ⁵ And the word of Yahweh came to me, _⌊saying_⌋,* ⁶ "Like this potter, am I not able to do to you, O house of Israel?" _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh. "Look, like the clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel. ⁷ One moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to uproot, and to tear down, and to destroy it.* ⁸ But if that nation turns back from its evil that I have threatened against it, then I will relent concerning the disaster that I planned to do to it. ⁹ And the next moment I speak concerning a nation or concerning a kingdom, to build, and to plant it.* ¹⁰ But if it does evil in my sight, to not listen to my voice, then I will relent concerning the good that I said I would do to it.

⁶ And when they* did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brothers before the city officials, shouting, "These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world* have come here also,

¹⁹ Therefore you will say to me, "Why then does he still find fault? For who has resisted* his will? ²⁰ On the contrary, O man, who are you who answers back to God? Will what is molded say to the one who molded it, "Why did you make me like this"?* ²¹ Or does the potter not have authority over the clay, to make from the same lump a vessel that is for _⌊honorable use_⌋* and one that is for _⌊ordinary use_⌋*?

⁶ Passing through the Valley of Baca,* they make it a spring. The early rain covers it with blessings* as well.

³³ He turns rivers into a wilderness and springs of water into thirsty ground,

³⁵ He turns a wilderness into a pool of water and a dry land into springs of water.

⁶ And I will make it a wasteland; it shall not be pruned and hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers* and thornbushes.* And concerning the clouds, I will command _⌊them not to send_⌋* rain down upon it.

¹⁵ Until a spirit is poured out on us from on high,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field, and the fruitful field is reckoned as the forest.

¹ Wilderness and dry land shall be glad,* and desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus. ² It shall blossom abundantly, and it shall rejoice indeed with rejoicing and exulting. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. _⌊They are the ones who_⌋* shall see the glory of Yahweh, the majesty of our God.

¹⁹ I will _⌊put_⌋* the cedar, acacia, myrtle, and olive oil tree in the wilderness; I will set the cypress, elm, and box tree together in the desert

⁵ And now Yahweh says, who formed me from the womb as a servant for him, to bring Jacob back to him, and that Israel might not* be gathered, for* I am honored in the eyes of Yahweh, and my God has become my strength. ⁶ And he says, "It is trivial _⌊for you to be_⌋* a servant for me,
to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel. I will give you as a light to the nations, to be my salvation to the end of the earth."

¹³ Instead of the thorn bush, the juniper shall go up; instead of the brier, the myrtle shall go up, and it shall serve as a memorial to Yahweh, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off."

¹⁸ _⌊Your holy people_⌋* took possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary.

¹² and I will remit you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because I called, but* you did not answer; I spoke, but* you did not listen, but* you did the evil in my eyes, and you chose that in which I do not delight." 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. ¹⁶ Whoever blesses himself in the land shall bless himself by the God of trustworthiness, and the one who swears an oath in the land shall swear by the God of trustworthiness, because the former troubles are forgotten, and they are hidden from my eyes.

⁴⁶ "Son of man,* set your face toward the way of the south,* and preach to the south, and prophesy against the forest of the territory of the Negev. ⁴⁷ And you must say to the forest of the Negev, 'Hear the word of Yahweh, thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Look! I am kindling against you a fire, and it will devour in you every fresh tree and every dry tree; the blaze of the flame will not be quenched, and all the surfaces from the south to the north will be scorched by it.

⁹ And he* said, "_⌊Name him_⌋* Lo-ammi,* for you are not my people and I am not your God.* ¹⁰ * The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea that cannot be measured or counted; and in the place where it is said to them, "You are not my people," it will be said to them, "Children of the living God."

⁴ The children of Israel will remain for many days without a king and prince, without sacrifice and stone pillar, ephod and teraphim.

¹² Therefore on account of you Zion will be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem will be a heap of rubble, and _⌊the temple mount_⌋* as a high place in a forest.

³ For there is yet a vision for the appointed time; it will give witness to the end, and it will not lie. If it tarries, wait for it, for it will surely come and not delay.

⁶ For thus says Yahweh of hosts: 'Once again, in a little while, I will shake the heavens and the earth and the sea and dry land.

¹ Open your doors, O Lebanon,
so that fire will devour your cedars! ² Wail, O juniper,* for the cedar has fallen, for the magnificent trees are ruined! Wail, oaks of Bashan, for the impenetrable forest has come down!

³⁰ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.

¹⁸ Now early in the morning, as he* was returning to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ And seeing a single fig tree by the road, he went to it and found nothing on it except leaves only. And he said to it, "May there be no more fruit from you _⌊forever_⌋,* and the fig tree withered at once.

⁴³ For this reason, I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to a people* who produce its fruits.

¹¹ I say then, they did not stumble so that they fell, did they?* May it never be! But by their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy.* ¹² And if their trespass means riches for the world and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness mean? ¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Therefore, inasmuch as I am apostle to the Gentiles, I promote my ministry, ¹⁴ if somehow I may provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean except life from the dead? ¹⁶ Now if the first fruits are holy, so also is the whole batch of dough, and if the root is holy, so also are the branches. ¹⁷ Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although you* were a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the root of the olive tree's richness,

¹⁹ Then you will say, "Branches were broken off in order that I could be grafted in." ²⁰ Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant thoughts, but be afraid. ²¹ For if God did not spare the _⌊natural_⌋* branches, neither will he spare you.* ²² See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity upon those who have fallen, but upon you the kindness of God—if you continue in his kindness, for otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ And those also, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are _⌊natural branches_⌋* be grafted into their own olive tree? 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, ²⁶ and so all Israel will be saved, just as it is written,
"The deliverer will come out of Zion; he will turn away ungodliness from Jacob. ²⁷ And this is the covenant from me with them* when I take away their sins."*

³⁷ For yet
"a very, very little while, and the one who is coming will come and will not delay.

⁴ But Yahweh has not given to you a heart to understand, or eyes to see, or ears to hear, even _⌊to this day_⌋.*

¹⁸ Uncover my eyes, that I may look at* wonderful things from your law.

¹² The ear that hears and the eye that sees, Yahweh has made _⌊them both_⌋.*

¹⁰ For Yahweh has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the seers. ¹¹ And the vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document. When they give it to one who knows the* document, saying, "_⌊Read_⌋* this now!" He says, "I am not able, for it is sealed." ¹² And if the document is given to one who does not _⌊know how to read_⌋,* saying, "_⌊Read_⌋* this now!" he says, "I do not _⌊know how to read_⌋."*

²⁴ And those who err in spirit will _⌊acquire_⌋* understanding, and those who grumble will learn instruction.

³ And the eyes of those who see will not gaze,* and the ears of those who hear will listen.

⁵ Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be opened.

¹⁶ And I will lead the blind by a road they do not know; I will cause them to tread on paths they have not known. I will make darkness _⌊in their presence_⌋* into light and rough places into level ground. These are the things I will do, and I will not forsake them. ¹⁷ They shall turn back; they shall be _⌊greatly ashamed_⌋,* those who trust in an image, who say to a cast image, "You are our gods." ¹⁸ Deaf people, listen! And blind people, look to see!

³³ "But this is the covenant that I will _⌊make_⌋* with the house of Israel after those days," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh: "I will put my law in their inward parts and on their hearts* I will write it, and I will be to them God, and they themselves will be to me people. ³⁴ And they will no longer teach each one his neighbor, or each one his brother, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'Know Yahweh,' for all of them will know me, from their _⌊smallest_⌋* and up to their _⌊greatest_⌋,"* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "for I will forgive their iniquity and their sin I will no longer remember."

⁵ the blind receive sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised, and the poor have good news announced to them.*

¹⁴ and with reference to them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says,
"_⌊You will listen carefully_⌋* and will never understand, and _⌊you will look closely_⌋* and will never perceive. ¹⁵ For the heart of this people has become dull, and with their ears they hear with difficulty, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them."* ¹⁶ But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear.

³⁷ And they were amazed beyond all measure, saying, "He has done all things well! He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak!"

¹⁸ "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because of which he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to send out in freedom those who are oppressed,

²² And he answered and* said to them, "Go and* tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear;* the dead are raised, the poor have good news announced to them.*

⁴⁵ It is written in the prophets, 'And they will all be taught by God.'* Everyone who hears from the Father and learns comes to me.

¹⁸ to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

¹⁴ But their minds were hardened. For until this very day, the same veil remains upon the reading of the old covenant, not being uncovered, because it is done away with in Christ. ¹⁵ But until today, whenever Moses is read aloud, a veil lies upon their heart, ¹⁶ but whenever one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, reflecting* the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory into glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.

² but we have renounced shameful hidden things, not behaving with craftiness or adulterating the word of God, but with the open proclamation of the truth commending ourselves to every person's conscience before God. ³ But if indeed our gospel is veiled, it is veiled among those who are perishing, ⁴ among whom the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, so that they would not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. ⁵ For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus* as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus. ⁶ For God who said, "Light will shine out of darkness,"* is the one who has shined in our hearts for the enlightenment of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.*

¹⁷ that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, _⌊the glorious Father_⌋*,* may give you a spirit of wisdom* and revelation in the knowledge of him ¹⁸ (the eyes of your hearts having been enlightened), so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹ and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his mighty strength

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

⁹ But you are a chosen race,* a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's possession, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light,

¹⁸ I advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire, in order that you may become rich, and white clothing, in order that you may be clothed and the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed, and eye salve to smear on your eyes, in order that you may see.

¹⁸ for the needy shall not always be forgotten; the hope of the poor shall never perish.

⁵ "Because of the oppression of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the poor, now I will rise up," Yahweh says. "I shall put them in the safety for which they* long."

⁹ He causes the humble to walk in justice, and teaches the humble his way.

¹¹ But the afflicted will possess the land, and they will take pleasure in an abundance of peace.

⁴ For Yahweh takes pleasure in his people; he glorifies the afflicted with salvation.

⁴ But he shall judge the poor with righteousness, and he shall decide for the needy of the earth with rectitude. And he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and he shall kill the wicked person with the breath of his lips.

³⁰ And the firstborn of the poor will graze, and the needy will lie down in security; but I will cause your root to die in famine, and it will kill your remnant.

³² And what will one answer the messengers of the nation?
That Yahweh has founded Zion, and the needy of his people will take refuge in it.

¹⁶ You shall winnow them and the wind shall carry them, and the tempest shall scatter them. And you yourself shall rejoice in Yahweh; you shall boast in the holy one of Israel. ¹⁷ The poor and the needy are seeking water and there is none; their tongue is dried up with thirst. I, Yahweh, will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. ¹⁸ I will open rivers on the barren heights and fountains in the midst of the valleys. I will make the wilderness like a pool of water and the land of dryness like springs of water.

¹⁵ For thus says the high and lofty one who resides forever, and whose name is holy:
"I reside in a high and holy place, and with the _⌊contrite_⌋* and humble of spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the _⌊contrite_⌋.*

¹ The Spirit of the Lord Yahweh is upon me, because Yahweh has anointed me, he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up _⌊the brokenhearted_⌋,* to _⌊proclaim_⌋* release to the captives and liberation to those who are bound,

¹⁰ I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; my being shall shout in exultation in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewelry.

² And my hand has made all these things, and all these _⌊came to be_⌋,"*
_⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "but* I look to this one:
to the humble and the contrite of spirit and the one frightened at my word.

¹⁸ Yet I will rejoice in Yahweh; I will exult in the God of my salvation.

³ Seek Yahweh, all you afflicted of the land who have fulfilled his law; seek righteousness; seek humility. Perhaps you will be concealed on the day of the anger of Yahweh.

¹² And I will leave in your midst a people afflicted and poor, and they shall take refuge in the name of Yahweh. ¹³ The remnant of Israel shall not do wickedness; they shall not speak deception, nor shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth. For they shall graze and lie down, and none shall frighten them." ¹⁴ Shout for joy, O daughter of Zion! Cry aloud, O Israel! Rejoice and be jubilant with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! ¹⁵ Yahweh has annulled your judgments; he has turned away your enemies. The king of Israel, Yahweh, is in your midst; you shall no longer fear misfortune. ¹⁶ On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, "Fear not, O Zion; your hands shall not hang limp. ¹⁷ Yahweh your God is in your midst; a mighty warrior who saves. He shall rejoice over you with joy; he renews* you in his love; he will exult over you with singing. ¹⁸ I will gather those of you grieving on account of the feast; they were raising against her a reproach.

³ "Blessed are the poor in spirit, because theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁵ Blessed are the meek, because they will inherit the earth.

²⁹ Take my yoke on you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

²⁶ For consider your calling, brothers, that not many were wise according to human standards,* not many were powerful, not many were well born. ²⁷ But the foolish things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the wise, and the weak things of the world God chose in order that he might put to shame the strong, ²⁸ and the insignificant of the world, and the despised, God chose, the things that are not, in order that he might abolish the things that are, ²⁹ so that all flesh may not boast before God.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self control. Against such things there is no law.

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

¹ Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, if any consolation of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, ² complete my joy, so that _⌊you are in agreement_⌋*, having the same love, united in spirit, _⌊having one purpose_⌋*. ³ Do nothing according to selfish ambition or according to empty conceit, but in humility considering one another better than yourselves,

¹ Finally, my brothers, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you is not troublesome to me, but is a safeguard for you. ² Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of the mutilation.* ³ For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship* by the Spirit* of God and boast in Christ Jesus and do not put confidence in the flesh,

⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice.

⁹ Now let the brother of humble circumstances boast in his high position,

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

⁵ Listen, my dear brothers! Did not God choose the poor of the world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom that he has promised to those who love him?

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, ¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace among* those who make peace.

¹ Therefore, ridding yourselves of all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, ² like newborn infants long for the unadulterated spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up to salvation, ³ if you have tasted that the Lord is kind,*

³ I myself I have commanded my consecrated ones, I have also summoned my mighty warriors concerning my anger, the _⌊ones who exalt over_⌋* my majesty.

⁴ For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in his distress, a shelter from the rainstorm, a shade from the heat. For the breath of the ruthless was like a rainstorm against a wall,* ⁵ the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry land. You subdued the heat with the shade of a cloud; the song of the ruthless was silenced.

¹⁴ Therefore hear the word of Yahweh, men of mockery, rulers of these people in Jerusalem: ¹⁵ Because you have said,
"We have _⌊made_⌋* a covenant with death, and we have made an agreement with Sheol.
The overwhelming flood, when it passes through, will not come to us,
for we have made lies* our refuge, and we have hidden ourselves in falsehood." ¹⁶ Therefore the Lord Yahweh says this:
"Look! I am laying a stone in Zion, a _⌊tested_⌋* stone, a precious cornerstone, a founded foundation:
'The one who trusts will not _⌊panic_⌋.'* ¹⁷ And I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plumb line; and hail will sweep away the refuge of lies,* and waters will flood over the hiding place. ¹⁸ And your covenant with death will be annulled, and your agreement with Sheol will not stand; you will become a trampling place for the overwhelming flood when it passes through. ¹⁹ _⌊As often as it passes through_⌋,* it will take you, for _⌊morning by morning_⌋* it will pass through, in the day and in the night,
and understanding the message will be only terror." ²⁰ For the bed is too short _⌊to stretch out on_⌋,* and the covering is too narrow when wrapping oneself. ²¹ For Yahweh will rise up as at Mount Perazim; he will rave as in the valley at Gibeon to do his deed—his deed is strange— and to work his work—his work is alien! ²² And now you must not scoff, or your bonds will be strong,
for I have heard from the Lord, Yahweh of hosts:
complete destruction decreed upon all the land.

⁵ But* the multitude of your strangers shall be like fine dust, and the multitude of tyrants like chaff that passes by.
And it will happen in an instant, suddenly.

²⁵ But thus says Yahweh:
"Indeed a captive of the mighty shall be taken, and the war-booty of the tyrant shall be rescued, for* I myself will dispute with your opponent, and I myself will save your children.

¹³ And you have forgotten Yahweh, your maker, who stretched out the heavens, and founded the earth. And you tremble continually, all day, because of the wrath of the oppressor when he _⌊takes aim_⌋* to destroy. But* where is the wrath of the oppressor?

⁴ There is nobody _⌊who pleads with_⌋* justice, and there is nobody who judges with honesty. They rely on nothing and speak vanity. They conceive trouble and beget iniquity;

⁷ After this in the visions of the night I was looking and there was a fourth beast, terrifying and frightful and exceedingly strong, and _⌊it had_⌋* _⌊great iron teeth_⌋,* and it was devouring and crushing, and it stamped the remainder* with its feet; and it was different from all the other beasts _⌊that preceded it_⌋* _⌊and it had ten horns_⌋.*

¹⁹ "Then I desired to make certain concerning the fourth beast that was different from _⌊all the others_⌋*—exceedingly terrifying, with its iron teeth and its claws of bronze; it devoured and crushed and stamped the remainder with its feet— ²⁰ and concerning the horns that were on its head, and concerning the other horn that came up and _⌊before which three horns fell_⌋,* and this horn _⌊had eyes_⌋* and a mouth speaking _⌊boastfully_⌋,* and its appearance was larger than its companions. ²¹ _⌊I continued watching_⌋,* and this horn made war with the holy ones* and it prevailed over them, ²² until the Ancient of Days came and gave judgment to the holy ones* of the Most High; and the time arrived and the holy ones* took possession of the kingdom. ²³ "And he said, 'The fourth beast is the fourth kingdom that will be on the earth that will be different from all the other kingdoms, and it will devour the whole earth and it will trample it and it will crush it. ²⁴ And as for the ten horns coming from it, from this kingdom* ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them. And he will be different from the earlier ones, and he will subdue three kings. ²⁵ And he will speak words against the Most High, and he will wear out the holy ones* of the Most High, and he will attempt to change times and law, and they will be given into his hand for a time and two times and half a time.

¹ Woe to those who plan wickedness and evil deeds upon their beds! In the light of the morning they did it, because they have power in their hands.

⁶ For look! I am raising up the Chaldeans, the bitter and impetuous nation, the one who walks through the spacious places of earth to take possession of dwellings not belonging to it.* ⁷ They* are dreadful and awesome; their* justice and their* dignity proceed from themselves.*

⁶ Now some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷ "Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who is able to forgive sins except God alone?"

² And they were watching him closely to see if he would heal him on the Sabbath, in order that they could accuse him. ³ And he said to the man who had the withered hand, "Come into the middle." ⁴ And he said to them, "Is it permitted on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" But they were silent. ⁵ And looking around at them with anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts, he said to the man, "Stretch out your* hand." And he stretched it* out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ And the Pharisees went out immediately with the Herodians _⌊and began to conspire_⌋* against him with regard to how they could destroy him.

⁷ So the scribes and the Pharisees were watching closely* to see if he would heal on the Sabbath, in order that they could find a reason* to accuse him.

¹⁴ But the ruler of the synagogue, indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, answered and* said to the crowd, "There are six days on which it is necessary to work. Therefore come and* be healed on them, and not on the day of the Sabbath!" ¹⁵ But the Lord answered and said to him, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you untie his ox or his* donkey from the feeding trough on the Sabbath and lead it* away to water it?* ¹⁶ And this woman, who is a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan bound _⌊eighteen_⌋* long years—is it not necessary that she be released from this bond on the day of the Sabbath?" ¹⁷ And when* he said these things, all those who opposed him were humiliated, and the whole crowd was rejoicing at all the splendid things that were being done by him.

¹⁴ Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all these things, and they ridiculed him.

²⁰ And they watched him* closely and* sent spies who pretended they were upright, in order that they could catch him in a statement, so that they could hand him over to the authority and the jurisdiction of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, saying, "Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and do not _⌊show partiality_⌋,* but teach the way of God in truth. ²² Is it permitted for us to pay taxes* to Caesar or not?" ²³ But seeing through their craftiness, he said to them,

¹¹ And Herod with his soldiers also treated him with contempt, and after* mocking him* and* dressing him* in glistening clothing, he sent him back to Pilate.

³⁵ And the people stood there watching, but the rulers also ridiculed him,* saying, "He saved others; let him save himself, if this man is the Christ* of God, the Chosen One!"

¹⁰ And I heard a loud voice in heaven saying,
"Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, because the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, the one who accuses them before our God day and night.

⁶ they said to him, "Please say Shibboleth," and if he said, "Sibboleth"—because he could not _⌊pronounce it_⌋* correctly—they grabbed him and executed him at the fords of Jordan. At that time forty-two thousand from Ephraim fell.

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

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

¹⁸ Then they said, "Come and let us plan plans against Jeremiah, for instruction will not be lost from the priest, nor advice from the wise man, nor the word from the prophet. Come and _⌊let us bring charges against him_⌋,* and let us not listen attentively to any of his words."

⁷ You have persuaded me, O Yahweh, and I was persuaded. You have overpowered me, and you have prevailed. I have become a laughingstock all day long. _⌊Everyone_⌋* is mocking me. ⁸ For _⌊as often as_⌋* I speak, I must cry out violence and destruction. I must shout, for the word of Yahweh has become for me a disgrace and derision all day long. ⁹ But if I say, "I will not mention him and I will no longer speak in his name," then it becomes in my heart like a fire burning, locked up in my bones, and I struggle to contain it,* and I am not able. ¹⁰ For I hear the rumor of many, "Terror is from all around, denounce him,* yes, let us denounce him!" _⌊All my close friends_⌋* are watchers of my stumbling, saying, "perhaps he can be persuaded, and we can prevail over him, and we can take our revenge on him."

² "Thus says Yahweh: 'Stand in the courtyard of the house of Yahweh, and you must speak to all the cities of Judah that come to bow in worship in the house of Yahweh all the words that I command you to speak to them. You must not omit a word. ³ Perhaps they will listen and turn back each from his evil way, and I will relent of the disaster that I am planning to do to them because of their evil deeds. ⁴ And you shall say to them, "Thus says Yahweh: 'If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law that I have set* _⌊before you_⌋,* ⁵ to listen to the words of my servants the prophets whom I have sent to you, _⌊over and over again_⌋,* though you have not listened, ⁶ then I will make this house like Shiloh, and this city I will make a curse for all the nations of the earth.'" '" ⁷ And the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the temple of Yahweh. ⁸ _⌊And then_⌋* as Jeremiah finished speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, then the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold of him, _⌊saying_⌋,* "You will die!

¹⁹ And you defiled me among my people for a handful of barley and for morsels of bread to kill persons who should not die and to keep alive persons who should not live by means of your lies to my people who are listening to your lies." '*

¹⁰ They hate the one who reproves in the gate and they abhor the one who speaks honestly. ¹¹ Therefore, because you trample on the poor and you take a grain tax from them, you built houses of dressed stone, but you will not live in them. You built vineyards of delightfulness, but you will not drink their wine. ¹² For I know your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous, you foes of the righteous, those who take a bribe, and _⌊those who_⌋* push aside the poor ones in the gate!

¹⁰ Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam the king of Israel, saying, "Amos has conspired against you in the midst of the house of Israel. The land is not able to endure all of his words. ¹¹ For this Amos has said, 'Jeroboam will die by the sword and Israel will certainly go into exile away from his land.'" ¹² And Amaziah said to Amos, "O seer, go, flee to the land of Judah and earn food there and prophesy there!" ¹³ But do not prophesy again at Bethel, because this is a sanctuary of a king and this is a temple of a kingdom." ¹⁴ And Amos answered and said to Amaziah, "I am not a prophet and I am not a son of a prophet, but I am a herdsman and I am one taking care of sycamore trees. ¹⁵ And Yahweh took me from following behind the sheep and goats and Yahweh said to me, "Go, prophesy to my people Israel! ¹⁶ And so then, hear the word of Yahweh! You are saying, 'You must not prophesy against Israel and you must not preach against the house of Isaac!' ¹⁷ Therefore, thus says Yahweh, 'Your wife will become a prostitute in the city and your sons and your daughters will fall by the sword and your land will be divided with a line, and you* will die in an unclean land and Israel will surely go into exile from this land.'"

⁶ "Do not preach!" they are preaching. They should not preach to these; disgrace will not overtake us. ⁷ Should this be said, O house of Jacob? Is the patience* of Yahweh shortened? Are these his deeds? Are my words not pleasing to him who walks upright?

⁵ "Then I will approach you for judgment, and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers and against the adulterers, and against those who swear _⌊falsely_⌋,* and against the oppressors of the hired worker with his wages, the widow and the orphan, and _⌊the abusers of_⌋* the alien,* and yet do not fear me," says Yahweh of hosts.

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees went _⌊and consulted_⌋* so that they could entrap him with a statement.

¹⁵ and* said, "What are you willing to give me if I in turn deliver him to you?" So they set out for him thirty silver coins.

⁵³ And when* he departed from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to be terribly hostile, and to question him closely about many things, ⁵⁴ plotting to catch him with reference to something _⌊he might say_⌋.*

¹⁴ But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and demanded that a man—a murderer—be granted to you.

⁶ You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous person; he does not resist you.

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.

² And Joshua said to all the people, "Thus says Yahweh the God of Israel: '_⌊Long ago_⌋* your ancestors*—Terah the father of Abraham and the father of Nahor—lived beyond the river,* and they served other gods. ³ I took your ancestor* Abraham from beyond the river* and led him through all the land of Canaan, and I increased his offspring; I gave him Isaac, ⁴ and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. To Esau I gave the hill country of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt. ⁵ And I sent Moses and Aaron, and I plagued Egypt with what I did in its midst; and afterward I brought you out.

⁷ You are Yahweh, the God who chose Abram and brought him from Ur of the Chaldeans and named him Abraham. ⁸ You found his heart faithful before you and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite and the Girgashite—to give it to his seed. And you have kept your word because you are righteous.

⁸ But* you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you, the _⌊offspring_⌋* of Abraham my _⌊friend_⌋,* ⁹ you whom I grasped from the ends of the earth and called from its remotest parts and told, "You are my servant; I have chosen you and I have not rejected you."

¹⁴ You must not fear, O worm of Jacob; people of Israel, I myself, I will help you," _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, "and your redeemer is the holy one of Israel.

²¹ "Remember these things, Jacob, and Israel, for you are my servant: I formed you; you are my servant; Israel, you will not be forgotten by me! ²² I have wiped your transgressions out like a cloud and your sins like mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you!" ²³ Sing for joy, heavens, for Yahweh has done it! Shout, depths of the earth! Break forth, mountains, in rejoicing, forest and every tree in it, for Yahweh has redeemed Jacob, and he will show his glory in Israel! ²⁴ Thus says Yahweh, your redeemer, and he who formed you in* the womb: "I am Yahweh, who made everything, who stretched out the heavens alone, who spread out the earth—who was with me?— ²⁵ who frustrates* the signs of oracle priests and makes a fool of diviners, who drives the wise men back and makes their knowledge foolish, ²⁶ who keeps* the word of his servant and carries out the plan of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem, 'It shall be inhabited,' and of the cities of Judah, 'They shall be rebuilt, and I will restore its ruins';

¹⁷ Israel is saved by Yahweh with everlasting salvation; you shall not be ashamed, and you shall not be humiliated _⌊to all eternity_⌋.*

²⁵ In Yahweh all the offspring of Israel shall be in the right, and they shall boast."

³ "Listen to me, house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel who have been carried from the belly, who have been carried from the womb: ⁴ Even* to your old age I am he; even* to your advanced age I myself will support you. I myself have made you, and I myself will carry you, and I myself will support you, and I will save you.

⁷ Thus says Yahweh, the redeemer of Israel, his holy one,
to the one who despises* life, to the one who abhors the nation, to the slave of rulers: "Kings shall see and stand up; princes, and they shall bow down, for the sake of Yahweh, who is faithful, the holy one of Israel, and he has chosen you." ⁸ Thus says Yahweh:
"I have answered you in a time of favor, and helped you on a day of salvation, and watched over you, and given you as a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to give the desolate hereditary property as an inheritance, ⁹ saying to the _⌊prisoners_⌋,* "Come out!" to those who are in darkness, "Show yourselves!" they shall feed _⌊along_⌋* the ways, and their pasturage shall be on all the barren heights. ¹⁰ They shall not be hungry or thirsty, and heat and sun shall not strike them, for he who takes pity on them will lead them, and he will guide them to springs of water. ¹¹ And I will _⌊make_⌋* all my mountains like a road, and my highways shall lead up.* ¹² Look! These shall come from afar, And look! These from the north and from the west and these from the land of Sinim." ¹³ Sing for joy, heavens, and rejoice, earth! Mountains must break forth in rejoicing! For Yahweh has comforted his people, and he will take pity on his afflicted ones. ¹⁴ But* Zion said, "Yahweh has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me!" ¹⁵ Can a woman forget her suckling, refrain from having compassion on the child of her womb? Indeed, these may forget, but* I, I will not forget you! ¹⁶ Look, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me. ¹⁷ Your children hasten; your destroyers and those who laid you waste depart* from you. ¹⁸ Lift your eyes up all around and see; all of them gather; they come to you. _⌊As surely as I live_⌋,* _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, surely you shall put on all of them like an ornament, and you shall bind them on like a bride. ¹⁹ Surely your sites of ruins and desolate places and land of ruins,*
surely now you will be _⌊too cramped for your_⌋* inhabitants,* and those who engulfed you will be far away. ²⁰ Yet the children _⌊born when you were bereaved_⌋* will say in your _⌊hearing_⌋,*
"The place is too cramped for me; _⌊make room_⌋* for me so that I can dwell." ²¹ Then* you will say in your heart,
"Who has borne me these?" And, "I was bereaved and barren, exiled and thrust away; so* who raised these? Look at me! I was left alone; _⌊where have these come from_⌋?"* ²² Thus says the Lord Yahweh:
"Look! I will lift my hand up to the nations, and I will raise my signal to the peoples, and they shall bring your sons in their bosom, and your daughters shall be carried on their shoulders.* ²³ And kings shall be your _⌊guardians_⌋,* and their queens your nurses. They shall bow down, _⌊faces_⌋* to the ground, to you, and they will lick up the dust of your feet. Then* you will know that I am Yahweh; those who await me shall not be ashamed. ²⁴ Can war-booty be taken from the mighty? or can a captive of a righteous* person be rescued? ²⁵ But thus says Yahweh:
"Indeed a captive of the mighty shall be taken, and the war-booty of the tyrant shall be rescued, for* I myself will dispute with your opponent, and I myself will save your children. ²⁶ And I will feed your oppressors their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their blood as with wine. Then* all flesh shall know that I am Yahweh, your savior and redeemer, the strong one of Jacob."

² Look to Abraham your father, and to Sarah; she brought you forth. For I called him _⌊alone_⌋,* but* I blessed him and made him numerous."

¹¹ So* the redeemed ones of Yahweh shall return, and they shall come to Zion with singing, and everlasting joy shall be on their heads.* Joy and gladness shall _⌊appear_⌋;* sorrow and sighing shall flee away!

⁴ You must not fear, for you will not be ashamed, and you must not be confounded, for you will not feel abashed, for you will forget the shame of your youth, and you will no longer remember the disgrace of your widowhood.

¹ "Arise, shine! For your light has come, and the glory of Yahweh has risen on you. ² For look! darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but* Yahweh will rise on you, and his glory will appear over you. ³ And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the bright light of your sunrise. ⁴ Lift up your eyes all around and see! All of them gather; they come to you. Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be looked after on the hip. ⁵ Then you shall see and you shall be radiant; and your heart shall tremble and open itself wide, because the abundance of the sea shall fall upon you; the wealth of the nations shall come to you. ⁶ A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young male camels of Midian and Ephah. All those from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and they shall proclaim the praise of Yahweh. ⁷ All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall serve you. They shall present a sacrifice for favor on my altar, and I will glorify _⌊my honorable house_⌋.* ⁸ Who are these? They fly like a cloud, and like doves to their coops. ⁹ Because the coastlands wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish are first to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of Yahweh your God, and for the holy one of Israel, because he has glorified you.

⁷ Instead of your shame, a double portion, and instead of insult, they will rejoice over their portion. Therefore they will take a double portion in their land; _⌊they shall possess everlasting joy_⌋.* ⁸ For I, Yahweh, love justice, hate robbery and* injustice, and I will _⌊faithfully_⌋* give their reward, and I will _⌊make_⌋* an everlasting covenant _⌊with_⌋* them. ⁹ And their descendants* will be known among the nations, and their offspring in the midst of the peoples. All those who see them shall recognize them, that they are descendants* whom Yahweh has blessed. ¹⁰ I will rejoice greatly in Yahweh; my being shall shout in exultation in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation, he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns himself with a head wrap like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewelry. ¹¹ For as the earth _⌊produces_⌋* its sprout, and as a garden makes its plants sprout, so the Lord Yahweh will make righteousness sprout, and praise before all the nations.

¹⁶ For you are our father, although Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, Yahweh are our father, Our Redeemer from of old is your name.

⁵ "For thus says Yahweh:
'We have heard a sound of trembling, terror, and there is no peace. ⁶ Ask please and see whether a male can bear a child. Why do I see every strong man with his hands on his loins like a woman giving birth? And why are all their faces changed to paleness? ⁷ Alas! For that day is great, _⌊there is none like it_⌋.* And it is a time of distress for Jacob, yet from it he will be delivered.

¹⁰ But you must not fear, my servant Jacob,' _⌊declares_⌋* Yahweh, 'and you must not be dismayed, Israel, for look, I am going to save you from far, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. And Jacob will return, and he will be at rest, and he will be at ease, and there will be no one who makes him* afraid.

¹⁰ Hear the word of Yahweh, O nations, and declare in the coastlands from afar, and say, "The scatterer of Israel will gather him, and he will keep him as a shepherd his flock. ¹¹ For Yahweh has ransomed Jacob, and he has redeemed him from the hand of the person _⌊stronger_⌋* than he. ¹² And they will come, and they will sing for joy on the height of Zion, and they will be radiant over the goodness of Yahweh, over the grain, and over the wine, and over the olive oil, and over the young ones of the flock, and over the cattle. And their life will become like a well-watered garden, and they will never languish again."

²⁴ "Have you not seen how these people speak, _⌊saying_⌋,* 'The two clans* whom Yahweh chose, he has also rejected them'? Thus they spurn my people from being a nation _⌊before them_⌋* any longer. ²⁵ Thus says Yahweh: 'If my covenant with day and with night, the regulations of heaven and earth, I had not established, ²⁶ then the offspring of Jacob and David my servant I would reject, from choosing rulers from his offspring over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; for I will restore their fortunes* and I will have compassion on them.'"

²⁴ " '"And my servant David will be king over them, and one shepherd will be for all of them, and in my regulations they will go, and my statutes they will observe, and they will do them.

²⁸ And the nations will know that I, Yahweh, am consecrating Israel when my sanctuary is in the midst of them _⌊forever_⌋." '"*

²⁵ Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: "Now I will restore the fortunes of Jacob, and I will have compassion on all of the house of Israel, and I will be jealous* for _⌊my holy name_⌋.* ²⁶ And they will forget their disgrace and all of their infidelity that they displayed against me when they dwelt on their soil _⌊in safety_⌋* _⌊with nobody making them afraid_⌋.* ²⁷ When I restore them from the nations and I gather them from the countries of their enemies, then I will show myself holy through them before the eyes of many nations. ²⁸ And they will know that I am Yahweh their God, because of when I deported them into the nations, and I reassembled them to their soil, and _⌊I will not let any of them remain there any longer_⌋.* ²⁹ And I will not hide my face again from them when I pour out my Spirit over* the house of Israel," _⌊declares_⌋* the Lord Yahweh.

²⁵ And there were for it windows and for its porticos _⌊all the way around it_⌋* like these windows; fifty cubits* long and twenty-five cubits* wide. ²⁶ And seven steps were going up to it and its porticos _⌊before them_⌋.* And _⌊it had palm tree images_⌋* _⌊all along_⌋* its pilasters. ²⁷ And there was to the way of the south* a gate for the inner courtyard, and he measured from gate to the gate on the way of the south, a hundred cubits.* ²⁸ And he brought me to the inner courtyard through* the gate of the south, and he measured the south gate, and it had measurements like _⌊the others_⌋.* ²⁹ And its alcoves and its pilasters and its porticos were just like these measurements. And it had windows for it and for its porticos* _⌊all the way around_⌋,* fifty cubits* along* its length, and twenty-five cubits* wide. ³⁰ And there were porticos _⌊all the way around_⌋* its length, twenty-five cubits;* and its width was five cubits.* ³¹ And its porticos were to the outer courtyard, and palm tree images were on its pilasters, and eight steps were for its stairs. ³² And he brought me to the inner courtyard by way of the east gate, and he measured the gate as just like _⌊the other measurements_⌋.* ³³ And its alcoves and its pilasters and its porticos were also like these measurements, and windows were for it and for its porticos all around;* its length was fifty cubits,* and it was twenty-five cubits* wide. ³⁴ And its porticos were toward the outer courtyard, and palm tree images were on its pilasters _⌊one each side_⌋,* and _⌊eight steps served as it stairs_⌋.* ³⁵ And he brought me to the gate of the north, and he measured it; and he measured _⌊the same measurements as these others_⌋,* ³⁶ its alcoves, its pilasters and porticos, _⌊and its windows_⌋* _⌊all the way around_⌋,* and a length of fifty cubits* and twenty-five cubits wide.* ³⁷ And its pilasters _⌊faced the outer courtyard_⌋,* and _⌊it had palm tree images on its pilasters_⌋* _⌊on each side_⌋;* and eight steps served as its stairs. ³⁸ And a chamber with its doorway was in* the pilasters at the gates,* and there they rinsed off* the burnt offering. ³⁹ And in the portico of the gate _⌊were two tables on each side_⌋* to slaughter the burnt offering on them and the sin offering and the guilt offering. ⁴⁰ And on the outer side as one goes up to the doorway of the gate to the north were two tables, and on the other side, which is toward the portico of the gate, were two tables. ⁴¹ _⌊On each side of the gate were four tables_⌋,* eight tables in all, and on them they slaughtered sacrifices. ⁴² And four tables were for the burnt offering, and made of dressed stones, one cubit and a half* long and one cubit and a half wide and one cubit* high _⌊was their measurements_⌋,* and they placed the objects* with which they slaughtered the burnt offering on them and the sacrifice. ⁴³ And there were double-pronged hooks, one handbreadth in width, put in place in the house* all around, and on the tables was the flesh of the offering. ⁴⁴ And on the outside of the inner gate, there were chambers for* singers in the inner courtyard, which was to the side of the north gate, and their faces* _⌊were to the south_⌋* with respect to one, and on the side of the east gate one facing to the north. ⁴⁵ And he said to me, "This chamber _⌊with its face toward the south_⌋* is for the priests who are taking care of the responsibility of the temple. ⁴⁶ And the chamber _⌊with its face to the north_⌋* is for the priests who are taking care of the responsibility of the altar. They are the descendants* of Zadok, the ones who approach from among the descendants* of Levi to Yahweh to serve him." ⁴⁷ And he measured the courtyard as to its length, a hundred cubits,* and a hundred cubits* wide, squared, and the altar _⌊is in front of_⌋* the temple. ⁴⁸ And he brought me to the portico of the temple, and he measured the pilaster of the portico, _⌊five cubits on each side_⌋,* and the width of the gate _⌊was three cubits on each side_⌋.*

²⁷ And you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, and I am Yahweh, your God, and there is no other. My people _⌊will never be ashamed again_⌋.*

⁶⁸ "Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited to help and _⌊has redeemed_⌋* his people,

¹¹ I say then, they did not stumble so that they fell, did they?* May it never be! But by their trespass, salvation has come to the Gentiles, in order to provoke them to jealousy.* ¹² And if their trespass means riches for the world and their loss means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fullness mean? ¹³ Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Therefore, inasmuch as I am apostle to the Gentiles, I promote my ministry, ¹⁴ if somehow I may provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them. ¹⁵ For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean except life from the dead? ¹⁶ Now if the first fruits are holy, so also is the whole batch of dough, and if the root is holy, so also are the branches. ¹⁷ Now if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although you* were a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them and became a sharer of the root of the olive tree's richness, ¹⁸ do not boast against the branches. But if you boast against them, you do not support the root, but the root supports you. ¹⁹ Then you will say, "Branches were broken off in order that I could be grafted in." ²⁰ Well said! They were broken off because of unbelief, but you stand firm because of faith. Do not think arrogant thoughts, but be afraid. ²¹ For if God did not spare the _⌊natural_⌋* branches, neither will he spare you.* ²² See, then, the kindness and severity of God: severity upon those who have fallen, but upon you the kindness of God—if you continue in his kindness, for otherwise you also will be cut off. ²³ And those also, if they do not persist in unbelief, will be grafted in, because God is able to graft them in again. ²⁴ For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are _⌊natural branches_⌋* be grafted into their own olive tree?

¹⁸ because you* know that you were redeemed from your futile way of life inherited from your ancestors not with perishable things like silver or gold, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb

⁹ And they were singing a new song, saying,
"You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slaughtered, and bought people for God by your blood from every tribe and language and people and nation,

³ Therefore* Moses said to Aaron, "This is what Yahweh spoke, saying, 'Among those who are close to me I will show myself holy, and _⌊in the presence of_⌋* all the people I will display my glory.'"* So* Aaron was silent.

¹⁶ But Yahweh of hosts is exalted by justice, and the holy God shows himself holy by righteousness.

¹³ You shall regard Yahweh of hosts as holy, and he is your* fear, and he is your dread.

²⁵ whom Yahweh of hosts blessed, saying, "May Egypt my people be blessed, and Assyria, the work of my hands, and my inheritance, Israel."

²¹ this people whom I formed for myself, so they might _⌊make known_⌋* my praise.

¹¹ Thus says Yahweh, the holy one of Israel, and its _⌊maker_⌋:* "Ask me of the things to come _⌊about_⌋* my children, and you command me about the work of my hands.

²¹ And all your people shall be righteous; they shall take possession of the land forever, the shoot of his* planting, the work of my hands, to show my glory.

⁵ Afterward the children of Israel will return and seek Yahweh their God and David their king. They will come in fear to Yahweh and to his goodness at the end of days.

⁹ Therefore you pray in this way:
"Our Father who is in heaven, may your name be treated as holy.

¹⁰ For we are his creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we may walk in them.

¹⁵ And the seventh angel blew the trumpet, and there was a loud voice in heaven saying,
"The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign _⌊forever and ever_⌋*." ¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God fell down on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying,
"We give thanks to you, Lord God All-Powerful, the one who is and the one who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign.

⁴ Who would never fear, Lord, and glorify your name? For only you are holy, because all the nations* will come and worship before you, because your righteous deeds have been revealed."

⁵ And a voice came out from the throne, saying,
"Praise our God all his slaves, and those who fear him, the small and the great!"

⁷ And these also stagger because of wine and stagger because of strong drink; priest and prophet stagger because of strong drink; they are confused* because of wine. They stagger because of strong drink; they err in vision. They stagger in the rendering of a decision,

¹⁰ For Yahweh has poured out upon you a spirit of deep sleep, and he has shut your eyes, the prophets, and he has covered your heads, the seers. ¹¹ And the vision of all this has become for you like the words of a sealed document. When they give it to one who knows the* document, saying, "_⌊Read_⌋* this now!" He says, "I am not able, for it is sealed."

²¹ And your ears shall hear a word from behind you, saying, "this is the way; walk in it," when you go to your right and when you go to your left.

²⁰ so that they may see and know, and take to heart and understand together that the hand of Yahweh has done this, and the holy one of Israel has created it."

¹⁶ And you shall suck the milk of nations, and suck the breast of kings, and you shall know that I am Yahweh your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Strong One of Jacob.

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.

²⁸ "Now what do you think? A man had two sons. He approached* the first and* said, 'Son, go work in the vineyard today.' ²⁹ And he answered and* said, 'I do not want to!' But later he changed his mind and* went. ³⁰ And he approached the second* and* said the same thing. So he answered and* said, 'I will, sir,' and he did not go. ³¹ Which of the two did the will of his* father?" They said, "The first." Jesus said to them, "Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going ahead of you into the kingdom of God! ³² For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did believe him. And when* you saw it,* you did not even change your minds later so as to believe in him.

⁴⁷ _⌊For this reason_⌋* I tell you, her sins—which were many—have been forgiven, for she loved much. But the one to whom little is forgiven loves little."

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_⌋!* ¹⁹ I am no longer worthy to be called your son! Make me like one of your hired workers.'

³⁷ Now when they* heard this,* they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "What should we do, men and brothers?"

⁷ And the word of God kept spreading, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem was increasing greatly, and a large number of priests began obeying* the faith.

¹⁹ and after* taking food, he regained his strength. And he was with the disciples in Damascus several days. ²⁰ And immediately he began proclaiming* Jesus in the synagogues: "This one is the Son of God!"

¹¹ And some of you were these things, but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus* and by the Spirit of our God.

¹³ although I* was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, but I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, ¹⁴ and the grace of our Lord abounded with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ The saying is trustworthy and worthy of all acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

² being able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and led astray, since he himself also is surrounded by weakness,

² And he seized the dragon—the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan—and bound him for a thousand years, ³ and threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it above him, in order that he could not deceive the nations again until the thousand years are completed. After these things it is necessary for him to be released for a short time.